Thirty-Four and a Half Predicaments
Page 12

“Oh, honey, it’s okay.”
“No.” Her voice was hard, but it cracked with emotion as she pointed toward the beauty shop. “No it’s not. That horrible excuse of a human being is pregnant with a baby she’s only using as tool, while I lost…” Her words broke off and she started to cry. “It’s not fair, Rose.”
My throat burned as my chin quivered. “I know, honey. It’s not fair and I’d do anything to make it right.”
She sucked in a deep breath and pulled back her shoulders. “I’m done taking her crap, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to bring her down.”
The look in her eyes scared me a little. “What does that mean?”
She shook her head. “I’m still working on it, but I’ll let you know when I have a plan.”
I wasn’t sure revenge was a good alternative to despondency, but at least she had some fire in her. Then Kate’s implication hit me full force.
I turned toward the courthouse. “I have to talk to Mason.”
“No.” She looped her arm through mine. “I don’t trust Kate one bit more than I trust Hilary. She wants you to run to Mason. She wants you to question your trust in him.” She turned to me. “I’m craving a hamburger from Merilee’s.”
Her abrupt change in mood worried me, but I let her lead me across the street and into the café. We sat at a table and she ordered a hamburger while I sat in silence, reliving the nightmare at the Nip and Clip over and over again.
“She’s lyin’,” Neely Kate said as the waitress walked away.
“I’m not so sure.”
She leaned her elbows on the table. “Okay, so let’s say she’s tellin’ the truth. I can’t see Mason dating Hilary. She’s not his type.”
“She could be, for all I know. He’s barely told me anything about his old girlfriends.”
“It’s a good bet that his type ain’t crazy-ass witches.”
True, but the thought of Mason possibly dating Hilary—or even befriending her—made me sicker than the time Muffy ate a dead possum she’d found in the back yard.
“Look, you said Mason and Joe had history even before Savannah because they worked in the same sphere. Hilary was with the state police just like Joe was. If Mason knew her before coming to Henryetta, that’s probably how.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
The waitress brought Neely Kate her burger and I decided to tell her about my discovery. Though I’d been trying not to think about it, the memory kept resurfacing in my mind. “I stopped by Mason’s office before I came to see you. He wasn’t in his office, but Kaylee sent me in and I saw a file on his desk. One I wasn’t expecting.”
She stopped mid-bite. “What was it?”
“A file on Dora.”
She plopped the burger back down on the plate. “He’s working on her case? And he didn’t tell you?”
“No. And I looked inside it.” I cringed.
“Of course you did.” But there was no recrimination in her voice, only pride. “I’d expect nothing less.”
“I don’t think it’s an official file. He has handwritten notes in her folder, and he usually keeps his notes in documents on his laptop.”
“Do you think it’s because he might get in trouble with his boss for working on a case that’s so old?”
“No…” I looked up at her. “I think it’s because she might have been doin’ something bad.”
“Why would you say that?”
“His notes said she might have been part of a possible extortion scheme.”
“What did he say when you asked him about it?”
“I didn’t. I panicked and I stuck the file back on his desk when he came back. Then I figured it would be too obvious if I asked about her. I didn’t want him thinking I was snoopin’. Even if I was.”
“So what are you gonna do?”
I’d been asking myself that very question since leaving Mason’s office, and I’d finally reached a decision while sitting in the salon. “I’m gonna ask him about it tonight. Along with if he knew Hilary before he came to Henryetta.”
“Good idea.”
My phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out, my stomach tumbling to the floor when I read the name: SM
Skeeter Malcolm.
Chapter Five
I hid my phone under the table as I sent the call to voice mail, but Neely Kate didn’t seem to notice. “I need to go to the restroom.”
Neely Kate gave me a strange look, my tone probably throwing her off. “Okay.”
“I’ll be right back.” I hurried to the one-stall bathroom and locked the door before hitting redial.
Skeeter answered on the first ring. “Lady. I thought you were avoiding me.”
“I couldn’t very well answer while I was sitting with Neely Kate in the middle of Merilee’s Café.”
“Good point. Long time, no see.”
Actually, longer than I’d expected. The last time I’d seen or talked to him was a month ago, the night he’d agreed to save Mason in exchange for my willing participation as the Lady in Black for six months. I’d worried Skeeter would utilize every moment of those six months. Then a new thought hit me—maybe he thought my indentured service would start at the time of his choosing. I planned to nip that idea in the bud right away. “I’m surprised you let a month of our six-month contract slip by.”