I swallowed hard. Dermot hadn’t known that part, although it made sense given the man’s connection to James.
“Rufus had an interesting skill set.” Mason held my gaze. “Four years ago, he was arrested for breaking into a safe in Oklahoma.”
I gasped. “Do you think he broke into the safe at Violet’s attorney’s office?”
“Honestly? Yeah, I do.”
My heart constricted. “Does Joe know about this?”
“I can’t say with certainty, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he does. Malcolm was the obvious suspect in the break-in, and Rufus’ arrival in Fenton County fits the timeline.”
Joe knew how much I wanted to find the flash drive. Hurt bubbled up at the thought that he’d learned something this important and kept it from me, which was irrational given it had only been a few hours, but I told myself that Joe was bound by the law to keep from sharing confidential police matters. Mason was too, but for some reason, the man whose entire life had been defined by the rules was breaking them—again—with me.
“Did Denny Carmichael kill Rufus Wilson?”
His eyes narrowed. “What makes you ask that?”
“Carmichael threatened the manager at Sonder Tech right around the time the kids were kidnapped, but Stewart swore he didn’t know anything about Hardshaw.”
He nodded. “I spoke to Stewart Adams and believed his story. I think poisoning the azalea bushes was a warning to Calista Johnson and her boyfriend, Patrick Nestle, to leave town. I’m 99.9% sure Denny Carmichael killed them—or had his henchmen do it—I just can’t prove it, and neither can Joe. So Carmichael’s walking around a free man, and he’s still killing people, as evidenced by the body found this morning.”
I’d gone by Sonder Tech to investigate the poisoned plants and had one of the most memorable—and embarrassing—visions ever. It had indicated Calista and her boyfriend were connected to Hardshaw in some way, and sure enough, she and her boyfriend turned up dead a day later. “Carmichael hates Hardshaw, and he knows James Malcolm is working with them. It stands to reason he would kill Rufus Wilson. Not only was the guy part of Hardshaw, but he also worked for James.”
He studied me for a moment, then nodded. “I suspect you’re right.”
A new thought hit me. “Do you think Carmichael killed him because he wants what was in the safe?”
He cocked his head. “How many people knew what was in that safe?” Mason knew Violet’s attorney’s safe had been robbed, but we’d tried to keep the details quiet.
I shook my head. “I don’t know. I haven’t heard much discussion about it in the criminal world, but I’ve always suspected James stole the flash drive. After Mike went to the state police, I realized Violet must have dug up dirt on Hardshaw through him. James found out and took it. The real question is how he knew.”
“That part probably isn’t important. What is important is Rufus’ girlfriend, Roberta Hanover.”
“Why? Do you think Carmichael’s goin’ after her next?”
“I don’t know, but I wouldn’t be surprised, especially if Denny was after something Rufus had. I had a discussion with her last fall after she was arrested for shoplifting. I used the opportunity to question her about her boyfriend. She never shared anything, but I got the impression that he didn’t keep her in the dark as much as she would have liked me to believe.” His gaze held mine. “If her boyfriend broke into that safe, I wouldn’t be surprised if she knows a thing or two about it.”
I took a moment to absorb that, my gaze falling to Hope, who was snuggled up against Mason like she’d known him all her life. I ripped my gaze away from her, forcing my mind back to our discussion. “So if Carmichael killed Rufus Wilson because of the safe, you think he might go after her next?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. For all I know, Carmichael killed Wilson just because he was breathing. Or maybe he did it just to push Malcolm’s buttons. There’s been a war brewing between them for some time now. Maybe Carmichael decided it was finally time to set it in motion.”
I pushed out a breath. I knew about the brewing war. I’d had visions of it, and in them, I’d stood on Denny Carmichael’s side. I still couldn’t believe that would ever happen. Denny and I might agree about Hardshaw, but it was the only thing we did agree on. I wanted nothing to do with his turf war with James…and yet Carmichael had saved my life the previous August and told me I owed him a favor. I’d always suspected he’d call it in when I least wanted him to.
“Do you think Roberta’s in trouble?” I asked quietly. “Gut reaction.”
“Yeah,” he said. “I do.”
My stomach twisted. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I think she might be the only chance you have of finding out what was in that safe. I’m definitely not suggesting you go talk to her in person.” He paused and seemed to choose his words carefully. “But I suspect you might know people who could intervene on your behalf.”
Dermot. Jed. Either one of them would help. Dermot seemed the better choice, but what if this was a trap? The last time I’d asked him to step in and help me, he’d been shot. His men attacked and killed. I wouldn’t walk him into a different kind of ambush. “If you think she’s in trouble, why don’t you or Joe offer her protection?”
“Because she’s not going to talk to the authorities. I doubt she trusts anyone at this point, and likely with just cause. We wouldn’t get anything out of it.”
My back stiffened. “So you’ll only protect her if you get something out of it.”
“We have a budget, Rose,” he said with an exhausted sigh, “and it’s not an option. Joe and I have to justify every expense, and we can’t be doling out money to protect a woman who not only refuses to help us, but doesn’t want our intervention in the first place.”
“Yeah,” I said, glancing down at my lap. “I guess you’re right.”
“I understand your frustration, trust me. That’s part of the reason I’m here. I’m bound by rules and laws, but you…”
“Are not.”
“Actually,” he said, “you are. Which means you’ll need to be very careful. I’m sure there will be eyes on her, and it won’t just be criminals watching, if you understand my meaning.”
Roberta Hanover was under surveillance. They might not be protecting her, but they were watching to see what she did next.
“Is her phone tapped?”
“Not by the county or state.”
“I notice you left out federal and local.”
“Local is a non-issue,” he scoffed.
“How likely is federal?”
“If there was any surveillance, it was probably on his phone, not hers. But there might be something in their house. So if someone wanted to call her, they’d be wise to wait until she’s not home.”
“Any idea if she has a job?”
“She works at the convenience store at Maple and Hugo Drive. The Stop-N-Go. I hear she works the day shift.”
He gave me a sad smile as he said it—a look I recognized all too well. He hated that he was feeding me information that would drag me back into this mess, but here he was, doing it anyway.