“Do you expect me to report back what I find?”
“Only if you think it’s necessary,” he said softly, lowering his gaze to my now-sleeping daughter.
That surprised me, and I wondered if he was being truthful, but Mason had never lied to me before. I couldn’t see him starting now. Nor did I believe he was trying to ambush me. Especially since I had Hope.
“If I get the opportunity to talk to Ms. Hanover, or get someone else to do it in my proxy, I’ll tell you if I learn anything you really need to know.”
His gaze lifted. “Thank you.” He drew in a breath, then said, “I dropped by to see your daughter. We never discussed state or county business.”
I nodded, and said emphatically, “Of course.”
“You can’t share this with anyone.”
Which included Joe. That gave me pause, but if this helped me find that flash drive—or what was on it—didn’t I need to take the opportunity? Joe had his own secrets from the sheriff’s department. I had Lady in Black secrets. I could hang this situation under her hat, even if I’d vowed I was done with secrets. “I understand.”
He nodded, then slowly got to his feet. “I need to be getting back to the courthouse. Thanks for letting me see Hope.”
“Of course. I’ve always hoped we could be friends. Despite everything.” I stood to take Hope, smiling as I looked down at her sleeping face. “Looks like you have the magic touch. Let’s put her in the cradle.”
Mason gently laid her down in the bed in the back of the office. Hope stirred slightly and fell back asleep, releasing a contented sigh. It was a peaceful moment, and Mason gave me a look of longing. I didn’t think it was for me so much as for the life we’d planned once upon a time.
“You should date,” I said softly. “Fall in love. Have babies of your own. You deserve all of that, Mason. You deserve to be happy.”
He slowly shook his head.
I knew he was haunted by demons. By his sister’s murder. By nearly beating to death the man who’d killed her. By my transformation into the Lady in Black. In spite of everything that had passed between us and the hurt we’d caused each other, I hoped he’d find a way to release all of it. I hoped he’d find a way to be happy too.
He headed for the door, then turned back to me. “Be careful, Rose. You have a whole lot more at stake now.”
Which was the very reason I had to act on what he’d told me.
Hope would never be safe as long as there was a monster on the loose.
Chapter 4
As soon as I locked the door behind Mason, I sat down at my desk and tried to figure out how to best handle the situation. Would it freak her out if Jed or Dermot intercepted her? I suspected it would, especially if she thought there were men out to kill or abduct her. We needed to take a softer approach.
A voice in my head reminded me that I’d tried the softer approach with Vera, and it had badly misfired, but I’d met Vera in a secluded place. If I talked to Roberta in public, it should be safe. Besides, if she were dangerous, I doubted Mason would have told me about her in the first place. Sure, he’d suggested I use a proxy to contact her, but he knew me well enough to anticipate I might go myself.
Maybe I was making excuses for myself, but I hadn’t heard anything about my niece and nephew in weeks. It felt like they were being pulled farther out of reach with every passing day, and I was feeling plenty desperate.
The bell on the door jingled, and I looked up to see Neely Kate walking in. She was wearing jean shorts, a bedazzled RBW Landscaping T-shirt, and a sparkly headband. A large diamond ring glittered on her left ring finger. Although the engagement ring had been there for a while now, I often caught her glancing at it with a big smile on her face. She and Jed were still very much in the honeymoon stage.
“Where’s my favorite girl?” she demanded as she closed the door behind her, her face beaming with excitement.
“I’d love to think you’re talkin’ about me,” I said with a cheesy grin, “but we both know I’ve been usurped. She’s sleeping in the back, but you’re first in line to hold her when she wakes up.”
“I better be. I haven’t seen her in two days.” She glanced toward the door. “Did I see Mason leaving when I pulled up?”
“He saw my truck out front and dropped in to see Hope.”
Neely Kate sat down at her desk. “And how’d that go?”
“Better than I would have expected.” I took a deep breath. “Did you hear about the murder south of town?”
Her smile fell. “No.”
“I talked to Dermot this morning. I found out it was one of James’ men—Rufus Wilson.” I leaned forward. “Neely Kate, he had experience opening safes, and he came to town around the time Violet died.”
“Dermot told you all that?” she asked incredulously.
I made a face. “The source of my information isn’t important. What’s important is his girlfriend might actually know what was in the safe.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you know who she is?”
“Her name’s Roberta Hanover, and she works at the Stop-N-Go on Maple and Hugo.”
She studied me for a moment. “Dermot didn’t tell you any of that.”
My breath caught in my throat. “Why would you say that?”
“Because Mason just came strolling out of here, and I doubt he just came by to see Hope. He told you all of that.”
My blood ran cold. “Neely Kate, you can’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t.”
“I meant it, not anyone,” I said emphatically. “Not even Jed.”
She rolled her chair across the wooden floor toward me and took both of my hands in hers. “Rose, Mason’s the one who told me that Ronnie was already married when he stood at the altar at our wedding, and it was all just a sham. He could have gotten fired for that, but he did it to save me more heartache. I’d never tell anyone that you got information from him. Your secret is safe with me.”
I nodded as relief washed through me. “Thank you.”
“My next question,” she said as she rolled her chair back a couple of feet, “is what you plan to do about it.”
“If Denny Carmichael killed Rufus Wilson because of the safe, he might be after Roberta next. I considered asking Jed or Dermot to go talk to her, but I don’t think she’d talk to a man, especially not one connected to the underworld. It’ll go better if I talk to her, or you and me if you decide to come.”
Neely Kate held up her hands. “Whoa. Denny Carmichael killed him?”
I told her what Mason and I had discussed, and she sat back in her chair, her gaze on the wall behind me as she took it all in.
“Do you really think it’s safe for you to talk to her if Carmichael’s involved?”
“I don’t know,’ I said, my stomach balling with anxiety. “But I feel like I have to try. I owe it to Violet. I owe it to her kids.”
They were the last living part of her in this world. It wasn’t that I wanted to take them from Mike—I just wanted to be allowed to be part of their lives.
Neely Kate was quiet for a moment, her lips pressed together, then she lifted her gaze to mine. “Okay. I think you’re right. I’m in.”