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PEPPER DRAGGED HERSELF out of bed Tuesday morning when she heard the contractors setting up for the day downstairs. They had taken to making a pot of coffee when they arrived, and the delicious aroma tempted Pepper to make an earlier than usual appearance. Normally on her days off, she was either away from the house or working in the master suite for a few hours. Today she felt as if she had been run over by a truck, and she limped around the room, not able to focus on the tasks she was supposed to be doing. Coffee, she decided—she definitely needed coffee.
Foregoing her shower for now, Pepper tossed on some clothes and carefully made her way down the steps. Sometimes, if she were quiet, she would catch bits of hilarious conversation between the contractors before they realized she was there. Those candid bits of talk were like gold for character creation, plus they always made her laugh and got her day off to a good start.
But today the guys were strangely silent. She didn’t understand why until she got to the kitchen and discovered Jaxson and Owen drinking coffee. Before any of them could do more than exchange uncomfortable looks, there was a knock at the back door. All three turned to see a smiling Olivia, dressed as always in all-white. Pepper had never seen Jaxson’s mother look so happy, and she had a feeling she knew the reason.
“Great,” Jaxson muttered, “obviously she heard about our disagreement.”
Pepper shot him a look. It had been more than a disagreement. It had been a public airing of dirty laundry, and she wasn’t sorry about any of it. Pouring herself a cup of coffee while Jaxson strode toward the door, Pepper made her escape back up the stairs before she had to deal with a triumphant Olivia. The woman had made no secret of the fact that she wouldn’t rest until Jaxson and Pepper were no longer together. Pepper was furious with herself for allowing Olivia to win after she had vowed to never let it happen.
Just before she shut the bedroom door, Pepper heard Olivia say, “I’m so glad you’ve finally come to your senses, Jaxson. That tramp wasn’t good enough for you. Actually, I can’t believe she’s still here—and drinking your coffee, no less. I do hope you brought your friend along to help you get her things out of the house this morning.”
The stress was evident in Jaxson’s voice as he said, “First of all, Pepper bought the coffee, so technically we’re sponging off her right now.” Pepper felt a bit of self-satisfaction when she heard Olivia pour liquid into the kitchen sink, no doubt the fresh coffee she had just been sipping.
Jaxson continued, “And I would appreciate you keeping your nose out of my life. Just because Pepper and I had a disagreement, doesn’t mean it’s over between us.”
Olivia’s beautiful laugh floated throughout the house. “Oh, dear, I heard exactly what went on between the two of you. You know everyone talks about everything around here. Believe me, you do not need the sort of negative energy that woman was bringing into your life. You’re well rid of her.”
Jaxson didn’t say anything. Pepper stood listening through the still-open door, wondering if he would defend her or bow to the overpowering aura of his mother. Personally, Pepper half-believed the rumors that the woman was a voodoo priestess. Okay, maybe it was more like ten percent on a day when she’d had more sleep, but today wasn’t one of those days. Everything seemed larger than life, overwhelming and monumental.
The silence was broken when Olivia said, “Jaxson, dear, where are your manners? I don’t believe you’ve introduced me to your friend yet.”
Pepper seethed. Olivia knew good and well who Owen was. The woman had gotten lucky beyond belief when she showed up here this morning and walked into the charged atmosphere of the house. Now Pepper was trapped in this room, tired, unshowered, and unpacked.
Well, she could remedy that. She silently closed the door and collected the few things she had brought with her to Sinful. Her clothes fit in her bag, and the rest went into a plastic bin that would just barely fit in the trunk of her Camaro. That done, she stepped into the shower, intending to only stand there long enough to wake up and gather the strength to haul her stuff right past the group drinking her coffee in the kitchen.
But as the warm water kick-started her brain, her mind started clicking along too fast. She thought about the bracelet she had found in the grass last night. Just like that, scenes and glances and statements started falling into place in her mind. “I know who did it,” she realized. A plan began forming to expose and capture the culprit. She knew Jaxson thought he had to protect her, and she was going to show him she didn’t need it. She would prove she could take care of herself, and she was smart enough to catch a killer even before law enforcement had solved the crime.
She stepped out of the shower and threw on her clothes. Picking up her cell phone, she sent a quick message to Gertie. Pepper noticed the battery was getting low, but she didn’t have time to charge it. She blew her hair dry while waiting to hear back from her friend, then gathered her possessions into a neat little pile. She would come back for them later. Right now, she had other things to do.
Pepper crept down the steps. As she neared the bottom, she looked toward the kitchen, but it was empty. Through the glass kitchen door, she saw Jaxson’s and Owen’s heads nodding. Olivia was probably out there also, making plans for Jaxson’s yard and telling him how she wanted everything. Pepper let out a small sound of disapproval and left through the front door, glad she had parked her Camaro on the street when she got home Sunday night. She checked her phone. Nothing from Gertie. That must mean Wendy and Lisa were still at Celia’s.
There was an intense determination on Pepper’s face as she peeled away from the curb. It didn’t matter than she only needed to drive a few blocks. She was working out a plan to get a confession, and she didn’t want to waste any time.
Pepper squealed to a stop in front of Celia’s house and ran up to the front door. Her polite knock went unanswered, so she started banging even louder. When Celia opened the door, she started lecturing Pepper immediately about Southern ways and the proper time of day to visit a neighbor unannounced. Pepper had enough presence of mind to keep quiet during Celia’s tirade. When it was finally over, she apologized demurely and asked if she could speak to Wendy and Lisa.
“You came over here to see them? I would think you should know they aren’t here! Wendy went over to spend the night and have a ‘girls’ evening’ at Gertie’s house. With you all being thick as thieves, I can’t believe you didn’t know that!”
Pepper’s stomach dropped. This was worse than she had imagined.
She stumbled over an explanation. “Oh, I must have misheard the plans yesterday. You know, me being so nosey, I overheard some of what they said but I guess I missed out on where they were going. Sorry I bothered you!” Pepper called out as she dashed back to her car.
“Damn rude Yankees,” Celia not-so-subtly called out behind her, but Pepper was already closing the Camaro’s door and zipping off down the street. But then she slowed down and thought about what she was doing. Was it smart to go into this situation alone? Unarmed? What could she use as a weapon? She had nothing but the ridiculously small tire iron the vehicle manufacturer provided, and even that was nearly impossible to get out of the trunk.
She pulled over and checked her phone. Still nothing from Gertie. That left Ida Belle or Fortune as possible backup. Her instinct was to call Fortune.
Wait a minute. If Gertie wasn’t home, maybe she could find something at her place to use as a weapon. Her gun skills were improving considerably, and she doubted she would actually need to shoot anyone even if she had one with her. The niggling voice in the back of her brain started screaming that this was a bad idea, but Pepper hoped she would be dealing with someone who could still be reasoned with.
Deciding to go on foot to call less attention to herself, Pepper parked on a side street and headed for Gertie’s house. When she got there, she found the back door unlocked. Even though she expected it, Pepper still shook her head. Who left a house full of guns wide open for anyone to walk in and help themselves? Like me, she thought, and blushed even though nobody was there to see her.
She went inside and stood still for a moment, listening. She was nearly positive nobody was home, but she didn’t want to accidentally come across Gertie—or anyone else—in a compromising situation. She didn’t hear anything, so she crept up the stairs and started checking rooms. She had never been in this part of Gertie’s house, but she hoped Gertie wouldn’t mind her borrowing a weapon for a good cause. Gertie adored Owen Bryce, and this was all about doing something to protect him, so it was a good thing. Right? Pepper breathed slowly, wondering if she were trying too hard to convince herself that she was doing the right thing.
From somewhere in her memory, she heard her father’s voice. She remembered the occasion. She had gotten into some sketchy behavior during high school, and she was trying to justify her actions to her parents. She told them what she was doing was okay because there was really no rule against it and it wasn’t hurting anyone. Her father just looked at her and said, “If you have to work that hard to convince yourself that what you’re doing is right, then you already know it’s not.”
Well, crap. Pepper sank down onto the floor of Gertie’s upstairs hallway. She did know this wasn’t smart. Stealing a gun? Using it to threaten someone she only suspected of being behind everything that had happened? Not telling anyone what she was doing or where she was going?
Pepper pulled out her phone and dialed Fortune’s number. She thought it would go to voicemail, but then Fortune picked up, sounding a bit breathless. “Hi, Pepper, what’s up?”
“Maybe I should ask you that. Sounds like you just sprinted a mile.”
“Two miles, actually.”
Of course. Pepper rolled her eyes. The running thing. Deciding to ignore that, she said, “Listen, you know how you started to give me those self-defense lessons?”
“Sure. Ready for more?”
“Well, yeah, actually I am. But right now I was thinking more along the lines of gun safety. Like, we each take a gun somewhere and see if we can safely do a takedown.”
There was silence for a minute, and then Fortune said, “I like the way you think, and I might happen to have a couple of items that could aid us in that adventure. Where are you? I’ll pick you up.”
“What would you say if I told you I was at Gertie’s place?”
“So the old ladies are in on this too?”
“Nope. There’s nobody here and Gertie isn’t answering her phone. They must be off doing something this morning. Get over here. I’ll tell you what I have in mind when you pick me up.”
“Hmmm... maybe you should come over here. Gertie lives right across the street from Carter. If he caught wind of our adventure, things might not go so well.”
“Right. Good point. I’m on foot, so I’ll be there in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“I’m sure you will.” Pepper disconnected the call and went back downstairs. Then she let herself out the back door and walked toward Fortune’s. She kept an eye out for moving curtains, but everyone must have been busy watching morning talk shows, because she didn’t see evidence of anyone watching her.
Five minutes later she knocked on Fortune’s door. Fortune yanked the door open and pulled her inside. “What are you doing?” she hissed. “You should always sneak down the property line and come in through the back door.”
Pepper rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’ll remember that the next time we have to do a covert op together. What do you want to do, pretend we’re spies or something? Good grief, woman, remember where you are.”
Fortune’s voice held a strange note as she said, “I remember every day, believe me.”
What was that about? Pepper didn’t have time to think about it, though, because Fortune pulled her toward the kitchen. Two handguns were lying on the kitchen island. Pepper felt her heart beat faster just looking at them. “Are they loaded?” she asked.
“They wouldn’t be much use if they weren’t, would they?” Fortune shot back.
“That’s true,” Pepper said and smiled to relieve the tension. There was no reason for her to argue with Fortune when they were going to need to have each other’s backs very soon.
“Why don’t you tell me exactly what’s going on?” Fortune said. She was dressed in casual shorts and a tank top, her long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Pepper wondered how she planned to carry a handgun while wearing that outfit.
Pepper took a deep breath to settle her thoughts, then she began, “Before we talk about what we’re going to do next, I need to tell you I’m a little concerned about Gertie. I’ve been trying to call and text, but I’m not getting any answers.”
Fortune frowned. “Well, she does have a houseguest. Maybe she went out to breakfast with Lisa and accidentally turned off her phone.”
“Ah, but there’s part of the problem.” Pepper held up a finger. “Gertie said that last night Lisa told her she was going to have a girls’ night with Wendy at Celia’s house. But when I went over to Celia’s this morning, I got the opposite story from Celia.” She caught Fortune’s raised eyebrow at her mention of visiting Celia’s, but Fortune let it go without comment.
“Wait, so Wendy and Lisa are both missing? And Gertie’s not answering her phone?”
“Right.”
“Shit. Did you try calling Ida Belle?”
“She doesn’t answer either. I assumed she and Gertie were off somewhere together.”
“Well, that may be true. But I have a feeling it’s not by choice. Let me think for a minute.”
Pepper tried again to explain. “I—”
“Just wait!” Pepper watched Fortune stomp around the house, then run upstairs and return with two black vests. Pepper’s eyebrows nearly hit her hairline. What was Fortune doing with bulletproof vests?
“Well, I have to say I’ll feel safer wearing one of these. But where did you get them?”
“Umm... they kind of came with the house.”
“Okay, I get it. You don’t want to tell me. That’s okay. But now you have to listen. Because I know who’s behind everything, and I’m pretty sure I know where they are.”
Fortune made a sound of impatience. “Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
“You wouldn’t let me talk! You really need to learn some manners!” Pepper winced when she realized that she might have sounded just a tiny bit like Celia just then.
“Noted. Now talk!” Fortune was all business right now. For a librarian, she sure seemed comfortable in these sorts of situations.
Pepper talked. “I think Wendy is the culprit behind this entire mess.”
Fortune’s brow wrinkled. “How did you come up with that?”
“A bunch of things, but the clincher is what I found last night. After Jaxson and I had a slight disagreement, I went for a stroll around town.” Fortune’s bark of laughter showed what she thought of Pepper’s spin on the events, but she didn’t interrupt. “I ended up on this little side street. There were only two houses on the street, and it didn’t look like either one was inhabited. But I found a beautiful gold bracelet in the grass. The clasp was broken. At first I thought it must have just fallen off someone’s wrist, but when I looked closer today, I realized it was actually broken, there’s no way it could have simply come loose.”
“Do you have the bracelet?”
“No, I left it in my room. I was going to take it in to Francine’s to see if anyone recognized it, but I didn’t have to work today and then I got distracted. Olivia came by this morning while Jaxson and Owen were there. That was all sorts of fun.”
Fortune grimaced. “I can only imagine. What does the bracelet have to do with Wendy?”
“I remembered where I had seen it before. She was wearing it when she came into Francine’s yesterday morning to yell at Bruce.”
“What makes you think she’s behind it and not a victim?”
“Because she and Lisa went off together last night, it was Wendy’s idea, and they didn’t go to either Gertie’s or Celia’s. Wendy must have lied about wanting to have a girls’ night, and instead gotten Lisa to walk with her down that street, then forced her into one of those empty-looking houses. Plus, Wendy is the only one without a good alibi for the time someone shot at Owen and me.”
“It could have been Joe or Bruce.”
Pepper shook her head. “Nope. Carter checked in with them on a video chat right after the shooting and they were together, sitting in Carter’s living room and watching a baseball game.”
“Carter must have checked Wendy’s alibi.”
“He did. Celia said she and Wendy were both doing beauty treatments at home.”
Fortune shuddered and said, “Well, Celia could certainly use more of those. But that’s a pretty weak alibi if they weren’t in the same room the entire time. Or maybe Celia was actually taking a nap. You know she would never admit to being less than perfect and falling asleep on the job. Wendy could have slipped out and found a way to take the shot. But why Owen? Why not Bruce if she was so mad at him?”
“I think she’s the only one who can answer that.”
“Then let’s go find her and get some answers.”