Bad Seed (Jubilee, Kentucky #5)

Chapter 18

As promised, they were back at Shirley’s house just before 10:00 a.m.

She had her four-seat ATV already parked in the backyard waiting for them to arrive, and a basket packed with bottles of water she’d tied down with a bungee cord to one of the back seats. When they arrived, she welcomed them inside, beaming from the excitement.

Sean came out of the kitchen carrying a cup of coffee on his way up the hall to his office. “Hey, guys! Mom told us the news this morning. I can’t tell you how happy Amalie and I are for you. Don’t let Mom drive. She goes too fast.”

Harley laughed. “Oh, so that’s where Brendan gets his love of speed. Ever ride with him on that Harley?”

“Well damn, I forgot about that,” Sean said. “Maybe I should—”

Shirley swatted at him. “You go chase computer viruses, mister. We’re fine.”

They could still hear Sean laughing as they went out the back door.

“It’s a chilly day, but we have sunshine. And just so you know, Uncle John said he’d come by later today and dowse for water around the place you pick so you’ll know where to set the house,” Shirley said, and then climbed into the back seat beside the basket.

Brendan winked at Harley as they got into the ATV. One of her concerns was already being dealt with.

“Buckle up, Sunshine. We aren’t going to go fast. We’re taking the scenic route. Mom, is it okay if we look on the east side of the property, like behind the tree line on the blacktop, somewhere where’s there’s already cleared land? We like the idea of having the house out of sight of traffic, like yours is.”

“Of course, it’s okay. And like everyone else up here, you can drive all the way up and over the peak, and all you’ll see are mailboxes and roads leading up into the trees. No houses are visible from their roads, and those roads were first cleared when most of the trees standing now were only saplings. The old growth are the giants that were here before white men ever set foot on this land. It’s good you don’t want to cut any of them down, because the root systems are myriad beneath the surface and hundreds of years old. You couldn’t dig deep enough in this forest to even set a fence post.”

They took off through the yard, past the old chicken house and barn, and then took a hard right just before they reached the pond and began to drive east, following the edge of the clearing.

The first hints of green were just beginning to show beneath the winter-brown grass. Harley pointed to a huge bird circling high in the sky above them.

“Eagle,” Brendan said.

“Wow,” Harley said.

Shirley tapped her on the shoulder and pointed into the trees they were passing just as a bright-red cardinal dropped down from a limb.

Harley nodded to indicate she’d seen it, but didn’t know where to look next. Everything was new and beautiful and just the tiniest bit intimidating, but she loved challenges, and this was going to be life-changing. She was about to become a part of the history of Pope Mountain, and their children would continue a legacy she would never have known existed. Taking the job for Ray Caldwell had forever changed her life.

They kept driving and looking and talking until in the distance, Harley saw a small cluster of trees out in the clearing, and then as they came closer, a huge animal stepped out of the shadows.

Harley grabbed Brendan’s arm. “Stop! Stop!”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Look!” she said, pointing toward the trees.

“Oh my!” Shirley said. “What a magnificent elk, and it still hasn’t shed its antlers.”

“Look for the stag to make my bed. Look for the stag to lay my head,” Harley said.

“Yes! Amalie!” Brendan said.

“What am I missing?” Shirley asked.

“We saw Amalie when I took Harley out to lunch. As she was about to tell us goodbye, she put her hand on Harley’s shoulder, and suddenly she’s staring off into space. That’s what she told Harley. To look for the stag. We didn’t know what it meant, but now we do. I think this is the place. This is the land we’re supposed to choose.”

“Perfect,” Shirley said. “And you’re less than a quarter of a mile from my house. You can use my driveway to enter the property and then we’ll build a road from there and gravel it all the way to your place. If Uncle John can find water, of course.”

“Is this it, Sunshine?”

“Yes, this is it!” Harley whispered.

“Then the water will be here, too, because the stag marked the spot,” Brendan said.

“I brought a couple of stakes,” Shirley said. “You two go put them in the ground to mark your land. They’re in the back, Son. You and your girl should do the honors.”

Brendan found the stakes with strips of red fabric tied to them and a small sledgehammer to drive them into the ground. He handed the stakes to Harley, then took her hand and walked about thirty feet ahead.

“You first,” Harley said, and handed him a stake.

He drove it into the ground with two blows, then they walked a short distance further, where Harley set her stake—hammering until it was securely in the ground.

When they turned around, the stag was gone.

“If it’s meant to be, we’ll see him again. He was here for a reason,” Brendan said, then wrapped his arms around Harley and gave her a quick kiss and a hug to commemorate the moment before they started back to the ATV.

Shirley’s eyes were tear-filled as she watched them, walking back hand in hand, animated and laughing, so full of joy they were almost bouncing with each step. “I did it, Mom. Thanks to you, I did it. Four good boys turned into four amazing men. Daddy would be proud to know his grandsons are carrying our name.”

***

By the time Brendan and Harley were home, they had a tentative plan for their future. Harley was still waiting for Wolf Outen to take possession of the inn, and they were awaiting her parents’ arrival, neither of which was within their control. But Brendan had plans of his own, and now that he was about to meet her parents, he didn’t intend to leave them guessing as to how he felt about their daughter.

So, while Harley was in the kitchen, he snuck a ring from the travel pouch of jewelry she’d brought with her and dropped it in his pocket. When he went back up the hall, Harley was already in the living room with her feet to the fire and her laptop open.

“Hey, honey. I’m settling in here for a while. I need to go through my email, pay some bills, and check on the details of moving me from Chicago to Jubilee.”

Brendan leaned over and kissed the top of her head. “And I have some errands to run downtown. Anything special you need while I’m out?”

She glanced up, her eyes dancing. “Cheese? The kind that squirts out of a can?”

He grinned. “Cheese it is. Any particular crackers that please your gourmet palate?”

“Anything but saltines. Those are the ones I use for peanut butter,” she said.

He shook his head. “If I hadn’t already lost my heart to you, this would have been the tipping point. I don’t suppose you like Vienna sausages?”

“Dipped in whole-grain mustard? Yum.”

“Well, now we know what to serve at our wedding. Be back in a bit.”

Harley’s laughter followed him out the door.

Brendan made a quick run through the supermarket and then headed for the Serenity Inn. He parked in the visitor parking lot and went into the hotel, and through the lobby to the boutique jewelry store on-site. They didn’t have huge selections of fine jewelry, but they had some. He knew what he wanted and was hoping they’d have it in her size, and after a diligent search, he found it.

As they were ringing it up, Liz Devon walked in.

“Brendan! I’m so glad to see you. How’s Harley?”

“Great now that the feds finally found their man. She’s still got a groove in her scalp, but it’s healing, and she’s regained her balance, which was huge. For a while there, she was bouncing off chairs and walls like a ball in a pinball machine.”

Liz shuddered. “I won’t soon forget them taking her out on that gurney. I was so scared for her, and I know you were, too.” Then she eyed the small bag he was holding. “Anything interesting in there?”

He grinned. “I couldn’t say. Tell the crew in the kitchen that I’ll be back soon, and I appreciate their help more than they know.”

“Of course,” Liz said. “Oh…Wolf Outen is due to move in tomorrow and step into the managerial role, and it’s none too soon for me. I don’t know how he plans to integrate the security he travels with, but that’s all on him to figure out now.”

“Good to know,” he said. “Gotta go. See you soon.”

They walked out of the boutique together, then went their separate ways.

Brendan noticed the wind picking up as he headed for his car. It didn’t seem to matter what time of year, or what the weather was like, tourists still came to Jubilee. It was good for business, and even better for the families on Pope Mountain. PCG Inc. had turned Jubilee into the tourist attraction it was today and saved their way of life.

By the time he got to the car, he was running. The first drops of rain were beginning to fall, and he had the sudden urge to hurry. He dropped the bag from the jewelry store into the seat beside him and then started the car and headed home. Just knowing Harley would be there waiting for him made his heart skip a beat. Tonight, he was putting a ring on her pretty finger—one step closer to being his wife.

As he was driving, he got a call from his mom. He answered on Bluetooth so he could keep his hands on the wheel.

“Hey, Mom. You’re getting rained on, aren’t you?”

“We sure are, and it’s really coming down. Good thing we went out this morning to look at land instead of waiting…and that’s why I’m calling. Uncle John came with his dowsing rods. I drove him out to the place, and it didn’t take him any time to walk the area. He swears there’s good water under your land. You’ll drill deep to get to it, but it will be a strong, continuing source.”

“Great news, Mom. Can’t wait to tell Harley. We’re both still in disbelief at such a loving and generous offer. Love you. Tell Uncle John we said thanks.”

“Will do. Take care. Love you, too.”

***

Unaware of Brendan’s plans, Harley had been wading through emails and making plans of her own. She’d contacted the leasing company about her Chicago apartment, informing them that she was moving out of state. With only a month left on her existing lease, and the fact that she’d been a tenant for almost eight years, they agreed to let her go without a penalty. She informed them she’d be sending her furniture to an auction house, and she would forward the name of the company so they could give them access to the apartment, and that another company would be packing her clothes and personal belongings to ship to her. And, after she mailed back her personal keys to the place, they would refund her deposit.

She’d just shut a door to her past, and without one regret. No more lonely days and nights in the apartment. No more solitary walks down the block to the local sports bar. Her solitary life was over, and Brendan Pope had made it worth the wait.

She was getting hungry and wondering when Brendan would be back when she heard a rumble of thunder and, at the same time, the garage door going up. She got up and headed for the kitchen. The man had timing down to an art, in more ways than one.

He was already coming in through the utility room with his arms full of grocery sacks when she walked into the room.

“You went after groceries and came home with rain, too. Was that on sale, or did it come for free?”

He put the sacks on the island, turned on the radio and swooped her up in his arms, and started dancing her around the kitchen. “Everything I have is yours, including this slow Kentucky rain.”

“Did you bring me canned cheese?” she asked.

He laughed, gave her one last turn around the room, and then stopped and began digging through the sacks.

“Voilà! Cheese, peanut butter, two kinds of crackers, a jar of spicy mustard, and a couple of cans of Vienna sausages. Also, a bucket of fried chicken and sides from the deli.”

She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, and then kissed him again and again, until Brendan groaned.

“You’re killin’ me, Sunshine. All I want is to take you to bed, but we didn’t eat before we went to Mom’s, and you need to take your meds, but you can’t take them on an empty stomach, so hold that thought, okay?”

He was right, so she tried to lighten the moment for both of them. “I happily wait when it matters, although I’ve been put on hold while waiting for a computer tech, and that pushes every button I have.”

“Well, you’ll never have to suffer that again. We have Sean.”

Her eyes widened. “Right! I’d forgotten about that. Your family is as handy as a pocket on a shirt. A saint for a mother. A darling little sister. A computer guru, and two cops for brothers. Three of the nicest women I’ve ever met who are going to be my sisters-in-law. And my man…the best chef in the history of ever. I’ll get the plates.”

“And I’ll get the groceries put up and the food on the table,” he said.

Minutes later, they were eating together, listening to music in the background and rain on the roof, while Brendan doled out her antibiotics.

She smiled her thanks and downed them, then took another bite of fried chicken.

“Mom called,” he said. “Uncle John says we have good water under the property.”

“Fabulous!” Harley said.

He nodded. “Agreed. Also, I saw Liz Devon. She said Wolf Outen moves into the inn tomorrow. She also thinks he’ll probably rearrange some offices to accommodate his needs and set aside some suites below the penthouse for his bodyguards.”

“I’m excited and also a little nervous at tackling the job he’s given me,” Harley said.

“It’s nothing new, just more of it. That’s what I tell myself when we bake for guests every day and then add private parties and holidays to it. We’re still doing the same things. Just more of it.”

Harley frowned. “That’s a good way to look at it. Nothing new. Just more of the same, and you’re right. I know how to do my job six ways to Sunday.”

“I’m not going to lie. I’m really glad he won’t be wanting you to do investigations on your own anymore,” Brendan said.

“I’m not going to lie, either. Getting shot took the thrill out of that chase. I’ll happily find the flaws and holes and let him deal with the criminal activities on his own. He’s certainly equipped for it,” Harley said.

Brendan nodded and went on eating, but her engagement ring was burning a hole in his pocket. He wanted to just give it to her now, but this wasn’t the time.

“I’ll make some good dessert for you tomorrow, but I did bring home some candy bars and ice cream, if you want to save room,” he said.

“I am going to resist the urge to clap my hands. My penchant for sweets is my downfall,” Harley said. “That and squirt cheese.”

They finished their meal and, after cleaning up the kitchen, headed for the living room with bowls of ice cream to eat by the fire.

“How did you know Rocky Road is my favorite?” Harley asked as she settled into her spot on the sofa.

“I didn’t. But I figured I couldn’t go wrong with chocolate ice cream that came with almonds and marshmallows.”

“Oink,” she said, and took her first bite, then another and another, until her bowl was empty. “I’m stuffed and that was so good. Thank you.”

Before he could answer, her cell phone rang. She glanced at it. “It’s my mother,” she said, then answered. “Hey, Mom.”

“Harley darling, your father and I are coming to Jubilee the day after tomorrow. We have reservations at the Serenity Inn. We wanted to see where you both work, so we chose that hotel. I’m already in Houston with Jason. We’ve chartered a helicopter at your suggestion. It seemed the better choice. Depending on the weather, our scheduled arrival is just after twelve noon. We’ll let you know when we’ve arrived, okay?”

“Yes, that’s great,” Harley said. “Safe travels. See you then.” And she disconnected. “Both of them. Day after tomorrow. Reservations at the Serenity Inn, likely hoping for a glimpse of you-know-who.”

He grinned. “Are they really that impressed with fame?”

“Yes.”

He sighed. “I guess I’d better hang up my award for saving that kid’s life in the wreck.”

She wadded up her napkin and threw it at him. “You are such a fake. You aren’t the least bit worried about what they think of you…thank God. So, I guess that covers the updates for today.”

“Almost,” he said. “Sit tight. I’ll be right back.” He was trying not to run as he headed down the hall to his bedroom, got the ring from his coat pocket, and returned to his seat.

“Harley, darlin’, as brief as the time has been since I first saw you, you have become the most important person in my life. I already think of you as mine. My love. My woman. My heart. We’ve talked about marriage. We’ve picked out land for a house. We’re living together already, and I’ve never said all the right words, in the right order, all at once.”

Harley’s heart was pounding. She was so locked into the dark eyes staring into her soul that she couldn’t breathe. She felt it coming. Thought she knew what he was going to say, and even when she finally heard them, realized she’d been waiting for them all of her life.

“Harley Jo…my Sunshine…” He opened the box and removed a white-gold, two-carat, round-cut diamond ring. “I pledge everything I am and will be to you. Will you marry me?”

“Yes, yes, a thousand times, yes,” she said, and her hand was trembling as he slipped the ring on her finger. “Oh, Brendan, it’s beautiful!”

“Just like you,” he said, then cupped the back of her neck and leaned forward until he felt her mouth beneath his lips and kissed her.

***

Larry Beaumont was handcuffed and shackled and on his way to a visitation room for a conference with his lawyer. He knew he was going to prison. There was no way to deny what he’d done. The surprise was that he’d never seen it coming. Maybe because he’d been so wrapped up in Justine’s misbehavior that he’d missed all the clues. In hindsight, he should have been wary about the auditor, but her unassuming manner and pretty face had fooled him.

When they reached the room, the guard walked him inside, seated him at the table with his lawyer, then left the room.

“So, Mr. Manheim, I assume you have updates, or you wouldn’t be here,” Larry said.

“I do, but I’m afraid they’re personal, rather than legal.”

Larry’s stomach knotted. “Well, hell. Then just get it said.”

“The official word on your ex-wife’s death is that she was murdered. Your daughter, Justine, gave herself away after she had a meltdown about your wife’s lapsed life insurance policy. She is, at the present time, in a holding facility for the criminally insane. I can’t say what the courts are going to do with her, but she’s been labeled as untreatable. In other words, there are no meds that will help or fix her.”

Larry felt sick. “And you’re telling me this because…?”

Manheim frowned. “Human decency? The assumption that you might want to know? Pick one.”

“Fine. So now I know. But see where I am? I can’t even help myself, and there’s no one left to bury Karen.”

Manheim sighed. “I do know that Karen Beaumont’s will is being carried out according to her wishes by her lawyer. He will see to her burial and to the sale of her house. The money will be banked. The will stated your daughter as the beneficiary, but if she was deceased or incapacitated, you would be next in line. So whatever money is recouped from her estate will be yours once you’ve served your time.”

“What am I looking at?” Larry asked.

“I’m guessing a minimum of ten years, but again, since you’ve abdicated a jury trial, the sentencing will be up to the judge.”

Larry sighed and looked down at the cuffs on his wrists. “Anything else you need to share?”

Manheim frowned. “No.”

“Then that’s all the good news I can take for one day. I think we’re done here,” Larry said.

The lawyer left. The guard took Larry back to his cell. The clank of metal to metal as the door locked behind him said it all.

***

Justine Beaumont was now residing in Vernon, Texas, at the North Texas State Hospital for the criminally insane, and for those with mental issues too severe to stand trial. She had a room with a bed and a chair and a window. And a television high on the wall with controlled content, and a tiny adjoining bathroom with a toilet, a sink, and a shower. Every aspect of her life was being monitored and controlled, including the daily meds for psychosis.

Her reality was what she needed it to be on any given day, and anything else contrary to those needs caused her to react with violence or hysteria.

Today, she’d been taken to the psychiatry wing for a “visit” with the doctor, and she’d gone to great lengths to brush her hair and clean her teeth. They’d taken away her makeup and pretty clothes, but she kept asking for them anyway. And today, she was reliving her time in the Jubilee jail, waiting for her parents to come bail her out.

Dr. Yellin was reading through her file when she came into the office. She was new to the facility, and this was her second session. He was just reminding himself of her diagnosis, why she was here, and prior offenses. When the guard knocked, Dr. Yellin called out, “Come in,” and then closed the file and turned on the recorder to tape the session. It was old school, but still in practice because cassette tapes were more difficult to tamper with or alter than digital recorders and needed to be foolproof when taken to trials.

“Good afternoon, Justine. Please sit down.”

She sat in the chair indicated, then smoothed down her hair and folded her hands in her lap.

“How have you been?” Yellin asked.

“Do you know when my parents are coming to get me? I don’t much care for it here.”

She seemed calm, but her whole body was on alert. Stiff shoulders, straight back, and one knee bouncing as she sat. She had a tic at the corner of her eye, and he could tell she was biting on the inside of her jaw.

“Do you know why you’re here?” Yellin asked.

She wouldn’t look him in the face and looked at a point above his head instead. “They’re coming to get me,” she repeated.

“No, your parents can’t come.”

She frowned, her voice rising an octave as she asked. “Why not? Daddy has money.”

“Your father is in jail. He stole money from his boss.”

She pounded a fist on her knee. “He wouldn’t let me come home. Mama will get me. Call her.”

“We can’t call your mother, remember?”

She shook her head. “No, no, I don’t want to remember. Just call her!”

“She can’t come to the phone anymore. Do you know why?” Yellin asked.

Justine covered her face. “Shut up! Stop talking. Just call her!”

“She’s dead, and now this is where you live.”

“No money…no money. Waste of time. I need to leave now. Tell the man to take me home.”

Yellin signaled the guard. “Miss Beaumont is ready to go to her room now,” he said, and turned off the recorder.

Justine was talking to the guard as they walked out the door, giving him her address back in Dallas, but Justine Beaumont was already home. She just didn’t know it.

***

Tipton Crossley’s “come to Jesus” moment happened when the door to his cell slammed behind him. His heart was pounding, and he’d broken out in a cold sweat. He’d already asked for a criminal defense lawyer and had given them the name of one he’d met before. He knew they’d find out everything now, and he had no hope of getting leniency, but he wasn’t going down without a fight.

But the longer he stayed locked up, the more he began to realize the irony. He’d stolen women and children and locked them up to sell. He knew some of them died before they reached their destinations, and the ones who survived probably wished they had not. But they hadn’t mattered. They weren’t real to him. He saw them as merchandise and sold them for what they were worth on the open market. Now he was locked up and going to pay a fortune to someone in an effort to keep himself off death row.

His first night in prison had been horrifying, and he kept thinking of the home he’d had with his father and the luxuries they’d enjoyed. All that was over, including his relationship with his father. He would die remembering the look on Wilhem’s face as he’d stepped aside for the federal agents swarming into his office. It was shame. He’d brought shame to the family name.

After his arraignment, Tipton was moved to a federal lockup and was now awaiting notice of a trial date.

Then just when he’d begun to assimilate within the population, someone recognized his name from news reports, and word of his reputation began to spread, and all of a sudden, his safety was at risk.

There were inmates who’d had their women disappear, and their sisters, and their children, and even their mothers, and he became the face and the reason. He began looking behind him everywhere he went and staying to himself in the common room, until one day a man walked up behind him, wrapped his arm around Tip’s neck, and whispered in his ear.

“What did you do with my woman?”

And then another inmate hit him in the face and broke his nose. “My daughter. You unholy bastard! What did you do with my baby girl?”

And a third, and then a fourth joined in, and Tip couldn’t scream because he couldn’t breathe, and the blows kept coming, and his flesh kept ripping, and when they finally dropped him, he’d bled out all over them and onto the floor.

And no one saw a thing. Not even the guards.

Prison justice had happened because prisoners had nothing to lose.

***

Wilhem Crossley was notified of his son’s death the next day, but he had no tears left to weep. In his heart, his son had died the day he found the hidden room. He didn’t understand how Tip had taken that path. Was it a weakness in him? Was it all greed? Or had there been something sinister within him from the day he’d been born?

Finally, Wilhem’s common sense prevailed. He knew he’d been a good father. Tip was the one who’d failed to be the good son. He was just a bad seed.

It happened now and then in families.

It happened in his.

***

Special Agent Jay Howard sent one last text regarding the case to Rusty Pope.

Tipton Crossley was jumped and murdered in prison. Prisoners found out why he was there. Case officially closed.

As Rusty read the text, she kept thinking what Mikey had said. “The snake got greedy and bit itself. It will die.”

And Tipton Crossley was dead.