Chapter 20
Nellie wanted a normal day. No Ingram. No warrant.
Just a nice, normal, quiet day. However, she knew she wouldn’t get it.
Not with reports coming into Miss Tibbie about people looking for Nellie.
Which, of course, was intended to shift attention from Ingram as the man who beat his wife and made him into the real victim.
The sooner she put an end to that, the sooner they could focus on Ingram as the criminal.
“Let’s go out for lunch,” Nellie said suddenly the next morning as she lay naked in bed, watching a nude Rowan rise from the bed and begin to get dressed.
“Did I make you that hungry?” Rowan winked and Nellie gave a stretch in contented afterglow.
“I want to remove myself from Ingram’s plan. He’s using me as a distraction from his illegal activities. I want the attention to go back to him. If I show the world he’s lying about me, they might not be so quick to defend him when the FBI brings its case against him.”
Rowan paused in the middle of sliding up a pair of athletic shorts. “You want to turn yourself in?”
“If it comes to that. But I’m hoping to know the person looking for me and show them the proof of my and Sue Ellen’s innocence. I need someone on my side in that town.”
Rowan was shaking his head in disagreement. “If it’s the wrong person though . . .”
“Then I depend on the lawyer Olivia found for me. I want to do this, Rowan. I’m tired of backing down from Ingram.
It’s time someone stood up to him. Ingram doesn’t know it yet, but I’m the first domino that needs to fall to start the chain reaction of taking him down.
And he’s going to have to push me down himself.
The reporter is closing in on a story. The FBI is closing in on a case.
If I can get Ingram to focus on me, he won’t see the others coming. ”
Rowan sighed and Nellie knew he’d seen her point. “Okay, we should probably go out for breakfast too.”
Breakfast had been uneventful except for the delicious meal at the diner in town. Now, after a wonderful barbecue lunch at the Lowcountry Smokehouse, Nellie was stuffed. It was a good thing they had the entire length of Main Street to walk off the big meal.
“I now understand why Sundays are such a big deal here.” Nellie laughed after Rowan told her about how the two barbecue restaurants handled communion and the donations for the church every Sunday.
She could imagine the town making a run for the winning place.
And it would be worth it to sprint down Main Street to get a table at the winning restaurant.
If the Pink Pig was half as good as the meal she just had, she might just develop a BBQ addiction.
Rowan reached out and took her hand in his.
It was a beautiful day. The sun was out, warming their skin as they strolled down the street.
They paused to look in the window of Darcy and Wade Faulkner’s shipwreck treasure museum when Nellie’s body recognized danger approaching her brain caught up.
Nellie glanced in the window at the reflection of a man approaching them from across the street.
“Ro, it’s one of Ingram’s cousins. Sheriff Faust’s son. He sees me.”
Rowan pulled out his phone and sent a flurry of texts. Nellie saw it happening in the reflection of the window, but Micah Faust’s hand shot out and grabbed her arm tight. Nellie couldn’t stop the surprised yelp as Micah spun her around to face him.
“Found you, bitch.”
“Get your hands off my girlfriend,” Rowan growled in a deep voice with an edge of danger to it.
“Screw you. She’s a criminal, and I can arrest her.”
Nellie laughed. “Your father is the sheriff, not you. You’re not even a deputy. You just file the paperwork in the office.”
Micah yanked her arm, causing her to stumble forward and gasp in pain. “Where is Sue Ellen?”
“As you like to say, screw you, Micah.”
Rowan reached out and placed his hand over Micah’s hand that was gripping her so tightly. “I said to let her go. You’re hurting her.”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Sure. Once she tells me where Sue Ellen and the kids are. My dad knew you were lying, doc. You thought you were so smart, but that’s why he sent me here to watch you. After Nellie is arrested, you’ll be arrested for harboring a fugitive.”
Micah squeezed her arm and Nellie grimaced.
“You are hurting her. Let her go.”
Micah responded by squeezing tighter. Rowan’s punch came so fast it surprised Nell and Micah.
Micah’s head snapped to the side as blood began to trickle down his lip.
Micah dropped his hold on Nell and squared off against Rowan.
Nell had to do something. Micah was a dirty fighter.
He was another local boy and had grown up with Ingram. Both of them were snakes.
Micah swung, but Rowan ducked. When Rowan stood, he delivered a punch to Micah’s midsection that left him bent over and coughing. Apparently, she didn’t need to do anything. Rowan had it handled.
“You’re going to be arrested, and you two can share a cell.
Or even better, you’ll be alone in a cell while Ingram takes care of this bitch.
She’ll never see the light of day again once she gets to Holland Springs.
You know the sheriff’s department and the court are loyal to Ingram.
They’ll let him do whatever he wants to you,” Micah gasped, trying to recover his breath from the punch.
“Actually,” Granger said as he frowned at Micah, “you’re going to be the one in a cell.”
“Me?” Micah questioned, standing up, but wincing when he did. “I’m Sheriff Faust’s son and she’s a wanted fugitive.”
“I know. Nellie texted and was turning herself in when you assaulted her and threatened her.”
“I did no such thing! When my dad—”
“Your father can come talk to me directly. He’s not the only sheriff in the state. You’re in my town and you have to follow our laws. There’s no free pass here because of who your daddy is.”
Nellie watched with a half-smile as Granger spun Micah around and put him in cuffs. Micah was whining before the whines turned to threats.
“What an asshole,” Tristan, one of the Shadow Landing deputies Nellie had met at Harper’s, said with a roll of his eyes.
“That sums it up. I take it you’re here to take me into custody?” Nell asked him.
“Yup. It was so nice of you to turn yourself in and cooperate with us,” Tristan said with a wink.
“I’ve already texted Liv,” Rowan told her as the three of them strolled across the street to the courthouse.
Nell just nodded. “This needed to happen, Rowan.”
“Doesn’t mean I like it.”
“I’ve been told a plan is in place and to delay as long as possible.
So I want you to take your time and think carefully about the questions I ask you when we get to the office,” Tristan told her before looking around and smiling at Miss Ruby and Miss Winnie.
“Hello, ladies. I was just telling Nellie that I bet you know everything going on in town.”
Nellie smiled at the sweet old ladies as they launched into an update on all the gossip in town that went on for a good hour.
Finally, Nellie was shown into the sheriff’s department.
She took a seat next to Tristan’s desk as he “searched” for the transfer paperwork.
Nellie saw Rowan trying to keep calm, but he was failing miserably.
Nellie reached out and took her hand in his. She felt the tension in his body, yet she was surprised that while she was nervous, she was ready to face what was coming. She needed the world to know who Ingram and his family were. It might cost her some time in jail, but it would be worth it.
“Get out of my way and open the door. Do you know who I am?”
Nellie tensed at the sound of Sheriff Faust’s voice.
“I don’t give two tinkles who you are. You don’t get back there unless the sheriff says so. The sheriff who counts,” the woman who had introduced herself as Brenda said from where she sat out front guarding the entrance to where the offices and interrogation rooms were behind a locked door.
“Nellie Hale, I see you. You can’t hide back there. You’re mine.”
Granger stepped out of his office with a look on his face that gave Nellie the shivers. He looked ready to flatten Josiah, which he could with a single punch if Nellie had to bet on it.
“Until we fill out the transfer papers, Miss Hale is staying right here. And, who exactly are you?” Granger asked from the window in the wall that separated Brenda’s front office desk from the back offices. Nellie noticed Granger didn’t open the door and instead left Josiah out front.
“Sheriff Josiah Faust. And who are you?”
“Sheriff Granger Fox. Ah, you’re the father of the criminal I have in lockup.”
Nellie heard steam bellowing from Josiah’s ears at that. Tristan gave her a wink and then stood to “back up” his boss, leaving the transfer paper sitting with only her first name written on it on his desk.
“What is going on?” Nellie whispered to Rowan, who was watching the situation with a grin.
“They’re buying time for your attorney to get here. He’ll be here any minute.”
Rowan must have conjured him, because the front door opened and a man in his late fifties or so walked in with a briefcase in hand. Nellie blinked as the sun hit his golden suit, sending blinding rays of light around the office as if he were a prism.
“A lawyer walks into a room with two sheriffs,” the man said with a broad smile on his face as he looked completely unconcerned about the obvious tension in the room.
“They see this beauty of a woman,” he continued giving Brenda an exaggerated wink that made her giggle.
“The first sheriff shows her his gun, but she’s not impressed.
It’s a small gun, after all,” the man said, looking at Josiah.
“The second sheriff shows her his handcuffs, but she’s not impressed.
The lawyer looks at her and says, ‘Is your name Brenda, because I want to file charges against you for stealing my heart.’” Brenda giggled again and actually blushed.
“And that’s how the lawyer wins. We know who holds the real power in the office.
Beautiful Brenda, I’m Henry Rooney, Miss Hale’s attorney.
Can you frisk me thoroughly and then let me see my client? ”
Brenda giggled again and pressed the button to unlock the door.
Josiah lost it and tried to shove by Henry, but Granger blocked him. “Are you here to transfer Miss Hale or are you here to bail your son out of my jail?”
“Both.”
“That’s rather a conflict of interest, Sheriff. I suggest calling in someone else to handle Miss Hale’s transfer. Maybe your prosecutor can make sure we cover everything legally,” Granger suggested. “Then you can be the father Micah needs right now.”
Henry, her attorney, smiled down at her. His behavior could easily come across as slimy, but instead, it relaxed her. “Did it hurt when you slipped and fell from heaven? Because I’m a personal injury lawyer and would love for you to debrief me.”
Nellie giggled. It was so bad it was funny. Henry Rooney had a slightly naughty dad joke for every occasion and was thoroughly charming, gold suit and all. “Wait, are you seriously my lawyer?”
“Henry Rooney at your service. Use me how you wish. I happened to be in town for a legal conference when Olivia called. She promised me something about a pecker and a turtle. I was intrigued. Now, deputy, is there a place we can talk?”
Tristan was back as Josiah was calling Robbie Payne, the Holland Springs prosecutor.
Robbie played poker with several other prominent town leaders once a month.
His family lived next door to Ingram’s parents and he’d been best friends with Ingram since kindergarten.
Tristan showed them to a conference room and Nell jumped when she heard screaming.
“Don’t worry, that’s just the ghosts saying hi to Micah. Use this room as long as you like.” Tristan closed the door and Rowan instantly turned to the attorney.
“Do you know anything about the law besides bad pick-up lines?”
“Ah, you must be Dr. Townsend. Let me ask you a serious question. Do you think your sister would ask me to come here if I weren’t a good lawyer? Now, don’t worry,” Henry said, turning back to Nell, “I’ve gone through the entire case and even your sister’s case. We have a plan.”
“We?” Nell asked, holding up her hand to block a sparkling reflection from Henry’s suit.
Henry just smiled and took a seat at the table. “This is going to be fun. I haven’t taken down a corrupt government official in a while. So, how long has this been going on?” he asked, pointing to Nell and then Rowan.