Chapter 40 Take Care Of Yourself
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
Hours later, Rory and Gale were back at her condo, her heart still not level enough in her eyes.
“I feel like such a fool for not seeing it,” she said.
“Don’t,” he said. “No one did. He told me he was in college when it happened and his mother kept him informed.”
There was a knock at the door and she got up and opened it. Ford was standing there, though it was late and everyone should be sleeping.
“Hey, come in.”
“How are you feeling?” Ford asked Rory.
His neck was swollen and bruised, but there was no permanent damage. Other than to his psyche. Hers too.
“Like someone tried to kill me. Twice.”
“Rocco confessed everything. Didn’t even want a lawyer. He said he couldn’t live with it another day,” Ford said.
“You’re kidding me,” she said. “Why would someone do that?”
“Guilt,” Ford said. “I don’t know. He won’t stop crying.
Worse than Kane was. He said he can’t live like this.
” Ford turned to Rory. “The strings on his keychain, he said they were from Rene’s ankle bracelet.
You were right. He took it as a reminder to never forget what he’d done, what had eaten at him for years.
It’d fallen off her ankle and he didn’t want to leave it where he’d killed her.
Which was on John Abdell’s property. He took two when he tied it back on.
He’d had work gloves on his hands but took one off to tie that without thinking. ”
“Obviously he lied about being at college,” Rory said.
“His mother brought him there the next day. She’d heard about the murder and said she wanted him out of town in case someone was coming after kids.”
“That’s ironic,” Gale said. “What a joke.”
“I don’t think anyone ever suspected him or even thought he could do something like that. He’s always been quiet and overlooked.”
“In school he was picked on as being a gentle giant,” she said. “I remember that now. He had no father and never talked about one and many said he was a mama’s boy.”
“I’m sure it messed with his head. He said he didn’t know Daniel was his father.
He found out by mistake when he was sixteen.
He’d been working for Daniel that summer and heard his mother fighting with Daniel to make sure he took care of Rocco, to pay her so he was raised with enough money to have more or she’d talk. ”
“I can’t believe she hadn’t before now,” Gale said. “Or even Rocco.”
“My guess is Daniel took care of it financially to keep his reputation intact,” Ford said.
“We’ll get all that information soon. He’s going to have to pay for his role in a lot of things in this community.
I’m sure Rocco’s mother was probably bought off.
But Daniel didn’t give Rocco what he really needed.
Daniel wanted the Abdell land and John wasn’t giving in, so Rocco tampered with things on the property hoping John would think there was a reason to sell.
He wanted to prove to Daniel he had what it took, that he wasn’t some mistake to be hidden from the world and could be right there with Kane taking over the business someday. ”
“And he thought Rene caught pictures of him doing that?” Rory asked.
“He said he wasn’t sure but couldn’t take the risk.
The day before your sister was there walking when Rocco and John were arguing.
More like Rocco trying to threaten John,” Ford said.
“I’ve never seen someone give so much detail before in a confession.
It felt as if it’s been locked inside the guy for years clawing its way out.
He actually laid his head on the table when he was done as if he was drained.
He thought his father was protecting him by buying off John Abdell, but it was really protecting the fact that Daniel and Kane had been down so often trying to get John to sell.
Daniel didn’t want his name brought up in this to ruin his next venture.
Daniel professes to have no knowledge of Rene’s death or that Rocco was involved.
Rocco insisted he’d told no one, so our hands are tied there if Daniel knew.
My gut says he might not have. That this was all about business, not family.
Or the only family he ever tried to protect was Kane. His only son in Daniel’s mind.”
“Did Rocco say if he went back to talk to John the day he died?” she asked.
“It wasn’t planned. Rocco was there working, John was startled to see him. Rocco brought up that time and asked if it was said that he was there. John backed away and said he’d kept his mouth shut, that no one was told, then he tripped and fell. He says it was an accident.”
“Yet he could have called it in and didn’t,” Rory said.
“I asked him why,” Ford said. “He was afraid. He wanted nothing else to come out with someone new looking into the case. That is when Detective Miller was starting.”
Rory shook his head. “Rene would have said something if she’d heard that argument. She would have gotten in the middle of it. Or she would have come back to tell us she had heard people fighting. I’m positive she saw nothing or heard anything.”
“Like my sister,” Ford said. “Who can’t stand down when she is told. Your sister had pictures but nothing that would show what was going on, but it will help us put together more evidence. It will put him on the scene with his footprints also, even without the confession.”
Gale shrugged. “Don’t get on my case, Ford. I wasn’t about to stand there watching that. Rocco wasn’t letting go and you know it.”
“I still had to announce myself,” Ford said. “I was ready to shoot his arm.”
“I beat you to it. Thanks for teaching me to shoot so well.”
Ford let out a soft laugh. “I always knew you could take care of yourself.”
“And now I can take care of others, just like my brothers.”
Her brother pulled her under his arm. “You’re never going to change. Now you just gave me a big headache and a shit ton of paperwork to deal with.”
“I can take care of it,” she said. “I’ll go down and give my statement tomorrow. Or are you here for that now?”
“Tomorrow is good enough. For both of you. I know you’ll be talking more about this tonight, but shut it off if you can.
“Is Gale going to get in trouble?” Rory asked.
“No,” Ford said.
“I had reasonable belief of imminent deadly force on another person,” she said. “It’s just paperwork.”
“And nightmares,” he said. “I don’t want that for you.”
“We’ve all had nightmares over what happened to Rene.
We don’t have to anymore.” She shook her head.
“One thing that sits in my head—it didn’t seem to me Daniel acknowledged Rocco as more than an employee.
Ever. If he was aware Rocco knew Daniel was his father, that’s pretty damn cold if you ask me. ”
“We’ll find those things out. Everyone has to be questioned tomorrow. It’s just putting it all together for the strongest conviction even with the confession. His mother is getting him an attorney, but Rocco said he didn’t want one.”
“I hope he feels it’s his penance for what he did to my sister,” Rory said. “What he tried to do to me. Did he confess to the other threats?”
“Yeah,” Gale said. “I’d hate to think there is anyone else involved.”
“It’s only him,” Ford said. “He heard the talk in the town and panicked. He said that he didn’t want to hurt Gale.
” Her brother turned to look at her. “It was easy enough to slip the paper under the door and come in the side stairs without cameras and not be seen. And that if Jared had said nothing about your car leaking fluid, he would have. It was more to scare you to scare Rory once he realized you two were dating.”
“What about Kane and Daniel?” Rory asked. “Are you sure they don’t know anything? They were sending out threats in their own right.”
“Just them being them like always,” she said. “Nothing changed there. I saw Kane in a whole new light though. He cracked quickly when he thought he had no shield.”
“Since I’ve been sheriff, he hasn’t gotten into too much trouble. Nothing more than a ticket here or there and his lawyer deals with that. No one gets off. I can’t stand the guy and I’m sure Kane knew he’s on my radar.”
She smiled. “You’d nail his ass to the wall if you could.”
“I would,” Ford said. “I just wanted to let you know what was going on. Tomorrow everyone is going to lawyer up, but we’ve got what we need. We’ll get your statements and go from there.”
Rory stood up and put his hand out to her brother. “Thank you for everything. I’m not sure we could have done this if you didn’t believe in me. If you didn’t take the step no one else was willing to do in the past.”
“You’re welcome,” Ford said. “Now, don’t mess my sister up too much, or you’ve got four brothers to deal with.”
“Get out of here,” she said, shoving his arm.
Ford laughed and walked out the door leaving her alone with Rory.
He sat back on the couch and she went next to him and under his arm that he lifted. “I’m hoping by tomorrow my heart has calmed some.”
“Me too,” he said. “Thanks for saving me.”
“My pleasure,” she said, her head landing on his chest.
“You’re scary with a gun in your hand.”
“I’ve never had to fire at anything other than targets before. I don’t know if I even thought I could do it. But when you see the person you lost your heart to dying, you find the strength to do anything.”
“Lost your heart?” he asked, his fingertips running over her shoulder.
She shifted on the couch and turned to face him. “Nothing can be as scary as what happened today,” she said.
It was almost midnight now and though her brother should have gone home to Reenie, he’d come here first to check on them. They’d only been home for an hour themselves once Rory was discharged.
As exhausted as they were, she didn’t think she could sleep. She knew she couldn’t close her eyes just yet, not without seeing Rocco’s fingers around Rory’s neck. It was going to be a long time before she could stop seeing that.
“I’d say we both made it through,” he said. “It’s going to take time for me to realize that. To know what kept me going isn’t there anymore. Or to adjust to the fact that I’ve got something else to keep me going.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
He leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “You. I’ve lost my heart to you too. Don’t be mad. I felt something was off with Rocco when we were walking to the shed.”
“That’s why you put the pin in your location?” she asked. “We were already on the way.”
“I knew you’d realize something was off and you knew who I was with. He asked if you were on the way, or if you were meeting us. I played it off that I didn’t know when you left or would be back. I didn’t want him waiting for you. Deep inside I knew I had to keep you away.”
“You were protecting me like I was you.”
“I failed Rene.”
“Stop right there,” she said. “You didn’t. You have to let that toxic shit go. You just do. You didn’t fail her. You did what you set out to do this time. You know it. She can rest now. You can go back to joking with each other in dreams rather than seeing her fear.”
His eyes filled quickly and he cleared his throat some. “Will she be gone for good now? Am I going to lose her all over again? Or was she never there and it’s been my imagination all along?”
Her heart broke for him, hearing his words. For once she wasn’t sure she could convince someone to believe her. “Rory. You know what you need deep down. She’s never going to be gone. She’ll always be watching over you and your mother.”
He gulped and winced. “I know. It’s as if I’m grieving all over again. Only this time I’m not alone.”
“No,” she said. “You’re not. I love you. I’m right here next to you. You can count on that.”
He kissed her lightly on the lips and whispered, “I love you too. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re not?” she asked, searching his eyes.
“I can’t,” he said. “I need to get all the inspiration I can for the female heroine in my next series. A cocky, sexy lawyer.”
“Oh hell yeah,” she said. “I’m your lady.”
“Yes, you are.”