Chapter Twenty-Two
Amy Sue heard something in Russ’s voice when he called. “What’s happened?” She braced herself for the worst.
“I talked to the chief this morning, told him everything we’d learned. He doesn’t think it’s enough to open an investigation.”
“How is that possible?” she demanded. “He still doesn’t believe Jack Marshall is guilty?”
“He doesn’t want to. I do think he’s having doubts, though.
But right now all we have is a missing woman who Marshall has denied having an affair with and an eyewitness to a murder, but no body, no evidence, and Marshall still with a pretty good alibi and a reputation as an upstanding local citizen. ”
Still she heard something in his voice. “But there’s more, isn’t there?”
“He suspended me.”
“It’s all my fault,” she cried, and found herself voicing what had been bothering her all morning. “I already feel responsible for Robert Baker getting killed, too. If I hadn’t followed Liz to the house and told her everything—”
“Amy Sue, you can’t blame yourself for Robert’s bad decisions, and you certainly aren’t responsible for me getting suspended. I investigated because it’s my job.”
“But you did it because you believed that I saw a murder.”
“You did see a murder. Everything I’ve learned since has convinced me of that. You saw Jack Marshall kill Whitney Clark.”
They both fell silent for a few moments. “Are you giving up, Russ?”
“No,” he said slowly. “But I need to go up to the ranch. I usually go on my days off.”
“But lately you’ve been working instead,” she said, knowing that it was no longer just about doing his job as a detective. While he wanted justice, he wanted to see this through because of her.
“I was thinking you might want to come with me.”
The invitation didn’t take her completely by surprise. But what really surprised her was how badly she wanted to go. After everything that had happened, she wouldn’t mind taking a step back for a couple of days.
That, however, wasn’t the real reason her pulse had taken off at his invite. She wanted to spend more time with him in his other element, the cowboy part of the cop. She also wanted to see where these sparks between them might lead.
“It would just be Saturday night and come back Sunday,” he was saying. “You’d have your own room. My parents and brother are there.”
She smiled to herself. Russ, the perfect cowboy cop gentleman. “I’d like that.” She heard his relief.
“I know they’d like to meet you.”
Amy Sue felt her eyebrows shoot up. “Have you told them about me?”
“I never talk about my cases with them, but I might have mentioned you.” He sounded shy and maybe a little embarrassed. “How about I pick you up at your hotel in an hour? Will that work?”
“I’ll be ready,” she said, and felt a shiver of excitement at the thought of an entire weekend with him. She’d barely disconnected when her cell phone rang.
Even before she answered, she’d feared something bad had happened when she saw who was calling. “Liz?”
“I can’t do it,” the redhead said without preamble. “I’ve tried. I thought I could let him get away with it after I took his money.”
“Took his money? Marshall’s money?”
Liz continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I’m just so angry every time I think about him getting away with murdering Whitney, not to mention Robert, because you know it was him.”
“Wait, you took his money?” She listened as Liz told her what she’d done, blackmailing him into giving her fifty thousand dollars.
“He paid, didn’t even put up a fight. I guess that shows how little fifty grand means to a man like him.”
“Great, except he seems more like the kind of man who will get even with you for it. Liz—”
“It just proves that he’s guilty.”
“You do know that blackmail is against the law, right?” As shocked as she was by what Liz had done, Amy Sue had to agree about the guilty part. But the woman had stepped over a line she shouldn’t have crossed. Marshall wouldn’t take this lying down, she was sure of that.
“You know he’s not going to confess no matter what we do,” Liz was saying. “I’ve decided I’m going to tell his wife. She’s the only way to get any justice for Whitney.”
“I hate for you to get your hopes up. I had considered doing that, but Liz, what if she already knows?”
“But what matters is that he doesn’t believe she knows,” Liz said. “He forked over 50K without a fight so I wouldn’t tell his wife everything.”
It was a strange kind of reasoning. Amy Sue felt sick to her stomach. She was even more worried about Liz after hearing this. “This could get you killed, Liz.”
“You said yourself he can’t afford anymore dead bodies. I thought you might want to come with me.”
She thought of Russ and the trip to the ranch and how badly she wanted it, needed it. “I still think this is a terrible idea, but if I can’t talk you out of it—”
“You can’t,” Liz said emphatically.
“Then I can’t let you go alone.” She told herself that this wouldn’t take long.
Christine might not even be home. She probably wouldn’t let them into the house.
Even if she did and they had their say, the woman would either throw them out or call the cops.
Fifteen to twenty minutes tops, she told herself.
As soon as she disconnected, she called Russ. She knew he would try to talk her out of it, but she wanted someone to know where they were going in case there was trouble.
“Bad idea,” he said the moment he heard Liz’s plan. “Let’s not forget that she gave him an alibi for when Liz’s husband was killed.”
“I know, but I can’t let Liz go alone.”
“I’ll come with you,” Russ said.
“A worse idea all things considered,” she told him. “You know she won’t talk freely with you there. Liz is going to go no matter what I do, and I don’t think it will take long.”
“How do you know Marshall won’t be there or show up?”
She didn’t. “Christine might not even be home,” she said. “I’ll call you as soon as we’re done.”
“I’m going to wait for you down the street,” Russ said. “Things go south I can be there within a few minutes. Call me before you go into the house and keep me connected so I can hear what’s being said.”
His worry made hers increase. “I’m meeting Liz at the house now.”
Jack felt as if the storm had passed and he could breathe again.
Nothing had come of Detective Russell Tate’s visit to his house.
Jack was still married, still had his business, still was a free man.
Milt must have taken care of it, or the cops didn’t have any evidence and couldn’t tie him to Robert Baker, let alone Whitney Clark.
He was in the clear, and it felt good. For a while, he’d worried that this was never going to blow over.
He’d panicked when there was no need. He was out fifty thousand dollars, but that was peanuts in the grand scheme of things.
It irked him that he’d let her blackmail him, but he’d run out of alternatives.
He wouldn’t always be in such a tight position.
Once he knew he was safe and enough time had passed, he would take care of Liz.
His only concern was his wife. Christine had already been worried about him before the detective had shown up to bust his chops. If she confronted him when he went home tonight, he’d deny everything. He couldn’t ever let her know about any of this, or he feared he would lose her.
She wasn’t at the dealership. Liz had been bluffing. He ground his teeth, thinking about what he’d do to her one day soon.
But he was more worried about keeping his wife.
He’d already decided that he would change.
No more women on the side. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was for the best. At least for a while.
He’d be the perfect husband. He’d take an interest in the remodeling Christine was doing, even that ridiculous “safe room” she was having installed off the living room.
He’d even go home at a decent time each night—not even working late.
When his cell rang, he thought it might be his wife. He braced himself but was surprised to see the call was from the chief of police. “Milt? What can I do for you?” he said cheerfully, promising himself that he’d make it up to the man big-time when this was over.
“I just wanted to give you a heads-up,” the chief said.
Something in the man’s tone warned him. “Why, what’s up?” he asked, his good mood dissipating like smoke. His heart was already pounding so hard he thought he might have an anxiety attack.
“That detective, Tate, I don’t think he’s going to stop.
I suspended him, but he’s compiled quite a lot of information about you and the night of the murder.
It’s all circumstantial at this point, but…
it doesn’t look good, Jack. Is there anything you want to tell me?
You know I’ll try to protect you as much as I can but—”
“There’s nothing to tell, Milt. All this is ridiculous. It will blow over. Like you said, it’s all circumstantial. You know me.”
“Yeah,” the chief agreed. “It seems pretty ridiculous to me, but—”
“It is ridiculous. Don’t worry about it.
I’m certainly not. I appreciate you calling, though.
You have always looked out for me and my business.
You’re a good friend. I’ll make it up to you this summer in my new boat up at Fort Peck Lake.
We just need to catch some really big walleyes and laugh about all of this. ”
“Sure,” Milt said, but not sounding all that enthusiastic.
“Thanks again for calling.” He disconnected and put down his phone on his desk, his hand shaking. Had some new information come to light? Or was it just everything piling up, since between Detective Tate and Amy Sue Brand, the cops now had the name of the missing—and possibly murdered—woman.
He rued the day he’d seen Whitney standing beside the road with her thumb out. If he hadn’t stopped… He put his head into his hands and tried to assure himself that he would get through this.
When his cell rang yet again, he jumped, half afraid it was Milt calling back to say cops were on their way to arrest him. It was a relief to see that it was Christine. He hesitated, not wanting to talk to her right now. He was still upset after Milt’s call.
But she seldom called him at work, so he knew it must be important. He picked up.