Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
CHASE
W e need to talk.
No sooner had I dropped Violet off at the events barn than I took out my phone and texted Forrest.
Violet dropped a bomb.
I’d done my best to contain myself while she was telling me about the settlement—had tried to remain neutral and offered balanced advice. But it had been all I could do to keep from punching something.
We need to talk about this investigation.
I texted Forrest again. The insurance company making her an offer like that was more than a little suspicious. Waiting to talk about it was making me want to crawl right out of my skin.
I’ll call you in five , came Forrest’s answering text.
Good. It would give me time to get back to my house. I didn’t want to say what I had to say out in the open. And I really didn’t want what I had to say to be true, even though the more I thought about it, the more I felt in my bones it was.
“I think you’re right,” I said the second my phone rang. I didn’t bother to greet Forrest. “There was something suspicious about Todd’s death. Somebody tried to cover something up. And more than one somebody figured it out.”
I was out of breath as I said it, not just from hoofing it back to my house to have some privacy, from the weight of emotion crushing my chest.
“Start from the beginning.” Forrest’s voice was grave.
I gave him the whole shebang. Violet’s upcoming court date. The strange timing of the settlement offer. The puzzling amount. The story the insurance company fed her attorney. Violet agreeing something wasn’t right but wanting it all to be over. Her not knowing what she ought to do.
“The insurance company knows something,” Forrest concluded when I finished my story.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” I said. “You remember the way their lawyer, that asshole named Morone, laughed at me— laughed at me —when I told him we would appeal? I still remember the exact words he said.”
I clenched my jaw, nearly too mad at the recollection to get it out.
“He said we would never win because we would never have a case. Then, he looked at Violet and preached to her. Said she should have taken the settlement they’d offered her on day one. Said now, they would never offer another dime.”
That moment was emblazoned in my memory as one of only two times in my life when I had to be physically restrained from fighting.
“Do you remember what that day-one settlement offer was?” Forrest wanted to know.
The insurance company had offered her a token amount when they had first taken the case; an incentive for her to walk away so that all parties could avoid a protracted trial.
“Thirty-five thousand dollars.” My throat tightened to even have to say it. “That’s what they said Todd’s life was worth.”
The other side of the line was quiet as we both let that sink in. Not that you could put a value on a human life, but half a million dollars was a lot better. It would get Violet on solid financial footing and give her a degree of closure that most life insurance beneficiaries had from day one. Still, it didn’t sit well with me.
For three weeks, I hadn’t wanted anything to do with Forrest or the investigation or unrestricted access to Todd’s case file. If I was honest with myself about it, I’d been scared. Scared that it would open old wounds, and that the evidence would prove my worst fears—that I was responsible for his death. But now—for Violet’s sake—I needed to know everything about that day.
“I’m in,” I told Forrest definitively. “When do we start?”
“Now, hold on.” Forrest put on the brakes. “Just what is it you’re planning to do?”
“Find out what the insurance company knows. Help Violet with her case.”
“Not possible,” Forrest replied with finality. “Everything we’ll be privy to is classified. When I tried to entice you with access to Todd’s file so you could finally have some closure? That was supposed to be just for you and your own edification.”
“They’re trying to screw her, man.” Now, I was talking louder. “They already did it once. They’re trying to do it twice. If they’re offering her half a million dollars to walk away, her case is worth more. I don’t know about you, but I sure as shit don’t want her to miss out on a single ounce of justice.”
Forrest was quiet for a long time. I had half a mind to tell him I would help Violet anyway, with his blessing or without it. I could have reminded him that he had already given me the file, and that he was already an accomplice. But I’d known him long enough to anticipate that a lack of protest was a good sign.
“We need to talk about how we’re gonna do this.” Forrest finally spoke. “But we won’t do it on the phone. Face-to-face meetings in secure locations from here on out.”
“We’ll be careful,” I promised. “Whatever we need to do, I’ll do it. I can’t let her down twice.”
After Forrest and I hung up, I realized I’d been shaking. My hand trembled as I threw down my phone. I was in my living room, not seated, but pacing. I ran a hand through my hair. That’s when I realized I was sweating. I pulled off my shirt, still breathing hard.
You need to go for a run , a wise voice in my mind said.
You need to read that file , said another.
My gaze darted to the papers Forrest had left—the ones I’d stared at every day, but had never been able to bring myself to touch.
But it wasn’t about me anymore. Now, it was about Violet. Now, it was about Bri and Trey. Now, the time had come. I sat on my sofa and opened up the file.
“Sorry I’m late,” I called up to the event barn loft as I jogged up the stairs. I’d seen Violet’s form sitting at the conference table when I came in. Punctuality was a virtue my mother had instilled in me as a child. I’d grown up knowing when you’re early, you’re on time, and when you’re on time, you’re late, and when you’re late, you’re in big trouble.
“I overslept,” I said by way of explanation, keeping it short and sweet. I’d also been taught to avoid excuses, to apologize proactively and never slink away from taking blame. “I’m sorry. I know how busy you are.”
“You overslept ?” Violet gave my explanation the disbelief it was due. Farmers were early risers. Most days, I was up and out in the orchards hours before she came.
“Late night.” I said it, then I realized how it sounded. “I was up reading. I should have gone to bed, but I couldn’t put it down.”
If Violet wanted to assume I was talking about a book, I’d go ahead and let her. But the thing I’d been reading hadn’t been a book—it had been the incident report for Todd’s deadly fire. I’d been chipping away at it for three full nights and had barely made a dent.
“I actually don’t have much today.” Violet looked distracted.
She, too, seemed underslept. Because I knew better than to ask a woman why she looked so tired, I said nothing. The numbers meetings were once a month, and that one had been last week. The ones in between were just downloads on all that was happening on the farm.
“People are calling wanting to know when reservations will open for The Noble Pig, and what the season dates will be for next summer. I wanted to ask whether you had any preferences or conflicts.”
“Forrest and Sierra’s wedding is scheduled for next summer. I’ll see if I can get him to let me know the date.”
“Plans for their engagement party are going well,” Violet replied. “They’re coming to the farm this week for a walk-through of our spaces.”
“Make sure to let me know when. I’ll join y’all on the walk and have lunch ready for the four of us. They’re redoing their kitchen. Sounds like it’s been a while since they’ve had a good meal.”
Violet nodded and made a note, then moved on to the next thing. We both seemed worse for wear. Maybe I could find a gentle way to tell her to take the day off. Before I knew it, she’d run through most of her list and we were close to the end of the meeting.
“Final item,” she began. “I’ll need you for interviews week after next. I’ll be screening a few candidates for the events manager position. After that, I’ll want you to meet all the finalists.”
“If you want me to, I can,” I said. “But, Violet, you know it’s your decision. They won’t be working for me—they’ll be working for you.”
A potently uneasy look took over Violet’s face. She was funny, the way she made a big production out of our weekly meetings and having me approve a bunch of things. Violet had built the event business at Noble Farms from nothing. Violet was the boss of all of this, even if she didn’t act like it yet.
“Also, you should know,” I continued rather than say any of this. “I’m gonna be around a lot less. Me and Forrest…we’ve got things to do. I need to go with him to Washington for a couple days, for a meeting.”
“He’s got you doing things for the wedding already?” she speculated. “I take it you’re the best man.”
“It’s not related to the wedding. I told you. He’s trying to pull me back in. Cody’s going to help me with the orchards and I’ll be back in the service part-time.”
Violet looked like she could hardly believe the words I was saying. I could hardly believe them myself.
“You’re going back to the fire service?” she practically sputtered. I was sure she thought she’d never see the day.
“I’m dipping my toes back in.” I kept it deliberately vague. I absolutely could not tell Violet I was trying to get to the bottom of Todd’s death, or that I suspected anything strange. I couldn’t tell her any of this until I knew something. Because the only thing worse than grief was hope. I didn’t want her to hope I could get to the bottom of things because what if it turned out I couldn’t?
So many emotions passed over Violet’s face that I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t anticipated that telling her would affect her like this.
“When are you back from DC?” she asked abruptly.
“Next week. I can meet with events manager prospects eventually, but for the next few weeks, I’ll be juggling. It can’t be that urgent to hire somebody…right?”
It should have been an easy answer. But when Violet’s brow furrowed and her eyes got shiny, I was alarmed.
“It is that urgent.” Her answer came out in more of a whisper. “It needs to happen soon, and I need you there. And I need you to really, really care about the person we hire.”
“What’s going on here, Vi?” Wherever this was going, it had my hackles up.
Her eyes became shinier. “Chase. There’s something I need to tell you.”
Then, tell me already. I managed to keep my impatient voice at bay, even as my heart began to thunder.
“After I train the new events manager, I’m leaving Noble Farms.”