Read Ripple of Secrets: Rose Gardner Mystery Novella #6.5 (Rose Gardner series Book 3) for Free Online Page A

came to light. But one thing I knew without a doubt about this man was that he loved me and was determined to keep me safe. And at the moment, that scared me more than all the half-truths and lies of omission. “It’s not that simple, Mason. There are many ways to trust or distrust someone.”
    I expected him to get angry, but he gave a short nod instead. “Okay, fair enough. Do you trust that I’m telling you the truth about my meeting?”
    I studied his face. “Yes.”
    “Then that’s a good start.”
    A good start . As he turned to go into the bathroom, I couldn’t help wondering how we’d jumped back to the beginning.
     
     
     

Chapter Four

    Joe
     
     
     
    Winter in southern Arkansas is a fickle bitch. One minute she’s warm and sunny and you only have to wear a light coat, then the next day she’ll throw freezing rain at you.
    Today, she was in fine form.
    It matched my mood.
    I almost called Deveraux to cancel our meeting. The county road crew had taken care of the highways, but they hadn’t gotten out to the county roads yet, and while the roads weren’t completely iced over, they had enough slick patches to make driving treacherous. Of course, it might not have been so bad if we’d met at the courthouse or somewhere in town, but after my chat with my father the previous day, I figured that other than official sanctioned Fenton County business, the less we were seen together in public, the better. For both of us.
    Which was why I suggested we meet somewhere out of the ordinary. And now it was biting me in the ass as my car slipped and slid on the unsalted paved road.
    I’d driven past the deserted gas station on County Road 110 over a dozen times, including on my drive home from El Dorado the previous afternoon. It had occurred to me that it would be great hidden meeting spot. The nearby woods had reclaimed part of the gravel parking lot on the right side, and the left was angled back enough that someone could park a car behind it without being noticed from the road. But Deveraux had only been in Fenton County for seven months, and he’d spent most of his time at the courthouse. When I suggested that we meet at the Sinclair station, he couldn’t place where it was until I mentioned the giant faded dinosaur in front.
    His car was idling behind the building, but I didn’t notice it until I pulled around the corner. It really was the perfect location for clandestine meetings, and though I appreciated that fact for my present purposes, I filed away a reminder to myself to check the place more often for mischievous activities.
    Deveraux got out of his car as soon as I pulled up, and the scowl on his face let me know he wasn’t in a good mood. I unlocked the door so he could slide into the passenger seat.
    I didn’t waste any time. “What were you doing in Little Rock last week?”
    If he was surprised by my question, he didn’t let on. “I’m not sure why you care, Chief Deputy .”
    “Cut the shit, Deveraux. My father knows.”
    His jaw tightened and he looked out the windshield into the trees. “And…?”
    “And he wants to know why you were there.”
    “What did you tell him?”
    “That I didn’t have a freaking clue.”
    He turned to face me, but his eyes were guarded. “And he bought it?”
    “Yeah, because it was true.”
    He turned back to face the windshield. “And that’s exactly why I’m not going to tell you.”
    “He’s watching you like a hawk, Deveraux.”
    “I’m not surprised.”
    “Did it ever occur to you that you’re putting Rose in more danger?”
    He didn’t answer. I considered telling Deveraux that I had a way of saving Rose from my father’s blackmail—one that would allow him to back out of his crazy scheme—but I knew he’d never go for it. Besides, I wanted to get more answers before I volunteered any information.
    I had to know far he planned to go. “Did you take her with you?”
    His jaw tightened. “Maybe you should ask Rose.”
    My temper