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

flared. “I’m asking you, you asshole. The only reason I’ve put up with any of this is because I was deluded into thinking you could protect her, but from what I can see, you’re just making things worse.” I took a breath and forced myself to calm down before continuing. “Now where the hell was she? Because she sure as hell wasn’t here.” He started to say something, but I interrupted, “I know Muffy was at Maeve’s.”
    This time he was the one to show surprise. Of course, he had no idea how much time I’d spent at his mother’s house lately. He probably figured I knew about Muffy from Violet.
    “She was in New Orleans with Neely Kate.”
    “New Orleans?” Something pinched in my heart, catching me by surprise. Rose had never left the state of Arkansas before, despite the fact that Henryetta was so close to the Louisiana border. Over the summer, I used to suggest that I could drive her over the state line just for the sake of it, but she’d always insist that when she left the state, it would be for a real purpose, not just to say she’d done it. I’d always thought I’d be the one to take her, although it made sense she would do it with someone else now. But the knowledge still hurt.
    “I wanted her to be out of town while I was gone, and I asked her not to tell anyone she was leaving or where she was going.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I know your father is watching. And because someone tried to kill me last week. What’s to keep them from going after Rose next? I didn’t want her with me in Little Rock, but I wasn’t about to let her stay here by herself, either. I figured she’d be safe if she left town without telling anyone. How many more reasons would you like?”
    My back stiffened. “You think she’s not safe here? I would have watched out for her.”
    “She doesn’t want you to watch out for her. She would have insisted on staying at the farm, and you know it.” He turned and glared at me. “And before you can say it, no you would not have stayed there with her. Not after the way you accosted her in November.”
    I fought to regain control. “You’re a rebound, Deveraux. She thinks she wants you, but she’ll figure out the truth sooner rather than later.”
    He reached for the door handle. “Since we’ve resorted to this part of the conversation, are we done?”
    I groaned. “No. That’s not our only problem.”
    He sat back in the seat. “Go on.”
    “My father and I had a chat before I left yesterday, and like our conversation this morning, it started with the purpose of your visit to Little Rock. Then it moved on to another topic.”
    “Which was…?”
    “The Fenton County crime world.”
    Deveraux turned completely to face me.
    I continued, “He wants me to back off on arresting Mick Gentry.”
    His eyelid twitched. “Why?”
    “He wants the criminal elements in town to sort themselves out.”
    “And what does that mean?”
    “He wants Skeeter Malcolm eliminated.”
    “He wants you to arrest him?”
    “No. He wants Gentry to take care of him for us.”
    “He wants him murdered ?”
    “Yeah.”
    “And what did you say?”
    I grabbed the steering wheel in a tight grip. “What the hell does that mean?”
    “It’s your father. Don’t you pretty much jump and ask how high?”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Do you really think I take my position as the chief deputy so casually?”
    “If we threw your father out of the equation, I would say you’re a great deputy. Better than this county has seen in decades.” He paused and looked momentarily pained by the admission. “But we both know he has you on a short leash…and the woman we both love is at the end on a choke hold. You’ll do whatever he tells you to do.”
    “Would you rather I didn’t?”
    He scowled. “No, but I don’t like the idea of J.R. Simmons dictating how the Fenton County sheriff’s department does its job.”
    “How do you think I feel?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I realized