Page 87 of Family Jewels

I should have expected that question. That’s probably why I was here. It occurred to me that I hadn’t just used my pseudonym with Buck; I’d given it to Hugh Wagner too. Were the Wagners mixed up in this? “Coincidence. Same place. Same time.”

“To take down J.R. Simmons.”

“That’s right. It was all in the news.”

“Funny how Malcolm got involved.”

I gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Rumor has it you were the Lady in Black.”

I laughed and then took a swig of my beer. “I heard she was a sophisticated business woman from Louisiana.”

Rather than answer, he picked up his drink and took a sip. “You’re an interesting woman, Rose Gardner.”

I set my bottle on the bar. “I think I’ll be going now. I would say it was a pleasure, Mr. Reynolds, but that would be a lie.”

I turned around and headed toward the door.

“We’re not finished here,” he called after me, his voice carrying over the noise.

“I say we are.” I kept walking toward the door, my heart beating wildly in my chest. I expected him to have someone stop me, but I reached the door and walked out. Moments later, I got into my truck, turned it on, and instantly locked the doors. No one had stopped me. No one else had even called out my name. What in the world was Buck Reynolds up to? Why had he arranged for me to come meet him? Had I given him what he wanted to know? What had he gained by seeing me in person rather than talking to me on the phone?

Against my better judgment, I called James. If Buck was asking around about him, I had a feeling he should know.

“Rose,” he said when he answered, his tone hard to read.

“Something happened I think you should know about.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. But someone was asking about me working with you last winter.”

“Who?”

“Buck Reynolds.”

He was silent for several seconds. “He asked you when you saw him last night?”

“No. Tonight. Just now.”

“What were you doing hanging out with Buck Reynolds?”

I released a long sigh. “Trixie called me. She said she needed my help and asked me to meet her at One Eyed Joes.”

“You went back there after what happened this afternoon?”

Of course Jed had told him, but it didn’t sit right that James was now getting half his information about me secondhand. “I didn’t bring Neely Kate this time.”

He paused, and when he responded, his voice was hard. “Jed’s sittin’ across from me, so who the hell was your backup?”

I understood his concern, but I wasn’t interested in a lecture. “Do you want to hear what happened or not?”

“Did he hurt you?”

“What? No.”

“Did he threaten you?”