Page 118 of Family Jewels

“Because I had to talk to Jonah in private.”

“About what?”

Neely Kate leaned closer to the phone. “Apparently you don’t know the definition of private.”

I needed to tell James about my phone call with Buck, but I wasn’t sure how much to tell him. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t approve of me turning over the necklace to Buck, but at this point, I didn’t have anything to give the man. But what if Ididmanage to deliver it? Could I use it as leverage to at least delay Buck and Kip’s attempted coup?

First things first.

“Jed, you don’t have to follow us anymore,” I said.

“Why not?”

“Part of the reason we’ve been sitting here is because Buck Reynolds just called me.”

“What?”

“He wants us to finish our job of finding the necklace, and he won’t hurt us if we’re helpin’ him.”

He responded in a gravelly voice. “You should have led with, ‘I got a call from Buck Reynolds.’”

I glanced over at him in his car across the lot and lifted my shoulders in an apologetic shrug. “I was working my way up to it.”

“If you think I’m going to leave just because—”

“Jed,” I said quietly. “Buck knows. Raddy must have contacted him after he left me and James.”

He cut himself off and listened in silence.

“His phone call was a threat. He admitted to being responsible for Raddy’s murder. He said if I don’t deliver the necklace, he’s coming for me, and he’s counting on James to lose it.”

“So he can pull off his takeover. We need to get you and Neely Kate into a safe house.”

“No,” I said with more force than intended. “Wait.” I took a deep breath to steady my nerves. “What if we can avoid a war altogether?”

“Whether you find the necklace or not, Reynolds and Wagner are determined to have a war. There’s no way in hell Skeeter or I will let you and Neely Kate get swept up into the middle of it.”

“What if I can negotiate a peace treaty?”

“What in the hell makes you think you can do that?”

“I don’t know,” I said, brushing stray hairs from my face. “Everybody wants something. Buck Reynolds wants his missing necklace. What does Kip Wagner want?”

“He wants Skeeter’s throne.”

“Maybe. But he didn’t make a bid in the auction last November. Raddy said they’re upset because their income is down. That James has put a stranglehold on some of their business ventures. What if we can find a way for them to regain their income?”

“Their income is none of our damn concern, Rose.”

“But it is,” I said, grabbing the steering wheel. “If they’re making money, they’re happy.”

“What do you plan to do?” he asked sarcastically. “Give them small business loans?”

“No. But there has to be a way. What is Kip Wagner’s illegal business?”

“He sells stolen goods through his pawn shop.”

“And how has James cut his income?”

---