Page 94 of Trailer Trash

“Do you think I should be worried?” I asked.

“No. It’s a dead end, and even if someone does trace it to you, there’s absolutely no evidence.”

“I sure as Hades hope no one gets that far.”

“If Branson or Beasley talk, I suspect they know what will be waiting for them.”

I wasn’t so sure they were that smart.

He paused as if considering something and then turned toward me. “Did you watch the video of the night you buried him?”

I hesitated. “No.”

“There was a blank tape in the camera.” He gave me another look.

I could tell he already knew how that had come to be. I could have lied to him, but I was tired of living with lies. He, of all people, would understand. “I took it last night. When you went to get the tarp.”

“And put a new tape in the camera?” The disappointment in his voice killed me. We both knew I’d done it to try to trick him.

“I’m sorry, Jed. I couldn’t let you see it. I’d rather go to jail than let you see what he did to me.”

“Neely Kate . . .” He pushed out a breath. “You have nothing to be ashamed of. If you just give—”

“No,” I said, harsher than I’d intended. “If I hadn’t taken it, you would have watched it last night. Otherwise, how did you know it was blank?”

A guilty look crossed his face.

I sank back into the seat. “I’m not angry.” And strangely enough, I wasn’t. I understood why he had looked. He was trying to make sure every shred of evidence connecting me to Pearce Manchester was destroyed. “But you can’t see it, Jed. You can’t.” My voice broke.

He rested a hand on my leg. “I only want to protect you, Neely Kate. I want to make sure this is put to bed forever.”

“I know,” I said absently, staring out the window. “But I don’t think you need to see it to make sure that happens.”

“Where is it now?”

My shoulders stiffened as my head swung around to face him. “Are you gonna take it from me?”

“No,” he said, sounding sad. He lifted a hand and lightly massaged the back of my neck. “It’s your tape, NK, but I think you should destroy it. I’ll even help you if you’d like.”

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it yet. “What about Kate?” I asked.

“It sounds like she knows nothing beyond what she’s already told you. You’re safe as far as she’s concerned. Your past is locked up. Even so, I’m going to look into Pearce Manchester and find out everything I can.”

While I knew that was the smart thing to do, part of me wanted to forget it had ever happened. It didn’t fit with my life in Henryetta. It didn’t fit with Rose and Joe and my job at the landscaping business.

What about me and Jed? Did we fit together outside of Ardmore?

“What happens with the two of us?” I asked. “You’re goin’ back to Skeeter. I’m still married.”

“I’mnotgoing back to Skeeter. I’m helping him find Scooter. And while you’re still technically married, theguy”—he said it with so much disdain, it might as well have been a swear—“abandoned you. He’s not even worth considering when we look at you and me.”

“What do you want to do about us when we get back?” I asked.

“I still want to keep seeing you. I care about you. I can’t turn that off, and I don’t want to.” He turned and offered me a warm smile. “You’re probably the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

I leaned my head on his shoulder and wrapped my hand around his right arm. “You’re one of the best things that’s ever happened to me too.”

He leaned over and kissed the top of my head.

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