Page 94 of Luck of the Devil
He’d have every right to do it, but I had to tell him anyway.
I held his gaze, hoping he saw how much I regretted my decision. “I called Mason Deveraux.”
He swallowed, then said, “I see.” The betrayal in his eyes was nearly my undoing. “And did you talk to him?”
“He called me back right before I found out about my mother,” I said. “I didn’t call him back. And I didn’t hear from him again.” I paused. “Until today.”
His silence was deafening.
“He was the one who kept calling while I was sleeping.”
“Did you call him back?”
“No, but I was concerned, because he shouldn’t have been so persistent. He called me this afternoon after you left, after our fight.” I took a breath. “I knew I had to answer and try to appease him, so I took the call.”
“And…?”
“I told him I was sorry for bothering him, but the case was closed, and I didn’t need any information. He said I’d mentioned Simmons, and he was curious about whether I’d found a connection. I told him no. I didn’t want him to know.”
“I see.”
For the first time since we’d started this conversation, heat filled my voice. “Actually, I don’t think you do. You think I did it to protect my father, but I did it to protect you.”
For someone used to schooling his emotion, he had a rare lapse. Surprise covered his face, but then he quickly covered it with a mask of indifference. “How does that protect me?”
“Because, if I told him about Simmons investing in Burton’s property, I was afraid he’d start digging.” I pushed out a breath of frustration. “Any other prosecutor would have let this go the moment I said the case was closed, but Deveraux was on this like a dog on a bone. He kept asking me questions about how the case was resolved and stating how convenient it was that the men responsible for Burton’s death were dead, and he’s right,” I said. “But it was a cold case and Matt Jones was glad to clear it off his desk, so he took everything that happened at face value.”
His mask didn’t waver. “Again, how did you protect me by covering up Simmons’s involvement?”
“I’m getting to it. It didn’t make sense that Deveraux was so invested in finding out if Simmons was involved. Simmons has been dead for years. Deveraux’s the lead prosecutor for the state. He doesn’t have time to fuck around, and he couldn’t bring charges against a dead man. Which means he wanted to know for another reason. The more I tried to dodge him, the cagier he got.” I narrowed my eyes. “I don’t trust him. I suspect he’s after you.”
He sat back in his chair, giving the impression that he’d relaxed, but I knew better. “You’re right. He has a vendetta against me, so once he heard Simmons’s name, he probably started salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs.” He took a beat, then his tone lowered. “What did you tell him about Simmons when you made the original call?”
“I left a message with his assistant and said Simmons’s name had come up in regard to a case I was working, then asked him to call me back.”
“And when did my name come up?”
I swallowed. If I ever wanted him to trust me, I had to be honest. The irony was my honesty would probably break my ties with him forever. “When I left my message, I said I’d seen your name associated with Simmons’s arrest for murder and kidnapping. That’s the only thing I said.”
“What about Rose Gardner?” he asked, his face a blank.
“I mentioned her name too,” I said. “I thought he might return my call if I made the connection, given their history.”
“Go on.”
“But when he called me back today, I avoided using her name, worried in hindsight that it might be a touchy subject. He was the one to bring her up. In fact, he called me out for purposely not mentioning her by name.”
He just watched me, waiting for me to finish.
“When I took his call, I was polite and professional, but as the call went on, I realized he was interrogating me. So, I was short and told him my only job had been to find Hugo Burton’s body, and once he was found, I’d let the sheriff’s department take over. He said he’d asked around about me, and he found it surprising I’d let it go so easily, but I reminded him I no longer work for law enforcement and that the sheriff’s department wouldn’t have welcomed my interference.” I released a breath I’d been holding in. “In any case, I don’t trust the man.”
He gave me a cold look. “You could have asked me, and I would have told you he’s a bulldog when he gets set on something.”
“Really, James?” I asked with plenty of attitude. “And you would have told me? Because when I asked you about the case last week, you told me jack shit.” When he remained silent, I let out a bitter laugh. “Exactly. Look, I understand you have your secrets, and believe it or not, I respect most of them. But I needed answers about Simmons that very few people had, and when you refused to confide in me, I went to what I saw as the next best source.” I shook my head. “I never considered the fact that the man might have a vendetta against you.”
James’s countenance seemed to soften, but his eyes were still closed off. “You’re right. I should have shared more.”
“I regretted calling him almost immediately after I placed that original call.” I leaned forward, my tone insistent. “I know you’re after the person who took Simmons’s place, and if Deveraux starts sniffing around, it will make it harder.”
