Ashes and Bone (6 page)

It was plenty. Cage could only be talking about Joseph Stanley, the bigwig from Northern Investments who’d come to Roselea to oversee the destruction of Semple land.

A
s a child,
and really until this past year, the biggest fear in Jaymee’s life had been her father. A controlling, abusive man who’d systematically destroyed her family, he taught Jaymee earlier on that cruelty came in the most benign forms. She learned how to compartmentalize her fear, tucking it away and reasoning with it until she at least had control of her emotions. No tears.

Tears were for ninnies. For babies. And they didn’t get a person anywhere but deeper into the dumps.

So she spent her night fighting the need to curl up and sob until she was utterly dry.

A sliver of daylight seeped through her closed shutters. She and Dani had swept up all the glass making sure no shards remained on the wood floors. With the windows shuttered, the room felt stuffy, even with the ceiling fan on full blast. Jaymee couldn’t control the room temperature any more than the fear that now held her in its grip.

She’d barely slept. Question after question careened through her exhausted mind.

People don’t just vanish into thin air. Someone had attacked Nick. How had the person taken him away? Nick was a big man: six feet two and in good shape. He could fight someone off.

But he’d been injured.

Everything within a two-mile radius of the woods was being searched. Jaymee wanted to help, but Dani and Cage convinced her to stay and rest, as if that were possible. She hadn’t heard anything since.

Jaymee was tempted to call Stanley herself. Or just march on over to the house. No way did Cage and Gina have enough information for a warrant to search Stanley’s rental on the other side of town, and she knew the layout of the house. Getting Magnolia House ready for the Heritage Tours took money, and Jaymee was determined to do it on her own, not through the assets she’d been given control of. So she took extra jobs cleaning houses, and Joseph Stanley was one of her best customers. Best in the sense that he paid well.

Unfortunately, Joseph was picky and slightly creepy. Tall and waifish with fine, dark blond hair and droopy cheeks, he reminded Jaymee of a well-clothed vagrant. Some days she wanted to beg him to eat, which made her wonder how she was supposed to believe he was capable of dealing with Nick, no matter what condition he was in.

Since Cage had a bit of a vendetta with Norton Investments, the Yankee company that had swooped in and purchased historical land for development, and Ben Moore, Dani latched right onto the idea of Stanley’s involvement.

“That skinny shithead got here just when all the zoning issues with the Semple property came up,” she’d said last night. “Norton doesn’t like roadblocks apparently. Makes sense Nick would interview him.”

“But why would Stanley go after Nick?” Jaymee just couldn’t see it.

“That’s what they’re investigating, I’m sure. We know Norton isn’t above shady practices, not after they and Ben Moore stole the Semple land from the family. Maybe Nick found out something a lot worse. Either way, it’s a lead.”

A shitty lead as far as Jaymee was concerned, but she didn’t argue anymore.

Still in bed and too tired to get up, she tried to remember any conversations she’d had about Stanley with Nick. Nothing stood out, just the standard complaints of Yankees ruining Southern heritage. She knew the zoning issues were related to the discoveries Dani had made at Ironwood, but she didn’t know anything about Nick researching them. He’d never said anything about talking with Stanley, but his having the man’s card didn’t surprise her. Nick always had an eye out for a story.

Guilt came for another round. However justified she may have felt, she’d been rude to him the last time they spoke.

Our last conversation.

“Jaymee?” Dani knocked softly on the door. “You awake?”

Part of her wanted to stick her head under the covers and pretend none of this shit was happening. “Yeah.”

Dani was fully dressed, dancing on her tiptoes the way she did when she was excited. Somehow she managed to make the movements look graceful.

Jaymee sat straight up. “What’s going on? Did you hear from Cage?”

“No real news.” Dani slowed her dance, but her hands picked up the slack, waving around in the air in rhythm with her speech. “They found something in Nick’s car they need me to see. Cage wouldn’t tell me what it was over the phone, but I’m thinking it ties back to what we were talking about last night. And the paint from the other vehicle is a dark blue.”

“How’d you get him to tell you that?”

“I didn’t. He stopped in for a while late last night after you’d gone to bed. I…overheard him talking to Gina.” Judging by the sheepish look on Dani’s face, she’d flat out eavesdropped.
Good.

Jaymee hated this. Hated not knowing and having to just sit and wait for someone else to take care of things. “This just doesn’t make sense. Why take him over fake antiques? There’s got to be something bigger at play here.”

“It’s possible, but remember, there’s money in this and even though the authorities are trying to crack down, they don’t have a lot of options.” Dani was on her tiptoes again, bouncing from toe to heel.

Do her feet ever hurt?

She went on, still dancing. “The Internet makes it virtually impossible to identify anyone because new people always pop up, but it would be a big deal if the police could make an example of someone. And people have attacked others for less.”

Jaymee slid to the edge of the bed, her feet hitting the floor with a smack. Her head spun from lack of sleep. “What did Cage say about the interview with Stanley?”

“He didn’t. I think Gina was in the room, and he’s trying to play by the rules.” Dani’s conspiratorial expression made Jaymee want to smile. “I’ll get him alone and find out. He made me promise not to share any pertinent information, including whatever this artifact is.”

“So you’ll call me and tell me as soon as you can?”

Dani grinned. “Of course. Keep your phone close.”

*     *     *

Soon after Dani
left, Jaymee hauled herself all the way out of bed. Lying around feeling sorry for herself wasn’t her style, and she didn’t have the energy for depression. She needed to do something, even if her efforts were futile. She felt weak from hunger. The thought of eating while Nick was out there alone made her sick. But she hadn’t eaten since an early lunch yesterday.

Mutt whined to go out. She opened the back door, the fresh morning air a welcome change from her stuffy bedroom. Mutt raced to the backyard to do his business, barking at the intrusive crows. Pouring herself a bowl of dry bran flakes, Jaymee sat down at the table just as the doorbell rang.

Maybe Nick had found his way home, injured and worried about her, without his keys or phone.
She raced to the door and flung it open without pause.

Her hopes were promptly drowned. Dylan Asher stood with his hand still poised over the doorbell. His eyes widened; Jaymee realized she wore a tank top and short shorts, her robe still open. She tied it shut, but she felt pretty sure Dylan’s shock had nothing to do with sexual attraction. She’d always heard he preferred men, and since he managed to keep his eyes on hers and not on her half-exposed chest, she thought those rumors were probably true.

“Dylan. Hi. Come on in.” Jaymee liked to think he could be a poster boy for “geek is the new chic.” A high school nerd who’d matured into a handsome man with a nicely symmetrical face, and dark, brooding eyes often hidden behind glasses, Dylan’s quiet demeanor contrasted with his passion for preserving Roselea’s history. “Was Ashland hit very hard?” Jaymee asked, trying to be polite. Right now she had a lot more important things to worry about even if Ashland Plantation was a premiere tourist attraction and Dylan the creator of the blasted Heritage Tour.

“We lost a barn and a couple of horses,” Dylan said. “Took part of the screened-in porch that was built in 1832. I’m just sick about it. I had some family documents out there I’d been studying, trying to put together some family records. They’re gone. And the porch and barn are strewn all over. But it could have been worse. Looks like you lost some windows upstairs. How’d the rest of the house do?”

“Fine, thankfully. I need to call the insurance company about the windows.” It was certainly the last thing on her mind. “So what brings you here so early?”

“I’m out checking on the homes in the Heritage Tour, seeing how they did in the storm. And I promised Nick I’d stop by.”

She teetered on her heels, blood pressure thrumming. “When? When did you talk to him?”

“Yesterday morning, before he left Jackson. He called and said he’d be here. Is he still sleeping?”

He had to be shitting her. “You didn’t know? His car was found not far from Ashland, apparently abandoned before the storm wrecked it. Captain Barnes was supposed to contact you about searching your property.”

“I’ve barely been home,” Dylan said. “I came into town early to try to help wherever I could. The captain probably talked to my father, but I’ll make sure to call and let her know her people are welcome to whatever they need.”

“What did Nick want to talk to you about?”

“He didn’t really say. Well, that’s not entirely true. He said he had something he wanted me to look at, for my opinion. Wouldn’t elaborate, though.”

Dylan’s opinion on what? The fakes hidden in the chifforobe? He did know a lot about history, but Dani was the expert. Why would Nick want to talk to Dylan when Dani was a phone call away?

“I meant to get over here last night, then the storm came, and I’ve been cleaning debris and running all morning. I just had no idea. What do the police think happened?”

Jaymee thought Dylan looked awfully clean for someone who’d been picking up storm debris all morning, but he was one of those guys who never looked like he did manual labor. If he got his hands dirty, they didn’t stay that way for long.

“He’s missing.” Jaymee knew damned well that in a small town like Roselea, telling one person the details would ensure everyone knowing. “They’re searching for him. That’s all I know.”

“Christ.” Dylan reached for her, awkwardly putting his hand on her shoulder. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Call Captain Barnes and let her know Nick wanted to speak with you.” Jaymee shook him off. “You’re sure he didn’t say anything more specific?”

“I’m sure. The whole thing puzzled me because I don’t know him that well. I thought maybe he was worried about your being on the Heritage Tour, living alone and letting strangers in the house. I figured he just wanted some reassurance and asking me to look at something was just an excuse.”

Maybe. Nick hadn’t been thrilled with her decision to put Magnolia on the tour, especially not after what had happened to her last year. But if he’d mentioned wanting Dylan to look at something, he likely had a specific object in mind. A Civil War artifact? Whatever Cage found in Nick’s car?

“Keep an eye out for anything unusual,” Jaymee said. “I know it will be tough with all the storm issues to deal with it.” She was surprised he wasn’t at the plantation. Dylan’s love of history trumped everything but his love of Ashland.

“I’ll call the captain as soon as I leave.” Dylan shuffled on his feet, as if waiting to be dismissed.

“I’m surprised you’re in town and not at the house.” Jaymee voiced her thoughts.

Dylan wrinkled his nose. “Well, my father took over the cleanup early this morning. I decided I’d be more useful elsewhere.” Darkness crossed his face, and Jaymee didn’t ask any more questions. Rumor was the mayor and Dylan didn’t get along because of his son’s apparent sexual preference. But it was none of her business. And right now, it didn’t matter.

“And I’ll check in with him and my mom, make sure they know to be on the lookout. The neighbors too. Do the police have any leads?”

“All I know is that his car was hit on the way down from Jackson during the storm. Nick wasn’t in it.”

“Do the police think he was taken?” Dylan asked.

Jaymee bit her lip until it hurt. Dylan had to have some inside knowledge about Joseph Stanley. His father supported Norton’s encroachment into Roselea from the beginning. “I don’t know.”

“Please don’t hesitate to call if there’s anything you need,” Dylan said. “I’ve got to get going, but do you need any help with cleanup? The property doesn’t look too bad, but I can get someone over here to pick up the limbs.”

Normally Jaymee would say no. But she was stretched too emotionally thin right now. “That would be great, thank you.”

“I’ll try to give you a heads-up when he’s coming, but if you see a big guy lugging limbs, don’t worry.” Dylan tried to smile. He squeezed her shoulder. “And please, let me know if you need anything else.”

She locked the door behind him. Her cereal bowl was now empty, and a guilty looking Mutt sat in the corner. He refused to look at her.

“Shithead.”

*     *     *