Center Stage: Magnolia Steele Mystery #1 (17 page)

“Oh, come on.” He gave my arm a shove. “Tell me what it’s about.”

“It’s about a woman named Scarlett who falls in love with—”

He lifted his hand straight up. “Stop right there. Romance is all I need to know.”

“You’re a songwriter. Songwriters write about love.”

“
I
don’t write about love. I write about one-night stands, driving fast trucks, and drinking beer.”

“Quality lyrics, I’m sure,” I murmured sarcastically.

“You had your chance to listen to them last night.”

“I had to go to Bunco night. I think I would have rather watched you.” I swiveled in my seat to look at him. “And have you ever thought that maybe your cynicism is what’s holding you back?”

A smirk. “Nope. Not once.”

“So you’ve never been in love?”

“Nope. No way. You?”

What Tanner and I had once shared seemed like puppy love now, though at the time it had felt big and real and important. “I thought so once, but now I’m not so sure.” I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. “No. I guess not.”

“How old are you? Twenty-five?”

I hesitated. “Yeah . . . about that. How old are you?”

He grinned. “Same as you.” He was lying. “But we’re both young. We’ve got plenty of time to fall for the big L. In the meantime, we’ll just settle for the little L.”

“Which is?”

“Lust.”

I had to turn this conversation around to get the information I needed. “You sure had a lot of women lusting after you at Luke’s party. How much money did you make from your tip jar?”

“A couple hundred.”

“I bet you saw a lot of people coming and going up there.”

His body tensed, not enough that most people would notice, but I was studying him, trying to read his cues. He was grinning again, but there was a new brittleness there. “Yeah, but most of the time I was focusing on the ladies.”

“You saw me.”

His grin widened. “In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re one of the ladies.”

“Can you answer my question? Did you see anyone other than Max go down the hallway toward Luke’s office before I did?”

He quirked his mouth to the side as he kept his eyes on the road. “Nope.”

“Are you sure?”

He gave me an aggravated look. “Yeah.”

I groaned in frustration. “Come on, Colt. You didn’t see
anything
?”

His grin returned. “I told you I only had eyes for the ladies.”

But I still sensed he was holding something back.

“So what is Bunco anyway?” he asked, resting his wrist on the steering wheel.

Yep. Definitely hiding something. But I knew better than to press him and scare him off. The better option was to wait and try again later. “I could tell you,” I quipped, “but then I’d have to kill you.”

“Ah, so it’s a secret society?”

“Yeah. Just like the Illuminati.”

He talked steadily for the rest of drive, telling me about coming to Nashville right out of high school and working more jobs than he could count—several of them unsavory, like the gig at the bar he’d told me about. But he’d started working for my mother and Tilly about three years ago.

“What about you?” he asked. “Did you land in New York and end up on stage right away?”

“Hardly,” I snorted. “I worked two waitressing jobs for two years until my new roommate dragged me to a commercial audition and I got it.”

“So you really are lucky.”

“I wish. I didn’t get another job for six months, and then it was another commercial.”

“So when did you make it on Broadway?”

“Not until three years ago. And even then, it was mostly small parts.”

“So the first two years were waitressing. The next year you had two commercials, and the last three you spent on Broadway. What happened in those missing four years?”

I gave him a pointed look.

He shrugged. “Hey, I can do simple math. What were you doing?”

“Off-Broadway plays.”

“Why New York? Why not the movies? I would think it would pay more.”

“I just like New York.” It was my turn to dodge, but he didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he was taking a page from my book. Waiting. Colt gave off the air of a laid-back guy, but I was beginning to wonder just how laid-back he actually was.

W
e got lost
for a few minutes after reaching Hendersonville. Momma called my cell phone, yelling at me to hurry up and get there, but Colt didn’t seem worried. Tilly and Momma were waiting in front of the house when we pulled up, Tilly looking nervous and Momma looking ticked off, although she surely couldn’t be pissed at me. I hadn’t even been driving.

We helped unload the pans from the van and into the kitchen while the wait staff bustled around inside. As soon as we finished, Tilly gave Colt a set of keys.

“You kids take my car and head back. You’re off the clock. Lila and I’ve got this.”

“Really?” Colt asked, surprised.

“I don’t want her anywhere near the guests,” Momma said as she removed foil from a pan. “But don’t let her out of your sight.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Colt said, shooting me a secret grin.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” I groaned.

“Yes, you do,” Momma and Tilly said at the same time.

I crossed my arms. “Fine.”

Colt laughed all the way to the car, but I snatched the keys out of his hand. “I’m driving.” I hadn’t driven in ten years, and it was time to jump back on that horse.

He lifted his hands in surrender. “No argument from me.”

I slid behind the wheel and pulled out my phone to check my messages, surprised to see some texts from Belinda.

“Do you plan on sitting here all night?” Colt asked.

“Just a minute,” I said.

I shook my head in wonder. Belinda truly was a force of nature. She’d contacted another acquaintance who’d attended the party, and apparently he’d seen Paul Locke and Max arguing in the shadows on the pool deck.

“Sneaky devil,” I said to myself. “You’re definitely hiding something.”

“Hiding what?” he said, sounding defensive. I gave him a long hard look, but a grin spread over his face. “You caught me, Maggie Mae. I’m trying to figure out the best way to win you over.”

Doubtful. I suspected his defensiveness came from years of habit.

Snorting, I turned on the car. “Never mind.”

I wanted to call Belinda, but I suspected she was getting ready for her night out with my brother. I still couldn’t get over the fact that Roy was working for Bill James, my father’s old partner. Especially since I was sure he knew more about Daddy’s disappearance than he had let on. And Morrissey as his client? I couldn’t believe Mr. Morrissey would want that reminder shoved in his face.

“So where do you want to go?”

Where indeed. I didn’t want to just sit around all night, but I had no idea what to do to further my investigation with Belinda. I cast him a glance. I was certain Colt knew more than he was admitting. Maybe all he needed was a catalyst.

“Magnolia?” Colt asked.

I shot him a wicked grin as the wheels in my head kicked into gear. “Did I mention I haven’t driven in ten years?”

His face lost all color. “What?”

I shrugged, giving him a playful grin. “How hard can it be? Just like a bike, right?” Tilly had backed into the drive, so I purposely shifted into drive and let the car jerk forward.

His hand shot out to grip the dashboard. “
Magnolia
.”

I pressed the pedal to the metal, squealing out of the driveway before slowing down once I hit the road.

I burst out laughing. “The look on your face right now . . .”

“Tilly’s gonna kill you,” he said, his voice tight. “This car is her baby.”

“She gave the keys to you. She’s going to think you did it.”

That was mean, but I planned to take full responsibility for my actions if it came to that. But I wasn’t going to tell him that. He’d let me stew all afternoon over my text. He could do a little stewing of his own. Besides, I was too busy dwelling on my brother.

I had an idea and Roy was going to hate it. All the more reason to go through with it. “How do you like martinis?”

“Can’t stand them. Give me a beer or a tequila shot, but keep those metrosexual drinks away from me.”

My grin spread wider. Even better.

“
O
h
, hell no,” Colt said as I pulled into the parking lot of The Olive. It was 7:30, which was good. It would look better if we were already here when they showed up.

“Momma said you had to babysit me, and this is where I’m goin’, which means you have no choice in the matter.”

“Just remember that payback’s a bitch, Magnolia,” he grumbled, reaching for the door handle.

“So I’ve heard.”

The Olive was half-empty, so we didn’t have any trouble getting a table in the back. Colt sat across from me and grabbed the small menu.

“I’m telling you right now that I only pay for a woman’s tab if she’s a sure thing.” His eyes met mine. “Are you a sure thing, Maggie Mae?”

“I’m a sure thing, all right,” I said, snatching the menu out of his hands. “I’m damn sure I’m not putting out for you tonight.”

He chuckled as he eyed the menu.

We ordered burgers along with a beer for Colt and a Diet Coke for me. Colt gave me a strange look, probably because I’d dragged him into a martini bar and then proceeded not to order any alcohol, but I didn’t bother making an excuse. I didn’t owe him one.

We watched the band set up while we ate our food, and finally Colt narrowed his gaze and asked, “What gives? Why are we here?”

I shrugged. “Belinda told me about this place, so I thought I’d give it a try.”

“This place is a dive, and you look like a brunette Elle Woods with your cardigan and pearls.” He gave a backhanded wave toward me and then took a long drag from his beer bottle. “Hell, you’re not even drinking. What’s the real reason?”

The door swung open, and Belinda walked in with my brother. I hadn’t seen him in eight years, but I would have known him anywhere. Tall, dark hair and dark eyes, strong jawline and Roman nose . . . he was the spitting image of our father, only a younger version.

He wore a shirt and tie, and Belinda had changed into a cocktail dress and put her hair up into a twist. He scanned the room, his eyes rolling right over me until they settled on an empty table on the opposite side of the room. Belinda looked different next to him—smaller, almost—and her eyes were downcast. Which meant she didn’t see me either.

Colt’s gaze followed mine and understanding lit up his eyes. “Ah, I get it.”

I swung around to face him. “How could you get it?”

“Your brother, the asshole. You wanted to see him. You’re curious.”

“Why would I come here to see him when we live in the same town?”

“Because the prick doesn’t want to see you.”

My chest squeezed. His rejection sucked, no matter how much I had expected it. “How do you know that?”

“I know the guy, Maggie Mae.”

“I think I need a drink after all.”

He gave me a quick nod, then got up from the table and walked to the bar. When he returned, he set a glass of amber liquid in front of me and took his seat, holding another bottle of beer.

I lifted the glass to my nose and sniffed. Whiskey. “I’m still not putting out.”

“This one’s a freebie. You’ve had a rough few days, so we’ll call it a gift from a friend.”

I took a sip and felt the burn go down my throat and warm my stomach. “
Are
we friends, Colt Austin?”

“We swung together in the park. That’s a solid foundation of friendship for five-year-olds, and since I’ve been accused of having a five-year-old mentality, I think that seals the bond.”

I gave him a smile of gratitude as I took another sip. Now I had two friends, Colt and Belinda. The beginning of a collection.

“So what’s the plan here?” Colt asked. “You just gonna spy on them?”

“I don’t know yet.” That was the stupid part of this whole thing. I really didn’t have a plan.

They sat in a booth, both of them on one side, making it obvious they were waiting for guests. Belinda was pushed toward the wall, and my brother sat on the outside like a prison warden.

Where had that thought come from?

Colt gave me a wicked grin. “I think we should go over and say hi.”

“You’re kidding.”

“You’ve spent time with me. It should come as no surprise that I like to stir up shit.”

I took another sip, giving him a dubious glare. “So this is entertainment for you?”

“Come on, Maggie Mae. Don’t tell me you don’t want to tell off that prick.”

“You don’t understand, Colt.
I
was the one who left.”

“And someday I hope you’ll tell me why you did it. Believe it or not, I might be able to help you.” He gave me a pointed look. “I’m not stupid, Maggie Mae. You didn’t run off to New York to make it on Broadway. You didn’t even audition for your first commercial until you’d been there for two years.”

Me and my stupid mouth. I took another drink.

“But that doesn’t give your brother a free pass to treat you like shit.”

“How do you—”

“I told you. I know things.” He shrugged in response to my piercing look. “Tilly likes to talk, and there’s no love lost for your brother. Now are you gonna do it?”

“I don’t want to hurt Belinda.”

He gave me a long look, then said, “I think she’ll be fine.”

I finished off my drink, shuddering a little. “Let’s do it.”

I slid out of my seat. Colt started to lead the way, but I pushed him behind me. I had to handle this my way.

As I marched over to the table, my mind scrambled to pin down what role I’d be playing. The aggrieved sister? The snotty bitch? But that would mean I had some idea of how I wanted this to play out, and I didn’t have a clue. I was going into this blind.

I decided to play me, as raw and exposed as that left me.

Belinda saw me first. Her eyes lit up, but then she cast a glance at her husband and her excitement fell as flat as a failed cake. He had finally caught sight of me, and there was nothing but anger in his eyes.

“Magnolia.”

I gave him a tight smile. “Roy. You’re a hard guy to reach.”

“I’m a busy man.” He held out his hands. “Some people have real jobs to occupy their time.”

“Theatre is a real job, Roy.”

“Then why aren’t you there doing it right now?” he asked, his voice cold.

Belinda cringed, but she didn’t say anything. In fact, she looked downright scared.

And that pissed me off.

I plopped down in the seat across from him and tilted my head. “I take it you know Colt.”

Roy scowled. “We know each other.”

Colt sat next to me. “We sure do.”

There was obviously some history there, which explained Colt’s eagerness to dive-bomb my brother’s meeting. I’d have to dig into that later, though.

“You look good, Roy,” I said, leaning my forearms on the table. “Look at you. All grown up.”

“That happens as time passes, Magnolia. I know you didn’t go to college, but it seems like a simple concept . . . Then again, you were never the brightest star in the sky.” His eyebrows shot up. “Or should I say, the brightest star on the stage. I heard you got replaced.”

His retort stung more than I’d expected. “I had no idea you kept up with the latest Broadway news, Roy.”

“I don’t. But my friends were all
very
eager to fill me in on things. I hear you’re also under investigation for murder.”

“And here I thought you didn’t have any friends.” I hadn’t meant to let the insult slip. If I were looking for reconciliation, this was not the way to go about it. But now that I’d let the genie out of the bottle, there was no putting it back in, and some deep angry part of me wasn’t sorry.

Roy sucked in a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as his chest expanded. “You’re an embarrassment to this family, Magnolia, and this family has had more than its share of embarrassments. You need to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and leave us the fuck alone.”

Another zinger that struck deep, but I kept my face emotionless. I’d found my role. That of the unfeeling bitch. Nothing could touch me. Or at least I could pretend that was true as long as I was looking at Roy and not Belinda.

Colt started to say something, but I kicked his shin with the heel of my shoe. Any interference from him was unneeded and unwelcome. He clamped his mouth shut and shot me a glare.

Ignoring him, I narrowed my eyes at my brother. “Your clients don’t like that your sister is a person of interest in a sleazeball’s murder?”

His face remained expressionless for several seconds, as if he were considering his next move. “Go home, Magnolia,” he finally said.

“This is my home too, Roy. Just as much as it is yours.” I picked up the menu and pretended to scan the appetizers. It was a good thing I didn’t intend to order anything else—the unshed tears in my eyes were blurring all the words. I blinked them away and steeled my back, reminding myself of what my mother had told me long ago.
You’re made of steel, Magnolia. Don’t you ever forget it. We do not bend to adversity. We stand up to it. We face it.

“Are you here because you want money?” he asked, looking impatient. “I don’t have my checkbook with me, but come by my office on Monday and I’m sure we can reach some kind of agreement.”

Belinda stiffened next to him.

“What happened to you when we were little, Roy?” I whispered in horror, staring into the eyes of this stranger. “What made you turn out this way?”

“
You
happened to me, Magnolia. Did you ever once stop to think about anyone other than yourself when you took off? Have you ever once in your entire pathetic, fucking life stopped to think about anyone other than yourself?” But he didn’t give me time to respond; he was just warming up. “Do you have any idea what it did to Mom? You ripped her heart out. I was fucking invisible in that house, living in the shadow of your absence.
And now you’re fucking back
? You ruined too many lives to just flounce back into town like nothing happened.” He cocked his head. “And since I seem to be the only one who knows you won’t stay, let’s just speed things along. I’m not sure why you’re here, but I can sure as hell make it worth your while to leave. How much will it take?”

“Roy,” Belinda whispered, her face pale.

“Stay out of this, Belinda. It doesn’t concern you.”

His dismissive tone shot through me, stoking my simmering rage. I pointed a finger in his face. “Don’t you talk to her like that.”

“What the fuck is it to you? Do you even know who she is?”

Belinda’s eyes widened in fear.

She hadn’t told him. He had no idea she’d spent time with me. One more stab to my already hemorrhaging heart. Time to dial up the bitchiness and extricate myself from this situation as quickly and gracefully as possible.

I gave him a tight smile that suggested I thought he was an idiot. “I know you got married and didn’t invite me.”

“I told Mom not to tell you.”

“In case you’ve forgotten, Mom gives us the orders and
we
do as
she
says. And for what it’s worth, I saw your wedding photo on the staircase wall in Mom’s house.”

“You’ve never obeyed anyone or anything a day in your whole pathetic life,” he sneered.

I leaned forward and slowly grabbed his tie and tugged. “And look which one of us is the uptight prick.”

He slapped my wrist with more force than necessary.

Belinda gasped and I jerked my hand back.

Colt released a low growl, his eyes darkening with rage. “Touch her again, Steele, and you’re a fucking dead man.”

Roy’s hate-filled eyes narrowed in on Colt, and he released a short bark of laugher. “You already fucking my sister?”

Belinda’s eyes flew open wide. “Roy!”

There was disgust on his face as he turned to look at his wife. “Everyone knows she’s a slut.”

Colt’s face reddened, but I pushed his side with my elbow, trying to shove him out of the booth. I had to get out of here. I’d expected Roy to be angry with me, but I hadn’t expected
this
. My protective armor was nowhere close to being strong enough to protect myself from this attack.

But Colt wasn’t going anywhere. His hand curled into a fist as he rested his arm on the table. “I think we should take this outside, Steele.”

Roy laughed, but it was devoid of humor. “You touch me and I’ll have your ass in jail so fast you won’t have a chance to grab your hair gel, you pussy.”

Colt’s body tensed even more, which I wouldn’t have thought possible.

“Colt. Let’s go. Now,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. The wisecrack caught his attention, and he gave me a quick nod.

He slid out and grabbed my arm, helping me out as gracefully as possible. Part of me was screaming to do it myself, but I was so tired of doing everything myself. Just this once I wanted to let someone else help me. But as I got to my feet, I realized I’d already dropped my guard and let someone help me—Belinda. And now I’d lost her. The grief was overwhelming.

Roy gave me a look of triumph. “I expect our discussion to remain between us. I’m sure you appreciate using discretion.”

“You mean you don’t want me to tell Momma?”

His eyes narrowed. “I can assure you my account of this evening will be vastly different than yours. And which one of us do you think she’ll believe?”

“What about Colt?” I shot back.

Roy’s gaze lifted to Colt’s face, turning hard. “Colt will do what’s in his best interest.” Then Roy’s face completely changed, as though a switch had been flipped. A warm smile filled his face as he slid out of the booth, already looking past me. “Steve. Good to see you. And Bill,
this
is a surprise.”

I spun around to see a man in his late fifties with a woman half his age literally hanging on to his arm. Steve Morrissey and his latest wife. Bill James, Daddy’s business partner, was standing next to him. His eyes widened when his gaze landed on me.

“Magnolia?”

I forced a smile. “Hello, Mr. James.” It took everything in me to sound civil, but it came out convincing enough.

He reached out his hands and grabbed my upper arms, looking me over. “Look at you, all grown up.” His gaze lingered on my chest before lifting to my face. “You’re the spitting image of your mother, only ten times more beautiful.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but I could see he hadn’t changed. Backhanded compliments had always been his style.