One Foot in the Grave (Carly Moore #3) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,122
grave like a bag of potatoes, then made me cover her body with dirt. Told me it was a good reminder not to use drugs. Then he made me drive her car to his house and park it in his garage, and he took me back to my car. He told me to cash the check, and when I came back with his share of the money, we’d deal with the car together.”
“And you deposited the money in Tulsa?”
“I had her debit card and I knew her PIN. So I used her debit card to buy several money orders while I was there. If anyone was looking into her disappearance, they’d see a footprint in Tulsa.”
“Why didn’t you turn him in?” But as soon as the words left my mouth, I knew it was a ridiculous question.
“He was a sheriff’s deputy. Who would believe me over him?” She huffed. “It’s one of life’s awful coincidences that he ended up marrying Mitzi.”
I wasn’t so sure about that. Although Mitzi still claimed to have met Paul after Heather “left,” she’d been involved with Heather’s attempt to set up Wyatt, and I suspected Paul might have played a role too. Maybe he’d pulled the car over that night because he’d recognized it as Heather’s, because he’d wanted or expected something from her. Still, I didn’t feel any need to share that with Abby. I didn’t want to destroy their friendship. I knew manipulative men, and they’d both been in the clutches of one.
I just nodded. “Would you be willing to testify against him now?”
Her face paled. “I could lose my vet license.”
“An innocent man might go to jail, Abby. And Paul Conrad will just keep screwing people over. Literally.” How many women had he accosted over the years?
“I can’t!” she exclaimed in a panic.
“I know you’re scared, but Marco will help you. And Detective White. She handled my case after Carson Purdy tried to kill me. She’s not corrupt. I’m sure she’ll be fair.”
Her body was shaking and her face and neck were splotchy. “I don’t want to go to jail. I don’t want to blow up my life.”
“I know,” I said, “and maybe you won’t have to. You didn’t intentionally hurt her, and you tried to get her help.”
“But I stole the drugs, and I didn’t tell Paul she was in the car when he pulled me over.”
“I don’t know how the authorities will handle any of that,” I said. “And I know you’re scared, but aren’t you tired of keeping this secret?”
She nodded. “Yes.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “I am.”
“Then let me help you figure out a way to do the right thing. Maybe you should talk to an attorney first and they can negotiate terms for your statement.”
She nodded again.
“Okay. That’s good,” I said. “You stay in here, and I’ll go see if I can get Marco to drop by.”
I left her in the office and went back out to the dining room, heading straight for Max and handing him his phone. “I got a confession of sorts. Be sure to save the recording.”
He took the phone and tapped the screen. “While you were back there, a sheriff’s deputy dropped by and said to give this to you.”
He pointed to a sealed envelope on the counter. I opened it and read the message, not surprised to see a typed note.
If you want to see Wyatt Drummond again, bring Abby out to Wyatt’s hiding place. We’ll both be waiting. And don’t bring anyone else.
You have until ten, and then I start making Wyatt into a pincushion.
“What did the deputy look like?” I asked as I lowered the paper.
“I don’t know. Medium height. Sandy-brown hair with a bit of a receding hairline.”
Paul.
“How long ago did he drop it by?”
“Right after you went into the back.”
Which meant he’d followed Abby.
“And you haven’t heard from Marco?” I asked.
“No. What’s goin’ on?” He snatched the letter from my hand and quickly scanned it. “What the fuck?” His face lifted, his eyes wild. “He has Wyatt? Why does he want Abby?”
“She knows things, and he wants to clean up his mess. He wants to get rid of me and Abby along with Wyatt.” But why hadn’t he asked for Marco? Had our show at the supermarket been that convincing? Or did Paul know something I didn’t? Had someone hurt Marco?
My heart hammering, I checked the time on the wall clock. Nine thirty. We didn’t have much time, especially since I didn’t have the first idea