When the Bough Breaks (Rose Gardner Investigations #6) - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,81

to follow. I chose a table for two in the back corner a good six feet from the other occupied table and took a seat. He sat across from me, suddenly looking nervous.

“Those bushes,” he said, his voice shaking. “Are you sure they were poisoned?”

“I haven’t gotten the soil sample results back yet, but I’d be surprised if they weren’t.”

“I think it was intended as a warning to me.”

“A warning?”

He took a breath and glanced out the windows. “A man stopped by the office last week. He asked me some strange questions about my contractor and something called Hardshaw. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about—I still don’t—but he threatened to send a warning if I didn’t cooperate.” He swallowed. “I think the bushes were a warning.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, but I figured I could get more information out of him if I played dumb. “I’m confused. Why are you tellin’ me this, Stewart?”

“I don’t know,” he said, running a shaky hand over his head. “I guess because he mentioned your name too.”

I tried to hide the jolt of fear that shot through me. “You mean in addition to the contractor?”

“Yeah. I told him I barely knew Mike. I saw his contractors more than I saw him.”

“Mike Beauregard?” I asked.

“Yeah.” His eyes widened. “Is he mixed up in something?” His eyes got even wider, like they were on the verge of popping out. “Are you?”

I leaned closer and lowered my voice. “Do you know who came to see you, Stewart?”

He shook his head. “He didn’t say, but he gave me this number. He said I should call him when I came to my senses.”

He pulled a paper out of the pocket in his button-down shirt and handed it to me.

I studied the ten-digit number written in blue ink on the torn-off piece of paper. “Have you called it?”

“No! I didn’t have anything to tell him. I’m not even sure what he expects me to tell him if I call.”

“Can you describe him?” I asked.

“Uh…” He rubbed his chin. “Tall. Muscular. Menacing.”

“Hair color?”

“Kind of dirty blond.”

Oh, my word. Had Denny Carmichael gone to see Stewart? He checked all the boxes.

“Stewart,” I said. “Do you know anything about the company you work for?”

His back stiffened. “Sonder Tech? Of course. I’ve worked for them for five years.”

“Did you know they have possible ties to a Dallas crime syndicate?”

His eyes flew wide. “What? No!” Then confusion washed over his face. “How do you know that? And why did that man ask about you?”

“Stewart,” I said softly. “I don’t know why that man brought up my name, but I do know Mike’s children are missin’.”

Panic washed over his face. “They’ve been kidnapped?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, pulling my phone out of my purse. “But I’m going to call the chief deputy sheriff and ask him to come take your statement.”

“What?” Stewart cried out. “No. No sheriff.”

“Stewart. You could help the sheriff’s department find those two kids.”

“If I talk to the sheriff, that man will kill me.” He shot out of his seat. “No. I can’t do it.”

And then he bolted out the door.

Chapter 22

I considered running after him for about a second, but I’d never catch up to him, and even if I did, I didn’t think I’d be able to change his mind.

Stewart Adams was running for his life.

The barista cast a questioning glance at me, and I forced a smile. “He realized he was late for an appointment.”

She tsked. “That man ran out like he had some bad egg salad.”

I grabbed my latte and headed out, lingering in front of the coffee shop so I could call Joe.

“Rose, now’s not a good time,” he said when he picked up his phone, the words coming out in a rush.

“I think Denny Carmichael poisoned the bushes at Sonder Tech.”

He hesitated. “What? What makes you say that?”

“Because Stewart Adams just told me so.”

There was a pause, and when he spoke his voice was tight. “You promised me you’d stay away from Sonder Tech.”

That was a discussion for another time. “Stewart came to me, Joe. He came to the landscaping office, only he found me in front of the coffee shop.”

“And he told you Carmichael paid him a visit?”

“He didn’t know his name, but the description he gave me sounds like Carmichael, and the guy gave Stewart a number to call.”

“Is he at your office now?”

“No, I asked him to talk to you, and he ran off, saying the