Mint Juleps and Justice Read online

  Her stomach swirled, and she could feel a headache threatening. She popped a couple Tylenol and chugged a bottle of water hoping it would go away. It was too late to cancel, and she really didn’t want to, but she was afraid what disaster another relationship might bring with it. Her only choice now was to go with the flow for a change. Jenny lived her whole life that way. It worked fine for her. Maybe she did need to loosen up a little. Was it possible to find her inner Jenny?

  She caught a glimpse of her hands clenched into fists in her lap. She lifted them and shook them out. This was no way to start. She shimmied her shoulders, shook her hair back, closed her eyes, and did the “slow breath in, slow breath out” thing. And again one more time, just for good measure. Then she shut down her computer and pulled it from its docking station. She slid open the bottom-right drawer of her desk, tucked the laptop inside, then kicked the drawer closed with her foot. It would be the first time she’d left her laptop behind over a weekend in as long as she could remember.

  She stood back and brushed her hands together, proud of herself for the first step to a wild, carefree weekend. Hoisting her overnight bag on her shoulder, along with her purse, she gave her office one last look to make sure she hadn’t forgotten anything, and headed out to wait on Mike.

  When she stepped outside, she saw a gold pickup with a horse trailer behind it stretched across the front curb, taking up no less than twenty-five feet end to end. This was not what she’d pictured when he said he was hauling stuff. What the heck are you up to now, Mike Hartman?

  She pushed through the heavy wood doors of the old building. Mike was already in front of the passenger door by the time she got there. He tossed her bag behind the front seat of the extended-cab truck, and gave her a boost into the passenger seat.

  “There are horses back there,” she said, gesturing to the big eyes peeking through the side vents of the trailer.

  “You are good at your job.” He feigned surprise.

  “Smart-ass. Why do we have horses with us?”

  “I told you we’re doing a favor for Rick.” Mike closed her door, crossed to the front of the truck, and hopped behind the wheel of the rumbling diesel engine.

  “You didn’t bring Hunter along?” she asked.

  “No. He’s better kept on his schedule. The vet tech at Doc’s loves him. She was happy to come in and puppy-sit.”

  “Whose truck is this?”

  “Rick’s.”

  She gnawed on her bottom lip. “Do you know how to drive this thing? It’s way bigger than yours.”

  “Of course. I’m a man, aren’t I?” The truck jerked a little at the weight of the trailer, clanging as they bounced over the cobblestones back onto the paved road toward the interstate.

  Brooke grabbed for the door handle, and pushed her foot to the floorboard.

  “The brake over there doesn’t work.”

  “Real funny.”

  Mike clicked the CD player volume up a notch and began humming along to the latest Toby Keith cuts. Brooke tried to relax in spite of herself. By the time they got on I-95 northbound she was getting the hang of the “go with the flow” state of mind.

  “How far away is it?” She was just making conversation, because she’d already googled and figured out where they were going, and mapped the route out of curiosity. The lister and planner in her couldn’t resist, and it never hurt to be prepared anyway.

  “Not too far past Tappahannock. We should be there in less than two hours,” Mike replied.

  “We’ve been friends for years. Rick’s brother has a pretty cool place.” He tapped the steering wheel for emphasis. “They have hills, not just the gentle roll like we have around here. Like Rick, Jack is an excellent horseman.” He shifted in the seat. “The main house was built in the seventeen hundreds.”

  “Neat. You said Rick will be there too, right?

  “Yep. He rode up with the big trailer of horses yesterday.”

  “You mean this isn’t the big one?” They rode along without a lot of conversation in a comfortable quiet until they took the exit and slowed down to navigate the winding hillside path. Brooke enjoyed the simple scenery.

  By her watch, they should be there anytime now. Brooke’s palms starting sweating, and her throat tightened when the truck moved from the pavement to a dirt road. Dirt kicked up under the tires in a billow of smoking dust that trailed behind them. The occasional drooping limb scraped across the top of the thoroughbred-height trailer, snapping the bough under the pressure of its own weight. The lane became wider and then suddenly everything opened up in front of them. It was like the trees all stepped aside and gave a celebratory “ta-da.”

  “Oh, Mike, this is lovely.”

  “I know.”

  “Beautiful.” She scanned the lush green of the rolling pastures and outbuildings. “Where’s the house?”

  Mike pointed by way of nodding his hat toward the northeast. “Just up the hill over there. That cluster of trees kind of hides it.”

  “Oh, yeah, I see it. How do we get all the way over there? There’s no road.”

  “We open the gate. Jack left the lock off for us.”

  “I’ll get it.” She jumped out of the truck and swung the shiny red pole gate open as Mike pulled the wide load through.

  “Watch the hot wire on the fence there,” he called out.

  She swung it shut and shook it to be sure it was secured, then ran around to get back in. “I got this. I work with these things all the time.”

  Finally, they pulled up to the main house. A paved road ran only a couple hundred feet from the front door. She flashed an accusing look Mike’s way as they got out of the truck. “Hey, why did you take me through the fields to get here when we could have just pulled in the driveway?”

  “For your information, little Miss Know-It-All, it’s tough to make the turn into that driveway with this long trailer.”

  “I guess I should just keep my mouth shut.”

  “I think that’s going to be easier said than done for you.”

  “Oh, you think you know me so well?”

  “Don’t I?” He walked toward the house, leaving her in his boot-heeled dust.

  He had a point, but she wasn’t about to admit it. “Hey, wait for me.” She ran to catch up. He grabbed her around the waist, took her hand, and walked toward the house with her as if they’d been a couple for years.

  Rick stepped out on the porch.

  Mike let go of Brooke’s hand and took the beer Rick had extended his way. “Thanks, man.” He pulled a long sip.

  “What can I get you, Brooke? You the beer type or would you prefer a glass of wine or something else?”

  “A beer would be fine. Thank you.”

  Rick spun around to an old-style cooler box and took out another long-neck bottle. “Need a glass?”

  “I can manage the bottle. Thanks.”

  He tapped his bottle to hers. “My kind of girl.” Then he turned back toward Mike. “Jack asked me to have you go to the barn as soon as you got here. He has a stall ready for the horses, and he wants to show you his new pride and joy.” He turned to Brooke. “You can ride along with him, or if you’d rather stretch your legs after the ride I’ll give you the five-cent tour.”

  “I’ll take the tour,” she said.

  Mike jumped in the truck and started down the path toward the barn, disappearing down a steep slope.

  Rick led Brooke through the backyard to an oasis he called “the garden.” Whitewashed fencing partitioned off a large space. The gate was nestled under a beautiful carved archway adorned by deep-purple clematis in full bloom climbing the intricate design. Next to the gate a cluster of three rural-size mailboxes sat atop an old tree stump. Each one was painted a different color.

  “Tree-mail?” Brooke chuckled as Rick reached to open the big mailbox.

 
“Yeah. We recycled the mailboxes that the big farm equipment are famous around here for knocking them over. My brother, Jack, is so thrifty he never wants to throw anything away. These store garden tools to keep them from getting rusty.”

  “That’s a fun idea.”

  “I’m glad you came with Mike. He’s a super guy.”

  He didn’t have to tell her that. “I know. He’s great.”

  “I mean I guess I’m a little biased being his brother-in-law, but it’s good to see him with someone in his life again.”

  “His brother-in-law? I thought y’all were just friends.”

  Rick’s eyes snapped up to meet Brooke’s. “My sister was Mike’s wife. He hasn’t told you?”

  “No. Well, I know he wears that wedding ring sometimes. I assumed he’s divorced. Why? Is there something else I should know?”

  “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. He still doesn’t talk about her much, even after all these years. It’s still too painful. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I was shocked when Mike called and said he was bringing someone up here. He hasn’t dated or talked about anyone since…well…”

  “What?”

  Rick shook his head. “The way we lost Jackie was horrific.”

  “An accident?”

  Rick motioned Brooke to follow him to a table and chairs near the fence. He leaned against the table. “Mike hasn’t told you any of this?”

  “No.”

  “Jackie. That was my sister’s name. She was murdered. He was the one who found her. It was awful. She was bound to the pillar on the front porch of their house. He didn’t even know she was dead at first.”

  “Oh, my goodness.” She suddenly felt like she could barely breathe. “What happened?”

  “She was raped. Strangled.” His voice was distant. “There was a lot of press about the whole thing.”

  Brooke’s body seemed to drop ten degrees from the sorrow in his eyes.

  “It was awful. There’d been a couple of sexual assaults in the area. Everyone was aware and extra-careful because of it.” Rick looked a million miles away.

  Brooke watched the black cloud of emotion cross his face.

  “We all wondered how he had gotten to her, and why he’d targeted her. She was an angel. She didn’t deserve that kind of death. Not that anyone does, but you know what I mean. That happens to faceless people in the news. Not your friends. For damn sure, not your own family.”

  “How awful. I’m so sorry that happened.”

  “They hadn’t been married long. He’s carried the guilt for years; hell, he still carries it. He thought if he’d been home it wouldn’t have happened. He worked late that night. He half made himself crazy over it. He tried to work through it, but that’s why he left town and joined the service. We all did some serious priority shuffling after that.”

  Rick’s pain was easy to see. She could only imagine what Mike carried around. “I’m sorry.”

  “It was awful. It hit us all very hard.”

  “Did they find the guy?”

  “That’s just it. The police weren’t doing much. The case remained open and unsolved for the longest time. Without a lead, for months, Mike finally started gathering every detail he could find from Jackie’s case and from other unsolved cases with a similar M.O. That’s how he met Perry Von. Perry’s wife was murdered in a similar way. He and Von became close friends. Allies. They tracked every lead and eventually they hunted down the guy. They solved what the police hadn’t been able to. Of course, Mike and Perry had more invested in it. If he hadn’t found Frank Gotorow in a public place, I know Mike would have killed him. I wouldn’t have blamed him either.”

  Brooke rubbed her hands up and down her arms. Her heart ached with pain for their loss. How awful for anyone to go through.

  “If you’re from Virginia Beach, you probably remember the case. The headlines were ‘Goto Hell’; the bastard’s last name was Gotorow.”

  Brooke’s jaw dropped. “I do remember that. I remember not going anywhere in smaller than a group of four.”

  “It was an eerie time.”

  “I’d forgotten all about that,” she whispered. It was easy to forget horrible events when they didn’t touch your own life. She couldn’t imagine having been wrapped up in that nightmare.

  “He should’ve gotten the death penalty as far as I’m concerned, but that’s justice for ya.” Rick knocked back the rest of his beer. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.”

  “No. Don’t apologize. I’m glad you told me. It explains a lot, actually.”

  “Mike was so distraught after losing Jackie. We all needed something to concentrate on. That’s when we started working on this place. We all needed a distraction. Mike spent the better part of a year out here working on it with us.”

  “Thanks for sharing this with me.” No wonder Mike never talked about his late wife. His past was way worse than hers with Keith. Two wounded lovers. They were both a mess in their own way. Their own supersized baggage.

  Trying to lighten the mood by changing the subject, Brooke asked, “How did y’all come up with the name ‘Painted Prairies’ for the farm?”

  “It was a combination of the paint horses they breed here, and the fact that there are three cottages over on the top of the other hill. Each has a different-color tin roof.”

  She peered in the direction he was pointing. “You can’t see the cottages from here?”

  “Only from upstairs. You can see the whole property from the second-story balcony. I’ll show you later if you like. It’s the perfect spot for stargazing. If you like that sort of thing.”

  “I do. I love watching for shooting stars.” Because I can use all the good luck I can get.

  “Mike never stays up here at the house. He always stays in the blue cottage. You’ll love it. It isn’t decorated like the house. It’s more ‘rustic lodge.’ Mike decorated the blue cottage. It was the last thing he did before he joined the Marines. Just wait until you see it.”

  “He doesn’t seem the decorator type. This should be interesting.” She spun around at the clang of the empty trailer against the dirt road that let them know Mike was headed back to the house.

  An hour later dinner was served family-style on colorfully painted farm-style tabletops that lined the long dining room for a few neighbors, Jack, Rick, and them. Local pottery heaped with veggies, mashed potatoes, and breads made the rounds, while Jack carved beef tenderloin with white country gravy. To top it all off, blackberry cobbler was served over homemade ice cream.

  “I’m stuffed,” Mike declared as he pushed back from the table without touching his dessert.

  “Do you mind if we skip dessert and head down to the cottage?”

  “Not at all.” He held her chair as she placed her cloth napkin on the table.

  “We’re going to call it a night, guys.” Mike led Brooke by the elbow around the long table toward the side door.

  “Everything was wonderful. Thank you so much,” Brooke said. “Can I help clear the dishes before we leave or anything?”

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’ve got this,” Rick said. “Y’all sleep well. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Night,” Jack said.

  Mike slapped Rick on the back as they walked by on the way out. It was pitch-black outside. Brooke blinked, hoping her eyes would adjust quickly. He’d promised separate rooms. She hoped she wasn’t getting ready to be surprised.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Brooke followed Mike down the porch and was pulling the passenger door of the truck open before she realized Mike wasn’t right behind her. “I thought you said we were going to the cottage.”

  “I wondered where you were headed. We can just follow the lighted trail. It’s just down the hill a little ways.”

  “What about our stuff?”

  “I drop
ped it off earlier and opened the place up.”

  “Oh.” She felt nervous about walking down the dark path. Not because of Mike, she trusted him, but her insides were churning with the memories of being in college when the police were looking for the Goto killer. To think that Rick’s sister, Mike’s wife, had been one of the victims…even just the thought made it hard to breathe. Trying to act nonchalant, she said, “You’re not going to whip out your Boy Scout sash of badges next, are you?”

  “Would it impress you?”

  He’d already impressed her. Fear stacked on top of all the stuff from Mike’s past that Rick had shared with her were throwing her emotions into turmoil. “You don’t have to impress me.”

  “Come on.”

  She hesitated.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She pressed her lips together and looked toward the path and then back at Mike. “I’m feeling some anxiety about walking through the woods. I didn’t used to be such a fraidy cat. I know it’s silly, but—”

  “Come on. You’re safe with me.” He held a hand out toward her. “I promise.”

  She stepped forward and took his hand.

  His thumb rubbed the smooth skin on top. “You okay?”

  His touch subdued the fear, but amped the sadness she felt for what he’d been through. She couldn’t even begin to imagine how that scarred someone. “Yeah. I’m good.” She pulled her hands up around his bicep and let him lead her down the path.

  The night air was cooler compared to the hot day, and the darkness was alive with chirping crickets and frogs.

  Mike stopped as they cleared the tree line. “Listen,” he whispered, stopping her in her tracks.

  “What?” Her heart started to beat a little quicker. She was thinking bears, or scary critters. “I don’t hear anything,” she whispered.