Saving Dallas Forever (8 page)

“What does Pinterest have to do with anything?”

“I’m just pissed because I spent
seventy-five dollars on this cool-ass necklace and Pinterest has a blog about how you can make your own for five bucks. Now, when I say ‘hey look bitches, I can afford a seventy-five dollar necklace’ my friends say, ‘Yeah? I got the same one and I made it for five. You’re stupid.’”

“That sucks.”

“That’s the story of my life.”

“Well, I love your necklace and if it makes you feel better, I would have paid twice that for it,” I said, thinking that I wish I had found it before her.

“So, the meeting is to inform everyone that we are not dropping the price?” she asked, pulling out her diary, and making notes.

“Correct. We are going to see if we can manipulate the system. It will take time, but I’m confident it will work. I’m also arranging a meeting with some people about that land on
98. Let me ask you something, how beneficial do you think a natural gas pipeline running through there would be?”

“I think it would be just as beneficial if it was moved a mile south. Even if they had to curve it around that one particular area. What is that? A
square mile? Two, at the most? That place is really starting to take off. It would kill some of those businesses to be shut down, even if it was for just a few months. I know the gas company will compensate them, but it won’t be enough. Think of Roman’s Muffler Shop. If he is closed for three months, then his customers will find somewhere else to go. By the time he reopens, it will be another six months before he can regain his clientele, and even then it’s not guaranteed.” This is why I had hired Lindsey, because she was passionate about her job and people loved her.

“So, what do you suggest I do? The mayor will approve it. Hell, he
pretty much already has. See, it won’t hurt his business. He will be up and running for only a few weeks, before they offer him money and he will just sell out.”

“Yeah, it won’t hurt him, but what about the businesses in the surrounding area that will be
affected? The ones that have been there for years? Just because it doesn’t pass through that particular spot doesn’t mean the re-route of traffic and cluster-fuck that comes with road construction isn’t going to hurt them. I’m just saying.” I watched as she wrote in her diary, noting that she looked like a schoolgirl with her hair in a ponytail.

“What if I put a school there?” I asked, thanking all that is holy that she
had decided to put her hair up, or else the idea might not have ever occurred to me.

“A school? You can’t just build a school,” she said, shaking her head at my ignorance. I ignored the remark and chewed on the corner of my lip.

“What about an after-school kind of place. We can use it as a community project or something. We can let kids go there, even arrange public transportation for them.” I was getting excited about the idea. Not that I really gave a shit about the program, but because I wanted to see the mayor fail.

“You would have to get that approved
by the city and the mayor would never let that happen. He would find every reason possible to shut you down. The city wouldn’t go for it. They would claim they couldn’t afford it.”

“Well, what would you do, genius?” I snap, immediately regretting my outburst. Shit, what had gotten in to me? Lindsey looked at me
, with a raised eyebrow.

“I would
convince him to invest in properties he couldn’t afford to lose. Like a boutique that catered to the wealthy, an expensive spa, a celebrity-themed restaurant, and a popular coffee shop chain. Hattiesburg could use another Starbuck’s. Target the business of the people that put him in office. They live in the elaborate subdivisions out there, anyway.” She really was a genius. I was losing my touch. Lindsey’s three weeks as CEO was really paying off.

“That just became top priority. Get me lined up with some investors. I want a meeting with someone from each business by Friday. Contact
people from out of state, if you have to. Reassure people that they can’t fail. Pitch them the pipeline proposal. Let them know that if it doesn’t work out, they will be reimbursed once the pipeline takes over, and if it does, they will be more than compensated for the time their business is down. Send them appraisals of houses in the nearby communities. Assure them their targeted customers are in the same area. People will shop there just so others will see them. There are still people willing to pay top dollar for good quality products and envious friends who will go without lights to keep up with society. Wear that necklace proudly, Lindz. People who shop Pinterest are a dying breed.”

Chapter 8

Dallas

It was another late night at the office, but the day had been successful. I had sent Lindsey home early, and told her not to return until next week. Joanna and Kylie, the assistants Lindsey had temporarily hired while I was unavailable, would be coming in to help out. Lindsey had done more than her fair share of work around here, and a vacation was much-needed, and well-deserved. As the day progressed, my thoughts kept drifting to Stacy and what had really happened that night in Tupelo. Did he really try to kill me? If so, why was I allowing him to keep his job? I had been avoiding the situation for too long, mostly in fear of finding the truth. Stacy and I had been close for many years. He was the uncle I never had. We had grown apart over the past few years, but I didn’t believe he would ever be capable of doing something so terrible. If he had needed money, all he had had to do was come to me, and I would have given it to him. If Frankie did have a bounty on my head and had offered it to Stacy, the sum of money would have to be astronomical to make it worth his while. Was it out of greed? Was he jealous that he didn’t inherit anything when my father died? Was I being selfish by just offering him a job at the bed and breakfast, or should I have offered to sell it to him? The Abbey was my business, but it governed itself. The only time I had anything to do with it was when I was in the area. I had never had any reason to intervene in the way they handled things. The business was old and simple, and made enough money to pay the staff and keep the place going, but not much more. It just didn’t make sense.

I laid my head down on my desk, frustrated at myself for letting this go on so long. If he was a murderer, he could kill my staff. I thought of Gladene and Jackie
, and the possible harm Stacy could cause them, and laughed to myself. Yeah, that shit would never fly. They were more capable of murder than he was. I could almost see Jackie trying to kill me. I was never really her favorite, but she had taken care of me and ensured I got help when I became ill. In the stack of messages on my desk there were several from them and Stacy, just checking in on me. The only person who knew about me being poisoned was Red. I had not even told Lindsey. I chewed on the end of my pen, my mind racing, as I planned my next move. Red was still on my shit list and I would die a thousand deaths before I called and asked her for help. Maybe one day, but not right now. I needed to work this out on my own, if possible. I looked over my desk, eyeing the cabinet across the room, which I knew was stocked with liquor. Maybe a drink would help me relax. I made my way to the cabinet, kicking my heels off as I went. I began pulling bottles from the top shelf, which was so high that I had to stand on my toes to reach it.

Wine?

Nope.

Crown?

Nope.

More
wine?

Nope.

Scotch?

Scotch.
The preferred drink of the almighty Mr. Charlie Lott. I missed Charlie. I looked around the room in a panic to make sure I was alone; afraid someone could have heard my thoughts.

“I can’t believe I just thought that,” I said aloud to the empty room. Had I lost my fucking mind? The man
had kidnapped me! And my sister! And made me kill a man! He deserved it, yes, but still. As I eyed the bottle, I thought of the conversation we had while sipping a ridiculously priced scotch. I had poured my heart out to him, and he had listened with interest. I had told him everything, even about my near-death experience. He knew about Stacy. I grabbed the scotch and a glass, returned to my desk, and poured myself a generous amount. I was about to do the forbidden. Charlie had promised me a favor with no strings attached. I was about to take him up on his offer.

I located the card Charlie had given me
, which I had placed in my purse without Luke knowing. He would kill me if he knew what I was doing. If I asked Luke what he thought about me reaching out to Charlie, I knew what his answer would be, ‘Are you fucking crazy?’ It took two glasses before I found the courage to pick up the phone. Even then, I replaced the receiver several times before I finally dialed his number. It rang twice before being answered by the very friendly voice I had regretfully grown fond of.

“The lovely Miss Dallas Knox,” Charlie purred, causing my face to break out in an involuntary smile.

“Charlie. How are you?” I asked, kicking myself for not getting straight to the point.

“Well, I am delighted to hear from you. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” His voice was so soothing.
Think bad thoughts, Dallas. This man is not your friend. He had Luke beaten to a pulp, and threatened to kill him.

“Charlie, do you remember our conversation that day? You know, when I told you about my life?” I sounded so stupid. I was tripping over my own words, and almost stuttering.

“I remember everything, Dallas.” Of course he did. I had to get my shit together
. He may be sharp, Dallas, but you are too. Now fucking act like it.

“I told you about a man named Stacy who could have possibly poisoned me.”

“I have already confirmed that I remember everything. Is there a question there, Dallas? Or would you just like me to confirm that he was indeed a part of our conversation?” Well, fuck. I shouldn’t have called. Charlie was not my friend. I did not miss him. He was just a mean man on a power trip.

“This was a mistake. I apologize for calling you. I hope I didn’t impose.” I took another sip of scotch, looking for a little
alcoholic encouragement.

“Dallas, if you really thought calling me was a mistake you would have ended the call already, and you would not have assumed you
had imposed unless you wanted confirmation that you didn’t, therefore prolonging the phone call that you have apologized about, and claimed was a mistake. If you have something to say, just say it.”

“I want to know how much money you loaned Frankie
, because I believe he used it to pay someone to kill me, and I think that someone might be Stacy.” The words rushed out of my mouth. Charlie had that kind of power over me. Just the tone in his voice had me giving him exactly what he wanted.

“I never discuss business over a phone that does not belong to me, Dallas. Not that I would share information with you about another client, regardless of whether we are on the phone or not. Would you be opposed to dinner tomorrow evening?” Was
he serious? The man had to be delusional.

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” I scoff
ed. The chances of him actually releasing me without making me kill someone seemed pretty slim. This man could not be trusted.

“Are you sure? I can arrange to have you picked up and flown over here. You can even bring someone with you if you like.” What? He
wanted to send a plane to get me and fly me to fucking Texas? And bring along another fucking hostage? No way.

“Charlie, be reasonable. If you remember correctly, that didn’t work out so well the last time.”

“I thought everything worked out perfectly. I am a man of my word, Dallas. You are seeking information and it must be important for you to call me. You have one free pass. To use it so soon must make you pretty desperate. I will help you with whatever you need. Bring someone with you. Maddie, perhaps. There will be a car waiting for you outside your office at five tomorrow evening. I will have you home safely in less than twenty-four hours.” I let out a surprised laugh with no humor, and struggled to find the right words to tell him to fuck off. Maddie? Really? He was gonna play that fucking card?

“Charlie, you’re delusional. It’s not going to happen. You can forget it,” I countered, sitting on the edge of my seat awaiting his reaction.

“Yet you remain on the phone, knowing there is no other option. I will see you tomorrow, Dallas. Good night.” I sat with the phone to my ear, trying to process what he had just said. Was it a demand that I go? Was he kidnapping me once again? Before I could stop my fingers, I was redialing his number.

“Yes, Dallas?”

“What if I don’t come?” I spat at him. I was breathless, my heart hammering against my chest. I closed my eyes, praying his answer would be different from what I suspected it would be.

“Then you don’t come. I want to help you, Dallas, but to do that we have to meet face
-to-face. The decision is yours. There will be no hard feelings if you decline my offer. But if ever the day comes that you want my help, you will have to come and ask me for it
. Personally
. Good night, Dallas.” There was finality in his tone that let me know that it would be in my best interest to not call him back. I hung up my desk phone and picked up my cell, mentally dying a thousand deaths. I needed someone. We would have to set our differences aside for now. Lindsey couldn’t help me with this. I needed my sisters.

*We need to talk NOW!! Be at Luke’s in
20. Do not tell ANYONE!!*

I hit send on the message and grabbed my purse, leaving
in my office a half-empty bottle of scotch, a desk full of work, and any remaining sense, as I jumped in my car and sped off to Luke’s to endure the wrath I was sure would come.

“What the fuck, Dallas?”

“Are you okay?” I felt a little guilty as I looked into the worried faces of Red and Maddie. They were in a panic, and I had not managed to get my shit under control on the drive over. I was quite a sight in my wrinkled skirt, and un-tucked blouse, with bare feet, a flushed face, and wide eyes. I resembled someone who had just been a victim of assault, and knew I needed to confirm that was not the issue, but I couldn’t catch my breath. I began hyperventilating in the kitchen, letting Maddie and Red pull me to the table and soothe me. Eventually, I regained control, and took a sip of the water Red offered before I started talking.

“I’m fine. Nothing happened. Just a long day at work. No one attacked me.” I watched
, as they both sagged in relief. Maybe I should have called. “I didn’t mean to scare y’all. I just panicked.”

“It’s okay. But next time, please call. A message like that followed by
a you that looks like this, is a little much,” Maddie said, gesturing her hands toward my rumpled appearance.

“Will do,” I said, nodding my head.

“What’s going on, Dallas?” Red asked, genuine concern in her lovely hazel eyes. It was good to see that she was not holding our spat from earlier against me. “Don’t worry about earlier. I’m a bitch and I deserved it, but we will get to that later. What happened?” I had to work on not being so damned transparent.

“So, you know I have this issue with Stacy,” I started, watching Red nod in acknowledgement
, while Maddie looked between the two of us in confusion.

“Stacy poisoned her. When she was in Tupelo. Told everyone she had the flu. I found out through a friend. Nobody knows though,” Red said quickly, informing Maddie
, but keeping her eyes on me.

“I’m not sure if it was Stacy,” I said, looking
at Red, and ignoring Maddie’s silent plea for more information.

“I am. Frankie confirmed it. Said he paid him to do it.” I stared in shock at Red. I was so convinced that Stacy could not have done it, yet here
was the proof.

“You can’t believe anything Frankie said,” Maddie added, looking at Red like she had lost her mind.

“What did he have to lose? He was going to die anyway. Why would he lie?” Red threw back at Maddie.

“To hurt Dallas. She apparently cares about Stacy or this wouldn’t be an issue. Do you think Stacy did it?” she asked as if she didn’t believe he
had done, either.

“I don’t think so. We are pretty close. That’s why it doesn’t make sense. If it had been before I was
twenty-five, I would find it a little easier to accept, but that’s not the case.”

“Cause then he would have gotten the land, right?” Red asked, ignoring Maddie’s pleading glare. “I’ll tell you later, Mads,” she said with a wave of her hand
, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Right. I need to know what happened and the only other person who knows the story, besides us, is Charlie.”

“Charlie?” Maddie screeched, causing Red to shush her.

“Yes. Charlie. I told him about it and I know he could find out what happened. He loaned Frankie some money and I need to know if it was enough for Stacy to risk our relationship,” I sa
id, looking between Maddie and Red.

“You do realize that’s not a strong enough reason to put yourself in danger. I mean, listen to yourself, Dallas. ‘I need to know if it was enough money for Stacy to risk our relationship,’” Maddie said, mockingly. “That sounds fucking ridiculous. If you plan to go to Charlie to get something, you better have a better excuse than that.”

“I need to know what happened that night. Charlie can find that out. I know it. I called him tonight.”

“You what?” They both shouted, not caring who heard. Now, it was my turn to shush them.

“Shut up! Shit, tell the whole damned house, why don’t you. Look, Luke can’t know this. He would kill me and he has enough shit to deal with right now. Charlie will help me. I know it. There is only one catch.” I tried to express the importance of talking to him, but knew I had lost them when they threw their hands up in the air and muttered ‘I knew it.’