Murder at Castle Rock Read online

  "Two trained FBI agents couldn't spot a local cop following you?" I glanced sideways at him.

  Emmett looked embarrassed. "I probably would've figured him out if I hadn't been so distracted." He met my gaze, his green eyes sincere. "I was concerned that you were getting yourself in too deep by investigating Stone. I'd tried telling you to back off, but nothing I said was getting through to you, so…" His voice trailed off.

  "So what?"

  His cheeks burned. "So, I left you that note," he said quietly.

  "That was you?" My eyes went wide. I thought back to the sign-in clipboard at my apartment complex. Emmett's name was on that list, wasn't it?

  "I know, I know." His chin drooped. "It was stupid and unprofessional—but I was starting to feel, well, desperate. I needed to make you to take the situation seriously without blowing my cover. But you were—"

  "Stubborn." I finished for him. "I was too stubborn to listen to you, and I almost got Bronwyn killed." My eyes grew misty. "God, how could I have been so stupid?"

  "Don't think that." Emmett laid his hand over mine, sending a jolt of electricity up my arm. I raised my eyes to his. "You saved that girl's life—and ultimately, you saved Kat, too. Tony would've gone after her as soon as the two of you were out of the way."

  "And then you showed up." I lifted my gaze to his. "How did you know where to find us?"

  "Dixon confronted me at your apartment building, and I decided that I'd need his cooperation if we were going to bring Shawn down. I told him the truth, and we headed back to the police station to brief Sinclair. While I was there, I got an FBI 'Most Wanted' update alert on my cell. When Tony's face showed up on my screen, everything clicked. He was really Antonio Spencer Stone, another one of the Stone cousins. I called Gavin back at the hotel just as he was decoding a text Shawn sent to Tony's phone. It marked you as the next target. We tracked Tony's phone to the tower and got there as fast as we could. When I saw you lying there, bleeding like that…" He squeezed my hand. "I thought I'd lost you."

  "Huh?" I blinked at him.

  Emmett laced his fingers through mine and dipped his face closer. "You're an amazing woman, Amelia." His lips brushed my cheek and then moved to my mouth. The kiss was slow and sweet, and it sent a shiver all the way to my toes—the ones that I could still feel now that the pain-killers were kicking back in, anyway.

  I let myself melt into him for several delicious minutes. "Wow," I breathed when he finally pulled away.

  "Wow, yourself." Emmett's green eyes twinkled. "I've wanted to do that since I first stepped out of the tour bus and saw you standing there."

  My heart melted like a pat of butter. "Even with that terrible Castle Rockettes shirt on?" I made a face.

  His lips curled in a sly grin. "It definitely didn't hurt."

  My face fell. Thinking of the sleazy baby tees reminded me of Parker. Tears stung my eyes as the weight of everything that had happened that week came crashing down like an anvil on my chest. I'd killed a man tonight. True, it was in self-defense, but I'd felt a sick satisfaction as he toppled over the tower balcony. He'd tried to kill Bronwyn and me, and I wanted him to die. I wondered if it was something that I would ever completely recover from.

  Emmett seemed to know what I was thinking. He sat on the edge of the bed and slid an arm around me, pulling me into his embrace. He held me like that for several minutes while I cried.

  "What happened to Stacy Jefferson?" I asked finally, dabbing at my eyes with my sleeve.

  Emmett stroked my hair. "She's in police custody now after being checked out of the hospital. You crushed her larynx. The doctor isn't sure that her voice will ever fully recover."

  Serves her right, I thought bitterly. "She killed Laura Holly."

  "Yeah, we know. She's not physically speaking, but we got a full written confession. Stacy met Tony through the business meetings between Shawn and her father. When they got together, Stacy decided to help take down Kat because she wanted to ruin you." His brows drew together. "What's the story there?"

  I shrugged. "Some people are just plain evil."

  According to Emmett, Stacy tagged along to the hospital with her cousin Emily and snuck to Laura's room. She smothered Laura with a pillow so she wouldn't turn her in when she regained consciousness. We also got her to ID members of the Stone family and her father as accomplices in the plot for taking over venues in the East to run an illegal gambling ring. Owen Jefferson's already in custody, but unfortunately," his grip on me tightened, "Shawn Stone got away."

  I stiffened. That's what he'd meant when he told Dr. Stevenson that a suspect was still out there. Would Shawn really come here and try to finish me off? "H-How'd he get away?"

  Emmett groaned. "Classic Glitter. We put Bobby in charge of keeping an eye on Shawn—he was the one who approached us about the Stone family's plan for the illegal casinos. Bobby hired Shawn on a recommendation from several friends in the biz, but he overheard a phone conversation between Stone and Owen Jefferson and realized his manager was still working for the mob. Bobby had his own little hiccup with the law a few months back, and he offered up the info and agreed to cooperate with our investigation in order to stay out of prison. He hand-selected Gavin and me for his band so we could keep an eye out on Stone during the tour."

  "So, Bobby just let him get away?" My voice shook. "Is anyone looking out for Kat? I've got to warn her." I tried to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but the bulky bandages around my stab wound slowed my progress.

  "Whoa, there." Emmett held me in place, his grip firm yet gentle. "You're gonna hurt yourself. There's no need to worry." He helped me move my bandaged leg back into a comfortable position. "Agent Addison is watching out for Kat tonight, but we think Stone already skipped town. Bobby found a coke dealer and had a one-man blow party in his hotel room, so Shawn walked out unnoticed before our backup feds got there."

  I sighed. "Bobby is a hot mess." I can't believe I used to write "Amelia Glitter" over and over in my Biology notebook in high school. Dodged a bullet there, didn't I?

  "Yeah," Emmett agreed. "It's funny—I used to idolize the guy. He's one of the reasons I kept playing the bass after college. Part of me wanted to be a rock star just like Bobby one day." He shook his head. "And now, here I am, on tour with the Bobby Glitter—and I can barely stand to be in the same room as him. Be careful what you wish for, I guess."

  I smiled up at him. "You know, you're kind of amazing too."

  "You think so?" He cupped my chin and tilted my face up to his, lowering his lips over mine.

  I playfully pushed him back. "Won't Candy get jealous?" I teased.

  He rolled his eyes. "I told you she wasn't my girlfriend. She snuck on the tour bus a few states back—another hopeful Glitter Groupie. Instead, she took a liking to me. Gav thought it might be good to let her hang around, spice up my rock star cover a little." He shook his head. "Nothing physical ever happened between us, but the poor chick was usually too strung out to notice."

  "Her loss." I grinned, grabbing the collar of his grey T-shirt and tugging his face closer to mine.

  He laughed, a low, throaty sound that made me shiver. "You're much more my type, anyway. Smart, beautiful."

  "And stubborn?" I kissed him.

  He smiled against my lips. "Yes, and stubborn." We melted into each other for several moments before Emmett pulled away to catch his breath. "I really should let you get some sleep." He slid off of the bed and took up post in the uncomfortable plastic visitor's chair. "I'll be right here. Sweet dreams, Amelia."

  I didn't argue. "Goodnight, Agent," I said, suddenly drowsy.

  "Please, call me Emmett."

  "Emmett." His name had barely left my lips before I was back in Dreamland.

  * * *

  When I awoke later Friday afternoon, Emmett Larson was gone. Instead I found Kat, Bron, and Reese huddled around my bed. "I don't know how to thank you, Ame," Reese said, wrapping his giant arms around me in a bear hug. "You caught Laura's killer. I'm
a free man because of you."

  "I couldn't have stopped Stacy without Bronwyn. We were done for until she charged Tony. That was the bravest thing I've ever seen."

  Bronwyn's cheeks burned as Reese turned to embrace her next.

  Kat stepped forward then and hugged me fiercely. "I owe you, too," she said, her voice choked with emotion. "You saved my life."

  "There's something you guys should know," I said quietly. I told them what Laura had told me on the night that she'd been shot. They deserved to know the truth about what happened between Parker and her in his office.

  A tear trickled down Reese's cheek. "I should have listened to her when she tried to explain."

  Kat's expression was unreadable. "Can you two excuse us a moment?" she asked, looking back at Bronwyn and Reese.

  The pair left my hospital room, promising to bring me back a Diet Coke and something salty from the lobby vending machine. When we were alone, Kat reached into her pocket and retrieved a folded sheet of white paper. "The police found this stuck in the back of Parker's desk drawer," she said, handing it to me. I unfolded the paper and read each line silently, my heart breaking more for her with each word.

  Katy,

  I hope I'm able to get this letter to you in time. I should have been honest with you from day one, but I thought it would protect you if you didn't know. Our week in Vegas was amazing, and I want you to know how much I really did—and still do—love you. I met Shawn and Joey Stone that last night at the casinos. When they found out I owned Castle Rock, they offered to buy the place from me outright. This place is all I've got left of my dad, so I told them no. Stone had his goons rough me up a bit to scare me into selling the place.

  I couldn't let them take Castle Rock away from me—or from you, Amelia, and everyone else. I have a confession to make: I know you thought getting hitched in Vegas was just the result of a few too many yard-long margaritas, but the truth is—I meant for it to happen. I had to think fast, with Stone threatening to come to Atlanta to take the venue. They claim to have someone here that's watching me, so I couldn't change my will, either—if they did kill me, they'd just go after the next person to own the place. By marrying you and keeping it secret, you'll get Castle Rock if anything happens to me.

  Which brings me to now. Bronwyn saw me bring Laura in here, and she's probably going to tell Reese, which means you'll probably hear all about it. I knew Stone was coming for me this afternoon, so I used Laura to throw him off. It was just a kiss—and it meant nothing—but I think he heard us. The kiss, the flirting with everyone, the slutty new uniforms—they were all part of my diversion to keep Stone from knowing that we're together. I couldn't risk him hurting you to get to me.

  I'm sorry I've deceived you all these months, and I'm sorry that we've had to be so secretive. You'll always be the only one for me, Katy. If I don't make it, show this letter to the police so they can get to Stone before he finds out about us and tries to come after you. All my love…

  The letter ended with Parker's signature and was dated for Monday, the day Bobby and Shawn Stone had arrived at Castle Rock. If only the letter had been found in time, Shawn would be behind bars and Laura—and maybe even Parker—would still be alive. I sat up in my hospital bed and gave Kat another hug. "I'm so sorry, honey," I said sadly.

  "So I guess I own Castle Rock now," she said, dazed. She took my hand and squeezed it. "We own Castle Rock. I want you to be my business partner. We'll run the venue together and keep every one of our staff, just like Parker would have wanted it."

  I gaped at her. "Kat, Castle Rock is yours. Of course I want to stay on and help you run it, but Parker left the place to you. You don't have to do this."

  "I know I don't have to, silly," she said, a smile stretching across her lips for the first time in days. "I want to. You're my best friend, and this is our dream. You've worked hard for this, and I can't imagine running the place without you as my co-owner. Plus this will save me from buying you birthday presents for the next, like, millennium. Just say yes already."

  I smiled up at my best friend, excitement mounting in my chest. "Alright. YesI'm in!"

  Reese and Bronwyn came back with refreshments, as promised, and Reese wheeled me out of the room in a wheelchair. Once I was checked out, he helped me into the front of Kat's Honda Civic before parting ways with us to give Bronwyn a ride home. "The sarge grounded me for life." She sighed. "Your Secret Agent boyfriend had to talk him into letting me come up to see you today. Now I've got to go home and convince him to still let me come to work once Castle Rock re-opens." With a wave goodbye, she trotted off after Reese to his car.

  I bite back a sigh. I was secretly disappointed that Agent Adorable hadn't still been by my side when I woke up. "When will we be re-opening?" I asked Kat. "All this mess with cancelling Bobby's show is probably going to put us under.

  "Actually," Kat grinned, "Bobby will be personally refunding all tickets for the third show—part of the deal he struck with the FBI to keep out of prison on drug charges after he got too wasted and let Stone get away last night. So, we're not losing any money after all."

  "Are you serious?" I blinked at her. "What was the rest of the deal?"

  "You're about to find out," Kat said, turning up the dial as Tim Scott began his broadcast.

  "Good evening, guys and gals! Tim Scott, here, with a Tune Talks exclusive announcement from the Prince of Pop Rock, Bobby Glitter! Bobby joins me here in the studio just after cancelling his third and final show in Atlanta, which was recently rescheduled to take place at the Beat Barn after a string of incidents forced Castle Rock to close its doors temporarily." I heard a hint of resentment in Tim's tone as he glossed over the mention of our venue without rehashing the gory details of the murders that had taken place there. I smiled to myself. The Feds must've made him keep our names out of the news.

  "…Bobby, everyone is dying to know, what is this big announcement?" Tim was saying.

  There was silence over the air for a moment before Bobby cleared his throat uncomfortably. In a resigned voice, he said, "Tim, I've come here today to tell you that I will not be continuing my Rockin' Revival tour. It has taken me a long time to come to terms with my bloody alcohol and cocaine addiction, but I can no longer live a lifestyle of debauchery. At the end of this interview, I will be checking myself into a rehabilitation center. Since this is an attempt to restore my own personal health, I will be personally refunding all cancelled shows on the tour…"

  My jaw dropped, and I gaped at the radio receiver. I knew that Emmett and the FBI were behind Bobby's sudden change of heart. It was also the perfect cover for the sudden cancellation of Bobby's tour, the real reason being that his mobster manager had flown the coop and his FBI band mates were in pursuit. Bobby had nothing left for him in the touring circuit, and by forcing him to get clean instead of going to prison, Emmett was giving the old rocker a second chance at life. "Way to go, Larson," I said softly.

  "What's that?" Kat asked. I knew she'd heard me, so there was no need to repeat myself. When I didn't answer, she added, "He left a message for you, you know."

  My eyes lit up and I turned in the seat to face her, giving a slight yelp as I moved my bad leg. "What'd he say?"

  "He said to tell you he wanted to be there when you woke this morning, but he and his partner got a lead on where Stone was hiding. They have to move fast to catch him before he leaves the country. He also wanted me to give you this." She reached into her pocket and retrieved a card. My face fell when I saw that it wasn't his card, but rather the contact information for a physical therapist. "He said she's a good friend of his and the best in the area," she assured me.

  "Awesome," I said in a flat tone, unable to hide my disappointment. I'd been hoping he'd left his number. I may never see him again.

  "He also said you should expect a call as soon as all of this is over," Kat added, giving me a sideways glance. "I took the liberty of giving him your number—hope you don't mind." She winked. "By the way, you were r
ight. He is pretty easy on the eyes—and I think he likes you. I think we'll be seeing a lot more of him."

  "We'll see," I said, staring out the car window at the Atlanta cityscape. Something told me she was right—I hadn't seen the last of Special Agent Emmett Larson—or the despicable Shawn Stone, either. I didn't know what the future held, but for now, I had my best friend and a gorgeous view of the setting sun as we cruised down North Avenue. We were both alive and well (for the most part), and right then nothing else mattered. I smiled. "We'll see."

  * * * * *

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  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Anne Marie used to work in radio, and it rocked! After studying Music Business at the University of Georgia, Anne Marie worked for several music venues, radio stations, and large festivals before trading in her backstage pass for a pen and paper. (Okay, so she might have kept the pass…) Her debut novel, Murder at Castle Rock, was the winner of the 2012 AJC Decatur Book Festival & BookLogix Publishing Services, Inc. Writing Contest, and the 2013 Book Junkie's Choice Award Winner for Best Debut Fiction Novel. It was also a finalist for Best Mystery/Thriller in the 2014 RONE Awards. Gemma Halliday Publishing will be re-releasing Murder at Castle Rock, along with the currently untitled second book in the Amelia Grace Rock 'n' Roll Mystery series.

  Aside from all things music and books, Anne Marie loves college football, Starbucks iced coffee, red wine, and anything pumpkin-flavored. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Sisters in Crime Guppies chapter. Anne Marie is currently writing several books, including the second book in her Amelia Grace series and several other projects.