Best Kept Secrets(116)

He frowned, but concealed it from her by turning to open

the front door. "I'm not sure. But after the other night and

today, you don't think I could stay away, do you?"

"Oh, Junior, I love you so much."

He cupped her face and kissed her lips. "I love you, too."

Stacey closed the door behind him. Mechanically, she

headed upstairs, where she bathed her aching body in warm

water and scented bubble bath. Tomorrow, she'd likely be

black and blue. She would cherish each bruise.

Junior loved her! He had said so. Maybe after all this time,

he was finally growing up. Maybe he had come to his senses,

and realized what was good for him. Maybe, at long last, he

had expunged Celina from his heart.

But then Stacey remembered Alex, and the calf eyes Junior

had had for her at the Horse and Gun Club. She recalled how

closely he'd held her while they twirled around the dance

floor, laughing together. Stacey's insides turned rancid with

jealousy.

Just like her mother, Alex was what stood between her and

total happiness with the man she loved.



Thirty-two





As soon as Reede and Alex arrived at the courthouse, they

went into the interrogation room, followed by a court reporter.

Fergus Plummet was seated at a square, wooden table. His

head was bowed in prayer over an open Bible, his hands

clasped tightly together.



Mrs. Plummet was there, too. Her head was also bowed,

but when they came in, she jumped and looked up at them

like a startled deer. As before, her face was void of makeup

and her hair was drawn back into a severe knot on the back

of her head. The clothes she wore were drab and shapeless.



"Hello, Mrs. Plummet," Reede said politely.



"Hello, Sheriff." If Alex hadn't seen her lips moving, she

wouldn't have been certain the woman had spoken. She appeared

to be scared out of her wits. Her fingers were knotted

together in her lap. She was squeezing them so tightly, they

had turned bluish-white.



"Are you okay?" Reede asked her in that same kind tone.

She bobbed her head and glanced fearfully toward her husband,

who was still fervently praying. "You're entitled to have a lawyer

present when I and Miss Gaither question you.''



Before Mrs. Plummet could offer a reply, Fergus concluded

his prayer on a resounding, "Ah-men," and raised his head.

He fixed a fanatical stare on Reede. "We've got the best

lawyer on our side. I will get my counsel from the Lord God,

now and through eternity."





"Fine," Reede said drolly, "but I'm putting it on the

record that you waived the right to have an attorney present

during questioning."

Plummet's eyes snapped to Alex.' 'What is the harlot doing

here? I'll not have her in the presence of my sainted wife."

"Neither you nor your sainted wife have anything to say

about it. Sit down, Alex."

At Reede's directive, she lowered herself into the nearest

chair. She was grateful for the chance to sit down. Fergus

Plummet was a prejudicial, ill-informed fanatic. He should

have cut a comic figure, but he gave her the creeps.

Reede straddled a chair backwards and stared at the

preacher across the table. He opened a file one of his deputies

had prepared.

"What were you doing last Wednesday night?"

Plummet closed his eyes and tilted his head to one side,

as though he were listening to a secret voice. "I can answer

that," he told them when he opened his eyes seconds later.

"I was conducting Wednesday-night services at my church.

We prayed for the deliverance of this town, for the souls of

those who would be corrupted, and for those individuals who,

heedless of the Lord's will, would corrupt the innocent."

Reede affected nonchalance. "Please keep your answers

simple. I don't want this to take all afternoon. What time is

prayer meeting?"

Plummet went through the listening act again. "Not relevant."

"Sure it is," Reede drawled. "I might want to attend

sometime."

That elicited a giggle from Mrs. Plummet. None of them was

more surprised than she by her spontaneous outburst. Mortified,

she looked at her husband, who glared at her in reproof.

"What time was prayer meeting over?" Reede repeated in

a voice that said he'd tired of the game and wasn't going to

be a good sport any longer.

Plummet continued to give his wife a condemning stare.

She lowered her head in shame. Reede reached across the

table and yanked Plummet's chin around.



"Stop looking at her like she's a turd floating in a punch

bowl. Answer me. And don't give me any more bullshit,