Justice Delayed (Memphis Cold Case #1)(103)

Jillian stepped closer. “Where is this journal?”

“In a safe place. Just like the diamonds.” She set the sculpture on a shelf and covered it in plastic. “JD should have left me out of this.”

Lacey plopped down on the sofa next to Jimmy and buried her face in her hands.

“Not now, Lacey.” Jillian paced the room. She stopped and fisted her hand on her waist. “Where did you hide them?”

“Like I would tell you. They’re in a place where you’ll never find them.”

Jillian closed her eyes and counted to ten, then tried one more time. “Look, if JD promises to never involve you again, will you just hand those over and forget they ever existed?”

The side door opened, and JD burst into the room. Jillian groaned. He would only make things worse.

“My, my,” Stephanie said, “the gang’s all here, almost. When does Adam arrive?”

“He’s coming. Has she told you where the diamonds are?” he asked Jillian.

She shook her head. “She says she’s going to the FBI.”

JD took a threatening step toward her.

“Don’t come any closer.” Stephanie pulled a .38 from her pocket.

Jillian screamed.

“What’s going on?” Jimmy said as he raised up with a whiskey bottle gripped in his hand. “Hey! Leave Steph alone.”

JD halted. “Give me the diamonds, or I’ll take the gun away and use it on you.”

“I don’t think you can.” Stephanie waved the gun.

“Be reasonable,” JD said. “Hand over those diamonds I put in your purse, and we can all walk away from this.”

“How many times do I have to say this? They are going to stay where they are until I need them.”

“Come on, Steph, put the gun down,” Jillian said.

Stephanie didn’t take her eyes off JD. “No. Not until you all leave.”

With Stephanie’s attention on JD, Jillian edged closer. She had to get the gun or something terrible would happen.

JD took another step closer to Stephanie, and she raised the gun level with his chest. “Stop right there.”

“Come on, honey. You’re not going to shoot me. Not after all we’ve meant to each other.”

The gun didn’t waver. Stephanie jutted her chin. “You’re wrong about that, just like I was wrong about you. You never loved me. You used me, just like you did Jillian. I just hate it took me two months to figure it out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Come on, give me the gun and then tell me where the diamonds are.”

Jillian froze. Six months ago, she thought JD was going to propose. Instead, he broke up with her, saying he only wanted to be friends. She’d clung to the belief he would change his mind. Bits and pieces clicked into place. Stephanie avoiding her until Jared Donovan entered the picture.

Stephanie turned to her. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, but you’re better off without him.”

Anger shot through Jillian like a white-hot bullet. “You’re the one who stole JD?”

She rushed Stephanie, tackling her and knocking her off the stool.

“Stop!” Stephanie kicked and struggled with her. “He’s not worth it.”

Jillian wrapped her hand around the gun, and a roar blasted her ears.

Stephanie slumped against her, and the gun clattered to the floor. Jillian pushed her off and climbed to her feet, her chest heaving.

“Steph!” Jimmy staggered to his feet and shoved her aside. “Stephanie,” he keened and knelt beside her.

“Why did you shoot her?” JD yelled.

“I didn’t. The gun went off.” Jillian turned to Lacey. “You saw what happened. She was going to shoot him.”

Lacey grabbed Jillian’s arm. “It doesn’t matter what happened. We have to get out of here!”

“No, we have to call 911,” Jillian said.

“Are you crazy? Do you want to go to jail?” JD shook her. “Nothing will bring Stephanie back, and there’ll be questions. They’ll find out about the diamonds. Go!”

Her mind whirled, thoughts firing faster than she could process. He was right, they had to get out of there.

Jimmy looked up, his glazed eyes staring straight at her. Blood stained his shirt. “Why . . . ?”

“It was an accident, I’m sorry.” Jillian’s legs trembled and threatened to buckle. She couldn’t breathe.

“Steph,” Jimmy sobbed. He cradled Stephanie in his arms.

“We have to get out of here.” Lacey pulled on Jillian’s arm again.

“You two go ahead,” JD said and picked up the Jack Daniel’s bottle Jimmy had dropped. “I’ll see to him.”

Jillian followed Lacey to the door and stopped. She looked back as JD used one of Stephanie’s hammers to crush a long blue tablet and pour the powder in Jimmy’s glass of whiskey.

“You need something to calm down,” he said, holding the alcohol out to him. “Drink this.”

She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t leave Jimmy to take the blame. That’s what JD was doing—setting him up. “No,” she said. “We can’t—”

“Shut up! And get out of here!” Then he turned back to Jimmy. “Come on, drink this and all your problems will go away.”