Chapter Fifteen
Jadyn stood next to what was left of Gordon Pickett’s car as Colt pressed the lever for the hydraulic lift. The car rose slowly in front of her and stopped when there was enough room to stand underneath.
“You sure you can trust Marty to keep quiet about the cars being stored here?” Jadyn asked.
“Positive. He had a run-in with Ross at the general store today. He’s not about to do anything that might make Ross happy.”
She grinned. “You gotta love Ross for making our job easier.” She looked at the bottom of the car. “So where do we start?”
“Based on my experience in New Orleans, I’d say let’s start with the gas tank.” He grabbed a wrench and went to work.
Once the tank was free, they slowly lowered it to the garage floor. The thin black box attached to the top of the tank was a dead giveaway.
“I’m looking less crazy by the minute,” Colt said. He removed the box from the tank and looked at Jadyn. “Want to guess what’s inside?”
“Something that doesn’t ruin in swamp water…or is well contained.”
“It’s too light for gold,” he said and he unscrewed the top of the box.
A second later, he lifted the lid off and pulled out a black bag. Even before he dumped the contents in his hand, Jadyn already knew what was inside.
“Diamonds,” she said as she stared at the glittering jewels covering his palm. “Wow.”
Colt looked at her and grinned. “You women and your jewelry.”
She reached into his palm to pull out a good-sized diamond, then held it up to the light. “I like a well-made watch, but this stone is fit for royalty. The quality is exceptional.”
“You can tell that just by looking at it?”
She put the diamond back in his palm. “Mother liked fine jewelry and she only wore custom pieces. I watched her reduce a diamond broker to near tears once.”
“Are you sure you weren’t adopted?”
She looked up at him and smiled. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever asked me.”
He laughed. “I bet. You ready to get this show on the road?”
“Oh yeah.”
He pulled out his cell phone and called Gordon. “Mr. Pickett, Sheriff Bertrand here. Listen, we’ve secured a location for your car, and I wanted to give you the address. Your insurance adjuster can show up anytime between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to inspect the car.”
He paused for a moment, listening to Gordon. “No problem,” he said. “Have a good evening.”
“Let me guess,” she said. “Mr. Pickett is a happy camper.”
“I could practically hear him dancing.”
“You think he’ll move on this tonight?”
“I have no doubt.”
Jadyn nodded, her excitement growing. If everything went as planned, Gordon Pickett would finally go down, and with any luck, he’d give up Raissa’s kidnappers to lessen his time. They’d all be behind bars.
Then she remembered their other problem and sobered. “What about Bart? Are you going to arrest him now?”
Colt frowned. “No. Pickett is the threat. What Bart’s doing is illegal, but we have no reason to suspect he’s harming anyone. If I arrest him today, it might muddy the water and Pickett might stand down for the time being.”
“I agree,” Jadyn said. Everything he said made perfect sense, but she also got the impression that Colt was stalling. Not that she blamed him. The situation with Raissa held a positive ending as far as Mudbug was concerned—no residents were involved in the diamond smuggling or in the kidnapping—but Bart’s illegal activities were just one more black mark on the small community.
One more thing that had flown right under Colt’s radar.
“So how do you want to handle arresting Pickett?” she asked.
“We’re only expecting Pickett. I can handle him alone.”
“No way. Pickett could bring backup, or the family could send the second wave of idiots to make sure Pickett doesn’t screw up again.”
Colt shook his head. “Pickett won’t risk telling them he knows where the diamonds are. That would be asking for the second crew to take the job out from under him. No, he’ll show up alone, and I’ll be ready to take him down.”
“Well, you’re still not doing it alone. I’ll back you up.”
Colt’s lips quivered with a smile. “Trying to extend your jurisdiction again?”
She shrugged. “You could always ask Deputy Nelson. I’m not sure if he’s as good a shot as me, but…”
Colt’s grin broke through. “Twist my arm, will you?” His expression turned serious. “Thanks.”
It was only one word, but Jadyn knew he meant so much more. She wasn’t just backup. She was in this with him until the very end, and she knew he appreciated and respected her for it.
Jadyn couldn’t help but wonder what their relationship would look like when it was all over.