He looked shell-shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Mason.” I started to cry. “I swear to you, I didn’t know what it was. It was just figures and dates and words written in shorthand. I found it after you left, and I didn’t want to bother you with it when I saw you at the abandoned gas station. I figured I’d tell you everything tonight when there was more time. I’ve been trying to talk to you about it since yesterday.”

“Dammit!” He jumped to his feet and his gaze spun around the room. “Where is it now?” He sounded panicked.

I wrung my hands, overcome with a feeling of dread. “Joe took it.”

He went stock-still. “What?”

I stood and grabbed his arm. “He was one of the sheriff deputies who came to the Atchison factory after I called 911.”

He stared at me like a deer caught in headlights.

“Joe didn’t tell you anything?”

His jaw worked and his eyes darkened. “Joe didn’t say a goddamned thing to me.”

“He told me he’d tell you.” Now I was really scared and my voice shook. “I met Hattie—Dora’s best friend—at the factory with the coded journal. She was supposed to tell me who my real birth father was, but Beverly Buchanan and her old boyfriend Dirk Picklebie showed up. Beverly shot Hattie and Dirk and wanted the journal. She said J.R. Simmons was going to pay her money for it.”

His eyes widened with terror. “You’re sure she said she’d talked to him?”

Oh, God. This was going from bad to worse. “Yes.”

“Did Joe take Beverly into custody?”

I hesitated. This next part was bound to upset him. “No. Joe shot her when she wouldn’t stop strangling me.”

He grabbed my arms. “What?”

“I’m fine. My neck is sore, but—”

“Rose.” He pulled me to his chest, his arms shaking. “Why didn’t you call me? Why am I just hearing about this now?”

“Joe begged me not to. He said it would distract you from your meeting. He told me he’d tell you. He really didn’t say anything?” Hysteria crept into my voice.

His arms stiffened. “No, he was too busy letting the investigator fry my ass.” He sucked in a deep breath. “Shit!” He dropped his hold and grabbed two suitcases out of the closet and tossed them on the bed. “Start packing. Now.”

“Why?”

“We have to leave; the sooner, the better.” He grabbed a handful of T-shirts from his drawer and tossed them into the bag.

I followed suit, snatching up clothes and toiletries and tossing them into a suitcase.

When we were completely packed, Mason picked up the bags and sent me downstairs. “Pack food for Muffy and anything else you need for her. I have no idea how long we’ll be gone.”

“Where are we goin’?”

His eyes filled with fury. “Somewhere J.R. Simmons can’t reach you until I can figure out how to take him down.”

I hurried to the kitchen and was almost finished when Mason walked in, his gun strapped to his holster again. He sought out my eyes when he noticed me staring at it. “Precaution.”

I tried to get control of my fear.

“Tomorrow I’ll clean out my bank account.” He took several deep breaths. “Maybe we’ll head down to Shreveport tonight.”

I didn’t know what to say. I couldn’t believe this was happening.

“Are you sure we need to run?” I asked, my stomach churning, as he led me to the front door where our bags waited.

He turned to me and put his hands on my shoulders, searching my face. “If I thought there was a better way, I’d go that route. But I’m not sure there is one right now. I’ve already started building a case against Simmons. I just need to keep going.” He offered me a tight smile. “Rose, this isn’t hopeless. Okay? We’re getting close, if he’s this desperate.”

I nodded. “I trust you, Mason.”

He gave me a kiss, but we both jumped when we heard a knock on the front door. He peered out the window. “Dammit.” He grabbed the bags and stuffed them into the hall closet.

“Who’s out there?”

He pushed me next to the closet. “It’s a sheriff’s deputy. Let me handle it.”

“Okay,” I said, numb with shock and fear.

Mason squared his shoulders and opened the door. “Hello, Deputy Abbie Lee Hoffstetter. What can I do for you?”

Crap. She hated my guts. This couldn’t be good.

“Good evening, Mr. Deveraux,” she said, acting all superior to him. “I’m here on official business.”

“Okay.”

“Is Rose Gardner here?”

“And why are you asking?”

“Like I said. Official business, sir.” I heard the gloating in her voice and knew I was in deep shit.

“And what exactly is that official business?”

“With all due respect, sir, I hear you’re no longer with the DA’s office. As you’re now merely a citizen of the county, this is none of your business.” Her voice turned harsh. “Now where’s Rose Gardner?”

He didn’t respond. He just hung onto the door with one hand, blocking the partially opened doorway with his body.

“Sir, if you could step aside so we can search the premises for Ms. Gardner.”

We? Who was with her?