“I hope so,” she said softly.
“Oh, I know so. He was on the side of the angels.”
She drew back at what had to be an exaggeration. “Are you being sarcastic or do you have information about my husband that I don’t?”
He angled his head in concession. “Yes, he committed crimes, chief among them greed and stupidity. But in the end, and well before, I think he made up for them. He was repentant, and he worked tirelessly to help us.”
What was hetalkingabout?
The man leaned back, giving her a chance to see that he had healthy color, white teeth, and a surprising amount of breadth to his chest. As always, she respected a person who took care of themselves. And one who thought Roger wasgood?
Yes. She was more than ready to listen.
“Who are you, exactly?” she asked.
“I was Roger’s handler. I negotiated his deal, arranged for his shortened incarceration, worked with him and Artie to get Cotton, and—you’re very welcome—I made sure you could keep this property.” He jutted his chin toward the house. “I like what you’ve done with it.” He grinned again. “Nowthatwas sarcasm.”
“I’m very confused,” she admitted after a beat. “Would you be kind enough to start from the beginning? And understand that I have no idea what my husband—and Artie Wylie—have to do with this Cotton fellow.”
He nodded slowly, gathering his thoughts. “Well, surely you knew that Roger borrowed money from Cotton at interest rates that would make your hair curl,” he started.
“I heard that was a possibility.”
“It’s a fact. And the price for non-payment—even late payment—was…high. Cotton threatened to kill you, your three kids, and the Wylies alongside you.”
She sucked in a breath, her eyes wide as chills exploded on her arms. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. When Cotton got wind of the fact that Roger bought this property—and still owed him a whole ton of money—it was no holds barred. Cotton wanted his moneyandthis land.” He crossed his legs, getting comfortable. “Roger and Artie cooked up a scheme and, honestly, it was a good one.”
“A scheme?”
“They got Roger arrested, which was the only way Cotton would back off. Artie contacted the police, pretended to be one of Roger’s unhappy clients whose financial draw had disappeared, and Roger was arrested. Surely you remember that.”
“All too well.” So Artiehadturned Roger in…to help him.
“In the interrogation, the whole business with Cotton’s loan came out and the Feds were brought in,” he continued. “My team had been trying to get Ramsey’s crew for a long time, but he was the head of the snake and avoided capture. He talked like an idiot, but he was smart as a whip.”
Maggie just stared at him, once again overwhelmed with how much about her husband she never really knew.
“And Cotton was ruthless. With Roger in jail, he knew this property was in play. He was going to come after you for themoney. And, by extension, Artie’s family, since you all were so close. None of you were safe—not for one minute.”
Every vein in her body turned to ice.
“Then one day Artie Wylie showed up in my office. Now there was a choir boy if I ever saw one.”
She almost smiled at that. “He was…a good man.”
“Good? He was a stinking hero. He put his life on the line, arranged to get Cotton the ‘money,’ and set up a sting that led me directly to that son of a…bad man. Because Artie was willing to be wired and risk his life, we took the entire Dixie Mafia down.”
“He…did that?” She tried to imagine that Cornell ethics professor with a goofy sense of humor and a mean fishing rod getting wired and endangering his life…for Roger. For all of them.
“And he did it with style and fearlessness,” he added as if he read her mind. “We couldn’t have gotten to Cotton without Artie. Roger, too. He helped set it up from prison, telling Cotton that his friend had the money. The two of them were…brave. And they did it all to protect you and Mrs. Wylie, along with all your kids. Oh, and the couple that owned the deli.”
“Frank and Betty?”
“A low-level bookie, but Roger insisted he had immunity, so we left Frank alone, and he was none the wiser.”
Her whole body felt like it might just melt into a puddle.
