“Trust me, they understand. I swung by there to check on Rebecca and Sarah. Their relationship has been fairly contemptuous lately, and Sarah has some rebellion issues that need to be worked out.”
“She takes after her uncle.” I sat back, taking another sip. “If she really wants to go English, nothing any of you say is going to keep her in the community.”
“True enough, but things seem to be turning around. She’s courting Matthew again, and she’s getting along with her mother better. I had a few words with her and she promised me that she would never talk to Darryl Ogden again or take drugs from him or anyone else. I guess what happened at the wedding really affected her. She seems more determined than ever to stay Amish.”
“We’ll see. Oh, did you stop by the hospital and check in on Elayne?” I cringed inside. She was on the road to recovery from the gunshot wound to the stomach, but her heart was another thing all together.
“Yes, and your idea has turned out to be a good one. Nathan Hammond was keeping her company when I arrived and I think she’s starting to like the idea of dating a less complicated man than Ryan.”
“It was actually CJ’s idea.” I definitely wasn’t a matchmaker.
“It doesn’t matter who orchestrated it. As long as she’s cheering up a little and moving on, that’s all that matters.”
“True enough.” I continued to eye Daniel and I wondered if he saw the hunger in my eyes. Coming close to death twice in two months’ time had awakened all kinds of feelings inside of me. Life was too damn short. I was ready to begin living.
Daniel’s brow lifted and he looked a little afraid. I laughed at him.
“Do you have a vase for the flowers?” The way he quickly tried to distract me made me smile even more.
I glanced around my office. The only other bouquets I’d had in here had been ones that he’d brought in a plastic container. I always threw them away with the dead flowers.
“Uhm.” Thinking how brilliant I was, I grabbed the small trash can and removed the bag out of it. “Here, this should work. I’ll fill it with water in the kitchen.”
Daniel shook his head, but took the plastic can from me anyway. The flower stems were even too long for the can, and he looked up with growing aggravation on his handsome face. “Do you have scissors?”
I remained patient and began rummaging through my drawers, pretty sure that I had one somewhere in the desk. When I got to the bottom drawer, it was stuck, so I shook it forward and backwards, until I ended up on my knees for a closer look inside to see what was jamming it.
There was a white envelope stuck up in the corner. I reached in and was able to dislodge it by shifting the drawer while I pulled on the envelope.
Daniel had moved in closer and stood over me. I turned the envelope over. Serenity was written on the front and it was sealed.
The breath caught in my throat and my heart raced. On wobbly legs, I stood up and sat back into the chair, clutching the envelope in my hands. I recognized the writing.
“Ryan,” I mumbled.
“Go ahead and open it,” Daniel urged.
I swallowed the lump down in my throat and gently tore the sealed place open, and then I read.
If you’re reading this, I’m probably dead. I guess I could be fighting for my life in a hospital, but I’m betting that I’m just dead. Anyway, I’d say you know everything by now. I really fucked up. I’m sorry that I brought any trouble to Blood Rock. I’ve enjoyed my time in your little town. If things were different, I would have stayed, maybe even gotten more serious with Elayne. We’ll never know. I’ve left you and CJ a gift. Do with it whatever you want, but I’m guessing between CJ’s straitlaced personality and your high value on honor, you won’t follow my lead.
Go to the basement in CJ’s cottage on Joshua’s property. You’ll find it in the far corner, behind a loose board that opens to a crawl space. I’m very proud of that hiding spot. It was pretty brilliant if I say so myself.
Always your friend,
Ryan
Daniel had been reading over my shoulder. “Let’s go,” is all he said.
I was out of the seat before he’d finished speaking.
The rain came down harder and when Joshua pulled on the handle, lifting the slanted doorway into the basement, I ran down the rock steps just as fast as CJ. Daniel was right behind us and he dropped the umbrella onto the uneven concrete floor. From the looks of the rock walls, I’d guess the cottage was seventy or eighty years old. There were black charred burn marks on the beams above our heads from where the fire had erupted the autumn before. The scent of damp smoke still permeated the air, making me wrinkle my nose. The only new looking item in the basement was the shiny breaker box. My eyes skimmed the far wall until I found what I thought I was looking for. Daniel was already walking over there by that time. Ever since we’d left the department and called CJ, he’d been acting like a little kid in search of pirate treasure. I was experiencing the same excitement, but with a fair amount of apprehension mixed in.
The four of us were silent as Daniel felt along the only part of the wall that had wooden boards. They were thick and old looking, like they’d been there forever. Without reading Ryan’s note, no one would ever have guessed that there was a hiding spot behind the wall.
“I still can’t believe he had the nerve to—”
CJ grabbed Joshua’s arm. “Hush. Let’s wait and see!”
I agreed with CJ. No reason for Joshua to get all riled up until we found what we were looking for. Ryan might have led us on a wild goose chase. The way his mind worked, it could have been part of a getaway ploy or distraction for me if I figured out what was really going on with him.
“I think this is it,” Daniel said with barely controlled enthusiasm.
We all pressed in closer. Daniel looked over his shoulder and I nodded for him to go ahead. He fit his fingers into the crease between the boards and pulled. The board popped loose and fell open. It was inky black inside of the hole, so Daniel pulled out his cell phone and shined the light inside.
CJ sucked in a breath and Joshua squeezed by her to reach inside the hole. He gave a little tug and pulled the black duffle bag out, carefully setting it onto the basement floor.
We knelt around the bag, staring at it. The sound of rain pelting the side of the cottage grew, and the smell of burnt-damp air filled my nostrils. CJ clutched a wad of my jacket. We were all holding our breaths when I reached down and unzipped the bag.
CJ clutched her neck and gasped. Even Joshua made a surprised noise.
“Good Lord,” Daniel muttered.
I reached into the bag, and my fingers brushed over the thick stacks of taped bills. Curling my fingers around one of them, I lifted it out and held it up for everyone to see.
“Are those hundred dollar bills?” Joshua asked.
“Oh yeah. You’re looking at four and a half million dollars of cash. Something most people never see in their lifetimes.”
“And Ryan left it here for us to find?” The heavy downpour outside was so loud it made it difficult to hear CJ, but I caught the awe in her voice.
I sat down and crossed my legs. My gaze passed over Joshua, Daniel, and then settled on CJ. “He wanted us to decide what to do with it.”
“It’s drug money,” Daniel said firmly.
“Yes, it is,” I agreed.
“Oh, but think of the wonderful things we can accomplish for our favorite charities,” CJ spoke up. She looked at me. “What will the authorities do with it if we turn it in?”
“If?” Joshua’s eyes were round saucers of worry.
“The money will sit in a secure location until a court eventually seizes it. The FBI, and probably the Indianapolis police department, will split the money as a civil forfeiture,” I said.
CJ’s shoulders dropped. “There isn’t a finder’s reward?”
/> I held in the smile that threatened to spread on my face. “No, all we’ll get for being honest citizens is a lot of paperwork and a few court appearances.” I pressed my lips together. “I think in a way, Ryan wanted to test us. When he was given the choice, he was willing to kill for the money. In our case, we wouldn’t even have to run. We could spend it a little at a time and no one would be the wiser.”
There wasn’t any interest on Joshua’s face, but I saw the little ripple of anticipation in CJ’s eyes, and even Daniel sat stubbornly silent. I felt the tug too. Then I watched as CJ’s mouth sagged and Joshua slipped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her against his side. Daniel cracked a smile and I knew he was ready to hand over millions of dollars to the authorities.
I let out a long breath of relief. I felt instantly better. We’d been tempted, just like Ryan—and we’d all passed the test. It was human nature to want to take the easy road, and there was a bit of thrill to it as well. That’s why the Ogdens would continue to manufacture drugs and crime families like the Moretti’s would live on.
There would always be people willing to destroy the lives of others for an easy fortune. Lust for power and control would forever drive the strong to hurt the weak. It would never end. The criminals would keep coming and coming.
And I’d be right here, waiting to haul their asses to jail.
Serenity’s next crime story will hit the shelves in 2021!
Thanks for reading!
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Bloody Ties (Serenity's Plain Secrets Book 8) Page 22