“I think you’ve been reading too many mysteries.” He chuckled. “Most crimes aren’t that complicated.”
“Then why does it take so long to solve them? They can’t all be straight forward and simple.”
“True, but you’re looking at this as though it’s a giant conspiracy. I’ll give you another theory. What if Max was involved in both the embezzling and the deal with the store? Someone discovered what he was doing, and threatened to go to Jim. That’s when Max cooked up this story about some game he was playing.”
I was shaking my head before he finished. “Why is he dead and not the person who figured out what he was doing? Why is Fred dead?” I turned in the seat so I was facing him. “Max was scared when he came to my house. I don’t believe he did any of this.”
“I know you don’t, and neither do I. But he was also very good at convincing people he didn’t do anything wrong. Holly, I’ve known him all of my life. He was a manipulator. He would say and do anything to get out of a jam.”
“You saw the differences in those signatures. I thought you believed Max was innocent.” My temper was beginning to boil over.
“Holly, I do believe he was innocent.” He reached out to take my hand. “I’m just trying to point out a few discrepancies in your conspiracy.”
“If Fred was involved, why hasn’t the bank done something about getting the money back?”
Pulling into my driveway and shutting off the engine, he turned to face me. “An auditor has been going over the town’s accounts. This didn’t just start. Someone had been manipulating the accounts over several months, if not a couple of years. It was always small amounts and made to look like a legitimate expense. I don’t know how someone conned Max into going along. Or if he really did believe it was just a game.”
He sighed heavily. “The bank is cooperating with the auditors. It looks like the money never made it to the original destination, but they can’t find where it really went.” He gave a frustrated sigh. “It will eventually get sorted out. Until then I need you to stay out of it.”
I wasn’t sure if he’d forgotten about the file on my laptop. If that was the case, I wasn’t going to remind him. I’d check it out on my own. First, I had to get my laptop out of his SUV. “Max involved me whether you liked it or not.” I reached for the door handle. This conversation wasn’t getting us anywhere, and it was getting cold. I opened the back hatch of the SUV, lifting my laptop out.
Looking around, a creeping sensation moved up my spine. Long shadows were everywhere, and the wind whipped the trees and bushes, casting eerily moving shadows. Someone could be lurking anywhere.
Drake started towards the house, but stopped when I didn’t follow him. Looking over his shoulder, he frowned. “What’s wrong?” His gaze moved from me to the surrounding yard.
“Nothing I guess,” I said, even as a shudder shook me.
“Get back in the truck, and give me your keys. I’ll check out the house.”
“No, that’s not necessary. I’m being silly. Our conversation just has me spooked” I reluctantly took a step towards the house when he put his hand on my arm.
“It might not be necessary, but humor me.” He held out his hand for my keys. He opened the passenger door, and helped me back inside. “Lock the doors. Keep your phone handy.” He placed a soft kiss on my lips, and moved up to my back door.
I traced his movement through the house as he turned on the lights in each room. It didn’t take long for him to inspect every nook and cranny. Coming back outside, he gave the all-clear. I was feeling foolish now. I’d let my imagination carry me away.
The house looked the same as it had when we left. Nothing was out of place. I flopped down on the couch, leaning my head against the back cushion. If someone had broken in, they were the neatest burglars around.
While I browsed the internet, Drake turned on the television. There were still a few football games on. Finding nothing interesting, I closed down my laptop. I wanted to know what was on the new file I’d discovered, but I didn’t dare open it in case it was a virus that would wipe out my own files.
When I began to get cold, I lit a match to the kindling in the fireplace. It wouldn’t take but a few minutes for the burning logs to warm up the living room. Doing nothing didn’t come natural to me. It gave me too much time to think. I needed to be busy. Instead of sitting back down, I decided to do a little housecleaning.
Starting in my bedroom, I worked my way to the living room. Drake was still engrossed in the game. I didn’t think he’d appreciate it if I started up the vacuum. Straightening up the papers on the coffee table, I let out a shriek when Drake grabbed me around the waist, pulling me onto his lap.
“Can’t you sit still for a minute?” he whispered against my neck. He nibbled his way up to my ear, leaving a trail of goosebumps along my skin. By the time he captured my lips, I was breathless. I kept hoping we would get through learning about the adult us pretty soon, so he could get on with the formal proposal he’d mentioned.
The loud jangle of Drake’s phone had us jerking apart like two teenagers caught necking on their parent’s couch. “Damn,” He pulled the phone off his belt. “Yeah, Cox here,” he grumbled. He listened for several minutes. “All right, I’ll be right there.”
Running his fingers through his hair, he stood up. “I’ve got to go. Wally got drunk and decided he needed a few groceries.”
“What’s that got to do with you? Did he forget to pay for them?” I frowned up at him from my comfortable position on the couch.
“He forgot to get out of his truck before going into the store.” He chuckled, but I let out a gasp. “He’s lucky no one was hurt. The big window at the front of the grocery store is smashed to pieces.” He shook his head. “That man will never learn. It’s been a while since he pulled something like this. Every time he gets all wrapped up in the past he ties on a good drunk.” The man was pathetic. I could almost feel sorry for him, but any troubles he had were all of his own doing.
Drake pulled me off the couch. “I’ll call you when I can. I probably won’t make it back here tonight. Will you be okay here by yourself?” He rested his forehead against mine.
“I’ll be fine,” I assured him. “I’ll finish cleaning house so I don’t have to do it during the week. Let me know what your dad finds out from the County Supervisors.” If the big store was built just outside of town the result on the businesses in town would be the same. Most of them would close.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Driving through town the next morning, I noticed the boarded-up window at the grocery store. Wally had really done a number on it. He was lucky he hadn’t spent the night in the hospital instead of the jail. I felt sorry for Bud and Arlene though. This would put a damper on their business. Maybe this would be the incentive Wally needed to get help for his problems. Or would this be one more thing he blamed Max for?
Instead of going to the library first thing Monday morning, I made a detour to the bank. When Beth Ann saw me, her face lost most of the high color leaving behind two bright red spots of blusher.
“Oh, um, hi Holly. I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon. That was some lunch we enjoyed Saturday.” She was trying to bluff her way through.
“So right you are. The silence at our table was almost painful.” I gave her my most menacing smile. “In fact you were in such a hurry to escape that you forgot to pay for your lunch. I’m sure Darlene would appreciate it if you stopped by to pay her today.” Her face was bright red now. She looked around at the others in the lobby. Everyone was staring at us.
“Right, sure, I’ll do that on my lunch break.” She glared at the woman at the next desk who was obviously listening to our conversation and enjoying Beth Ann’s discomfort.
“But I didn’t come here to talk about our awkward lunch. I did want to know why you posted that pack of lies on Facebook.” My hands were braced on my hips now. I didn’t bother to keep my voice down. Confronting her in person was better than
trying to refute her lies online.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Holly. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get to work.” She turned to the monitor on her desk. I wasn’t to be deterred though.
“Of course you do. I just wanted you to know that Chief Cox might be stopping by to ask you a few questions.”
“About what?” Her voice crackled, and the color had drained from her face again.
“About that post of course,” I shrugged.
“It isn’t against the law to say something on Facebook, even…” She stopped before admitting it was all a lie.
“No, I’m sure a lot of people tell lies on all of the social media sites. But he is interested in where you got your information about the amount of money that was taken out of the town’s accounts. That’s confidential banking information.” The branch manager was standing in the doorway to his office listening to our chat. His arms were crossed over his chest, and a frown drew his thick brows together.
Beth Ann turned in his direction, panic in her eyes. “I…it was a guess. I didn’t mean anything by that post. You know how social media works. Most of it is a bunch of…” She tried to think of the proper word.
“A bunch of lies, yes I know,” I agreed with her. “Maybe the world would be a better place if people remembered the Golden Rule.” She looked puzzled so I enlightened her. “‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’” I turned and walked out. I’d accomplished what I came for.
Linda was pacing in front of the desk when I walked in a few minutes later. I’d called her to let her know that I would be late. “What did she say? Did she admit she’d lied?” Her voice was a worried whisper. There were a few people at the tables and easy chairs. No one was paying attention to us.
“I wish you had been there.” I clamped my hand over my mouth to keep from giggling out loud. “I need to call Darlene to tell her Beth Ann might be coming over to pay for the lunch she forgot about on Saturday.”
Linda gave a small giggle of her own. “I would love to have seen her face on that one.”
“Anyone in the bank will be checking out that post. If they haven’t already seen it, that is. I think she’s going to have a little trouble explaining things to her boss though.” I tried to shake off the guilt that poked at me.
“Maybe she’ll learn she can’t make things up about people,” Linda said, sounding relieved.
Checking that folder on my laptop turned out to be a confusing disappointment. It contained nothing more interesting than a bunch of screenshots of spreadsheets, accounting ledgers, and bank accounts. There were no names, only numbers to identify them. I didn’t know the account numbers that belonged to the town, so I didn’t know whose they were.
It was noon before I heard from Drake about Dynamic Corporation. “They weren’t too happy to hear about Mr. Fletcher’s visit,” he chuckled. “They admitted to receiving emails from someone they thought was Max expressing interest in having one of their stores here in Pine Mountain. It had surprised them to receive the formal letter denying them tax breaks for building their store here.”
“So what are they going to do?” I held my breath.
“They don’t want any trouble, and are willing to back off. They have several other sites that are more willing to let the store in their town.”
I released my breath on a sigh, sinking back in my chair. “That’s a relief. Maybe now that stain can be removed from Max’s memory.” I didn’t question why I was fighting so hard to clear his name other than it hurt Jim that people thought his brother was a thief.
“What was on that file?” he asked.
“A bunch of spreadsheets,” I said. “I downloaded the file to a thumb drive for you. Maybe the auditors can figure out what it is. Accounting was never my strong suit.”
“What are we doing tonight for dinner?” He changed the subject.
“We?” I questioned.
“Sure, we’re still trying to get to know the adult us, aren’t we?” His chuckle tickled my ear through the telephone line. “We can’t do that unless we spend time together.”
My heart fluttered in my chest. How long was this going to take? “Come over when you get off shift,” I finally said. “I’ll make dinner. It’s your turn to cook next time,” I challenged.
“Great, I have a few standard dishes I can make. You still like Mexican food, right?”
“Yes, but if one of the things you can make is reservations, that doesn’t count,” I said with a laugh. “You need to know how to cook.”
“I’ll have you know I’m a great cook.” He paused. “I just don’t have a big selection to choose from. Maybe that’s something we can work on together. Among other things,” his voice dropped to a seductive whisper, causing my heart to flutter. He chuckled again when he heard me gulp. “I’ll see you at six. Does that give you enough time when you get off work?” With thoughts of our upcoming dinner crowding my mind, I had trouble concentrating on work for the remainder of the afternoon.
Homemade mac and cheese with Vienna sausages was one of the dinners Mom made when I was growing up. It was simple and fast. I even had all the ingredients at home so I wouldn’t have to go shopping after I left work. If memory served, Drake had loved it every time she made it when she and Jim were married. I’d added my own touch by adding green chilies and buttered bread crumbs on top.
The green chilies and sausages scented the air when Drake knocked on my door at six sharp. He’d brought a bottle of my favorite wine with him. I’m not sure wine goes with mac and cheese though.
Without setting down the bottle, he pulled me in for a kiss. His lips moved from mine along my jaw to my ear leaving a trail of goosebumps up my arms. When he released me several minutes later, he sniffed the air. “Something smells good. Whatcha got cooking?”
“One of my standard dishes,” I teased. “You’ll find out in a few minutes.” Slipping his arm around my waist, we headed for the kitchen. I had French bread on top of the stove ready to go under the broiler when I pulled out the casserole dish of mac and cheese.
“Is that your mom’s recipe?” Leaning over, he sniffed appreciatively at the bubbling mixture.
“Yes, with a little addition of my own.” Handing him the plates and silverware, I let him set the table while I put the garlic bread under the broiler.
Drake waited until we were clearing the table before bringing up the file on my laptop. “How about showing me what you found on that file.” A confused frown drew his light colored brows together as he stared at the different screenshots. “I don’t think those are the correct account numbers. What is this supposed to prove?”
“I have no idea. That’s up to the auditors.” I handed over the thumb drive hoping someone could make sense out of them.
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to take that in with me.” He nodded at the laptop sitting on the table. “Maybe the tech guys can find something else on it. Maybe Max put more on there than that folder.”
~~~
We had only been open a few minutes the next morning when Jane rushed through the doors. It was the first time I’d seen her when her hair was tousled, and she didn’t have any makeup on. She didn’t have Hannah with her either. “I need to talk to you in private,” she whispered, leaning over my desk. She was wringing her hands. “You have to help me.”
“With what?” If she wanted me to babysit, she should have brought the baby.
“I can’t tell you here.” She looked around frantically.
“All right, let’s go in the back office.” I led the way to the combination storeroom and office. Once the door was shut, I looked at her. “We’re alone. What is it you need help with?” She was always dramatic, but this was a little over the top.
“Hannah is missing.” Tears streamed down her face.
“What do you mean she’s missing? Where is she?” In times of stress, I asked the dumbest questions.
“If I knew where she was, she wouldn’t be missing,”
she snapped. “I’m sorry,” she lowered her voice. “I need you to help me get her back.”
“How can I help you?” Taking her arm, I pushed her into a chair. “If she’s missing, you need to call Drake. Are you sure Jim didn’t take her to work with him?”
“Why would he do that?” She frowned at me in confusion.
I wasn’t sure if it would help to point out the fact that he’d been forced to do that when she spent Thanksgiving night somewhere else. “Um, were you home this morning when he left for work?”
She jumped out of the chair. “Of course I was. What are you suggesting?”
“Sit down, Jane, and tell me what’s really going on. Were you up when Jim left?”
“Well, no, but he wouldn’t take Hannah to work with him just because I was asleep.” She drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “I got a call this morning after he left.”
“Okay, what did the caller want?” I didn’t like the sound of this.
“He said he had Hannah.” She started crying, covering her face with her hands.
“Why did you come here? Did you call Jim? Why didn’t you call Drake?” I reached for the phone on the counter.
“No.” She jumped out of the chair, slapping her hand on top of mine to stop me from picking up the receiver. “He said he’d hurt my baby if I told anyone but you. You have to help me.” Tears streaked down her face again.
“Jane, I’m not the police. What do you think I can do? You have to tell Jim. Hannah is his baby, too.”
“I know that, but the caller said he’d hurt her if I told anyone.” She paced around the confined space.
“How did he get Hannah if you were home? Didn’t you hear someone break in?”
“I was very tired after all the company we’ve had over the holiday. I took a sleeping pill so I’d get a good night’s sleep. He must have been watching for Jim to leave. That’s when he took Hannah. She’s my baby,” she wailed. “You have to help me get her back, Holly. I don’t know what to do.”
“Jane, I don’t know what you expect me to do. I’m not a police officer.”
Never Con A Con Man (An Arizona High Country Mystery Book 1) Page 18