by Lyndsey Cole
She closed her eyes again. “A phone call.” She paused. “Someone called me. He was angry.”
Pam moved back toward the door, leaving only Hannah in Rochelle’s line of vision.
“Do you remember who called? Who did the angry voice belong to?” Hannah asked. She placed her hand on Rochelle’s arm and rubbed it gently.
Rochelle looked at Hannah. “I can’t remember.”
“That’s okay. You know, Cal and I had a wonderful time at your house Thursday night when you had us over for dinner. The turkey was moist and tender. Everyone ate so much food.” Hannah glanced at Pam who had her eyebrows raised. She was probably wondering why the heck Hannah was blabbering about turkey when they needed to know what happened to Rochelle. But Hannah knew what she was doing. “Your dinner was perfect.”
Rochelle smiled. “It was, wasn’t it?” Then her mouth turned downward. “But Joey showed up. I remember that. He had the nerve to give me his sneering attitude, just like his father. And just like Al, he begged me for money.” Her eyes suddenly opened wide. “Money . . . Joey . . . Al.” Her face crunched in concentration before her eyes opened wide. “That’s who called.”
“Joey?”
“No . . . that’s not what I meant. Al’s partner. He told me to meet him. He told me if I didn’t pay back the money Al made off with ten years ago, I’d end up just like my loser cousin.”
The fear in Rochelle’s eyes matched the desperate grip she had on Hannah’s arm. “That’s who called. It was Nate. I’m sure.”
Hannah was almost afraid to ask but she knew she had to. “Did you meet Nate to pay him that money, Rochelle?”
The ice pack slipped off Rochelle’s head when she sat up. “I told him I didn’t have the money with me. I told him I’d pay half which was the deal he had with Al, but it came with a condition.”
“And?” Hannah prompted.
“He laughed. He said every single penny of the five hundred thousand belonged to him since Al was dead and had no use for money anymore. He gave me twenty-four hours to hand it over. Then he left.”
“How did you end up back here?”
Rochelle shook her head and moved the ice pack back onto the big goose egg. “I don’t remember anything else. I saw Nate drive off and then I woke up here with Mack shaking me and asking me what happened.”
Hannah patted Rochelle’s arm. “You should rest, now. Don’t worry about anything. You’ll be safe here.”
“Will I? I don’t think I’ll ever be safe from Nate. His eyes bore into me like knife points.” Rochelle shuddered. “Two Hundred and fifty thousand dollars is hidden in my car—where the spare tire should be.”
“What happened to the rest? Didn’t Al steal five hundred thousand?” Hannah asked.
Rochelle seemed to shrink right into the chair. “Whenever Al needed money, I gave him some from that stash but I refused to touch Nate’s half.” Rochelle closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. “The afternoon before Al was killed, he wanted me to give him the rest of the money so he could leave town. He suspected that Nate would come looking for him. I didn’t give him the money. I thought, naively, that I could keep it safe and give it to Nate myself, clear up what I had control over.”
“You told me he gambled it all away.”
“That is probably what happened but since I doled it out over time, he didn’t lose it as quickly. Listen,” Rochelle’s eyes searched for Pam, “give Nate the money and get him out of town before someone else ends up dead. Somehow, you need to convince him that he’s only getting his half; that the rest is gone.” Rochelle stared at Hannah. “I could feel his hate. It dripped from him like angry wasps pouring from their nest. Be careful.”
Twenty-Three
Hannah and Pam left Rochelle resting in the apartment. The barn was quiet except for the restlessness of the horses waiting for their breakfast and a pitiful whinny from Rochelle’s lonely Shetland pony. Hannah made sure to stop on her way past to check that Tumbleweed had fresh water and hay and she gave her a hearty neck scratch. Tumbleweed threw her head up and down and pawed the floor of her stall.
Hannah put her hands on each side of Tumbleweeds face. “I’ll ask Mack if you can go out in the field with the others today. It’s just not fair that you’re locked in here instead of outside getting some freedom.
Pam’s lips twitched when Hannah finished her conversation with the pony. “Do you always talk to animals?”
“I do. It’s a sign of extreme intelligence. Didn’t you know that?” Hannah stared at Pam. She managed to keep her face completely serious.
Pam burst out laughing. “I thought it was a sign of extreme something—delusion, maybe?”
Hannah laughed too. “So . . . Rochelle,” she said after they both got their laughing under control. “You’d better get that money out of her car before someone else finds it.”
“My thought exactly. I’m headed there now.” Pam walked to her car.
“Pretty nice, isn’t it?” Cal asked Samantha as they returned to the barn.
“I just gave Samantha a little tour outside.” Cal looked up and down the barn aisle. “Joey isn’t here yet?”
“Haven’t seen him,” Hannah said. “Samantha, how about you keep Rochelle company? She’s a little banged up physically and a lot mentally. Plus, since she can’t even remember how she got hurt or how she got back here to the apartment, maybe it’s best that she’s not alone.”
“You think someone may come back to finish her off?” Samantha’s eyes glowed.
“I wouldn’t rule anything out at the moment.”
Samantha opened the apartment door and slipped inside.
Hannah pulled Cal outside. “I want to check on the dogs.”
Nellie and Patches were comfortable in the backseat of her car. She closed the door so they wouldn’t take off after any new scents. Hannah moved next to Cal and lowered her voice. “Rochelle did tell us something important.” No one was in the barn, but she was suspicious of that intercom in the tack room and wouldn’t put it past Mack to listen in from the house if that was possible.
“Rochelle said she had the money hidden in her car but she didn’t give it to Nate. They argued and he left.”
Cal leaned against Hannah’s car with his ankles crossed. “So, either she’s lying, doesn’t remember what actually happened, or Nate came back, knocked her over the head, stole the money, and is long gone.” Cal listed the possibilities.
“Or someone else waited for Nate to leave and hit Rochelle as she walked to her SUV. Remember, Samantha saw them arguing near Nate’s car which she said was pulled in just off the road. Rochelle’s car was parked close to the snack bar. Someone could have snuck up from behind when she walked back to her car without her knowing.”
“The question is, who?” Cal asked.
“Right.” She held a finger up. “Nate.” Another finger popped up. “Mack.” A third finger rose. “Joey. Anyone else?”
“Emma? Or, Mack and Emma together?”
“Yeah, Mack rambled too much with his story about Rochelle fainting. And how did she end up here in the apartment? Why would anyone knock her out, then move her?”
Hannah’s phone buzzed. “It’s Pam,” she told Cal before she answered, hitting the speaker phone button. “Hello?”
“Someone beat us to it. There’s no money in Rochelle’s car. Do you think she lied about it?”
“I don’t think she did lie. I think someone else followed her and after Nate left, that other person hit her and stole the money.”
“Who would know she had money in her car?”
“My money is on Mack. Yesterday, he noticed a box was missing from the tack room and he thought it would be the perfect hiding place for Rochelle to put all that money. Didn’t he sound nervous when he was talking about how Rochelle has a history of fainting? And she said she never fainted before. I think he was covering his tracks.”
“That’ll make a good starting point. I’m on my way back to the farm to
have another chat with Mr. Lowe. Hannah?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you.” Pam’s phone went silent.
Cal whistled after Hannah shoved her phone back in her pocket. “Missing money . . . and you got a thank you from Pam. I’m not sure which of those is the bigger news.”
“I think she’s warming up to me.” Hannah smiled. “It might have something to do with Great Aunt Caroline.”
A car drove in, too fast, stopping just in time to keep from crashing into Cal’s truck. A grinning Joey sat behind the wheel.
“I’ve never seen that car before,” Cal said to Hannah. “Something smells fishy.”
Joey leisurely unfolded himself from behind the steering wheel of the older model BMW convertible. “See? I told you I’d be moving on up in the world. What do you think?”
“I think you’re heading down a fast lane to trouble, if you were asking me,” Hannah said, her disgust barely hidden.
Joey glared. “I wasn’t asking you.” He turned to Cal. “I won’t be cleaning no stalls today, just thought I’d drop in to let you know. Tell Rochelle for me, will ya?”
“Tell her yourself.” Cal stayed leaning against Hannah’s car.
Joey fiddled with his car keys and looked around. “Her car isn’t here, how can I talk to her?”
“She’s here.” Cal kept his eyes on Joey.
“What? You keep staring at me. I didn’t do nothin’.”
Cal moved as fast as a shark going in for the kill and grabbed Joey by the scruff of his collar. “If you didn’t do nothin’, it means you did something.”
“Huh?”
Hannah looked at Cal and shook her head. “Listen, Joey. This is what you said: I did not do nothing. Think about it. It’s a double negative.”
“Huh? Rochelle gave me the money. I didn’t steal it.”
Cal finally let go of Joey’s collar. “What money?”
“You know.” He pointed at Hannah. “You heard her tell me she’d loan me a thousand bucks. She dragged her feet writin’ the check but she finally gave it to me. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. I turned that thousand into five.” He smiled as if everything was clear as the blue sky overhead.
“How did you do it?” Cal asked. “That’s pretty impressive.”
Joey puffed his chest out. “Sure is. That Nate guy? I told ya he was gonna help me. And he said this is just the beginning. He’s got some real big plans.”
“I bet he does.” Hannah crossed her arms over her chest. “So tell me Joey, what were you and Nate doing out in your boat yesterday?”
Joey’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. That must have been someone else.”
“Nope. Positive it was you, Joey. And the fact that you’re denying it sure does make me more curious than ever what you two were up to. You see, Cal knows a thing or two about boats and he knows even more than that about the ocean. You were looking for something along the shore.”
“Nate was the one. He paid me to take him out, said he was curious about the other houses. Wants to buy one.”
“That wasn’t so hard, was it? How much did he pay you?” She continued her line of questions.
Joey looked behind him where Pam’s cruiser had just turned into the driveway. “What is this, a hundred questions?” He reached for his car door handle.
“Not so fast, young man,” Cal said as he held Joey’s arm. “Answer the lady’s question.”
“He gave me this car.”
“Your friend, Nate, sure is spoiling you. What’s in it for him?”
Joey shrugged. “He says he likes me; says I’m clever.” He looked behind him again and realized he was boxed in by Pam’s cruiser. “What am I gonna do now? I’ve got places to go, people to meet.” Joey stormed up to Pam’s cruiser and knocked on her window. “Hey. You’re blocking me in.”
Hannah had to cover her mouth to hide her shocked expression. This kid was too stupid for his own good. Pam would eat him alive. If he was lucky.
Pam pushed her door open right into Joey’s chest.
He doubled over with his arm on his chest. “Hey, that’s police brutality.”
Pam’s hand hovered over her gun. “What?”
“Ah . . . nothin’.” Joey backed out of the way. “Could you move so I can get out?”
“Did you say please?” Pam asked as she stepped close enough that her breath must have warmed Joey’s face.
“Please?”
“Nope.” She pushed him out of the way. “You can wait here until I’m done inside. I have some questions for you, too, but you’re not first on my list.” Pam walked to the front door and knocked.
Joey stood with his mouth open, his eyes wide, and his fists curled. “She can’t do that.” He looked at Cal. “Can she?” Doubt smashed through his previous know-it-all attitude.
“You bet she can, so how about you get in the barn and make good on your promise to Rochelle. She loaned you money in good faith. It’s time you hold up your end of the bargain. An important life lesson for you.”
“But Nate is expecting me. He’ll be mad if I don’t show up when I promised. He said we have to stick together.”
“You trust someone you met only, what, two days ago over Rochelle who you’ve know your whole life?” Hannah shook her head in disgust. “What’s so important that you need to meet with Nate?”
“He didn’t tell me the plan yet. Do you think he’s stupid?”
Hannah did not think Nate was stupid. She thought the exact opposite and she wondered what Nate’s real plan was for Joey.
“When I give him more money, he’ll tell me the plan.”
Joey revealed his ignorance every time he opened his mouth.
“Where will you get more money?” Hannah asked.
Joey grinned. “Not get. I got it. Safe and sound where no one will find it. Fifty thousand.”
His grin told Hannah that he couldn’t help but brag to someone. Anyone. Her question was—where was the rest of the two hundred and fifty thousand dollars that Rochelle said she’d hidden in her car?
Twenty-Four
Cal led the horses, including Tumbleweed, out to the field. Joey pushed the wheelbarrow into the first stall. He certainly wasn’t breaking any speed records, but at least he was doing something—not that he had much choice since Pam’s cruiser had him blocked in.
Hannah walked to the apartment and cracked the door open. “Samantha?” she whispered.
“Come on in. Rochelle is feeling better.”
Samantha stood in the kitchen looking in the cupboards. “This place is stocked better than my kitchen. Someone thought of everything.” The kettle whistled. “I’m making tea, want some?”
“No thanks. I need something to eat.”
“There should be cereal in one of the cupboards and milk in the refrigerator,” Rochelle said from her chair. “Help yourselves. I stocked the kitchen thinking Cal would be staying here.”
Hannah looked at Samantha and raised both eyebrows. She found a bowl, added granola and milk, and sat near Rochelle.
“Are you planning to go back to your house or just stay here?” Hannah shoveled a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.
“Well, I’ll make sure Joey is cleaning the stalls and then head to the house. I’m in desperate need of a shower and clean clothes.” She shook her head. “This has all been such a strange experience and now that I’m feeling almost back to normal, I wish I didn’t tell Deputy Larson to give that money to Nate. What if he killed Al? He’ll get the money and disappear. That’s not right. As much as Al was a pain in my side, I want the killer to be brought to justice.”
“You won’t have to worry about Nate taking off too soon,” Hannah said.
“Oh? Why is that?”
“About the money, Rochelle . . . there wasn’t any.”
The color that had only recently returned to Rochelle’s cheeks, seeped out like a plug was pulled. “No money.” Her voice came out in a whisper. “Who took it?”
“How much was in your car?”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand. In a dark brown leather briefcase. All that was left.”
“I’m sure the police will track it down.” Starting with the money Joey had suddenly come across, Hannah added to herself. But where was the rest? Was Joey playing cute with Nate, just giving him some with the promise of more as time went on? That could be a smart strategy but Hannah didn’t think that game would work out in the long run for Joey. Someone would have to keep an eye on him.
Rochelle pushed herself to a standing position. She wobbled a bit. “I’m going to my house. Is Mack still there?”
“As far as I know.” Hannah did wonder what the heck he was doing. Why wasn’t he down here nursing Rochelle back to health?
“Good. I told him to stay put, but who knows if he ever really listens to me.” She walked to the door. “Hannah? After I shower and change, will you give me a ride to get my car?”
“The police have it. I’m not sure if you can get it back yet.”
“Well, I want to talk to that deputy anyway. Maybe she found some clues in my car to help me remember more details.” She rubbed her head and mumbled as she left the apartment, “Someone must have hit me with something. I’m sure I didn’t trip and fall.”
Hannah tipped her bowl and scooped the last of the granola and milk onto her spoon while Samantha sat with her tea.
“What now?” Samantha asked.
“Can you keep an eye on Joey? He’s here cleaning stalls but he’ll be gone as soon as Cal turns his back. He came into money somehow and if he’s the one who stole it from Rochelle’s car last night, he might lead us to where the rest of it is.”
Samantha drained the rest of her tea. “I’m on it. Do I need my disguise? I have it in my car.”
“No. Just don’t be too obvious. Joey isn’t as sharp-eyed as Nate is. Just keep track of where he goes.” Hannah washed and dried her bowl and spoon, returning both where they had come from.
Before Samantha left, she turned back toward Hannah. “What do you think about me offering my services to Rochelle in exchange for living here? No offense meant toward your cute apartment, but this place is definitely a step up in the luxury department.”