Stop it, Abby. You’re here to talk to Tess, not to think about Eric and his mistakes.
When Tess waltzed in a few minutes later, all eyes followed her in her miniskirted glory as she walked to Abby’s table and swished into the seat across from her, and Abby was glad for the distraction.
Tess seemed extra radiant, and Abby found her cheerfulness to be contagious. After a few minutes Abby began to feel better as she began to get to know her neighbor and stopped thinking about her own problems. They chatted about everyday things and ordered their food, and while they waited for their entrées, Tess smiled happily at Abby.
“You’re probably wondering why I asked you to lunch today,” she began.
Abby smiled back. “I am curious. I mean, this is the first time we’ve done this.”
“Well . . .” Tess paused dramatically. “I got a promotion at work!”
“Really?” Abby tried to control her astonishment. “Doing what?”
“Don’t be so surprised,” she said with a pout. “I have lots of skills, you know.”
“I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that I had no idea you were looking to move up that career ladder. I thought you were working on a dance career or something.”
“Yeah, it was kind of strange, actually,” she said, perking up. “But I can see an opportunity when it’s in front of me. I’m Mr. Meher’s new personal assistant. In fact, he asks about your family a lot. He must think highly of Eric.”
The waitress set their food in front of them, and Tess scooped a forkful of salad into her mouth.
“Uh, how kind of him.” Abby found Tess’s revelation an odd coincidence. “I didn’t know he was looking for an assistant.”
“He’s been super busy. Besides, they’re the largest construction firm in the San Joaquin Valley, you know.”
Abby nodded, not sure what Tess expected her to say, then tried to show more support for her neighbor. “What will you be doing in your new job?”
“Helping Mr. Meher with presentations and reports.” She smiled. “Basically whatever he needs me to do.” She took another bite of salad. “I actually started a little while ago, but now that I’m in the accounting department I thought I’d see more of Eric.” She frowned. “That’s why I was wondering where he’s been.”
“Were you working this morning?” Abby asked, wondering why she hadn’t seen her there.
“No. He only needs me part time.”
“I see.” Abby also wondered if Tess had heard the accusations against Eric. Judging by her comments, she guessed she hadn’t.
“So what’s the deal?” Tess asked. “Is he still out of town?” She sipped her drink, evidently clueless as to what was really going on.
Abby found her voice quivering as she spoke. “Eric seems to be missing, Tess. I put a story in yesterday’s paper.”
Tess’s mouth fell open. “I had no idea. I thought he was on a business trip.”
“That’s what I told you because I wasn’t ready to tell anyone the truth yet.” Abby glanced at Tess, then stared at her lap. “But now I’m feeling more desperate.” She brought her gaze back to Tess’s shocked face. “I’m surprised Tim didn’t mention it.”
“Me too.” Her brow furrowed. “What do you think happened to him?”
Abby wasn’t about to share Tim’s accusations. “I don’t know.” She shook her head helplessly.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No. But thank you for asking.” Abby pulled herself together. She didn’t want to discuss the distressing accusations against her husband. At least not with Tess. “We’re here to celebrate your good news, so tell me why you like this job.”
Tess explained how it opened up opportunities for her and why she was interested in accounting.
“Wow. That’s great.” Abby tried to be enthusiastic despite the panic pushing to the surface as each minute passed. She was fully aware that if Tess was in contact with Tim, there was a very good chance she would hear rumors about Eric embezzling. The thought nauseated her.
“Abby? Are you okay?” Tess reached across the table. “Maybe we’d better get you home.”
Abby held up a hand, not wanting to confess her torment. “I’m just a little dizzy. I’ll be fine. So let’s get to know each other. Tell me about where you grew up . . .”
Chapter Eighteen
On the drive to work, Abby thought about Tess and her new job. What a strange coincidence. Then, as she thought about the way Tess loved to flirt, a strangled laugh burst from her lips. I certainly won’t have to worry about her flirting with Eric. I’m sure he’s fired.
Misery coursed through her. She had to find out where Eric was and what he was up to. Not knowing was making her crazy. Though she missed him terribly, she was also furious with him for putting her through this nightmare.
As soon as Abby entered the library she looked for Nadine, and when she found her, she asked to speak with her privately.
“What is it, Abby?”
Not sure now if this was a good idea, Abby hesitated. “Perhaps you’ve heard that my husband is missing?”
“Yes. I was sorry to hear that.”
Abby was surprised to hear any sympathy from Nadine and decided to press her luck. “I was wondering if it would be possible for me to take a few days off while I get a handle on my situation.”
“I suppose, under the circumstances, that would be okay.” Nadine paused. “It would be without pay, of course.”
“Of course,” Abby said, relieved she would still have a job. “Thank you, Nadine. I appreciate it.”
A brief smile graced Nadine’s lips. “I do hope you find your husband, Abby.”
As Nadine walked away, Abby looked for Mary to let her know she wouldn’t be there for a while. She found her in the children’s section.
“Mary,” she whispered.
Mary looked up from the shelf, then pulled Abby by the arm to an empty aisle. “Abby, what’s going on?”
“Nothing much.” Abby thought about the accusations Tim had made only hours before, but until she had more information, she wasn’t going to say anything about it. “There was one interesting development, though.”
“Oh? What’s that?”
“You remember my neighbor Tess? I pointed her out to you that time she came in to get a book.”
“Oh, yes. I remember. Miss Hips.”
Abby chuckled at the nickname. “Yes, her. Well, I had lunch with her today—which was unusual enough—but then she told me she’s been promoted and now works in Eric’s department.”
“Hmm. That is a coincidence, isn’t it?”
Abby could see the wheels spinning in Mary’s mystery-chasing mind. “What do you make of it?”
Mary shook her head. “It’s probably nothing.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.” Disappointed Mary couldn’t come up with something sinister, Abby frowned. “By the way, Nadine let me take some time off, so I won’t be around for a while.”
“Now there’s a shock.”
“She was actually pretty nice about it.” Abby paused. “I’d better let you get back to work. I’ll talk to you later.”
Mary hugged her. “Take care, Abby. Let me know if there’s anything I can do for you.”
“Thanks.”
Abby drove directly home, relieved not to have to think about work for a few days. She went up to her bedroom, wanting to take something for the headache she felt coming on, and after taking some medicine, she walked over to her little alcove and settled into the soft cushions. Guilt flowed through her as she remembered the pressure she’d put on Eric to continue with the fertility treatments, even when he’d wanted to stop. The financial pressure on Eric had been enormous, and it was all her fault.
Was it so bad that Eric would resort to embezzlement? And what of that email message demanding a package?
Hardly able to believe he had it in him to steal, she considered the fact that he’d chosen to tell her about his past—to b
e honest about his mistakes—even though it had meant risking losing her. He’d wanted to be fair—to let her make a decision about him with open eyes. And then she remembered the time he’d taken the bus home from work when their car had been in the shop. He’d found a wallet containing a large amount of cash sitting on an empty seat of the bus and had turned it in without a second thought.
Of course, that was before their finances had been tapped out. Plus, she didn’t know everything about his drug-dealing days. That wasn’t exactly an honest profession.
Reining in her emotions, she sighed, then went outside to get the mail. Sitting at the office desk, she used the letter opener to rip open the envelopes. The first one was a credit card bill with a charge from the local bookstore. The date was three weeks previous and was for a hundred dollars. It couldn’t be for the book she’d found in his drawer—that was a library book—but as she thought about it, it occurred to her that he could have bought other books relating to his escape.
Maybe he bought books on the place he was planning to go.
Hope that she could possibly find more information about where he’d gone pushed her out of the chair and up the stairs to her room. Standing in the middle of the master bedroom, her gaze swept over the space, trying to figure out where Eric would have hidden something. After finding that horrible book and photo, she’d searched his dresser but hadn’t found anything else. Now, as she considered where to look, her gaze stopped on the open closet door. She rushed over to the walk-in closet and turned on the light, but the tiny space revealed nothing. Clothes hung on the rod, shoes lined up on the floor, and then there was the neat pile of Eric’s clothes she’d stacked in the corner—nothing unusual.
Her gaze rose to the shelves. They were too high for her to see what was up there, so she left the bedroom and came back a few moments later dragging Tiffany’s desk chair behind her. Standing on it brought her high enough to survey the shelves. There were several shoeboxes, games, the camera equipment, and other assorted items. She lifted the camera off the shelf and carried it over to the bed, then trudged back to the closet and climbed onto the chair again. She took several shoeboxes down at once and dumped them onto the bed.
Junk. All junk. When she found nothing of interest, her hopes faded.
Five minutes later she was standing on the chair looking at nearly empty shelves. The only thing remaining were half a dozen board games.
I took everything else out, I might as well make a bigger mess.
The games came down and were piled onto the bed, and she began flipping the lids off one by one. At first she didn’t find anything out of the ordinary, but when she lifted the lid to the last box, a game of Monopoly, her eyes widened and her hands froze.
The game pieces were gone, and in their place were stacks and stacks of cash, mostly twenty dollar bills. She turned the box over and the bills tumbled onto the bed. Organizing them into neat stacks, she counted them.
Fifteen thousand dollars.
Tears sprang to her eyes as she realized this could be the embezzled money Tim Meher had talked about. Wanting to deny what was literally right in front of her, she shook her head from side to side.
What else could explain the money?
She didn’t like what the voice whispered in her head and mentally argued with it.
Maybe it’s not the stolen money. Maybe it’s money Eric put aside for . . . a lot of rainy days. It could help us get by right now, while he’s missing.
The moment she thought it, she knew it wasn’t realistic—if these were legitimate earnings, she was sure he’d have deposited them at the bank. Then again, she had no concrete evidence of where the money had come from.
Carefully and deliberately, she placed all of the money in the box, then set the box back on the shelf of the closet while she decided what to do.
The doorbell rang and Abby rushed downstairs to see who it was. Relieved to see her daughters home from school, she tried to be attentive to their conversation as she fixed them a snack, but a vision of the money she’d found kept pulling at her and she wondered if Eric had stashed more cash in other places in the house. And though she knew she shouldn’t spend the money, just knowing it was available made her feel a little better, but it was as if one weight had been lifted from her shoulders to be replaced by a new one.
What is Eric doing with that much cash, and why has he hidden it in our house?
The thought occupied the rest of her night.
Chapter Nineteen
The next morning passed quietly except for the many times Abby went to her closet to make sure the money was still in the Monopoly box.
I have to get this out of here. It’s driving me crazy. What on earth was Eric doing with this much money? The only answer her mind supplied was numbing. Doesn’t the presence of the money confirm Tim’s allegations?
Thinking of Jennifer’s counsel to trust her husband until proven guilty, Abby decided she wasn’t ready to completely believe Tim until she had spoken to Eric and given him a chance to explain himself. Then she remembered glancing at his Internet bookmarks when she was looking for the banking website. She hadn’t paid much attention to them then, but now she needed to see what he’d been researching
A few minutes later she was dismayed to see that Eric had bookmarked the FBI’s website as well as two sites relating to embezzlement. Quickly shutting down the computer, Abby breathed deeply, trying to slow the painful thrumming of her heart as her faith in her husband slipped just enough to warrant deep questions about the man she was married to.
Even though Tim had accused Eric of a crime, Abby decided to check with the police to see if the article she’d put in the paper had provided anything new. As she was shown into the office of Officer Holland, she nearly regretted calling attention to the fact that Eric was missing. What if he had stolen money? Would his disappearance further prove his guilt?
She tried not to think about that as she sat across from the detective.
“Mrs. Breuner, next time you place a missing-persons story in the paper, I would appreciate it if you’d check with me before telling the public to call here.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d mind.” Abby wondered if she was making an enemy of the police by irritating them.
Holland let out a heavy sigh. “Do you realize how many false leads come in? It ties up my men when they could be out chasing the real criminals.”
“Are you saying you haven’t been looking for my husband?”
The expression on Holland’s face said it all.
“He’s been missing for over a week. Doesn’t that count for anything?” Abby asked.
“Look, Mrs. Breuner, unless we have something to indicate there’s been foul play, we don’t have the manpower to look for every husband that decides to cut loose from his marriage.”
His words stung, but Abby steeled herself against his comment. “Isn’t there something you can do?”
“I’m afraid not. But if anything new happens, let us know and we’ll see if there’s more we can do.”
Abby stood. “Thank you for your help, Officer Holland.”
Eric held the note in his hand, contemplating whether to destroy it. He considered the implication of the message as he read it over:
* * *
Here’s the money you asked for. I followed your instructions and there’s $20,000 more stashed in the prearranged areas. The Feds may be on to you—watch out.
* * *
He’d found the note under the seat of his Jeep on the day he’d left. There had been several thousand dollars bundled with it, and that was in addition to the five thousand dollars he’d found in his home office. He hadn’t found the remaining money the note mentioned, and he wondered if it was truly there. He put the note down and picked up two sets of documents. They were identical—except for the name of one supplier. These lists would lead someone to suspect embezzlement. He wondered if anyone had noticed the discrepancy.
Abby decided that put
ting the money in a safe place was a top priority. She couldn’t take a chance on Tim Meher or anyone else discovering it—that would only prove whatever case they were making, not to mention the fact that she might need it to survive.
Once home from the police station she placed all of the money in her roomiest purse and zipped it closed, then drove to her bank and secured a safe-deposit box. She hoped her nervousness had not been apparent when the woman had handed her the key.
Secreting herself in the small room, Abby began transferring the cash to the safe-deposit box. Once done, she stared at the piles of cash and hoped she was doing the right thing.
It was nearly time for the girls to get out of school when Abby pulled into her garage, and she decided to surprise them by walking them home from school. After putting her purse in the house and changing into comfortable shoes, she headed off to the school.
Betterman Elementary was only a few blocks away, but it felt good to stretch her legs. It also gave her time to think. She’d been thinking and rethinking her notes on her situation and she couldn’t understand what made Tim Meher think she had been in contact with Eric.
Before she could let her thoughts run any further, she found herself standing next to the door of Tiffany’s classroom. The bell rang and the students poured out. Tiffany’s face lit up when she saw her mother waiting for her, and she put her arms around her mother’s waist.
Abby smiled down at her. “Where do you usually meet Susannah?”
“I’ll show you.”
Mr. Phillips stepped out the door after all the students had exited and extended a hand to Abby. “Good afternoon, Mrs. Breuner.”
Setting her hand in his, Abby smiled, but noticed something odd in his expression. “Is everything all right, Mr. Phillips?”
He seemed preoccupied. “Yes, everything’s fine.” Narrowing his eyes, he said, “I should be asking you that question. I understand your husband is still . . .” He glanced in Tiffany’s direction.
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