For the past few months, I’d told people I wouldn’t be here at Christmas because I was determined to fly out and visit my family.
That’s not my reality anymore, but the reminder hurts.
Despite how adrift we are, I’ve told myself that the distance is why it feels like they don’t care.
When you’re thousands of miles apart, the everyday stuff you usually share with your family just doesn’t happen.
“You’re going…?” June prompts. “Are you taking some time off? After the year you’ve had, you probably need it. With Caleb and the stuff with the needle and all that…” June trails off suddenly and clears her throat. “Can I help you, Officer?”
I follow her line of sight to a cop standing on the other side of my counter with his arm resting near the small candy jar.
“Miss Montoya?”
June points at me as I speak up.
“That’s me. I’m Miss Montoya.” My heart violently starts to pound as I’m dragged back to the day the cops came to tell me Caleb was dead.
Has something happened to Hannah or my other friends?
Or worse, Xander?
Sweat breaks out across my palms as I stand slowly.
“Has something happened?”
“Is there somewhere we can speak privately?”
Not again. Please not again.
Those words swirl and weave around my mind as I lead the cop to one of the empty consultation rooms, walking on legs ready to fold at my knees at any moment. Once inside, I close the door and face the officer. “Please, has something happened?”
“I’m not here to deliver bad news,” he says, reaching into his pocket.
My thundering heart skips a painful beat and I wince, fighting the reflex to glare at him. “You really should have led with that.” I press a hand to my chest, trying to calm my racing pulse.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Please, what is this about?”
“I’m here at the behest of your bank. As I’m sure you’re aware, they have been investigating the misappropriation of funds from your account and are willing to grant you a portion of compensation through their insurance.”
“Oh.” That sounds like good news. So why have they sent the cops to tell me? “Is there a but coming?”
The officer nods. “The rest of the money will be reclaimed from the account it was sent to, regardless of whether the recipient has withdrawn the funds or not. If they have, then we will be looking into that as theft.”
I’m getting my money back?
Wait… the recipient.
Dickson.
“You’re going to take the money back from the person who got it?”
“That’s correct. With some more information from you, we might be able to begin criminal proceedings against them in the event that they were working with Caleb.”
Oh, no.
No,no, no.
