“Why would I have your money?”
His wry smile turned to a sneer. “You and that stupid ex-con. I thought for sure he’d fit right in with my crew. Turned out to be the most honest convict on the planet. He was so fastidious in caring for this place as if it were his own, just about drove the rest of us nuts.”
At least her faith in Clint had just been confirmed. Not that she needed the confirmation of this conniving crook, but it was still nice to hear.
“I saw you.”
Her heart, already hammering at twice its normal beat, now kicked it up another notch. How could they not have known he’d been here, watching?
“Everybody running around like they’d found the motherlode. And that fat sheriff. Puffing his chest like a damn peacock. Man couldn’t find his own fingers if they were in front of his face.”
She did not like the look in his eyes. Had they always been so sinister?
Suddenly, he barked out an almost maniacal laugh. “You haven’t a clue, do you? You still haven’t figured it out. Y’all wereso busy placing new cameras trying to track us, it never occurred to a single one of you that I might have cameras watching you?”
Despite the shock, she tried to keep her expression neutral. The way he kicked his head back and laughed again, she’d probably failed.
“I know everything you’ve been up to.” He shook his head. “How would dear Charlie feel about his wife cavorting with the hired help?”
If she’d been even a little afraid of him, now she was simply furious. How dare he? It took every ounce of self-control she possessed not to lash out at him, but she was not stupid. She was nowhere near the gun cabinet and the man had over fifty pounds of muscle on her. There had to be a way to subdue him until someone came back.
“I want my money,” he spat, all humor gone from his eyes.
“I don’t have your money.”
“Not all of it. Just a hundred grand of it and I want it.” His right hand reached under his jacket and reappeared with a semi-automatic gun. “And I want it now.”
“If you were watching, you’d know the sheriff took the money. Evidence.”
“Do you think I’m stupid? There’s no case. With no case you don’t need evidence. I want my money. Ecuador is calling my name.”
“Ecuador?”
“It’s a country in South America.”
“I know where Ecuador is.”
“Oh yeah.” That sneer was back. “The almighty Alice Sweet is so smart. Did you know Ecuador has no extradition treaty with the US?”
“Why would I know that? I’m not a criminal.”
“No. You’re just Mrs. Charles Sweet, upstanding citizen, legacy rancher. Your family has no idea how hard it is for aworking man to save for a spread of his own. Every time you’ve got enough money, the cost of the land goes up and you start all over again. Over and over, year after year.”
Different responses bounced around in her head. The question at hand, which response wouldn’t fuel his anger with the Sweet family, with her. At that moment, as she struggled for something to say, the right thing to say, her phone rang. Only inches out of reach, she took a chance and stepped to the side, closer to the phone.
“Don’t even think about it.” Now he was waving a loaded gun in her direction. What a holy mess.
The phone stopped and she dared to take a half step in retreat. A half step closer to her phone.
“My money,” he repeated. “Then I’ll be on my way to Mexico and then a flight to Ecuador.”
“I told you, I do not have it. The sheriff does.”
Fury fired in his eyes again. “March!” He waved the gun from her to the hall.
Her gaze darted to the phone. No way she could snatch it up without his seeing or without getting shot. Same with her gun. But did she have a choice? She must have been staring in the wrong direction too long because in a flash, a bang deafened her and a bullet flew past her, lodging in the wall behind her.
“I want my money.”
