Retirement home in Florida
New return address
Nothing in letter
Aunt Mackie wants to borrow rose dishes
“Alyssa only had moments to come up with this. Incredible. She was scouring the income reports from our custodial bank, which should have been coming from Minneapolis. What if someone was scrubbing those reports so they only looked like they were coming from there? What if they were coming from the Meymack ops center in Florida?”
“She also saidnothing in letter?” Clint points to my scribbled words on the note.
“Yeah, I can’t quite remember her exact words, but it could mean that there was nothing strange about the reports themselves—just an address she found on one or more of them?”
“So, backing up. Someone is collecting revenue from Meymack but making it look like it’s coming from the bank in Minneapolis. For what purpose?”
“Exactly. Someone, probably from within Garman Straub, could be acting as an independent lending agent.”
“But couldn’t Meymack just borrow the securities from your custodian?”
“Maybe we offer subpar rates? The funds are still getting paid. Maybe it’s not the entire fee but something. I’m still missing the motivation. Why would someone risk it?” I slam both my hands down on the pile of papers and folders.
“You’ll figure it out.”
“But in the meantime, is Alyssa all right? Where’s Betsey? And why is Candace after us?”
“Maybe we need to sleep on it. Store all these bits away and take them out to examine them in the morning. If we can’t figure it out, we’ll contact Komoroski.”
“Oh! I forgot to text him our address.”
Clint’s eyes drill into mine.
“I know. He insisted I come into the station, and then I didn’t message him.” I tent my hands over my mouth and blow hard. “I’m done with all of this, Clint.” I dig into my bag and hand him the officer’s card. “Can you just text him the address?”
Clint nods and starts typing. “What about Betsey?”
I keep thinking about those pictures of Lucas and me. Threats of something she didn’t understand. She was desperate, and I don’t trust her. “No more hiding. First light, we are out of here. We’ll connect with Komoroski, and then we’re finding Betsey. And I’ll lay all of this on the table. Someone is going to answer for it.”
“Everything we have has your name or fingerprints on it. You sure?” Clint glances up from the phone.
“Absolutely. The truth has to be enough.” I just wish I was sure that it would be.
52
SOMETHING WAKES ME.I try to glance around the room, but no light filters through the twin dark curtains. It must still be night. Beyond my husband’s heavy breaths, the cabin is silent. All I can hear is my heart pounding in my chest. So strange. I shrug up against the paneled wall and listen.
A light flashes near the rod at the top of the back window.
I gasp. Then, barely able to move, I creep my hand along the bed to push against Clint. “Honey,” I whisper, my voice scarcely above a breath. “Wake up. There’s someone outside.”
Clint groans softly, rolling onto his back. His eyes flutter as he blinks away sleep. “What’d you say?”
I swallow hard, still pressed up against the wall. What if Candace has found us? She’s come in the middle of the night to... do what? “I saw a light, like from a flashlight, and I think I heard something.” My voice trembles. “Someone’s out there.”
Clint’s eyes snap open. “Stay here,” he says quietly, but his tone is firm as he reaches for his flashlight in the bedside table.
As he heads for the front door, I slip into the kids’ room. Erika is sound asleep, her hair fanned out on the pillow. I glance over at Reid. I try to make out the bumps of his body but it’s as if my mind is playing tricks on me. I stumble forward as I try to sprint around Erika’s bed. I desperately pat the blanket but don’t feel him. Reaching across, I shake Erika’s shoulder. “Where’s your brother?”
“What?” she mumbles.
