Y’all, I was flat broke. There had always been enough money, always. I’d never had a problem with the credit card before. But while I stared at the numerous withdrawals that Sadie had made, I wondered not onlywhyshe needed the money, but how she’d managed to keep me so unaware.
I thought back to the last money that Sadie had distributed to me. It had come in the form of cash. Cash. I’d questioned it at the time, but Sadie promised that it was okay—she’d discussed it with the accountant.
But as I studied this paper trail and saw how many checks that Sadie had written herself, I wondered exactly where all this money had been going.
Forget Tuney and Rufus—first thing in the morning, I needed to visit the bank.
“I’m sorry,but there’s nothing I can do,” the bank manager said. “The checks were written and authorized by Miss March.”
I sat across from his big mahogany desk, drumming my fingers on the glossy top. “Can you tell me if the checks were deposited into her personal account or cashed?”
His lips pursed. He didn’t want to do it, and I didn’t blame him. I’m sure there was a company policy against releasing confidential information, but this was my business, too. I also wrote the checks.
Well, I did now, I supposed.
“Please,” I pleaded. “She passed away last night. I need to know what happened.”
He flexed his fingers over the keyboard and sighed. “I really shouldn’t be doing this.”
Of course you should.
“I know that it might not be right, but looking into her account may help me better understand how to straighten out this financial mess.”
The manager’s fingers relaxed before flying over the keys. He stared at the screen a moment. I held my breath, unsure of exactly what he would discover. “It looks like she cashed the checks. Miss March’s personal account is fairly low.”
“How low?”
He grimaced. “This is confidential information.”
I made a cross sign over my heart. “I won’t tell anyone.” Probably I wouldn’t. Heck, I couldn’t completely promise not to say anything. It might be important.
“Fifty dollars low.”
Wow. Sadie had less money than I did. So where had it all gone?
I thanked the manager and left the bank. A quick glance at my watch revealed that it was getting on in the morning. I still needed to check in with Tuney and Rufus.
Oh gosh, Rufus. Could someone please jab a fork in my eye right now? He was the last person I needed to deal with. But still, I couldn’t leave him unchaperoned and running around town.
Frustrated, I raked my fingers down my face. As much as I wanted to visit Tuney, I had to check on Rufus first.
Growling, I flung open my truck door, started up the engine and headed over to Julie’s to see about him. Hopefully he hadn’t strayed too far away from the coffee shop.
When I reached Bender’s, I threw the truck into park and went inside. So Peachwood had an adorable main street called Peach Street. The light poles were painted a pretty peach hue, and the awnings of the stores were fun, springlike colors—robin’s-egg blue, lemon yellow, coral. It was simply a picturesque scene.
Bender’s sat slap in the middle of the street. The bed and breakfast rested atop the store. Colorful paint stripes ran straight down the brick face, making the business look whimsical.
I had just tugged on the front door when I heard a shout—something between a scream and a yell.
Oh no, Rufus had remembered his true identity and he had attacked Julie! That was my first thought, so I rushed inside, arms raised, ready and willing to take out the amnesiac wizard.
But when I got inside, breathless and absolutely panic-stricken, I discovered Rufus standing in the middle of the shop, a gaggle of children and their mothers surrounding him.
His arms were raised, and a sneer twisted his face. Fear rose in me, and I had my arm out, ready to touch him with a burst of magic. To heck with my secret being discovered. It didn’t matter if anyone knew.
I had never even told Sadie. When she asked about my past, my only response had been that I had made myself available to someone that I shouldn’t have, and had gotten involved in something I regretted. Which was why she had told me that night in the bar not to get involved.
But as I prepared to attack Rufus, he growled at the children and they…giggled? “That was when the hairy monster,” he explained, “got a horrible thorn in his foot. Do you know what happened next?”
