Rufus took me by the arm and gently tugged me from the limo. When I stood outside in the bright sunshine, Sykes waved.
“Bye-bye, now. And don’t forget—one week.”
Without another word, the limo door slammed shut and they drove away.
Chapter 12
Istared at the limo as it pulled away, dumbfounded. Twenty thousand dollars. Somehow I had to find twenty grand or the unionized wizard mafia would take my business away from me.
It was so ridiculous that I started to laugh, a real belly laugh that had me doubling over.
“You’re in shock,” Rufus murmured.
“You’re still here?” I said. “I thought maybe with all the insanity that you were a figment of my imagination same as Sadie dying, my business being taken away and…heck, I don’t know what else, but give me a few minutes and I’m sure I can figure something out.”
Before he could answer, my phone rang. I wiped tears of frustration from my eyes and sniffed. “I wonder who this is? Dancing penguins calling to say that they’re repossessing the truck I paid for?”
He opened his palm. “Would you prefer that I take the call?”
“No thanks.” I pulled the phone from my purse. Liam’s name lit up the screen, and I immediately felt bad. He should have been the first person I called this morning, to see how he was doing.
I answered. “Hey, how’re you holding up?”
By the way his voice cracked when he spoke, I knew the answer wasnot good.“I just can’t deal with anything right now, Clem. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep.”
“Oh, Liam, I understand exactly what you mean. I’m so sorry.”
He sniffled. “Yeah, I talked to Sadie’s mother last night.”
“You did?”
“She’s coming today. We’re going over to the funeral home together to work out arrangements.”
Of course. Sadie still had to be buried. “I’ll help however I can. What time do you want me at the home?”
I felt like I should be there. After all, she had been my best friend.
“We’ll be there around two p.m.”
“Okay.” Then it hit me about the wages that I owed Liam. There was no money to pay. “Liam, this is a strange question, but did Sadie happen to give you any money this week or last week?”
“What?” He sounded confused. “No. Payday’s not until today.”
“Oh, about that…well, I hate to say it, but I’m afraid that I don’t have any money in the bank to write the check. Um”—this was so embarrassing—“it seems like Sadie took all the money out of the account.”
“For what?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but honestly there’s nothing, and me personally, I’ve been putting every extra dollar back into the business. I don’t have much in savings.”
Liam inhaled. “You think Dooley would pay ahead some?”
“Are you crazy? Dooley wouldn’t part with a hangnail.”
Liam laughed bitterly. “I suppose that’s true. I can pay the guys; don’t worry about it. But I gave them the day off.”
Just then my phone dinged. I glanced at it and saw a text come through from Dooley.
I don’t know about this renovation anymore. That dead body gives me the creeps. No one’s here working. Y’all must be thinking the same thing.
