Savannah inched her way back from Penn as he stood menacingly over her. “What about the half million?”
“I kept it.”
“Where is it, pet?” Penn’s voice was so slow and cold it sent chills down her spine. She backed farther away from him, her hand stopping when she hit her purse—the purse that had the small dagger in it from the weapons class.
Penn took a step away and kept his eyes on her as he bent down to pick up his knife. A sick smile spread over his face as he stalked her. Savannah scrambled backward, her hand slipping into her purse and closing around the dagger’s cold handle. Penn raised the knife and Savannah yanked the dagger free.
Penn laughed as he swung toward her arm. Savannah rolled and pulled the blade from the leather sheath. In the move little Lacy had taught her, she blocked the swinging attack from Penn. His eyes went big for just a second in surprise before he laughed again.
“Ever heard of dying from a thousand little cuts?” he asked and swung again. This time a tiny cut appeared on her shoulder. She’d been able to block the worst of the attack. “Where’s my money, pet?”
“Don’t you mean my money? It was in my name, after all.”
Savannah dove to the side and rolled up against the house. With the house to her back and her dagger in hand, she used the wall to help herself stand on shaking legs.
“You’ve always been so stupid. You could never see the endgame. And you messed it all up just like you messed up my entire life,” Penn spat.
“Screw you, Penn. You messed up your own life. You lie, cheat, and steal and then blame me for it. I deserve that money for putting up with your sorry ass for as long as I did. I screwed up your life?” Savannah faux laughed. “You won’t be half the man you are without me. You can’t even climb the corporate ladder without me. Do you know your boss offered me a job today? It was always me, Penn. Without me, you’re nothing but a criminal.”
“A rich one. See, pet, there’s a really nice life insurance policy I took out on you two months ago. I would have had twenty million to start my new life, but since you had to screw it all up, I’ll have to settle for ten million instead.”
“What life insurance policy? I would have found it.” Savannah didn’t believe him. Someone would have found it.
“I don’t know how you found these accounts, but I was even trickier with the life insurance because it was my fallback plan. You always thought you were so much smarter than me, didn’t you? Do you have any idea why I delayed the divorce?”
“To torment me,” Savannah said. There was no question about it.
Penn shook his smug-looking head. “No, because for the past twenty months, Savannah Ambrose has been in Switzerland establishing residency. As soon as the divorce here was finalized, Savannah and I re-married in Switzerland. Two months ago, Savannah Benson took out an insurance policy worth ten million dollars with a bank there. A life insurance policy naming me her beneficiary. At least this bank doesn’t share any client information.”
“What are you talking about? I’ve never been to Switzerland.” Savannah knew he wasn’t lying by the look of victory on his face. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off his face.
“The night you caught me was all planned. Haven’t you wondered where Ginger is?” he asked. Ginger, of one of her supposed best friends who she’d caught him with in bed that fateful night. The friend who so closely resembled her that everyone thought they were sisters. The one Tibbie said was in Europe.
“That’s identity theft,” Savannah whispered as the pieces were falling into place. That’s why he dragged out the divorce. So the fake Savannah would have the means to secure the life insurance and then he’d kill the real Savannah Benson, file the claim, and he and Ginger would be ten million dollars richer. “Why embezzle? You had to know you’d be caught.”
“As if that’s the first time I embezzled. I’ve taken a lot more and I haven’t been caught. I’d been stealing money for years. I bought a house in your name in Switzerland three years ago. Ginger and I visited every year. I told you that you never see the long game. But then I had to push you over the edge to get you to file for divorce. Then you tragically die of an accident, leaving me free and clear to claim the insurance money no one knows about. I wouldn’t be a suspect in your real death because I’d have nothing to gain. Just a rundown house I didn’t want.”
“But you underestimated me,” Savannah said with a smirk of her own. She loosened her grip on the handle of her dagger just the way Lucy taught her as she got ready to fight for her life.
“I did. I admit it. I don’t know if it was you or the inept hit men I hired. Either way, here you are. You’ll die tragically while visiting the family home. Ginger used your passport to enter the country last week. We’re all ready. She’s my alibi to show I’ve moved on. It was only you who hadn’t. We had to change things up, but the new narrative is that you’re desperate to get me back. You’ve hurt yourself in cries of attention. I have the hospital logs showing where they had to call me. Being the nice guy that I am, I came. You begged me to come back into your life, but I refused. I’d moved on with Ginger. So, to get revenge you pick up a random guy. Things go bad and you both die. He’ll murder you so I can get my insurance payout, and then he’ll commit suicide,” Penn said smugly as he tossed a glance at Ridge, still lying unconscious where he had fallen.
“The police will be here soon. They know you stole the money,” Savannah warned him.
Penn shook his head. “No, they won’t. Ginger is occupying that deputy you sent for food and my decoy has the FBI morons fooled. It’s just you and me, pet. I’ll wrap this up, and Ginger and I will be out of the country before anyone can stop us. They might know I stole some money, but they won’t think I murdered you. Not with your boy toy here.”
No, she couldn’t be alone. She had to keep him talking. Help would come soon. Dylan, Abby, and Agent Castle weren’t stupid. As soon as they saw the decoy, they’d come for her. She had to stall Penn and save Ridge.
“What I don’t understand is where the five hundred thousand came from,” Savannah told him, hoping to keep him talking.
“I took an advance from some not so nice people in Atlanta to cover my next scheme. Again, you messed everything up. But you can fix it. I just need you to die.”
Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Savannah kept her eyes on Penn, not on the knife, just as she’d been taught. She saw the second Penn pulled back his arm ready to stab her.
Savannah reacted instantly. She didn’t pull her blade all the way back. Instead, she jabbed it forward as she leapt toward Penn, using her body weight and momentum to drive the dagger into his stomach. With a sickening feel, the blade gave way as it tore through his clothes and skin before sinking in.
The throbbing in Ridge’s head was the first thing he noticed as he came to. His eyes were closed and he heard talking. His mind registered that he was lying facedown on something hard.
Open your eyes.
Ridge felt as if he were lifting two garage doors when it was really just his eyelids. A hazy light assaulted his eyes as he tried to focus on what was underneath him. Everything was blurry as he tried to remember what the hell happened.
His brain tried to start up, but it felt like a flooded engine slugging its way to turn over. He blinked his eyes again and turned his head just a bit. The pain helped wake him up as he found his eyes slowly coming into focus. He was looking at a house. He was lying on a porch. The engine sparked and his brain came to life. Savannah. Penn. The potted plant.
“The police will be here soon. They know you stole the money,” Ridge heard Savannah say. She was trying to be strong, but he heard the fear in her voice. He heard the way it shook just a little as she tried to challenge Penn.
As they talked, Ridge struggled onto his hands and knees. His eyes felt like they were bruised and his head screamed in pain. The pain made him nauseous. But he turned his head and saw a knife in Penn’s hand. Penn’s back wa
s toward him, his menacing stance blocking Ridge’s view of Savannah.
Ridge grabbed hold of the porch railing and hauled himself up. His vision made it appear he was on a tilt-a-whirl ride, but there was one thing he saw clearly. He saw Penn pulling back his hand with the knife in it as he said, “I just need you to die.”
Ridge bent down and grabbed the heavy terra cotta pot planted with a mix of mums and lamb’s ears. The pot had to weigh fifty pounds as Ridge fought off the dizziness and stepped forward.
Savannah screamed, Penn stumbled back, and Ridge slammed the pot onto Penn’s head.
Savannah screamed as Penn’s knife sliced the side of her arm. He stumbled back and then her eyes went large. It wasn’t because of her knife sticking out of his white dress shirt with red blood blossoming from the wound. It was the sight of Ridge slamming a massive plant container over Penn’s head.
Penn dropped to the ground and Savannah cringed when he landed face first, sending the dagger deeper into his body. “Ridge!”
“You’re safe,” Ridge said as he swayed as if he were drunk. Suddenly he stopped swaying and crumpled to the ground.
“Ridge!” Savannah screamed again as she kicked the knife from Penn’s hand before bounding over him to get to Ridge. She dropped to the ground and pulled his head into her lap. “Ridge, can you hear me?”
Sirens sounded off in the distance, but Savannah couldn’t hear them over her sobs. Ridge was alive, but he wasn’t waking up.
“Savannah!” Abby was by her side pulling her away as Dylan examined Ridge. Savannah finally looked up and saw that her front yard was suddenly filled with people. Abby helped her stand. Dylan and Gavin were on either side of Ridge. Agent Castle had Penn flipped over and was administering CPR. Kord handed a screaming Ginger over to an FBI agent.
Savannah made an animalistic-sounding growl as she pushed Abby’s hands off of her and vaulted down the stairs. Kord saw her running toward them and jumped back. Ginger was screaming at her, but Savannah didn’t hear it. All she heard was the sound of her fist connecting to Ginger’s nose and the satisfying crunch it made.
“You bitch!” Ginger cried as she grabbed her nose.
“What’s going on here?” Agent Castle asked, coming to stand beside Savannah. Savannah was breathing hard and she wished she could punch Ginger again.
“She hit me! Arrest her!” Ginger ordered.
“Is that what happened?” Agent Castle asked the FBI agent.
“Nah, she tripped getting out of the police cruiser. This is Penn Benson’s accomplice. I found her in possession of a forged passport stating she was one Savannah Benson along with her own driver’s license stating her identity as one Ginger Pettit.”
“Yup, saw it too. Just fell all on her own,” the agent said to Castle. “Deputy King here told me she was trying to prevent him from getting back to the house. That’s how he discovered her identity.”
“Is that so?” Castle asked as he put a steadying hand on Savannah’s arm. He could feel her tension and her desire to go after Ginger again.
“I mean, I know ladies can’t resist me, but here’s one new to town looking very similar to the woman at the center of Savannah’s divorce. She wanted to take me someplace private, so I let her. Only when she went for Prince, I went for her bag and discovered the passports. I arrested her and immediately came here where I called Gavin for medical help as you all arrived.”
“Wait,” Castle said. “Who’s Prince?”
Kord looked down at his pants. “You know. I’m the King so he’s my Prince.”
Savannah snorted as Castle shook his head.
“You don’t have anything on me!” Ginger yelled as Castle told his agent to detain her.
“I have everything on you,” Savannah called out. “I have the identity theft, the insurance fraud, Switzerland, everything.”
She smiled as Ginger’s face turned whiter. Then Savannah’s smile grew as Ginger actually did slip and fall, going down hard onto her knees before being shoved into the back of an FBI vehicle.
“Savannah,” Agent Castle said seriously as he held onto her arm. “Penn’s dead. I don’t know if it’s from the dagger in the stomach or the head wound. I’ll need your statement.”
“I’ll call Olivia for you,” Kord told her before sending her a wink. “Nice punch.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Savannah said with virtuous innocence.
“I know this was self-defense. But to preserve any case I have against Ginger, I need to keep you and Ridge separate until I get both of your statements,” Castle said gently to her.
“But,” Savannah turned to see Gavin working on bandaging an unconscious Ridge.
“I will keep you updated on him. I promise.”
“Ridge!”
Savannah turned to see Tinsley racing for her brother. Tears were streaming down her face as she fell to her knees next to him while Gavin worked. Dylan and Abby left Ridge to Gavin and Tinsley’s care and walked over to join Savannah and Castle.
“How is he?” Savannah asked.
“He’s unconscious. Probably has a nasty concussion. But his vitals are strong,” Dylan assured her.
Abby looked upset as her lips were pressed tightly together. She shifted from foot to foot with her hands on her hips. Dylan pressed a quick kiss on her forehead and then guided Agent Castle over toward Ridge.
“Are you okay, Abby?” Savannah finally asked when the men were out of earshot.
Abby stopped moving back and forth and her frown deepened. “Am I okay? I’m the one who made the call to go after the GPS tracker instead of coming here with you. Ridge is hurt and you could have been killed. I should be asking if you’re okay.”
Savannah took a deep breath, and when she let it out, she smiled. “I am. I’m good. In fact, I feel great. As soon as I know Ridge is okay, I’ll finally be free.”
Savannah saw Abby relax slightly. “I’m still sorry I wasn’t here.”
“You want to do something about it?” Savannah asked suddenly.
“Anything,” Abby told her.
“Ginger Pettit. Get whatever evidence the FBI needs to put her away for a very long time.”
Abby’s lips twitched into a grin—a grin that literally sent chills down Savannah’s back. Abby was so nice and outgoing, but that smile told Savannah there was another side to Abby that Savannah hoped to never cross.
“On it,” Abby pulled out her phone and as she walked toward an unsuspecting Ginger, Savannah heard her say, “Kale. Get me everything on Ginger Pettit. She was pretending to be Savannah in Switzerland. I need it ASAP. I’m going to have a little chat with her in a moment.”
Damn. That woman was scary when she wanted to be.
Savannah had watched as the still unconscious Ridge was loaded into the back of an ambulance. Gavin had turned and gave her a nod before climbing in and sitting beside Tinsley. That was the last news she’d had on Ridge in the last two hours.
Now she sat in Kord’s office with Agent Castle and Olivia Townsend. Olivia had made the last agent storm off, nearly in tears. Thirty minutes ago, Agent Castle came in to take the fleeing agent’s place.
“We want an update on Ridge’s health, then we’ll continue,” Olivia said with finality as she leaned back, crossed her long legs, and pulled out her phone. She didn’t even look up as Agent Castle sighed.
“Just a few more questions—” he tried to say, but Olivia held up her finger and slowly wagged it back and forth as she never took her eyes off her screen. “Fine.”
“You’re so cold and it’s so hot,” Kord told her when Castle left the room.
“That’s so sweet. I bet your girlfriend loves your sweet talk.” Olivia sent him a wink.
“As if one woman could keep me down. Though I bet you could.”
Olivia smiled at him. “You wish.”
Kord winked at her and then looked down at his phone. “Hey, you think you can quit twisting Castle’s balls and get us out of here by ele
ven? Granger’s nurse just texted and wants to get together at this club in Charleston.”
“My, how quickly I’m tossed aside,” Olivia said dryly. “How is Granger?”
“He’s doing really well. Although he can’t wait to get home. They’re only letting him go in a couple of days since Layne will be there to stay with him.”
The door opened and Agent Castle walked back in. “Ridge is awake and is in the process of giving his statement to an agent. He has a concussion, and he had to have some stitches. He’ll stay overnight at the hospital. If there’re no worsening signs of trauma, he’ll be discharged tomorrow afternoon.”
“Then here is my client’s full written testimony, already signed.” Olivia slid a thick packet of paper over to Castle who looked ready to scream.
“I have questions,” Castle said again.
“And there are your answers.”
Savannah just wanted to get to Ridge, but she trusted Olivia to protect her so instead of saying anything, she just sat back and waited patiently as Castle read her statement.
“If I have more questions . . .”
“Then my client will be made available to you at a convenient time to answer them.” As Olivia stood, Savannah did too. “I’ll drive you to Charleston.”
“Thank you.” Savannah reached out and squeezed Olivia’s hand before smiling at Castle and sending a wink to Kord. That had been two tough hours of questioning, but she knew it was to make a case against Ginger and clear herself of murder so it was worth every second. However, there was nothing she wanted more than to see Ridge.
“About time you woke up.”
Ridge’s eyes fluttered. The air smelled of disinfectant, and he heard the steady sound of machinery. “Granger?” He turned his head and groaned as Granger came into focus. He was in a button-down shirt and athletic pants, seated in a wheelchair with various tubes coming from him. That was when Ridge noticed he had an IV in his own hand as well.
“That’s right. And the FBI is here to talk to you. I’m sitting in as well. Want me to bring in your lawyer?” Granger asked.
Lasting Shadows: Shadows Landing #3 Page 21
