Bruce looked at Alec.
“You were one of the guys that helped move Margo out of her house,” Alec stated.
“Yeah, and you’re the guy that pulled a gun on a couple of my friends,” the man said.
Bruce started walking toward the guy. “How do you know Margo?”
“Who are you, and why are you asking about her?” he asked.
“I’m sorry, my friend here has been looking for his girl since yesterday,” Alec said as he came up behind him. “I’m Alec, and this is my friend, Bruce.”
He didn’t say anything at first, but then he stuck his hand out. “I’m Luke.”
They shook hands with him.
“Look, we didn’t mean to trespass, but I’m trying to find Margo. Will you tell me where she is?”
“Why do you need to know?”
“She’s my girlfriend. You and your friends moved her out of her own home in the middle of the night while I was out of town. Can you tell me what is going on?”
“Wow. She didn’t say anything about having a boyfriend. I guess that’s how scared she was.”
“Scared?”
“Yeah. She told me she had to quit because someone had found her that she really didn’t want to see again.”
“Who?” Bruce asked desperately.
“Some wacko that she had dated eleven years back. She had said that he had started stalking her, and she had to get a restraining order. This went on for some time until it came to a head. He broke into her house one night to rape her.”
Bruce’s blood ran cold as he winced.
“She fought him off long enough to grab her gun from a nightstand. She shot him, which stopped him, but it didn’t kill him. He was tried and convicted, but he was let out a year early for good behavior. Apparently, he had been trying to find her ever since.”
“Margo told you this?” Alec asked.
“Yeah. I asked her why she was flaking out on me, and that was her answer. Once she gets to where she is going, she’s going to call me to let me know that she’s safe.”
“Did she tell you the bastard’s name?” Bruce asked.
“There is no bastard, Bruce,” Alec said flatly.
“What?” Bruce asked.
“Excuse me?” Luke inquired.
“I believe she lied to you, sir,” Alec stated.
“No. Why would anyone lie about something like that?” Luke asked with furrowed brows.
“Not sure, but I’m sure as hell going to find out,” Alec said with annoyance.
“Why do you– oh,” Bruce stopped. He was catching up to what Alec was thinking. If what she told Luke was true, why didn’t she tell any of them? Bruce could have helped her. Hell, he would have stayed with her until the guy was found and then tracked. And if Margo wouldn’t tell him, Alec, Frank, Lana, or Lacey that she was being chased by a crazed stalker, then why would she tell a client?
“Do you guys want to clue me in?” Luke asked with confusion.
“How did you meet, Margo?” Alec asked.
“Margo and I went to the same college in California. She was a year ahead of me, but we were friends. I actually took her out on a couple of dates. After she graduated, we lost touch. Years later, I get a big win in the lottery and decided to start my own business. I needed a tech and programming expert and low and behold I found her online. She agreed to give me a good deal.”
“Did Margo have a habit of telling . . . fibs back in the day?” Alec asked and then twisted his lips.
“Alec,” Bruce chided, but Alec ignored him.
“No. That’s why I wondered why you think she lied about the stalker,” Luke replied.
“I’m having a feeling that she has changed since you’ve last seen her,” Alec said wryly.
What the fuck?
“I can’t see that. She’ll call me. You’ll see,” Luke said with confidence.
Bruce pulled his business card out of his pocket. “When she does, will you please let me know?”
“Sure,” Luke said and took the card.
“Oh, and try to get some contact information or where she is, okay?”
“I can try, but she was really spooked when I last saw her,” Luke said.
“Thank you for your time. Good luck with the business,” Alec said. “What is it going to be, anyway?”
“A manufacturing plant for glass like beer bottles, alcohol bottles, vases, etc. Anything that’s glass.”
Chapter 32
Aaron waved goodbye to Bruce and Alec as they drove away. Then he pulled out his keys and opened the door of the factory. He was grateful for being naturally paranoid. If he wasn’t, they would have been able to walk right into the factory. They were peeking in the door when he had spotted them. If he wasn’t doing a perimeter check, they would have been here and gone without him knowing it.
However, he was confident he threw them off of Margo’s trail. They didn’t seem suspicious of him at all, and they definitely didn’t know what was really going on in the factory. Bruce had to be crazy about Margo if he was trying to track her down. Most men would chalk it up and try to find another woman in a situation like this.
Aaron contemplated telling Margo about what had happened, but what if it made her lose her nerve? What if it made this harder for her? She was heart sick over the big guy. After locking the doors again and making sure they were secure, he went downstairs. He had to tell her. If she went out before the big heist it could jeopardize everything if Bruce or any of his or her friends saw her.
He called out for her. No answer. She had mentioned taking a shower. He opened the door to the ladies’ locker room. Sure enough, he heard water running. Aaron walked past the lockers and benches to the open showers.
Margo was soaping her perfect body. With her back turned, he couldn’t see her breasts. But her ass looked just as good as he had first seen it bare a few years ago. “Hey.”
She turned around. “Hey, turn around if you’re going to be in here,” she said as she used her arms to cover her breasts.
“I’ve seen you naked before.”
“I know, but there’s no need to memorize my body. Now, turn around.”
Aaron rolled his eyes as he turned his back. Damn. What I wouldn’t give to bury my face in those things one more time? “I was outside checking the grounds. Guess who was out there?”
“Mickey Mouse.”
“Bruce and Alec.”
“What!?”
“It’s cool. I got them off your scent.”
“How? Alec saw you through the sliding door at my house!”
“Yeah, but you never told him my name. Right?”
“Right, and he never asked.”
“So, I gave them the name that is on the bank loan to this place.”
“What if they look it up?”
“If they do, we’re covered.”
“What were they doing here? What did I do that led them to the factory?”
“I think they followed you the same day that you went to see Frank.”
“Oh God.”
“We’re fine. They don’t suspect a thing about the heist, and I told them a lie that sent them in the other direction looking for you. Unfortunately, Alec is suspecting that you’re full of shit, though.”
“What do you mean?”
Aaron told her how the conversation had gone.
“God, now everybody will think I’m some sort of pathological liar,” she groaned.
“Does it matter? We’ll all be gone in four and a half days anyway. The most important thing is that Bruce and Alec won’t come back here snooping for you anymore, and they know nothing about our plans. The second thing is that you can’t go out anymore. Hell, you can’t even risk hanging around outside just in case they see you from the bridge. Bruce got his eyes out for you, that’s for sure.”
She groaned as the water stopped running. “Well, at least the hot water lasts around here, and the food is not so bad.”
“Matter of fact, I’m going to c
all Bobbi and tell her to get her ass back here. If he’s searching for you like this, I have no doubt that he either will or has tried calling Bobbi to see if she knows anything about your whereabouts.”
“Or go to her condo. He knows where she lives. Well, did anyway. I got a towel on.”
Aaron turned around as he pulled his cell out to call Bobbi on her burner.
****
Bruce had done a quick check on the old sewing factory and the new owner. It all checked out. Luke Connor had won the Powerball jackpot two years ago. He moved to Tampa a year ago and purchased the factory with a bank loan.
Alec figured Luke didn’t want to tie up all his cash in the building. He walked to the cafeteria. Bruce didn’t feel like coming. He had asked Alec to bring him a sandwich and some fries.
“Hey, Alec,” Vic greeted. “Come join us.” He was sitting at a table with Tommy, Troy, and Jack. Bruce and Alec hung out with them sometimes.
He sat down. “I’m just going to chat for a minute. I don’t want to leave Bruce for too long.”
“Where has he been?” Vic asked. “I hadn’t seen him since he got back from Texas.”
“I have. I saw him in the bathroom an hour ago. Quite frankly, he looks like he wants to kill himself,” Jack said.
“He’s . . . he has a lot on his mind,” Alec said.
“Is he having problems with Margo?” Vic asked.
“Kind of,” Alec said.
“It must be more than kind of if he refuses to come out of his office,” Troy said. “Bruce is a social butterfly.”
“I’ve never known a woman that couldn’t be charmed by Bruce Styles,” Tommy said dryly. “He’ll get it under control.”
“I don’t think so. Not this time,” Alec said.
“What the hell is going on, Alec?” Vic asked with concern.
Alec decided to tell them what had been happening. He trusted every man at that table. They had worked together for years, and they always hung out after work. Once he was finished, Jack and Vic were slack jawed and Tommy and Troy were stone-faced.
“What do you make of all this, Alec?” Jack asked.
“Between you and me, guys, I’m suspecting she’s some sort of con artist,” he answered.
“No way,” Vic said. “You said Bruce ran a background check on her. She had no priors. With the exception of a speeding ticket, her record is cleaner than a baby’s bottom.”
“Maybe she hasn’t been caught yet,” Jack said.
“Exactly,” Alec chimed.
“Damn, I hope you’re wrong about her,” Vic said. “I liked that girl.”
****
It was December thirtieth. Anthony had stolen two SUVs from St. Petersburg the night before. He had swapped the plates and placed police radars and scanners in both of them for their escape from the factory tomorrow night.
Margo was making sure the networks were up and working, but she had to make a phone call. She didn’t think she could take it any further without her reassuring him one more time that she and he would be fine. She borrowed Bobbi’s burner to make the call.
She waited patiently for him to come on the line.
“You have fifteen minutes,” the operator said, and a click was heard.
“Peaches?”
“Yes. I wanted to call to assure you–”
“Don’t talk — just listen,” Frank said. “Alec and Bruce came here two days after Christmas.”
“What!”
“They were looking for you. Bruce didn’t take too kindly to you ghosting him. When he finds you, he is going to have some hard questions that I don’t think you really want to answer.”
“He’s not going to find me. What did you tell them?”
“Nothing they didn’t already know. Well . . .”
“Well, what?” she asked nervously.
“I told old Brucie that Bobbi was transgender.”
“Oh, God. You couldn’t help yourself, could you?”
Frank chuckled. “I couldn’t. I like Bobbi, you know that. I didn’t like how he treated her, and then he had the nerve to romance her best friend. He deserved to have his balls busted.”
“And I can just imagine what else you said.”
“Don’t. It would be a waste of our fifteen minutes,” Frank said. “All jokes aside, I don’t think this guy is going to let it go. He had that wild look a man in love has when, well, love isn’t going so good.”
It killed her that Bruce was having a hard time with this. “I can’t do anything about that unfortunately. But he’ll never be able to find me, and for his sake, I hope he’ll let it go eventually.”
“He might find you if you go ahead with your plans,” he said seriously.
“Nothing will go wrong.” She hoped anyway.
“It’s not too late to back out.”
“Yes, it is.”
“What are you really doing this for? The money, the glory, yourself, me, your friends?”
“For all of it. Now listen, I won’t be able to call you again for a very long time.”
“I figured that.”
“But you’ll have what you need when you get out in three years.”
“I know, peaches. I never doubted you.”
“I’m going to miss you, Frankie.” She hadn’t called him Frankie in three years.
“Oh, peaches. If I wasn’t such a fool, we’d still be together, and I wouldn’t be in prison,” he said with regret.
“It’s okay. I still love ya, hon.”
“Yeah, but not like you used to,” he said with amusement.
“Maybe not, but it’s love, just the same.”
Frank chuckled. “I love you, too.”
Chapter 33
New Year’s Eve . . .
Once night had fallen, it was crunch time. Bobbi was loading up their personal things that they all had put in the front foyer of the factory. Anthony was out doing some last-minute errands for his family. Aaron had gone out to his boat to make sure they had everything they needed to start new lives.
Margo was entering bank information in one of the three computers she had set up in the cafeteria. Once the funds from the Federal Reserve Bank were downloaded to the dummy account with the multiple IPs she had programmed, the funds would evenly disperse between eight different accounts. They all had two new identities just in case one got compromised or if the banks got suspicious of one of them getting millions of dollars in electronic funds.
Once the heat cooled down, Margo was going to transfer money to two numbered accounts she had at a Switzerland bank. One account was hers, which had loads of money in it since she had always transferred a small amount of her takes from previous heists to it. The second account was Frank’s for when he got out. That account had money in it, but it would have a lot more once the big heist was done.
****
Anthony kissed his mother goodbye. She was sixty-five years old, and she was in a wheelchair. He didn’t have the heart to tell her that this was the last time they would see each other.
He waved goodbye to his cousins, nieces, and nephews as he walked out on the front porch. His sister was waiting for him like he had asked her to, but Morris was out there as well.
Anthony shrugged. He wanted to give Morris something anyway. Morris being there now saved Anthony time running the ghetto looking for him.
“Hey, cuz,” Morris greeted happily. “Happy New Year.”
“It’s not quite time for that yet,” Anthony said.
“Damn near,” Morris said. “It’s a few minutes after nine.” Morris took a sip out of the forty he was holding.
“Rockelle, I’m going to rap with Morris for a minute since he’s here,” Anthony said.
“Go ahead, I’m not in a hurry,” she said and took a draw off her cigarette.
“I got something in my trunk for you,” Anthony said.
They walked to the back of his Cadillac.
Anthony popped the trunk to reveal the large black Adidas duffle bag. “That�
��s my take from the SunBeam job. I want you to have it.”
“For real?” Morris said in a high-pitched tone.
“Yes, for real. Matter of fact, there is more than that in the bag.”
“What? Why? Where did you get it?”
“Where is none of your concern. What, well, you heard me. Why? For two reasons. One, I have to disappear. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Two, since I’ll be gone and you’re the second oldest of the Mandel grandchildren, you’ll be head of the family now. You’ll need a strong bank roll to take care of our family and any business in the street. I’ve let my lieutenants know. As of now, my people are your people, and they answer to you.”
“Shit, man. You already gave me the restaurant earlier this month,” Morris hissed with concern. “What’s going on? Is someone looking to smoke you? If so, half the cousins are in the house. We can roll on the fool tonight.”
“No. It’s nothing like that, and now that this is on your shoulders, you can’t do that kind of stuff anymore. The last thing the family needs is for you to go down twenty-five with an L.”
“I know, but . . . Anthony, I don’t think I’m ready for this responsibility,” Morris admitted.
“You are,” he countered with confidence. “I wouldn’t be leaving if I didn’t think you could handle it.”
“Okay,” Morris mumbled with worry in his eyes. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?” He picked up the corner of the Adidas bag. “It feels like there’s a shitload of paper in here.”
“It is, and I have plenty, trust me — and more is coming in. Oh, and one more thing.” Anthony reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. “I’m giving you the caddy.”
Morris stumbled backwards. “Ah man,” he said with shock.
“You’ve been eyeing it for years. It’s yours now, hydraulics and all,” Anthony said and held out the keys to him.
He slowly took them. A grim expression formed on his face. “You’re really not coming back.”
“No, I’m not. If I’m able to, I’ll visit, but if I can’t . . .” He trailed off.
Love, Money, and Lies Page 16
