Sitting on a Fortune

by Becki Willis

  “I—I—” She stumbled over an answer, the same way her feet stumbled over a steady foothold. She waited to reply until she was once more on solid ground. “Your birthday is coming up. Don’t ask questions, and don’t go snooping around.” As an afterthought, she added in an irritated tone, “And don’t be sneaking up on me like that!”

  “Didn’t you hear the tone when I disarmed the alarm? And again, when I armed it?”

  “Obviously I didn’t, or I wouldn’t have almost fallen off the stool!” she all but snapped.

  “Why are you using a stool, anyway? That’s what the library ladder is for. Remember how cool you thought that was the first time you used it?”

  “It’s also way over there, and I’m over here. The stool was quicker.”

  “But the ladder is safer,” he pointed out. His dark eyes twinkled as he lifted them to the secret panel. “So, you’re hiding my gift, huh? What is it?”

  “I’m not telling you!”

  “Will I like it?”

  “No, I bought you something I knew you would hate.” Madison rolled her eyes, not yet ready to be charmed by his smile or the playful light in his eyes.

  “If you’re thinking jewelry, I’m not really a diamond sort of guy,” he advised. “Even if other people are frivolous with their jewels, I can’t really see me in a diamond tiara. I’d rather have a new fishing pole or tackle box.”

  “How long were you standing there?” she asked with suspicion.

  “I came in on ‘more money than I do’ and the sound of the sliding panel.” He shook his head in pretend remorse. “Didn’t get to see a thing.”

  “Good. Stop being so nosy.”

  “I didn’t know I was.” He pulled the belt from his waist and loosened the buttons of his uniform. “But since I apparently am, I’ll be deliberately nosy and ask who has so much more money than you that they can be frivolous with their jewels?”

  “Uhm, I saw a ridiculously extravagant dog collar the other day.” At least this much was true. “It had diamonds, rubies, and sapphires, of all things!”

  “Diamonds? On a dog collar?”

  “Okay, so the diamonds were actually cubic zirconia, but the rubies and sapphires were real.”

  When Brash walked into the adjacent bedroom, Madison trailed behind, eager to put distance between them and her hidden secret. He sat on the edge of the bed to tug the cowboy boots off his feet.

  Exactly why he needs a chair, she noted with satisfaction.

  “Where did you see something as crazy as that?” he asked with a chuckle. “Some city slicker with a pet poodle who wears booties and a mink-lined coat?”

  “That may have been where it came from originally, but I saw it right here in town. At the Gold and Silver Exchange.”

  Brash released a small groan. “That’s exactly where I’ve been for the past hour.”

  “Really? Did they have another suspicious person lurking around?” It had happened several times over the past few months. In fact, she recalled Brash mentioning a similar complaint when she first came back to town. That was over a year ago.

  “No. The cleaning crew accidentally set off the alarm. Even though Sandy Henry admitted her mistake and apologized repeatedly, Lamont Andrews insisted I search every inch of the place.”

  Madison glanced up at the clock, surprised to see the late hour. She had spent more time reading the journals than she realized. “What was the cleaning crew doing there at this time of night?” she asked, opening the double doors of the walk-in closet.

  When she first saw the design for her newly remodeled suite of rooms and extravagant closet, she thought it was overkill. What was Nick Vilardi thinking, putting double doors on a closet? Now, just a few months later, she couldn’t imagine squeezing through a standard doorway carrying an armful of laundry.

  Shrugging out of his shirt, Brash said, “I asked the same thing. She said business has picked up, and she has to work all kinds of crazy hours to fit everyone in. Since most of her jobs are businesses who want the work done after hours, it means working well into the night.”

  “If business is that good,” Madison reasoned, stepping from the closet with her gown in hand, “she should consider hiring more help.”

  Brash flashed her a smile. “I told her that, too. She asked if In a Pinch washed windows.”

  Distracted by the sight of her husband’s bare chest, she of all people understood the sensation it created during their homebound honeymoon several weeks ago. The man—her man—was sculpted of muscle, and very finely so. She still saw occasional pictures floating around social media sites, despite Brash’s desperate plea for the madness to stop. They tried getting an injunction against the media outlets who released the photos, but multiple photographers had snapped the pictures and the images had gone viral. Recalling the pictures was like recalling words spoken into the wind.

  “Windows?” she murmured, losing the thread of the conversation.

  Bending to take off his socks, Brash shrugged. “I guess even cleaning services outsource their least favorable jobs. Everyone wants sparkling windows, right? But no one wants the job making them sparkle.” Despite his easy banter, his voice betrayed his tiredness. Standing to unfasten his jeans, he turned in time to see the sparkle in his wife’s eyes.

  The lines of exhaustion vanished from his face.

  “Maddy, darlin’?” he drawled slowly.

  “Yeah?”

  “You don’t need that gown.”

  Ten

  The man moved along the uneven floor of the old barn, his feet shuffling across the warped and weakened boards. He carried a clipboard in his hand as he counted, recounted, and confirmed the inventory of the shelf.

  “Copper collection. Check.”

  Satisfied, he hung the checklist back in place and moved to the next set of shelves. He repeated the same process.

  “Jewel collection. Check.”

  He paused long enough to pat the dog on the head. Reared up on its hind legs, Pup rested his furry paws on the man’s knee.

  “There’s a good boy,” the man cooed. “There’s my watchdog. You’ll guard my treasures, won’t you, boy?”

  Pup wagged a shaggy tail in reply, and the man moved along, returning to his work.

  “Silver all accounted for. Check.”

  Another shelf, another inventory.

  “Ancient artifacts. Check.”

  He crossed to the far side of the old structure.

  “Modern art. Check.”

  He moved in front of the next set of shelving, a frown marring his face. “Vases. All here. Except… where is that Chinese vase? No, not the Nippon Jade. The… ah, yes. There.” The frown gave way to a look of serenity. “All accounted for. Check.”

  There was one last shelf.

  “Ah, the gold.”

  He lingered here, carefully inspecting each piece. Counting. Recounting. Counting again. The repetition brought him comfort. He had always liked numbers, particularly if they pertained to his wealth. There was safety in numbers. Security.

  Numbers were finite. They never changed. Even when everything else in life changed, numbers never did. Numbers didn’t evoke his anger. Numbers didn’t taunt him. Numbers didn’t confuse him. Numbers comforted him. He liked numbers.

  “Gold. Check.”

  He enjoyed counting so much, he liked numbers so well, that he started over again.

  “Copper collection. Check.”

  Eleven

  As soon as Monday’s lunch crowd thinned, Madison and Genny left for their recognizance mission.

  “This brings back way too many memories,” Genny moaned as they took the blacktopped road out of town. She peered out the front windshield, scanning the sky. “Is it getting cloudy outside? I swear it’s getting darker by the minute. Oh, wait. That’s just the memories of that night.”

  Madison ignored her theatrics. “Or maybe it’s the shadows from the trees. It really is a lovely drive with all the trees edging the road, creating tho
se lacy patterns on the pavement.”

  Genny merely grunted. A few miles down the road, she muttered, “That little clump of trees isn’t so lovely. That’s where we parked our getaway car. And that’s the fence we had to crawl through to escape the goats, the dogs, and the men with guns.”

  “Technically, the fence would have only stopped the goats,” Madison pointed out. “Had they not been distracted, the dogs and the men would have kept coming. If we look closely, we may see traces of my clothes still snagged in the barbed wire.”

  “Thanks for the reminder. And for the record, that burned-out shell of the Muehler farm definitely isn’t so lovely.”

  “It gets prettier as we go,” Madison was quick to assure her. “See? A nice big hayfield, with all that tall grass, just blowing in the wind, waiting to be cut and bailed. Oh, and look. Deer.”

  “I enjoy a drive in the country as much as the next person, Maddy. In fact, I live down a road very similar to this one, in case you’ve forgotten.”

  “Is something wrong, Genny? You seem… a bit testy.”

  “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

  “Really? Because it feels like something. We’ve gone on a hundred of these goose chases, you and me. One of us says frog and the other jumps, no questions asked. But this time, you’re asking questions. So, I know it’s something.”

  “I guess you’re going to point out that, normally, it’s me who says frog, you who jumps.”

  Madison couldn’t help but smile. “That’s true. You’re usually the leader of our shenanigans. I’ve always been the one to play it safe.”

  “Until last year, when you came back to The Sisters,” Genny pointed out. “I’ve seen a definite change in you, girlfriend. You have a new confidence about you. A new strength. New leadership abilities.”

  “Is that your eloquent way of saying I’ve taken over and rooted you out?”

  “Not at all. I couldn’t be prouder of you! I’ve always known you were a strong woman, but since Gray’s death, you’ve really come into your own.”

  “Trial by fire,” Madison mumbled. “But we weren’t talking about me. We’re talking about you.”

  Genny studied the passing scenery. “I’m not accusing you of taking over,” she assured her friend. “But feel free to do so at any point. Lord knows, you’ve followed me on some wild and crazy stunts.” She chuckled in memory before continuing, “If I’m finally stopping to ask questions, maybe I’m just finally catching up to you. Maybe I’m finally growing up, myself. Maybe I see the importance of becoming more responsible, less reckless.”

  Madison gasped aloud. “Genesis Baker Montgomery!” she gushed. “Are you pregnant?”

  She glanced over in time to see her friend blush. “We’re trying,” Genny admitted.

  Madison all but squealed. “This is so exciting! My best friend is going to be a mother! I’ll finally be an aunt!”

  “It’s too soon to say, but I’m hoping…” Genny cupped her belly with a protective hand. Her blue eyes shone with excitement. “But, please. No one knows we’re even trying.”

  “I won’t say a word,” Madison was quick to assure her. She almost bounced in her seat. “But a baby! It’s been so long since I held a tiny baby in my arms. My babies are almost grown. It seems like only yesterday, our roles were reversed. Gray and I were trying to get pregnant, and you were already picking out names.”

  “Little did I know you’d need two names!” Genny laughed. “And as much as I love the twins, I sincerely hope I don’t follow suit. I’m terrified enough over the thought of one baby, much less two!”

  “Terrified? What’s there to be terrified of?”

  “Ha! Listen to you, putting up such a brave front. I’ve been right there beside you, sister. All the times you cried, wondering if you were up to the task of raising children. The first time you spanked Blake and you called me, second-guessing yourself while bawling your eyes out. The first time—”

  She interrupted her friend with a firm but gentle voice. “You’re right, Genny. You were always there for me. Just like I’ll be there for you. But you already have an advantage. You’ve always been such a huge presence in Blake and Bethani’s lives. You’ve helped raise them, so you already have experience. And I can’t think of a single soul who will be a better mother than you.” Madison reached out her hand to squeeze her friend’s fingers.

  “Thanks, Maddy. That means a lot to me.” Genny returned the squeeze.

  “If you want me to turn around, I will. I’ll drop you back at the café. No hard feelings.”

  “There certainly will be!” Genny huffed, drawing her hand away. “If you take me back and make me sit on the sidelines while you have all the fun, there will definitely be hard feelings! Don’t you dare leave me out, girlfriend. Not until I’m too big to waddle to the car or until I’ve gone into labor.”

  This was the Genny she knew and loved. Madison laughed, promising, “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  Five minutes later, they parked the car just down from Lamont Andrew’s house and casually walked into his yard. If someone happened to be home—a girlfriend, for instance, or for some reason Lamont, himself—their cover story would be car trouble.

  When no one came to the door, they took it as an invitation to look around.

  “I don’t get it. What does Pup find so fascinating about this place?” Genny asked.

  “Beats me. Lamont doesn’t have kids, doesn’t have a dog, doesn’t even have a cat Pup can torment. He certainly doesn’t offer treats and belly rubs when Pup shows up, but something is fascinating enough for the dog to keep coming back.”

  Genny motioned with her blonde head. “What’s in the shed?”

  “Fort Knox, judging from the padlocks.”

  “Hmm. It looks like a hard wind could blow it over.”

  Madison nodded. “That’s exactly what I said.” They stood back to ponder the barn’s stability. “Does anything strike you odd about that barn? Besides the locks, of course.”

  “Not really. Looks like a typical old hay barn to me.”

  “But, look at Lamont’s house and how neat the yard is. Then, look at the grass around the barn. It doesn’t look like it’s been cut all year.”

  “Obviously, he uses the driveway as a dividing point. Left side neat and trim, right side wild and woolly. What’s so strange about that? He probably seldom uses the barn.”

  “Then why the overkill on locks and chains? And why are there tire tracks leading up to the door? Someone has been here recently.”

  Genny flashed a smile. “That’s part of the beauty of living in the country. No city ordinances on keeping yards mowed. I know we have a huge yard around the farmhouse. Cutter started putting up a fence, but until it’s finished, he uses an imaginary line to determine where the yard ends. He mows up to the edge of it and not an inch more. Looks like Lamont Andrews does the same thing.”

  Madison shrugged in agreement as they crossed the gravel driveway and approached the barn. Picking their way forward through the unkempt grass, they edged up to the barn and peered through the cracks of the weathered boards. The interior of the old structure was dark, offering no hint as to what laid inside. Maddy pushed on a few of the boards, testing their strength. One rattled in place. Another swayed inward with applied force. None gave way completely.

  “I guess it’s sturdier than it looks,” she decided.

  They circled the old barn, realizing it was larger than they first thought. It sat in the far-right corner of the property, backing up to the edge of the neighbor’s high game fence. Only a thin strip of grass separated the two properties.

  “Sure. Back here, the grass is controlled,” Madison muttered.

  “Makes sense,” Genny reasoned. “I imagine the game ranch sprays around the perimeter to keep the fence free of grass and briers.”

  “Look.” Maddy pointed. “I think something’s been digging back here.”

  “Pup?”

  “Maybe.”

  Ma
dison found a missing knothole large enough to peer through. She engaged the flashlight feature on her phone and aimed it into the abyss. There was just enough light, and just enough eyeball space, to make out a row of shelving along one wall. She could tell that most of the shelves were full but couldn’t see well enough to determine what they held.

  “This isn’t working.”

  Madison concluded with a sigh, stepping away from the building.

  “At least we tried.”

  “I guess. And I don’t see any signs of Pup having been here recently.” Reluctantly, Madison turned to leave. “I’ll just have to break the news to Monte that—”

  “Wait.” Genny held up a restraining hand. “Do you hear something?”

  “I hope it’s not Lamont coming home.”

  “No, it sounds more like… whining. Maddy, I think it’s a dog!”

  “Pup! Here, Pup!” Maddy called.

  From inside the barn, a dog barked. The sound came from the front of the structure, but the more they called, the closer the sound came. It was now mingled with excited whimpers, yaps, and the steady thump of a wagging tail.

  “We hear you, boy. And we’re going to get you out of here,” Maddy promised.

  “And how do you propose that?” Genny demanded. “These boards are more solid than they look. Remember?”

  “There’s got to be something around here we can use to pry a board loose. It only needs to be a small opening.” She looked around, hoping a pry bar would magically appear. When that didn’t happen, she took matters into her own hands. “You stay here while I go find something.”

  Mission accomplished, Madison returned a few minutes later. She found Genny crouched down at the dog’s level, visiting through the boards. The blonde woman had found another knothole to stick her finger through, and Pup was busily licking her fingers, bringing laughter with his exuberance.

  The laughter died when she saw her friend lugging a large, heavy ax. Her eyes widened in surprise.

  “You aren’t seriously going to use that thing, are you?”