by Rose, Kristi
“You have to sleep,” she warned.
“Well, duh,” I said.
She slammed on the brakes, and I jerked forward, grimacing as my body ached from the sudden strain against the belt.
She swirled toward me. “Don’t say ‘well, duh’! You know I didn’t mean it to state a fact.” She slugged me slightly above my knee. At least it wasn’t in the shoulder.
“Ow.”
“I said you need to sleep, and my next question was what are you going to do about it? Keep staying in your place, hoping one day you’ll feel safe again?”
I gestured for her to drive, and she did. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I hope when this is over I’ll feel better staying there again.” I had a niggling doubt that would be true. The townhouse felt violated.
“You have to get ahead of them, Samantha. You have to own this,” she said and whipped the SUV through the roundabout that would take us to the interstate.
“I’ve been trying, Erika,” I said, using her given name to make a point. “I’m doing the best I can.” I mumbled the last part because I wasn’t sure I was doing my best. My gut told me I was missing something obvious.
Precious sighed heavily. “I know you are. It’s just I feel so helpless. And I don’t like the way it feels.”
I snorted. “Try being me.”
“You’re doing a great job, other than the sleep.” She gave me two thumbs up then returned her hands to the wheel. “You could stay with me. In fact, I’m kinda hurt you haven’t asked.”
“Because I don’t want to bring my troubles to my friend’s doorstep.” I pointed to my face.
Precious snorted. “I have a state-of-the-art security system, and I’ve taken kickboxing classes for years.”
I had a vision of Precious being whipped around like a rag doll, like I had been, her breasts clobbering her in the face. She had a hot temper when riled, and I had a morbid curiosity to see how an event like that would play out.
“Okay,” I said, “I’ll stay the night at your place.”
She exited into Vancouver downtown and toward the main Key Finance bank. “Sweet, we can watch action thrillers and maybe pick up some tips.”
As if real life would be as smoothly coordinated as a film. I wish. Besting Mad Dog, Heterochromiac man, would have been awesome.
“Circle through the parking lot and see if you notice anything odd,” I said when she pulled up in front of the building.
A customer walked in front of the car. She was an older woman wearing brown tights stretched to an inch of its threads, a flesh-colored tank top imitating a second skin, and black crochet Ugg boots.
“Odd like how?” Precious sighed. “Where does she keep her ID? How about her keys?”
We both stared for a moment, then in unison said, “In her boots.” We fist-bumped, then I got out of the car.
The line to a teller was short, and I deposited my new winnings into my business account. Not being able to pay Toby was a constant fear. I’d looked up his hourly wage in the secret spy cloud and was shocked to discover he made more than I had working at Toomey’s Photography Studio. A true clue into my business prowess was that I had no clue how many hours Toby had racked up to date. I sucked at this job.
When the deposit was complete, I showed the teller a piece of paper with the secret bar account number written on it. “My husband left me this account number for this bank. But I’m not sure what sort of account it is.”
Her nameplate identified her as Trista, and she looked barely out of high school with wicked long fake nails painted vibrant red except the ring fingernails. Those were gold. She glanced at the paper like it was an imposition.
“That’s not a savings or checking account number.” She smiled to the customer over my shoulder.
“Okay, I kinda figured. Do you have any idea what sort of account it is?” I smiled, hoping she would take pity on me.
She slid the paper to me, not bothering to give it a second look. “You can see a manager. The lady at the front reception will call one for you. They can help you.” Her expression asked me if we were done here. Anger flared through me. I was tired of people not being helpful. Just once I wanted someone to give me a straight answer.
I pointed to my bruised face. “See this,” I said, not waiting for her to nod but continued when she glanced at my head. “I got this at the taco stand. Guy was seriously unhelpful. So I taught him a lesson. You should see how he looks.” I slid the paper off the counter while staring her down, then took two steps back. I pointed to my face then to hers before swiveling on my heel and exiting the building in a fast jog-walk, afraid she’d tapped some secret button under the counter to sic the security guard after me.
Precious was idling where I left her and flirting with the security guard. He didn’t look to be in any rush to rescue a teller from a madwoman.
Precious gestured to the guard as I got into the SUV. “He asked me to move, and I told him I was only going to be a moment. We got to talking about what he wants to do long-term because this gig isn’t working out.” She faced the guard. “Bart, right?” He nodded. She handed him a business card she kept on her center console. “I’m Erika Shurmann, and I can help you get your life on track in the direction you want. Give me a call.”
I didn’t have to see her to know she was giving him her dazzling smile. Bart looked like a man who’d been offered a three-tittied woman.
“I sure will,” he said in awe, staring at Precious’s chest region.
“Let’s go,” I said and punched her in the arm. “Sorry, Bart. Have to get going. Nice to meet you.” I pushed at Precious’s knee to get her to put some pressure on the gas.
“Bye-bye,” she said as she eased from the curb. When we were back on the main road out of Vancouver and headed back to Wind River, she asked, “Why are you shaking?”
“I maybe threatened the teller,” I said and chewed my lip. I told her the story. “I think I’m losing it. I lost my temper and still didn’t get the answer I wanted, but I can’t go back there today.”
Precious snorted. “We need to bring you back around. And you know how we do that?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “You need a win. Where are we with the cases you’re working on?”
I ignored the use of “we.” “I need to talk with Shannon.” I glanced at my watch. “Perfect timing. We’ll get there right as school gets out.”
Precious gunned it. “Hold on to your titties, kitties, we’re on the case.”
We made it to the school five minutes before the dismissal bell rang. “Let’s go to her classroom,” Precious said.
Shannon’s room was empty so we waited for her to return.
“Oh, my word,” Shannon said as she blew into the room. She put her hand to her heart and stared wide-eyed at me. “You got the picture, didn’t you? I knew it. That rat bastard is cheating.” She collapsed into a kid-sized chair.
“You were hoping he wasn’t?” I asked.
She nodded and put her palms over her eyes. “He’s the father of my kids. I don’t want what comes next.”
“What does come next?” Precious asked.
“I don’t know. Now that I have to decide.” She groaned.
On Shannon’s hand was a silver ring, and I moved closer to check it out. It was two entwined hearts with flecks of diamonds on the outer arches. I touched the ring. “Tell me about this.”
She pulled her hands away and stared down at her fingers. “Sean gave it to me a week ago. I was hoping he was turning a new leaf, ya know? He said he was sorry for being a half-assed husband and father.” She choked back a sob.
It was yesterday Sean had the ring. If he’d lied about giving it to Shannon who was he really giving it to?
“Shannon, I don’t have the money shot yet, but I did see him with someone. Your suspicion about his extramarital—ahem—activities was spot on.” This part of the job sucked. I really wanted that win Precious mentioned earlier.
Shannon made a sound that
was half nervous giggle, half sob. “I’m glad you don’t have a picture. I don’t think I want to see one anyway. I don’t want to know what this woman looks like.”
I was sitting across from a real wife. Knowing I was another “this woman,” also known as the “other woman,” was uncomfortable. Never mind what else I needed to tell her.
“I have something to ask you.”
She gestured for me to continue, her expression ragged from disappointment and grief.
“You said he’s been acting weird. Did he tell you yet about the casino?”
She shook her head.
“Not even that he won?”
She shook her head again.
“Has he bought any big purchases?” How a man sat on nearly two-million dollars as long and as quietly as Sean had was baffling.
“No, in fact I had to call him because he hadn’t put his pay in the account, and the mortgage was about to come out.”
I paused, thinking, trying to make sense of it. He gave Shannon the same ring he was carrying in his pocket. Everyone at the casino thought he’d hooked up with Kimmie, and I’d seen them together. He hadn’t told a soul about the money, and it wasn’t showing up in their joint account.
“I ran into Sean yesterday. He’s really miffed at both the city and his dad.”
Shannon rolled her eyes. “He’s always mad at his dad. A few years ago, he decided to quit and start his own landscaping company. We talked to the bank and everything, but when it came time to pull the trigger, he chickened out. Said he’d rather not compete with his dad and he’d probably be more successful owning a fishing excursion boat. I was so mad because, of course, I had to do all the legwork. He’s such an ignoramus when it comes to something as simple as opening a bank account.” Clearly, her stages of getting over something cycled faster than mine. She was past shock and denial and moving fast into anger.
“Sean’s been coming home every night?” Trying to think like a shady ne’r do well was coming easier by the day. I was getting an idea about how things might play out.
“Mostly, but he left today for another camping trip.”
My gaze settled on her two-hearts ring, and I suddenly put the pieces together. I jumped to my feet. “I believe I know where he is. I think he’s going to split town. He won over two million at the casino about four weeks ago.”
Shannon’s mouth fell open. Shocked.
“Yeah, well the casino won’t release it for two more weeks. It’s their policy to give the patron privacy and time to put security into place. Do you want me to stop him or let him go?” The decision was hers, but I was hoping she’d want me to intervene.
Shannon jumped to her feet, too. “Stop him. I want some of that money.”
I glanced at Precious.
She nodded. “Let’s go. I’ve already started the car,” she said and showed the key fob.
“I’m going too,” Shannon said. “I’ll just swing by my car and get our son’s baseball bat.”
26
Wednesday
Our first stop was the casino. I needed to confirm a suspicion I had. I made Shannon wait in the car and Precious her keeper. But I took her ring with me.
The hour was early, and I wasn’t sure if any of the people I needed to see would be there. A quick scan on the floor showed no Jessica, but there was another blonde working the table next to hers who could be Kimmie. Lisa Harper walked by, and I snagged her by the elbow.
“Hey, remember me?” I quickly let go when I caught sight of her hostile expression. I didn’t have time to mingle with security. “I’m Sean’s friend.”
Her expression changed to annoyance with a tad of disgust. “That piece of crap.”
“Yeah, tell me about it. He hasn’t been in, has he?” I watched her closely for any signs of lying. Not that I was an expert by any means, but my gut was telling me something was off.
“He hasn’t been in since he won.” She smiled thinly.
Maybe it was the type of questions I was asking. Too specific. I tried another one just as practice, not expecting anything to come from it. “Have you seen him at all? Not at the casino, but maybe in town or something?”
Lisa stiffened. She crossed her arms, her hands gripping her biceps. She paused as if she was thinking hard about the question, but her body language spoke for itself. She was hiding something. “No, I don’t think I have. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Sean outside the casino.”
I glanced at her fingers and was rewarded with my answer. “Except for when you used to meet him at the cabin behind The Chief.” I pointed to the two entwined hearts ring. “Looks like he gives those out as parting gifts. Even gave one to his wife.”
She stuffed her hands in her pockets. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t. Shame on you hooking up with a married man.” The words tumbled out before I even gave them thought. I was such a hypocrite. I glanced out at the casino floor. I’d come during a shift change.
“You think you’re so high and mighty. But you would, too, if you were in love,” she said, unknowingly pushing my shame button.
Lucky for Carson he died before I could kill him.
“I’m done here.” She pivoted and fast-walked away from me toward what I assumed was the staff-only area of the casino. The portion behind the walls, inaccessible to customers like me.
I did my own version of fast-walking to catch the blonde leaving her table. “Kimmie?” I asked.
She faced me. Yet again another version of Shannon, this one squeaky clean. No piercings, but like the Shannon of our teen years. “Yes?”
She was holding a tray of balls and chips, I assumed the house winnings. I couldn’t see her hands.
“I’m Samantha. I believe we have a mutual friend. Sean Kleppner? He gave me this.” I showed her Shannon’s ring.
Kimmie gasped. “He gave me one, too. Yesterday.”
“That’s because he’s going to dump you, you nitwit,” Jessica said from her table. Our attention went to Jessica. She waved her hand in the air, pointing to the exact ring.
Kimmie shook her head. She was a soft-spoken little bird, and I hated Sean for using her like he did. “No, he’s going camping. I’ll see him in a few weeks when he gets back.”
Jessica snorted. “Doubtful. The only way you’re going to see him again is when he comes back in here to gamble, and he won’t be doing that until he blows through his winnings.”
“Yep,” I said pointing at Jessica. “She’s right. Sorry, Kimmie,” I said, backing away. “Thanks for your help, ladies.”
I hustled out of the casino then jogged to the car. Precious was peeling out before I had the door slammed. Our destination? The cabins behind The Chief.
Sure enough, Sean’s work truck was parked at number three. Parked perpendicular to it was a brand new Ford F-350, a vehicle big enough to tow a house. A paper tag was stuck to the back window. The truck bed was partially loaded with camping equipment, fishing rods, and rope. Precious pulled longways across the road, blocking the way out.
“So he really is going camping?” Shannon asked, puzzled.
“I don’t think so. He’s leaving town for good. I’m guessing he bought that new truck with some of his money and is using the rest to buy into a boat excursion company in Mexico.” Sean would need to leave the country if he wanted to run from his wife and obligations. “He might even be going someplace like Punta Cana. Anywhere, really, that doesn’t extradite.”
Shannon picked up that bat. “No, he’s not.”
But before she could reach for the door, Sean ran out to the back of the F-350. He was shouting at someone in the cabin. “Hurry, she said they might know we’re here. We have to go now!” He stopped short as he caught sight of Precious’s SUV, his eyes going wide.
“I can’t wait to see who his bimbo is. How I’m not going to clobber her, too, is going to be a miracle,” Shannon said and got out from the car.
I fumbled in my bag for my stu
n gun. I tossed my phone to Precious and told her to call Leo and give him the rundown.
“Now, Shannon,” Sean said, his hands up, palms out in self-defense mode. “You know you aren’t happy with me. Do you really want me to stay?”
“No,” she said, “I don’t. But I want some of that money. It’s the least you can do for your kids.”
He gave her a spiteful look. “I spent it all.”
Shannon tossed the bat from hand to hand. “On what? This truck and rings for the bimbos? Who’s in the cabin, Sean? Hmm? Is she afraid to come out? She should be.” Shannon’s voice was menacing as she crept toward him.
“It’s me,” a male voice said from the small front porch of the cabin.
Both Shannon and I stopped in our tracks. Then Shannon laughed.
“Of course, it would be you, Orville. You two can’t take a poop without telling the other about it.”
Orville stood at the doorway of the cabin. “Just give her some money, Sean.”
Sean crossed his arms. “Nope, not doing it. She wants to act all high and mighty and accuse me of affairs, but why not tell us about the one she’s been having with the sixth-grade math teacher?”
Both Shannon and I gasped. Likely for different reasons.
“How did you know about that?” she asked.
“I’m not as dense as you think,” Sean said. “I’m not going to make that math geek’s life cushy.” He jabbed an angry finger in her direction. “You both can go to hell.”
With only a yard between them and both staring each other down, I moved around Shannon to stand below them but in between them, forming a triangle, and positioned myself so I could reach either or be between them in a flash if need be.
“I only hooked up with him because you were already cheating. I’m so lonely, and you’re never around,” Shannon said.
“Whatever.” Sean took a tarp out from the back and whipped it open, preparing to tie it down to the top of the bed to keep everything contained. He then slammed the tailgate closed
