“God, I hope not. Abner is the best of the best. If he said he could do it, and he did say he could, then I think we should just consider it done. More coffee?”
“Sure, why not? My nerves are twanging all over the place as it is. One more cup isn’t going to make a difference. You do realize we are not going to be sleeping tonight, don’t you?”
“Of course. Why else do you think I didn’t turn down the beds?”
“Then why did we put our nightgowns on?” Myra fretted.
“Because that’s what we do every night, and we’re creatures of comfort and habit,” Annie said tartly.
“I suppose that makes sense in some cockamamie way,” Myra observed, just as Annie’s cell phone chirped to life. Annie had the cell to her ear in a nanosecond. She listened, her fist shooting in the air. “Yes, yes, Abner, I realize you are three and one-half minutes ahead of schedule.” She listened again, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. When she finally broke the connection, she leaned over to hug Myra.
“He did it. The whole ball of wax. Darlene Wyatt no longer exists. Anywhere. She’s in no databases. Her Social Security number now belongs to someone who died years ago. Her credit cards have been erased. She no longer has a credit report. Her cars will be repossessed in the next twenty-four hours, all traces of ownership erased. Ollie’s monthly Social Security payments, under a different name and Social Security number—which can be changed back once this is all taken care of—have been routed to an account in a new bank. No one at the bank even knows about the account, but will at nine o’clock in the morning. All Darlene’s bank accounts are now closed, as well as Adam Fortune’s accounts, with no record that they ever existed. Both of them became paupers three and one-half minutes ago—unless they have some cash money in their pockets. I wonder how she’s going to pay for her Starbucks coffee in the morning.”
Myra clapped her hands in glee. “This is just too delicious for words. Hurry, call Julie and tell her. Ask her what she thinks Darlene will do when it hits the fan. She’s made studying that wormy woman her life’s work, so she might have an opinion as to where Darlene will go or what she will do to get money.”
Myra brewed a fresh pot of coffee and made up a plate of cheese and crackers, which she carried back to the living room. She sat down in the middle of a pile of papers and started to munch on the snacks, the moment Annie hung up the phone.
“We just made that woman one happy lady. She said she thinks she will sleep like a baby tonight. I hope she’s right.”
“What did she say about Darlene?”
“Nothing good. She said she’s been pretty much out of the loop this past year and a half and isn’t sure what she’s doing or not doing. As to where she could borrow money, she said possibly her family, who live in Upstate New York, but she said they are of modest means and don’t have the kind of money she’s going to need. Plus, according to gossip, they—the family—distanced themselves from Darlene once she moved her boyfriend and his kids into the house. She thinks that is a total dead end. There are no friends with money that she knows of. Adam was seen pawning stuff at a local pawnshop. She said Larry’s jewelry—a Rolex watch, a gold ring, and a gold chain with a cross on it—never came back to the family. She said most of the boyfriend’s friends are biker dudes who follow the road and work jobs on the fly. Darlene has no friends that Julie is aware of, because the bitch is so mean and nasty.”
“Now that is music to my ears,” Myra said, a big smile lighting up her face. “Which brings me back to what I said earlier. How is she going to pay for that Starbucks coffee in the morning?” Annie was rolling around on the floor laughing at the visual Myra had just created for her.
“We did good tonight, Myra. Let’s try and get some sleep. Right here on the floor with these pillows. We can pretend we’re having a slumber party.” When Annie punched in her pillow, she was dismayed to see that Myra was already asleep and snoring lightly.
Gracie rang the doorbell at six fifty. Myra and Annie were sitting on the steps, waiting to see if Gracie could really ring the bell. When she did, both women burst out laughing. “I guess I’m going to have to teach Lady how to do that.” They followed the beautiful dog across the lawn and up the steps and the little platforms to the main house. The scent of bacon, home-fried potatoes—the old-fashioned kind, with onions and peppers—and coffee wafted about them.
The women smiled at one another. “How did you sleep, Julie?”
“I didn’t sleep a wink. I was too excited. I wish I could go with you to Starbucks, but even I know that is not a wise move. But I want you to call me if you think you might need my help. How did you sleep?”
“We didn’t close our eyes, either,” Myra fibbed. “So you don’t think there’s anyplace she can borrow money, is that it?”
Julie filled both their plates with fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, and potatoes. The toast was warm and buttered. Homemade strawberry jam sat on the table, along with a bowl of cut-up melon. The coffee was hot and freshly ground. “Not to my knowledge, but I guess we’ll know soon enough if we see her scrambling.”
“This looks wonderful, and it smells the way breakfast should,” Annie said. “I just had a thought. Do you have a car-rental agency here in town? I think we should rent several different cars, so if Darlene or Adam get suspicious of us, at least they won’t be sure.”
“We do, actually. Enterprise, and they will deliver. I know they open at seven because last year I had to rent a car. I can call them now. How many do we want?”
“Let’s go with three. I’ll use my credit card to pay when they deliver the cars. We should also think about some reasonable disguises. My gut is telling me Darlene is going to be way too busy to pay attention to old ladies in different cars. But you never know, so let’s be prepared.”
“And I know just the place to get everything we need. In fact, as soon as I make the arrangements for the cars to be brought here, I will scoot over to the girls’ art school and bring back what we need. Carrie and Connie have everything under the sun—wigs, hats, stuff that will change a look but not be overpowering. The kids put on a performance once a year to show off their artwork, and they do it in costume. It won’t take but twenty minutes to go, scoop it up, and get back here.”
“I just love it when a plan comes together. Remember how George Peppard used to say that on the A-Team, Myra?”
“He’s dead, Annie, but, yes, I do remember how he always used to say that. That was one of Charles’s favorite television shows.”
“Okay, Enterprise will have three cars here by eight thirty. A Mustang, a Taurus, and a Ford pickup. I’m going to leave you now, and I won’t be gone long. You can clean up if you want. I cooked. That’s fair, right?”
“Absolutely,” Myra said.
“I like that lady more and more each time we talk to her. She’s like us, Myra; she has grease on her sneakers. No grass is growing under her feet, that’s for sure. I also like the idea that now that she has money coming out her ears, she doesn’t want to go the legal route, and wants us to do what we do best, get justice for Larry and pound that ex-daughter-in-law of hers into the ground.”
“Have you given any thought to what will happen to us if we get caught?” Myra asked curiously.
“About as much as you have, Myra. I don’t really care, do you?”
“Not one little bit, Annie. Let’s clear the table and fill the dishwasher. Do you think these two bowls of food are for the dogs?”
“Why don’t you ask them, Myra?”
“Smart-ass! Gracie, is this your food?” Cooper barked twice. Gracie just looked at Myra as if to say, whose food do you think it is, since my name is on the bowl? Myra, chagrined, set the bowls on the floor. The two dogs wolfed down their breakfast, then scooted out their doggie door.
Julie was as good as her word; she was back in twenty minutes. She made fresh coffee, and while it was dripping into the pot, she showed them what she had brought back with her in a big cardboard box. “I go
t in and out before the girls showed up. I’m not ready to own up to what we’re doing just yet.”
“Well, this isn’t exactly Alexis’s red bag, but I think it will do. But we’ll need to pick up some latex and some stuff for padding. Maybe you can do that today, Julie. I’ll make a list. If we work in unison, we’ll make more progress,” Myra said. Annie and Julie both nodded in agreement.
Outside, a horn blew. “I think our cars are here. I have to open the gates. I’m going to have them drive around to the back so the cars can’t be seen from the street. I don’t trust anyone these days, even though the shrubbery and trees are so dense. Darlene is going to be desperate, and the first person she’s going to blame will be me. Do you want to come with me?”
The three women walked out the front door, and Julie directed the fleet of cars to the back part of the house. Annie signed her name, offered up her American Express Black Card, and accepted the receipt and keys. The drivers of the rentals climbed into the back of a fourth car as Julie explained how they were to exit the grounds. When the car was out of sight, the three women smacked their hands together as the dogs romped around, smelling the cars. Cooper lifted his leg on all three cars.
“He always does that. He has to claim everything if it’s new. Gracie couldn’t care less.”
“Let’s finish off the coffee before we get ready to leave,” Annie said.
“I’ve had enough,” Myra said. Julie agreed. Annie just shrugged as she perused the directions Julie had written out for her.
“Starbucks is pretty much a straight run from here, with just two left-hand turns. You can’t miss it. See this big tree on the diagram I made for you? It’s in the far end of the parking lot by Target. Target doesn’t open till ten, so you’ll get this parking space with no trouble, and it will give you a full frontal view of Darlene when she pulls up to the window. It would be nice if we could have an open phone line working for us. Just call me when you’re in position and report in to me. I’ll be sitting right here, waiting.”
“That’s a plan. Are you ready, Annie?”
“Raring to go. I have to tell you, I’m really excited. I hadn’t realized how much I missed this kind of action.”
“Excited is hardly the word. I’m downright giddy,” Julie said. “What about you, Myra?”
Myra thought about the question for a few seconds. Those seconds took her back to another time, when Nikki Quinn had told her she was on board to go after the man responsible for Myra’s daughter’s death. She clearly remembered the overwhelming sense of relief that someone was finally going to help her, the way she and Annie were going to help Julie Wyatt. “I’m overwhelmed with relief that we can make this happen for you, Julie. I want you to trust us. We will take care of Ms. Darlene Wyatt.”
“Then let’s get on it, Myra. Who’s driving this time?”
“I will. You drove here from the airport yesterday.”
Outside, Myra climbed behind the wheel, offered up an airy wave, and sailed down the driveway to the open gate. She could hear Cooper and Gracie barking their send-off.
At precisely eight forty-eight, Myra swerved into the parking space Julie had drawn on the map. “I do like wholly accurate directions,” Myra said. “I think I should cut the engine, and we’ll roll down the windows. It’s not too hot out yet. Have your phone ready to call Julie. In the meantime, we can talk. What should we talk about, Annie?”
“I’d say the little girl, Olivia. But if we do that, we’ll both end up crying. This is a nice little town—not too big, not too small. I like it that people know one another and actually stop and talk to you. Julie said she knows most everyone in town. I have to believe she does because the townspeople certainly keep her up to date on what’s going on, even though, as she says, she is no longer in Darlene’s loop. Well, that is really going to change. Look, Myra, there’s her car. The third one back. I saw the first few letters on her license plate when she turned in. I’ll call Julie. I have to say, this is like having front-row seats at a movie or play. Okay, she’s two behind now.”
The two women continued to watch as a black sedan in front took their coffees and peeled out of the drive-through.
“Okay, she’s up. Lordy, is she one sleazy-looking woman. What’s with all that frizzy hair? Looks like she’s trying to cover up a bald spot or maybe her hair is thinning out. It is definitely an ugly hairstyle, in my opinion. She’s ordered. She’s handing over either a credit or debit card. The card is coming back. She’s not taking possession of her coffee. She’s handing over another card; this is probably a regular credit card. The first one must have been a debit card that was declined. Oh, oh, the young man at the window won’t give back the second card. Darlene is opening her door. The young man is shaking his head. Oooh, looks like maybe the manager is at the window now. They’re arguing. Darlene is livid. Looks like she’s demanding something, and the two men are shaking their heads. They aren’t giving her the coffee, either. She’s shouting so loud we can hear her. She’s demanding they call the credit-card company so she can speak to them. The cars behind her are blowing their horns. The manager is looking flustered, but she’s holding her ground. Ooooh, he just slammed the window shut. Darlene is driving off. She’s burning rubber, too. We’re on her.
“We’re two cars behind her. She’s on her cell phone, and she’s waving her arms, no hands on the wheel,” Annie said into the phone, as they followed a very irate Darlene Wyatt down the street. Myra followed as close as she dared and was right behind her when she pulled into the Alabama Federal Bank parking lot.
“There is no drive-through here. You have to get out of the car and walk up to the ATM window. Go, Annie, pretend you’re in line.”
Annie was out of the car in a flash and walking as fast as her legs could carry her up to the ATM window. She stood back a distance, looking bored and just waiting her turn. Myra watched from the car.
It was all Annie could do not to laugh when Darlene bent down to peer at the slot where she’d popped her ATM card. Then she started shouting and shaking her fist. She turned around and stomped her way around the corner and into the bank. Annie ran after her. “Did that stupid thing eat your card?” she bellowed. “That’s what happened to me the last two times, and I’m sick of it.” Darlene ignored her as she yanked at the door and stomped her way to where one of the bank officers was sitting in the main part of the bank’s lobby.
Annie stood by the desk where customers who didn’t bank online filled out their deposit and withdrawal slips. She could hear Darlene’s tirade clearly. She had to strain to hear the bank officer’s reply since he was trying to be discreet. “I’m sorry, ma’am, we have no record of your ever having had an account at this bank. See for yourself. This is the Social Security number you just gave me, correct? Obviously, you are in the wrong bank.”
“I am not in the wrong goddamned bank. I’ve been banking here for twelve years. My daughter’s Social Security monies are automatically deposited into my account.”
The bank officer sighed as he copied down the child’s name and Social Security number. “I’m sure you’re in the wrong bank, Ms. Wyatt. There is no record of your daughter’s money coming in from Social Security online or otherwise. As you can see, I cross-referenced it with Social Security. I suggest you call them, and maybe they can help you. There is nothing more I can do for you. And may I say, I do not appreciate either your tone of voice or your choice of words.”
“Oh yeah, well, I don’t appreciate this asshole bank stealing my three thousand dollars, either. That’s how much I had in this bank. I want to know where it is, and I want to know right now.”
“If you don’t leave, ma’am, I’m going to have to call the police. You have no money in this bank. I just showed you that neither your daughter nor you have ever been customers of this bank. Ever.”
Annie made her move then, sensing that Darlene was going to give up the fight and leave. And she was right. She hit the door just as Darlene did. Annie held it for her as
Darlene brought her cell phone to her ear. Annie trailed behind her and knew in her gut that Darlene wasn’t paying the least bit of attention to her. Her strident voice was so hateful, Annie actually cringed. However, what she heard pleased her no end.
“Goddammit, Adam, what part of ‘the money is gone’ don’t you understand? Call your bank and see if your account is still open. I couldn’t even pay for the Starbucks coffee. The debit card doesn’t work, the ATM doesn’t work, and the bank says I don’t bank here. They kept my credit card at Starbucks because when they called, they were told it was a stolen card. There is no record of Olivia’s money going into my account because I don’t have a goddamned account for it to go into. I have thirty-seven cents in my pocket, Adam. Call me back.”
Annie knew she couldn’t stay around any longer. She walked over to the car and got in. “The bitch is in a world of hurt right now. She only has thirty-seven cents to her name. She told Adam to call the bank and see about his account. He’s supposed to call her back. Oooh, look, he must have called her, and she is not liking what he’s saying to her. She just kicked her tire. Looks like she’s cussing up a storm. If ever a woman needed a cup of coffee right now, it’s her. She’s getting in her car right now. Julie, where is the nearest Social Security Administration Office? I can’t be sure, but I bet that’s where she’s going right now. Tell us how to get there in case we lose her in traffic. Okay, okay, I’m writing it down. I know, I know, but I don’t know how to program the navigational system. This will work. I’m going to hang up, Julie, and I’ll call you back when we get to the Social Security Administration Office.”
Julie laughed on the other end of the line. Annie thought it was a sound of pure joy.
Myra gave her a snappy thumbs-up and said, “Let the games begin!”
Chapter 12
Myra parked the car two spaces behind Darlene Wyatt’s car. They could see her almost running to the door of the redbrick building that housed the local Social Security Administration Office. Myra cut the engine and hopped out of the car. “Don’t look at me like that, Annie. I am more than capable of doing this. Besides, Darlene saw you at the bank, so you can’t go into these offices. I can do this. Keep the engine running and call Julie to tell her what we’re doing. Ooooh, this is so exciting,” Myra gurgled.
Gotcha! Page 11
