Using my fingertips, I pulled out the object. It was so small it would have been very difficult to accidently stumble upon it. I examined the object and immediately recognized it as an SD card, the kind used in digital cameras to store photos.
Was this what Trevor really wanted back?
Chapter Twenty-Eight
After booting up my computer, I slid the SD card into the slot on the side of my laptop. A screen popped up giving me some choices and I clicked on the option to view the pictures. Another screen appeared with about twenty thumbnail photos. I clicked on the first one in the series, which enlarged it. The picture showed Rob, Trevor’s boss and the owner of Rob’s Auto Body shop. He was smiling and standing next to a counter at the shop. There were cars in the background, obviously in the process of being repaired, and I recognized the location as being the shop.
Rob held a beer in one hand and with the other he pointed to an open metal box which sat on the counter. The box looked like it was about the same dimensions as my laptop, which was about eighteen inches by twelve inches. The box looked like it was about six inches deep. But the most interesting aspect of the box was that it looked like it was completely filled with cash.
Most of the bills on the top were twenty dollar bills. The others were varying denominations. I could only assume that money was stacked beneath the top layer.
I pressed the arrow key on my keyboard to move to the next picture. This time it was Trevor standing by the counter, but he looked like he was running his fingers through the money. The next picture showed the box closed and Rob putting a sturdy lock through the two metal loops which overlapped when the lid was closed.
The next few pictures looked like they were all taken out in the desert. They showed Trevor and Rob taking turns digging a hole, then Rob placing the metal box in the hole, then Trevor filling it in and smoothing it over.
The next one showed Trevor stacking a few rocks in the spot where the box was buried. The next one was actually a video. It showed Rob sitting in the passenger seat of Trevor’s Camaro. He appeared to be passed out. I could hear Trevor’s voice.
“Look at him” Trevor said, derision clear in his voice. “He’s so out of it, he probably won’t even remember we came out here.” The video ended with Trevor’s laughter.
The last photo was taken from inside the car, looking out through the windshield at the place where the box had been buried.
I went through the slide show a few more times, then tried to think why Trevor would want it back so badly that he was willing to grant me a divorce.
I mentally listed the reasons I could think of. Maybe Rob told him to get it back or is threatening him. Maybe he wants to make sure no one else sees it. But the most likely reason was that he needed the pictures to help him find where he’d buried the money. But would he be able to find it just based on these pictures? If he already had an idea where it was, I would think these pictures would be unnecessary.
Unless, I thought, a smile turning up the corners of my mouth, there is other information stored on this memory card. Quickly closing the pictures, I clicked on “My Computer”, then opened the drive letter assigned to the SD card. I saw a folder where the pictures were stored, but there was also a text file on the root of the drive. I opened the file and saw two groups of numbers.
With GPS being used so commonly, I assumed these were the coordinates for where Trevor and Rob had buried the metal box full of money. And since Trevor was so anxious to get this SD card back, I could only assume that he couldn’t remember where he had buried it. The money must still be where he’d put it.
“Greta, how would you like to go on a treasure hunt?”
She lifted her head from where it had been resting on her paws and began wagging her tail.
Googling the coordinates in the file, I saw that the spot was not too far outside of Reno. I didn’t own a GPS unit, but wondered if Marcus had one I could borrow. But first I needed to arrange to take a couple of days off. I also needed a shovel.
I called Billi and asked if it would be possible to take the next two days off to attend to a personal matter. In all the time I’d worked there, I’d never been late or missed a day of work, so I couldn’t see how she could object.
She told me she would need to check with Maddy to see if she could cover for me and she would call me back. While I waited to hear back from her, I called Marcus on his cell phone.
“Hey, Kate,” he said. “What’s up?”
“I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”
“Not pull more weeds, I hope.”
I laughed. “No. I was wondering if you happen to have a GPS device that I could borrow for a couple of days.”
“Sure. Are you going on a trip or something?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I am.”
“When do you need it?”
“I’m hoping to leave in the morning.”
“Oh. I can bring it over now if you want.”
“Thanks. That would be great.”
After we hung up, Billi called back and said Maddy had agreed to cover for me. I thanked her and hung up.
A few minutes later Marcus knocked on the door. I let him in and invited him to sit on the couch.
He held out the GPS device. “Have you ever used one of these before?”
“No.”
He showed me how to use it and I tried it out.
“What if I had specific coordinates. How would I put those in?”
He glanced at me, a questioning look on his face, then showed me how it was done. “Where are you going anyway, Kate?”
“Just down to Vegas to visit a friend,” I lied.
“You’ve been there before though, right?”
“Of course. It’s just that I was thinking of buying one of these, but I wanted to try one out first.” A lie on top of a lie. Nice. But I certainly couldn’t tell him the truth. Oh yeah, Marcus. My husband, who is alive and well by the way, won’t give me a divorce unless I send him back what amounts to a treasure map. But I’m going to see if I can dig up the treasure he buried before he has a chance to. Yeah, I thought. I’m sure that would go over really well.
“It’s probably a good idea to try it out before you buy one. They can be kind of expensive.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll be careful with it.”
He smiled back. “I know. I’m not worried.”
I wished I could ask him if I could borrow a shovel, but that would invite too many unwelcome questions. “Well, I’m going to get an early start, so I should probably go to bed soon.”
“Okay. I can take a hint.” He stood. “Have a good drive. I’ll see you when you get back.”
I walked him to the door and said good-night, then went upstairs and began packing. I didn’t know if I’d be spending the night, but I wanted to be prepared.
I set my suitcase and Greta’s things by the front door then went to bed. I really did want to get an early start, even though I wasn’t driving as far as Las Vegas. As I tried to visualize how the next day would go, excitement swept over me and I had trouble falling asleep.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
After stopping by a local Wal-Mart and buying a shovel, some water bottles and some snacks, I entered the freeway and headed North. I had punched in the coordinates like Marcus had shown me and followed the directions on the device.
With Greta along, I had to stop a few times to let her run around, but within four hours I had turned onto a dirt road that really did look like the middle of nowhere. When the GPS device announced that I had arrived at my destination, I smiled. But as I looked around, I didn’t see the pile of rocks that Trevor had used as a marker. I wondered if they’d gotten knocked over, but I didn’t see anything that resembled rocks scattered from a pile. I wondered how accurate the GPS device actually was and decided to walk around the area and see if I could find the stacked rocks.
Greta started off trotting along next to me, but soon decided to explore on her own. It
was was easy to keep her within my sight since the area was mostly barren with a few small bushes here and there. I wandered around for at least thirty minutes before I came across a pile of rocks that looked familiar. I went back to my car and drove to the pile, then using my new shovel, I pushed the rocks aside and began digging. It didn’t take long to reach the metal box.
I pulled it out of the hole and set it on the ground. Fortunately, it wasn’t too heavy. But I would need a tool of some sort to open the lock. After setting the metal box in my trunk, I filled the hole back in and set the rocks back on top. Greta had come to see what I was doing by then.
I poured some water from a water bottle into her bowl, then grabbed a fresh water bottle for myself and drank the whole thing. It was hot and I was glad the job was over. Once Greta and I were refreshed, I put the shovel in the trunk, strapped Greta into her seatbelt, and got in behind the wheel.
Now that I had collected what I assumed was the cash, my next task was to ship the gym bag to Trevor. I had boxed it up, including the SD card, and addressed the package before leaving home. Now I just needed to drive to the post office and ship it. I had looked up the address of post offices in the area and punched in the address of the one I had decided to use. I followed the directions and soon found myself at the post office.
I might have to get one of these GPS devices, I thought. Especially with my bad sense of direction.
I shipped off the package, then headed west on I-80. I was back home before dinner. Though exhausted, I brought everything in. I hadn’t needed my suitcase after all, but that was okay. I set the metal box in a corner of the dining room. I would need to go to the hardware store and get something to cut it with, but that would have to wait until morning.
After fixing a quick meal, I went to bed early and slept soundly all night.
I slept in the next morning, since I’d taken the day off from work. The first thing I did, after getting ready for the day, was to email Trevor and let him know that I’d shipped the bag. I wondered how long it would take him to suspect me as the person who’d dug up the box. Would he first think it was Rob? What would he do once he suspected me?
Anxious to know exactly what the box held, I drove to the hardware store as soon as I’d sent the email to Trevor.
I explained to the sales clerk that I’d lost the key to a heavy lock and I needed to get inside. Why would he doubt me, a young pregnant woman? He showed me to the bolt cutters and I bought one that I thought would work.
Driving straight home, I brought my new bolt cutters into the house, set the metal box on the kitchen counter and tried to cut the lock. After several tries, the lock snapped in two. Setting the bolt cutters on the counter, I pulled the pieces of the lock out of the metal loops and opened the lid.
Adrenaline pounded through my veins as I gazed at the money that reached the top of the box. I wanted to count it, but decided I should take it to my bedroom, just in case Marcus or anyone else stopped by. I closed the lid and carried the box up to my bedroom and set it on my bed. I ran back down to the kitchen to grab a notepad and pen, then went back up to my bedroom and began counting, writing numbers on the notepad as I grouped the money into stacks.
When I had finished, I carefully added the numbers I’d written down, then felt the blood drain from my face. Two-hundred thousand dollars. Suddenly I wished I hadn’t taken it. Trevor wanted this money and I didn’t know to what extremes he would go to get it back.
When he went to the GPS location and found the box was missing, he would probably suspect me right away. After all, I’d had the SD card, although he couldn’t be certain I’d found it. And the postmark on the package with the gym bag would be from Reno, so it would be evident that I had recently been in Reno.
He would absolutely freak out.
Crap! Maybe I should drive back and rebury the money. But Trevor will probably receive the package today. He’ll most likely go straight out to the burial spot. It’s too late!
Panic engulfed me as I thought of Trevor redoubling his efforts to find me.
What had I been thinking?!
I started to shake. It felt like my blood pressure had dropped and I thought I was going to pass out. Quickly shoving the money aside, I lay on the bed for several minutes, and finally the feeling passed. I stayed on the bed, pondering what to do.
I could confess everything to Marcus and beg him to stay with me. But that wouldn’t work. Not only did he have to go to work every day, but it wouldn’t be fair to drag him into my problems.
I could move. But that wouldn’t guarantee that Trevor wouldn’t find me wherever I ended up. Plus, I was making a life for myself here. I wasn’t ready to give that up yet.
Rubbing my closed eyes, I decided the only thing I could do was stash the money in my secret room and go on with my life. When I emailed Trevor about anything, I had to act as if I had no knowledge of the cash. I could not give myself away. And it was more imperative than ever that he not know where I was.
What effect was this going to have on Trevor granting the divorce? Would he move ahead, even though the money was gone? He couldn’t come right out and blame me. Then he would be admitting the money existed and if there was a chance I wasn’t the one who took it, he wouldn’t want me to know about it.
No, he wouldn’t have a good excuse to delay the divorce, since I’d held up my end of the bargain.
I pushed myself off of the bed, packed all the money back into the metal box, and took it into the secret room. Standing in the middle of the room, I looked around, trying to figure out the best place to hide the box. I set the metal box on the floor and then dug through some of the storage boxes to see if I could hide the metal box inside.
I finally decided on a storage box that had room and moved things around to make room on the bottom, then placed the metal box in a bottom corner. After moving the items in the storage box around, the metal box was completely hidden. I closed the lid, then set two other storage boxes on top, but it was as if I could still feel the money there, pulling at me, taunting me, warning me.
Though I now utterly regretted digging up the money, I knew I had to live with my decision and deal with the consequences that were sure to follow.
Stupid, stupid, stupid, I screamed in my mind as I crawled out of the hidden room and into the baby’s room.
Chapter Thirty
As the day went on and I focused on cleaning the house, doing some laundry, and running errands, I was able to release some of the worry that had built up inside me and I began to feel better. I believed I had the upper hand in the situation with Trevor because I knew exactly what was going on, whereas he would only be able to speculate.
As I put the last of the groceries into the cupboards, I wondered if Trevor had received the package yet, and when he would drive to the burial spot and try to dig up the metal box. I decided to check my email and see if he had sent anything. After a moment I was pulling up my email account. I saw an email from Trevor. As I clicked on it, my heart rate increased as I tried to guess what it would say.
Lily,
The package just arrived. Thank you for sending it. I will start the paperwork for the divorce in the morning.
Trevor
I let my breath out in a rush, not aware I’d been holding it. I hoped he would get the paperwork going before he discovered the money was missing. Although he probably wouldn’t suspect me right away.
Loud knocking on the door startled me and I let out a scream. I closed the email and walked to the door, looking through the peephole. It was Marcus. Taking a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I opened the door.
“Marcus. Hi.”
“Hi, Kate. How was your trip?”
“How did you know I was back?”
He motioned over his shoulder. “I saw your car out front.”
“Oh, of course. Do you want to come in?”
“Sure.”
He followed me inside and we sat on the couch. Then I stood. “Let me get your GPS de
vice for you.” I had set it on the kitchen counter when I’d gotten back from Reno. I went and got it and handed it to him.
“Thanks for letting me borrow it. It was really handy to have. I think I might end up getting one.”
“That was a pretty quick trip to Vegas,” Marcus said. “Isn’t it like an eight hour drive?”
“Uh, yeah,” I stammered. “I ended up not going there. I was partway there, but, uh, my friend called and said she had to, uh, she had a family emergency, so she had to cancel. So I turned around and came back home.”
“Oh. That’s too bad that you had to waste all that time and gas.”
“It’s okay. Sometimes it’s nice just to take a drive.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Marcus said.
“How’s work going?”
“Good. But I don’t want to talk about work.”
“Okay. What do you want to talk about?”
Suddenly a big smile spread across his face. I smiled back, expecting him to share some good news, which I could use after the stress I’d been feeling.
“What’s up, Marcus?”
“Well,” he started. “Do you remember me telling you how I had recently broken up with my girlfriend?”
I remembered he had told me he’d had a girlfriend recently and that they had broken up. And with the little he’d told me, it had sounded like she had betrayed him in some way. “Yeah,” I said.
“Well, last night I ran in to her and we got to talking and we decided we were going to give our relationship one more try.”
I couldn’t believe he was telling me this. Had he already forgotten the kiss we’d shared? Had it meant nothing to him? I thought I was going to vomit. I tried to hide my feelings, but I wasn’t sure how successful I was. Hopefully he was too focused on his own happiness to notice my distress. “That’s great, Marcus. I’m so happy for you.” I paused. “What did you say her name was?”
Don't Look Back: sequel to He Loves Me Not (Lily's Story, Book 2) Page 13
