Dirty Money

by Denise Grover Swank

  “You haven’t exactly made that easy.”

  She cocked her head and grinned. “Maybe I did that on purpose.”

  Groaning, I turned around and finished gathering my makeup, toothbrush, and other toiletries. She was back to her games, and while I still believed she wanted to help me, I had to remember that it would be on her terms. The thought of what Kate might deem “help” alarmed me.

  After I tossed the cosmetics bag into the larger duffel, I tossed the bag to Kate. It landed on her lap and she released a loud grunt, then delighted laughter.

  “There’s that NK spunk I’ve been missing.”

  Ignoring her, I went back into the closet and unlocked Jed’s gun safe. I didn’t want her to know the combination and I figured my bag would keep her put long enough for me to enter the first few numbers. To my surprise, she still hadn’t entered when I opened the door and picked up the black leather bag. I unzipped the top to make sure the money hadn’t disappeared, then carried it out into the bathroom.

  “That it?” she asked, still sitting on the edge of the tub, my duffel bag on her lap.

  “This is it.”

  She got to her feet and slipped the straps of my bag over her shoulder, then held out her hand. “Give me your phone.”

  My body tensed. “No.”

  “You can’t bring it with you.”

  “I’m choosing to go, Kate, so what possible reason could you have for taking my phone away?”

  “They can track you with it.”

  I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. “Then I’ll turn off the location feature, but I assure you that I’m not goin’ with you without my phone.”

  Her eyes hardened. “I could force you.”

  “You could,” I admitted. “But you won’t. You want me to want to come with you. So don’t force me. Let’s make this a sister trip.”

  “They’ll come lookin’ for you.”

  “Jed won’t report me missin’, and Joe won’t be able to access my phone records without a missing persons report. They’ll be worried, and I suspect they’ll call me, but they’ll leave me be.”

  She didn’t look convinced.

  “I mean it, Kate. I’m bringin’ my phone. You told me to trust you, now I’m askin’ for the same.”

  She studied me for several more seconds before a grin spread across her face. “I like you, NK.”

  “The jury’s still out on whether I like you or not,” I said dryly, “but you’re off to a good start today.”

  “Well, since that’s all settled,” she said, heading for the door, “it’s time to head out.”

  “Where are we goin’?” I asked.

  “Oklahoma,” she called over her shoulder. “Then back where this all began.”

  Great.

  Chapter 14

  When we got downstairs, I took a long look at the kitchen. I’d made a batch of cookies that I’d planned to take to Rose’s tomorrow for our girls’ weekend with Carly. A sinking sensation filled my gut. I wouldn’t be going to the farm after all. Would Rose be okay without work to keep her occupied?

  “Come on,” Kate said. “We’re burnin’ daylight.”

  “Hold on,” I said, pulling up Jed’s name. “I have to make a couple of calls.”

  “Not here you don’t,” she said, grabbing my arm and giving me a tug toward the door, past my purse on the entry table, not that I was surprised she was making me leave it behind. “If either Jed or Joe are anywhere close, they’ll get here before I can pull out of that monstrously long driveway.”

  She had a point, but it still felt wrong, especially since I wasn’t leaving Jed a note. Ultimately, I’d decided this wasn’t the kind of information you could leave in a note tucked in the bathroom mirror or beneath a magnet on the fridge—Went off with psychopath sister. Please pick up milk.

  Of course, I could reason that this entire road trip was wrong, but there was no denying it felt right. After months of waiting around, I was finally doing something.

  We tossed both bags into the trunk of her car, and I got into the passenger seat, wondering for the umpteenth time how in the world I was going to explain this to everyone. Jed, Joe, and Rose were going to think I’d lost my mind.

  Maybe I had.

  Kate cast me a glance with a wicked gleam in her eyes, then started the car and tore down the narrow lane to the county road.

  I rested my elbow on the door, propping my chin on my hand as I stared out the side window.

  “Having second thoughts?” she asked.

  “Twentieth thoughts,” I said, still staring out the window, “but I haven’t changed my mind.”

  “Not gonna call Mr. Sexy?”

  “Not yet.”

  She was silent as she headed north then turned west on Highway 82 toward Texarkana, and I couldn’t help remembering my trip to Oklahoma with Jed months ago. I’d been so scared I wouldn’t be able to go home, that my secrets would come between me and the people I loved. Would I be back this time?

  How was I so calm about this? Years of hiding must have exhausted me more than I’d thought.

  I turned to look at Kate. “You aren’t using a navigational system.”

  She winked. “I’ve driven this way a time or two.”

  Of course she had.

  We were almost to Texarkana when Jed sent me a text.

  What do you think about heading to El Dorado for dinner and a movie tonight?

  My heart ached. I would have given anything to go to El Dorado with him, and if I didn’t answer him soon, he’d get worried. I needed to call him, but I didn’t want to have this conversation sitting next to Kate.

  “I need to go to the bathroom,” I told her.

  She laughed. “Don’t try to bullshit a bullshitter, NK. I know what you’re doing.”

  “Well, I still have to go to the bathroom.”

  “Do you really think I’m going to let you out of my sight to make a phone call?”

  I twisted on my seat to look at her. “Yeah, Kate. I think you will.”

  A scowl scrunched up her face, but she didn’t say anything more, not even when she turned off the highway and pulled into a large gas station. She stopped at a gas pump and turned off the car.

  “I’m going in to get a drink. If you want to talk to your man, you need to stay out here and put gas in the car.”

  I held out my hand, palm up. “Then hand over your card because I’m pretty sure you don’t want me leavin’ a credit card trail.” I punctuated the remark with a cheesy smile.

  She narrowed her eyes, then laughed as she reached for her wallet in her purse. “Don’t go crazy with it. The zip code is 75211.” She handed me the credit card on her way out.

  I got out, ran her card—which bore the name Penelope Snyder—through the machine and started pumping gas. Once the part requiring my input was over, I placed a call to Jed.

  “Hey, Sunshine,” he said in a sexy voice that made me homesick already. “What do you think about my suggestion?”

  I took a deep breath and said, “I’m gonna have to take a rain check.”

  Something in my voice caught his attention. “Where are you?”

  “I need you to trust me, Jed.”

  “I trust you implicitly, Neely Kate. Now tell me where you are.”

  I hesitated. “I’m with Kate.”

  “What?” he asked, sounding panicked. “Is she holding you hostage?”

  “No,” I said, “the opposite. I agreed to go with her.”

  “Why would you do that?” he pleaded. Then, a beat later, he said, “She threatened to hurt me, didn’t she? Neely Kate, I can handle her.”

  “It wasn’t just you, Jed. She threatened Joe and Rose. And she knows who Carly is. She called her Caroline.”

  “Shit.”

  “You need to warn her.”

  “I need to get her new identity ready in case it’s time for her to leave.”

  “Get her to confide in you, if you can, and I’ll try to find out wh
at-all Kate knows.”

  “Be careful,” he warned. “Don’t make her suspicious.”

  “Good point,” I said, turning to watch the entrance to the station. “But I’m sure I’ll have plenty of time to slip it into conversation.”

  “Where are you?”

  I almost didn’t tell him, but I took into account that he wasn’t treating me like some half-witted fool. I’d decided to do this, and he would honor my wishes. “Outside of Texarkana.”

  “You left Fenton County?” he asked in surprise. “Did she tell you where you’re goin’?”

  “We’re on our way to Oklahoma.”

  “I don’t like it,” he said in a low tone.

  “I don’t like it either, but she claims she’s gettin’ me out of trouble.”

  “Yeah,” he said, “by gettin’ you killed or arrested.”

  I could see her watching me through the front window of the store. I lifted a hand and waved. She grinned and disappeared from view.

  “No,” I said, “she really wants to bond with me, and I think we’re going to figure out this thing with the money.”

  “You took the money with you.” His disappointment was palpable.

  “I had to, Jed.”

  “Are you sure she’s on the up and up?”

  “As sure as I can be. But it’s Kate. There’s just no tellin’,” I admitted. “Still, if she really means to get me out of this, I have to accept her help.”

  “I know,” he said in a low voice. “I just wish I was there helpin’ you. Not your crazy sister.”

  “Yeah, me too. I miss you already.”

  “There’s more to it than just missin’ you. I’m concerned for your safety.”

  “I know,” I said.

  “Are you sneakin’ this call? Do you need to worry about Kate comin’ back and catchin’ you?”

  “She knows I’m talkin’ to you. She gave me a credit card with an alias of Penelope Snyder to put gas into the car while she went inside to get a drink.”

  “Be careful with that. If it looks like you’re with her willingly and she does something barbaric…”

  “Like castrating Branson?”

  “Exactly like that,” Jed said. “If you’re seen to be her willing travel companion, you could end up as an accessory as well as aiding and abetting for not turning her in.”

  He had a great point—one I should have considered and hadn’t. “I’ll be careful.”

  “Do you know where you’re goin’ specifically?”

  “She said we’re goin’ back to where it all began.”

  “Shit,” he grunted. “She’s takin’ you to Ardmore.”

  “Which means you’re comin’ to Ardmore too, doesn’t it?” I whispered even though Kate was still inside.

  “You bet that cute little ass of yours it does.”

  “She made me turn off the finding app in my phone or she would have made me leave it behind.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ll find you.”

  The certainty with which he said it filled my chest with warmth and brought tears to my eyes. “I love you, Jed.”

  “I love you too, Neely Kate. I swear to God I’ll find you and bring you home.”

  “I’m hopin’ to bring myself home, but I like knowin’ I have you as backup.”

  “Always.”

  “Will you please let Rose know what’s goin’ on?”

  “The truth?” he asked in surprise.

  “Yes. She was right about Skeeter treating her like a child. I don’t want to worry her, but I’d rather do that than hurt her. She deserves to know the truth.”

  “Okay. I’ll ask Carly to keep an eye on her.”

  “Yeah, that’s good. I’ll call Joe myself.”

  The gas pump turned off just as Kate walked out of the building, carrying a sagging plastic bag.

  “She’s comin’ back, Jed. I need to go.”

  “Okay.” He sounded reluctant. “Just stay safe.”

  “I will.” I hung up and stuffed the phone into my pocket as I walked around the back of the car to intercept Kate.

  “Have a good chat?” she asked in a chipper tone.

  “Dandy,” I said, just as chipper.

  She laughed. “Oh, sister mine. I am not your enemy. Far from it.”

  While that had yet to be seen, I was still betting on it.

  With my life.

  Chapter 15

  The sun had set and we’d been on the road for a couple of hours driving across Texas before Kate stopped again for me to go to the bathroom. Since it was close to seven, she stopped at a large trucker stop that had a fast food restaurant so we could grab something for dinner. She decided to fill up with gas again, pumping it herself and giving me her order. I went inside and headed straight for the restroom, deciding to take advantage of my alone time to call Joe.

  “Hey, Neely Kate,” he said, sounding distracted. “Can I call you back? I’m in the middle of something.”

  “This will only take a few moments,” I said. “It’s important.”

  That got his attention and he used his serious tone when he said, “What’s up?”

  “Kate,” I said, standing in the hall to the restroom while watching her through the large windows. “She paid me a visit this afternoon at the landscaping office.”

  “And you’re just now tellin’ me?” I was surprised he didn’t shout it. Impending fatherhood looked good on him.

  “This is the first chance I got,” I said, then quickly added, “I’m with her now, Joe.”

  “She kidnapped you.”

  “No, while I was coerced, I’m ultimately with her willingly.”

  “Who did she threatened to hurt? Jed? Rose?”

  “And you. And she knows about Carly.”

  “What about her?” he asked, his voice tense.

  Crap. I’d forgotten Joe didn’t know anything about her background. “Never mind. Just know that she did threaten to hurt y’all, but it wasn’t as dire as it has been in the past.” I paused. “She told me she’d get this mess straightened out, Joe. She claims she knows why Hardshaw wants the money.”

  “Where are you now, Neely Kate?”

  I hesitated, then decided to tell him and let the chips fall where they may. “Texas.”

  “She’s takin’ you to Hardshaw?” he asked in a panic.

  “No,” I said. “She said she’s takin’ me to Ardmore.”

  “Why in God’s name is she draggin’ you there?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. “I guess I have to trust her.”

  “Neely Kate, trusting our sister is never, ever a good idea.”

  “She swears she wants to help me, and she’s never once lied to me.” But the excuse sounded lame, even to me, when the stakes were so high. She may not have lied, but she’d done plenty of worse things.

  “Did she specifically say how she’s gonna help you?” he asked. “Because she doesn’t think the way you and I do.”

  “I know, and I’ve considered that, but I’m tired of waiting for answers, Joe. I’m tired of waiting for Hardshaw to come for me. I want to be free of this mess, once and for all.”

  After several seconds of silence, he asked, “Has she threatened to hurt you?”

  “No,” I said quietly. “She seems to have some weird obsession with bonding with me. I think she believes this will glue us together.”

  “Until she changes her mind.” He sounded worried.

  “She likes to play games, right?” I asked. “We’ve only just started the game. I think I’m okay for now.”

  “It’s the for now that has me worried, Neely Kate.”

  It had me worried too, especially since Joe had known her for a heck of a lot longer. “I’ve decided to go along with her for now. If it starts to feel unsafe, I’ll let you and Jed know and try to get away from her. She’s left me alone twice so far.”

  “So Jed knows what’s goin’ on,” he said. “What about Rose?”

  “I asked Jed to call her and
let her know what’s goin’ on. Will you check on her? Tell her it’s not like last time. I have every intention of coming back.”

  He paused. “You weren’t goin’ to come back last time?”

  “I wasn’t sure I’d get everything resolved enough to come home. This time I intend to resolve it enough to make sure I never have to take off again.”

  He was quiet for a few seconds. “I need you to come back, Neely Kate. I need you in my life.”

  “I need you too,” I said, meaning every word of it, which was so strange considering we hadn’t known we were related a year ago. “I’m comin’ home, I promise, but I’ve gotta do this. I love you, Joe.”

  “I love you too. Be careful. Don’t set her off, okay? She’s dangerous when she gets going.”

  I hung up and quickly did my business in the restroom, then hurried out to get in line at the fast food restaurant.

  Kate came in a few seconds later, wearing an amused grin. “Who’d you call this time?”

  I thought about lying but changed my mind at the last moment. I’d had enough of secrets. “Joe.”

  Something flashed in her eyes, then her grin turned mocking. “How is our brother?”

  “Worried.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “About you.”

  “He’s worried about you too.”

  Anger morphed her face. “Don’t bullshit me, Neely Kate.”

  A young mother with a toddler shot Kate a glare. “Little ears.”

  “Your ears don’t look so little,” Kate snarked. “In fact, they look pretty damn big to me.”

  “Kate!” I snapped, then turned to the woman. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t you apologize for me,” Kate snarled with a wild look in her eyes. “Don’t ever apologize for me.”

  The woman picked up her child and took off, and I wondered how long we had before someone asked us to leave—and what kind of confrontation Kate would start when that happened. I needed to get her out of here, ASAP.

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly, hiding my fear. “It won’t happen again.”

  She took a breath, and then, as though someone had flipped a switch, she was calm and sweet again. “You’re a people pleaser. It’s what you do, but I’m responsible for my own actions. Which means you’re not.” She leaned closer and tapped my temple with her finger. “A lesson you still need to learn, little sis.”