8 Bodies is Enough(55)

“Come on,” she muttered.

Granted, she’d interrupted him on a daytrip with Liz at Hoover Dam, and he’d shouted over the roar of the water it would take him a while to make excuses and get back, but Christ, she was about to burst. She considered texting him a headline to get him moving, but knowing Jack, if she sent something as outrageous as MASHBURN & TULLY ARE BIG FAT COUNTERFEITORS, he’d blow her off altogether. Instead, MEET ME ASAP HOTEL LOBBY would have to suffice.

After leaving the jail, buzzing with excitement over their sibling smarts, and reveling in how they were going to take down Mashburn & Tully, she realized what it might mean for Peter…and wondered if his growing agitation this week had anything to do with what was going on behind the scenes. The overheard conversations of him reporting back that neither she nor Wes had talked to Randolph made sense now—they didn’t want him telling anyone what had happened.

Was someone at the firm also responsible for Randolph being jumped and stabbed in prison to try to silence him for good?

And what about the more troubling statements of time running out and needing to “pull the trigger”?

Her phone rang. Disappointment it wasn’t Jack calling was replaced with concern when she saw Birch’s name.

“Hello, Birch. Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine. But I thought you’d want to know that Melanie has been talking up a storm since you left yesterday. She keeps repeating she’s running out of room to store all the paper things Randolph brings her. Does that mean anything to you?”

“As a matter of fact, it does.” She tried to tamp down her excitement. “Keep Mom talking as long as it doesn’t upset her. I have an important meeting, but I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

“Will do.”

She disconnected the call and scanned the lobby again. She didn’t see Jack, but Hannah came around the corner, wearing her Goth garb. Carlotta waved and swore Hannah saw her, but her friend kept going. Perturbed, Carlotta ran her down.

“Hannah!”

When Hannah couldn’t avoid her, she turned and feigned surprise. “Hey, how’s it going? How’s your dad?”

“He’s maybe a tiny bit better, but it’s hard to say.”

“How’s your mom?”

“That’s always interesting. Remember I said she might know where the evidence is that would exonerate my dad? I think she’s on the verge of revealing where she hid it. So even if the worst happens with Randolph, maybe it will still see the light of day.”

Hannah was edging toward the elevator. “That’s nice. Look, I have to be somewhere, so I’ll catch you later.” She bounded onto the elevator and the doors closed.

Carlotta scowled. What was going on with Hannah?

She released a frustrated groan. And where the heck was Jack?





Chapter 24





“YELLO?”

“Mouse, it’s Wes.”

“Jesus Louise Christ, why haven’t you called me back? I left you a bunch of messages.”

“Long story short, I didn’t know the money I gave you was fake—really sorry about that. Then I got out to Vegas and spent a bunch more of the fake money, still not knowing it’s fake. So I was arrested and my phones confiscated. Then I thought The Carver put a hit out on me, so I didn’t want to get out of jail. Oh, and I guess you heard Leonard bought the farm? Anyway, I’m still in jail, but everything’s going to work out and I’ll be home soon.”

“That was the short version?”

“I’m calling to tell you that the source of the counterfeit money is tied up with Dillon, so when the feds move in for the takedown, The Carver might be implicated by association. Cover yourself.”

“Wow, thanks, Little Man. You might want to listen up, too. One of the messages you didn’t get was about the person who hired the guy to stab your dad…”





Chapter 25





“A WOMAN?” Carlotta asked, squinting. “Are you sure he said a woman?”

“Yeah. Mouse said it was someone close to me and you, who has a lot of money. And not only did she hire someone to take out Dad, but she hired Leonard to follow you to find Mom, and take her out, too!”

“Alright, calm down, Wes. That doesn’t make sense. What woman who’s close to us and has a lot of money would care if Randolph—”

Then her heart stopped.

Hannah.

Her mind raced back through memories, stopping on pertinent factoids.

Finding out Hannah’s family were clients of Randolph’s and had lost almost everything.

Randolph Wren was the cause of a lot of grief in my world.

I was a little obsessed with finding out more about you.