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Surely, that was a misunderstanding. I had known Danny was working for a lot of men with their black lung settlements from an old mine they had worked for. I thought of all those old grumps, coughing, back hunched over with so many health problems from a lifetime spent working under a mountain, and my heart ached. Danny wouldn’t steal those people’s money. They had nothing. Most of them lived off SSDI,Social Security Disability Insurance. Their bodies couldn’t withstand another two decades in the mines to receive their retirement. With the cost-of-living skyrocketing, I didn’t see how some of those people were surviving off those checks either.
“I’m sorry.” I shook my head. “Danny wasn’t the nicest person, but he wouldn’t take off with these people’s money. They’re barely getting by with what they have each month.”
The sheriff gave me such a pitiful look. “I can assure you, he most certainly did. He was being questioned about his wife’s disappearance last year.”
“He had a wife?” I didn’t know that. Danny never wore a ring, and by the lewd suggestions he made toward me all the time, I would have never assumed he had one.
My head spun. I gripped my stomach as the pain got worse.
“So, he never mentioned he had a wife?”
“No!”
“Did you have relations with your boss?”
“Eew, no.”
“I’m sorry. I had to ask.”
“I understand, but this is all really shocking.” And terrifying. I might have been working for a murderer. Scratch that. Since I was sitting in the police station, I most likely was. If they were questioning me, did that mean… “Why bring me in? Why not question him?”
“Danny’s gone.” The sheriff took a deep breath. “You said he told you not to come in yesterday, correct?” When I nodded, he continued. “My guess is he planned this for months, maybe longer.”
“Can I use the bathroom before we continue?” I said as the rumbling worsened.
The way he nodded, along with the understanding in his eyes, kind of sucked.
When I returned from the bathroom, I answered a bunch more questions. I told the sheriff I knew Danny liked going to Tennessee in the summer. Plus, he owned a beach house in Florida. I knew which bank he processed all orders from. I even knew one of his account numbers since I had overseen signing people in and charging them when the case was finished. I doubted it would help, but I gave the information over anyway. I tried to recall anything that seemed important, but I was stunned.
I felt like I was walking in a dream. I’d lost my apartment and job in one swoop. To make it worse, I felt dirty because of Danny’s wrongdoings. My arms were itchy and broke out from the stress. My legs felt like lead as I walked out of the station. The sheriff told me I’d likely have to return for more questions, but he assured me I wasn’t in trouble. It was procedure to interrogate all those who knew Danny.
All the assurances in the world, however, wouldn’t make the gross sensation go away. When I got inside my vehicle, I finally allowed myself to cry. If I didn’t, the funk would cling to me.
I thought of my gran and how someone had sold her a shitty vehicle. She’d handed over her money in blind faith before realizing the problem. Those old miners had put their trust in Danny to win the settlement for them. He won it and then took off with the money. How was that possible?
It was like life was trying to prove to me how unfair living could be.
I wiped my eyes, then squeezed my butt cheeks as the rumbling returned. I was going to have to walk right back into the station and use the bathroom before I drove away.
It’s fine. Everything’s fine.
I ate at Wendy’s, then went back to my car and called my brother. He answered on the third ring, “Genie!”
“Eddie.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
I perked up because I didn’t want to worry him. “About that… How mad would you be if I had to come stay with you for a few weeks?”
SIX
Hudson
My phone vibrated nonstop for the last hour inside my back pocket. After getting the bulk of my lunch meals out the window, I removed my iPhone. I frowned as Edwin’s name flashed on the screen. I met him through his wife, my cousin, a couple years ago. He was a good guy, but I found it strange that he kept calling. We weren’t exactly close, but we hung out with the same people.
“Ed?” I asked.
“Good. You answered.” He sounded a little winded.
