“Two weeks.”
“The thief knew you had them.”
“I’m not sure how unless the Jacobsons and Browns told him, and that doesn’t track. They’re pretty secretive.” Stephen sighed. “We all are. Were. Hell, I’m not supposed to talk to anyone about what we do. To be honest, I’m not really sure what that is. I just know I collect money and data from certain people. I pass it along.”
“To who?” Ray asked.
“To a drop box that changes each time I’m scheduled to deliver. But I have nothing left to drop off.”
Jane frowned. “What about what’s in your main safe? You mentioned you wanted this one to look like it was the main one.”
“Yeah. I’ll show you.” He led them upstairs. Hidden in the supply closet of the office, the panel blended seamlessly with the wall until Stephen pressed it open. He entered the code and his thumbprint, and the safe door opened.
A few stacks of bills and some jewelry sat inside, untouched.
Ray shook his head. “Not this. The real stuff you’re hiding.”
Stephen flushed and moved those items out of the way. He pushed at the back, revealing a hidden panel that slid to reveal another pocket of space.
Emptyspace.
Stephen gaped. “He didn’t break in here. I swear. He came in this morning at gunpoint. Sabrina led him to me. I was watching the kids play with Holly. Then he ordered them upstairs and told me if I did anything, he’d kill them. I didn’t move.”
“He could have broken in while he was upstairs with them and your wife.”
“But he only asked me for what was in the safe downstairs. I swear he didn’t know about this one. No one does. Not even my wife knows I keep anything more than cash and some of her jewelry in here. The hidden back is just for me.” His eyes widened. “Sabrina sometimes comes in to dust the office and straighten things. Maybe she spotted something?”
They went back downstairs and found Holly Harte and her children as well as two police officers.
“Where’s Sabrina?” Jane asked.
Holly answered, “She had to run to her car to grab something.”
“Where’s her car?”
Stephen answered, “It’s the white Volvo in the garage.”
They followed him.
The car was still there. Inside, Sabrina sat behind the wheel.
Slumped back, her mouth partly open.
A bullet to her brain allowed a slow trickle of blood to slide down her mouth and stain her pretty, floral tank top.
Chapter 25
Victor wasn’t pleased,to say the least.
He’d been so close to a happy family. The small Harte boys had been adorable, and the wife a real beauty.
Unfortunately, Sabrina thought she could play by her own rules.
What a naughty, naughty girl.
He returned to the house he temporarily shared with Casimir and found his cousin lying down in the dark in the quiet of the master bedroom.
“They’re starting to rot,” Casimir murmured when Victor entered and knelt by the side of the bed.
