“Let’s wait around back. Surprise him. If that prick shows up, I want him out of his vehicle before he sees us, so he can’t run.”
“What if he goes to the marina?”
“He won’t.”
“He might.”
“Tallus said Aaron sounded the alarm, which I assume means he saw him call Luke. Luke’s more concerned about hiding evidence and disappearing until things calm down.”
“I don’t get it. Why didn’t he burn everything? Why keep evidence that incriminates him?”
I’d wondered the same thing. “You’re a smart kid, Darcy.”
He stood taller. “I am?”
“Here’s the thing with guys like Luke. When they’ve got a good thing going, it’s hard to let it go. He’s made millions running this scam. His instinct is to lie low and restart the business once things calm down. I have a feeling he’s rethinking that decision now. He probably wishes he had destroyed those files.”
“Do you think he told Aaron to burn them when he gets here?”
“Wouldn’t surprise me.”
Behind the cottage, the property stretched for fifty yards or more. A handful of established trees, a stone path, and an ornamental pond with benches, birdbaths, and carefully landscaped gardens greeted us. A portico over the back door. Latticework up the side of the house. Winter-dead vines clung to the wall. In the spring and summer, I imagined the lush yard would be dotted with brilliantly colored flowers. Perfumed air. Aaron probably had a gardener. A housekeeper. A laundry service. To think this was a vacation home. Did he use it, rent it, or did it sit vacant half the time?
What a fucking waste.
I peered through a few uncovered windows to get a sense of the cottage’s interior. It had a French, country feel. A rustic layout with wood accents, a fireplace, and built-in shelves. Plush furniture.Intricately designed stone floors. Rugs and books and darkly shaded lamps that would give a warm ambience.
For whatever reason, I thought of the cabin Tallus’s dad had mentioned. I thought of fishing on a serene lake far from the city.
I thought of a man who called me son and another who didn’t.
Then I shoved those thoughts away because I hadn’t called Heath back and wasn’t sure I would.
We waited.
Again, I resisted sending Tallus a text, although I reached for my phone no less than a dozen times.
The street saw little traffic, so every time I heard a vehicle approach, I stilled and listened, holding a palm to Darcy for silence.
Each car passed without slowing.
Time dragged.
At five after one, someone pulled in the driveway.
“He’s here,” Darcy hissed.
I shushed him and indicated we should move closer to the house to be out of sight. I would have preferred to have left Darcy at home with Echo, but that would have led to an argument. An argument would have taken too much time and left me frazzled. Besides, I wanted Darcy close so I could keep an eye on him. I had visions of him being arrested when I wasn’t looking, and I had no intention of letting that happen. The police would have to go through me. The kid was a bystander, used for someone else’s gain.
A car door slammed.
I waited, giving Aaron enough time to move toward the front door. As I was about to round the corner and confront him, Darcy touched my arm. “Wait.”
“What?”
“Let him get the boxes. If he comes out with them, then he can’t deny they exist. If you confront him now, he’s just going to lie.”
“And if he decides to use the fireplace?”
