AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I told you, I look into everyone who’s involved.”
“Let’s not let this escalate into a war,” Mrs. Lowery put in mildly, coaxing Stormy back into the chair. “Suffice it to say that since I had met Tyler, had seen his credentials and the authorization from his client, it seemed only appropriate that he keep me informed of his activities since they involved one of my own—”
“Stormy!” Nina’s voice careened into the room before she did. “I want you to get those sluts out of my kit—” She stopped on the threshold, taking in the tableau of Stormy, Tyler, and Mrs. Lowery. Her mouth slowly creased into a smirk. “I see Mrs. Lowery finally caught you at it.” Triumphant, she continued into the room, her attention wholly on Mrs. Lowery, as if Tyler and Stormy did not exist. “I suppose Stormy has denied everything.”
“Well, no,” Mrs. Lowery said affably. “She hasn’t.” Nina stopped in her tracks. “You mean she’s admitted to it? All of it?”
Mrs. Lowery managed to look as if she’d shrugged when she had not so much as moved a muscle. The near smile she passed to Stormy was even less clear.
“Sit down, Nina,” Stormy said. “I’d like to ask you why you took my money out of the safe.”
“Me? Why don’t you ask those thieves and whores who are in my kitchen?”
“Because they don’t even know the safe exists. They’ve never even been upstairs.”
“Your boyfriend, then.” She snapped a frown at Tyler.
Tyler moved behind the chair on which Stormy sat, put his hand on her shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze. His gesture surprised and pleased Stormy.
Though concerned about how it might appear to Mrs. Lowery, she reached up to cover Tyler’s hand with her own. “Tyler didn’t take my money.”
“You can deny it from here to kingdom come, but he’s in this with you.” She turned to Mrs. Lowery. “See? I told you they were scheming together. They’re using the flea market to launder that stolen money.”
Stormy gasped.
“I’m afraid not,” Tyler said, his voice unbending steel. “But you’ve had a jolly day with Stormy’s money, haven’t you? Let’s see,” he said, staring at the ceiling. “You paid the mortgage due on Tully’s office. Paid your dues at the country club. Regularly have lunch and drinks there with your friends, too.”
Nina went pale. “You’ve been following me?”
“Let’s just say I have a vested interest in your sister’s affairs. Keeping an eye on you seemed like a good idea. It was.”
“Where’d you get the money to do all that, Nina?” Tully asked from the threshold. He stood there in slippers, cutoffs, and a T-shirt, his hair slicked back and wet from a recent shower.
She turned on him. “I had some money put away.”
He shook his head. “No, you didn’t. You rifled my pockets this morning for the boys’ lunch money.”
Mrs. Lowery stood up to address Nina. “Mrs. Dawson, I hardly know what to say to you. But there’s no doubt in my mind what you were trying to accomplish by your calls and visit. You wanted your sister back in prison. I suspect you thought I’d rush out here and haul her off to jail. But that’s not how I work. I also suspect your motivation was greed. And that with your sister out of the way, you wouldn’t have to explain your sudden windfall. I just stopped by to ask Stormy some questions—and to let her know that she has my full support. You see, Mr. Mangus has almost convinced me that Stormy had nothing to do with the bank robbery she was sent to prison for. However, until such time as she gets something done with her conviction, she is still on parole. I can’t change that.” She turned to Stormy. “And one more thing. You do have legal recourse, should you want to file charges against your sister—not only for the money she took from you today but for abusing the power of attorney you gave her over your trust fund.” She then dispensed a look of utter disgust at Nina. “Don’t ever again let me hear you calling one of my probationers a slut. If your behavior continues in the same vein as we’ve seen today, you might end up as one of my clients.” She picked up her briefcase and purse. “I guess that’s it.”
“I’ll walk you to the door,” Stormy said, though she wasn’t certain her legs would carry her that far.
Before she stepped onto the porch, Mrs. Lowery turned and placed one perfectly manicured fingertip in the center of Stormy’s chest. “As for you, my dear, watch the company you keep…and where you keep it. Some folks are just looking for a reason to harass parolees. Showing up at a motel in the middle of the night gives them a little too much ammunition if you know what I mean.”
Stormy’s face overflowed with color. “Yes, ma’am.”
Stunned, she watched Mrs. Lowery negotiate the drive.
Tully met Stormy in the foyer. He held out a wad of bills. “This is yours,” he said. “I don’t know how much she took, but this is what was left in her purse.” His face suddenly looked rumpled. “I’m sorry. Sorry for the whole mess. I should’ve put a stop to it.” Eyes downcast, he rubbed a knuckle against his mouth. “She convinced me you had that stolen money. I guess I wanted to believe it.” He looked around the hall—at the polished floors, the antique mirror, the cobbler’s bench. “Part of the problem is this house, you know. She keeps it as a shrine to your dad. I don’t measure up. I’m no good at contracting. I’m a good plumber, though. I’m going back to being just a plumber.”
“I’ll have to talk to her, Tully.”
He sighed. “I know. But could it wait? I’m going to pack her and the boys up and take them to my parents’ place for a few days. The boys love the farm. And Nina needs to be reminded of my roots.” His breath hitched. “And so do I.” He paused before shuffling back into the living room. “Would it be too much to ask if you’d keep an eye on the boys until I get Nina calmed down? They’re in the kitchen with your friends. Tyler said he’d wait for you there.”
Unlike the tense scene in the living room, the atmosphere in the kitchen was joyful. Tyler had Tommy on one knee, Liane on the other. Janelle sat on Sandy’s lap. Davie was helping Noreen empty ice trays for drinks. In the center of the table, the candle still burned in its saucer, making the kitchen smell good and friendly.
Liane caught sight of her mother. “Hurray! Now we can go eat.”
“Are we going out for dinner?” Stormy asked, her eyes sweeping the room, taking everyone in but landing on Tyler. He gave her a smile.
