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“Since when are you the patient one?”
“Since we’re close to recovering and destroying that will. I don’t want anything to go wrong. Again.”
“OK. OK. I’ll be browsing, using an alias.”
“Now you’re using your head.” Arthur gulped his scotch. “I’m done. Good luck tomorrow. Keep me posted.” He turned and shuffled out the door. He felt the foreboding threat to his well-being hanging over him like a cloud. Not a heart attack. But a severe beating from the people to whom he owed money.
* * *
George Nelson could not believe his luck. Not only had he made a few grand selling the load of rubbish to that Bodman fella, he had just cleared another two grand from some guy, and a grand from some lady. Three grand in less than an hour. Heck, he was makin’ doctor’s wages. He wondered what was so special about that pile of junk. Maybe he should find out for himself. If he left immediately, he could be outside Asheville by sunup.
But what then? Try to buy the stuff back from Bodman? Then try to sell it to the highest bidder? He had to think on that. He racked his brain to remember what could be so valuable in a broken-down table, brass headboard, splintered dresser with missing drawers, and side table with a cracked leg. Was there something else he might have overlooked? As far as he could tell, there had been nothing worth anything in that garage. It would take a heck of a lot of days trying to reconstruct the rubble. He shrugged. Must be something important. He went back to the bar and asked his friend Leroy if he wanted to go for a joy ride. He even insinuated there could be some more money in it for both of them. Leroy bought a six-pack of beer from the bartender and jumped in the cab of George’s pickup. They stopped at a drive-through burger joint. Leroy leaned over George and placed his order through the window. He stocked up on greasy, cheesy food, including several value meals, dessert, and milkshakes.
“What ’er you feedin’ in there?” George spat at Leroy.
“We dunno how long were gonna be, so I’s wants to be sure we have provisions.”
George muttered something under his breath.
“’Sides, you got yerself some cash, what ’er you complainin’ about?”
“Nothin’” George pulled two twenty-dollar bills from his wallet. He got a dollar back in change. “I swear that’s the most money I ever spent here. You got ’nough to feed a small army.”
“Quit gripin’.” Leroy sat back in his seat. “Not sure what I should eat first. The fried chicken or the double cheeseburger.”
“Eat the burger. Chicken ain’t bad if it’s room temp.” George pulled up to the window to retrieve their food order.
“Y’all have a nice night,” said the woman with orange hair and a gold front tooth who handed him the bag with their food in it.
George grumbled, “It’s gonna be a long one, that’s fer sure.”
Chapter Twenty-two
Stillwell Art Center
Sunday
It was the crack of dawn when George and Leroy pulled into the parking lot of the Stillwell Art Center. It was also the same time Jimmy Can-Do brought his work into the shop. Jimmy had never seen anyone else in the area at that hour before and wondered what a beat-up pickup was doing at the far end of the parking lot. And he wasn’t about to find out either. It was too far away to read the license plate, but if he ever had to give someone a description, it would be easy.Old. Dark green. Wood railings on the flatbed. Duct tape on the front bumper.
Boston, Massachusetts
Millstone Manor
Rowena was up earlier than usual. Her adrenaline was pumping. She had a good feeling about this trip. She’d take the company jet to Asheville and use a car service to take her to the Stillwell Art Center. Once she got there, she would browse, then casually pay Mr. Bodman a visit. Once she got the lay of the land, she would figure out her next move. Based on the condition of all the other items they had retrieved, she doubted that Bodman guy would have made any progress restoring all that junk. She also figured he hadn’t found the will; otherwise, he would have brought it to someone’s attention. No, she was fairly sure the document that threatened her lifestyle was still hidden somewhere. As soon as she could locate the salvaged pieces, the sooner she could plan her next move. She wasn’t exactly sure what that would be, but she was too close to success to worry about it at the moment. She had to believe that once she found the document, she could destroy it and all the plans Randolph Millstone had made to terminate her cushy lifestyle.
For most of her life, she had gotten everything she wanted. Except herpes. Even now, she was not sure whether she had given it to Arthur or Arthur had given it to her. Either way, they were both contagious.
Rowena chose an elegant white pantsuit, a white Prada satchel, Loren sandals by Gina, and a white Hermès enamel bracelet. Her hair was slicked back. There had been no time to get a professional blow-out for her hair. Not that she couldn’t do it herself. It was the principle of the thing as far as she was concerned. Her kind of principle.Why do something yourself when you can pay someone else to do it?
The town car came around to the front of Millstone Manor, and the driver rang the bell for Rowena. She pulled on a pair of Versace sunglasses. She looked expensive. Almost intimidating.
Nasty.Goes without saying.
They arrived at Boston Logan Airport in plenty of time. Rowena checked in at the small office that accommodated the private and charter jets. It was so easy. Walk in. Walk on. No regular people. No screaming kids. No security. Not that she was doing anything illegal. Not yet.
She boarded the jet with the company logo for Millstone Enterprises painted on the side. A hugeM.E.She chuckled when she saw it. It hadn’t occurred to her before. It spelledME. Indeed it is. Just. For. Me. Ha.
She took a seat in the empty six-passenger plane. Even though it was a private jet, it did not come with all the amenities many others had. No big-screen television. No flight attendant. No champagne. Randolph had used it strictly for speedy transportation for business. If he had to go cross-country, he would take a commercial flight. It was cheaper and more comfortable. This aircraft was only for absolutely necessary short hops, not entertainment.
