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Why would she put it in the other bedroom?
Jessie walked over and looked at the print more closely, her brain tingling slightly. The painting was in this room because that’s where Michaela wanted it. She would have hung it before Lizzie moved in. And because Lizzie didn’t want to alienate her generous friend, she wouldn’t have protested, especially since the image was so unobjectionable. It was actually more romantic than erotic.
Nestled in the corner of the room that didn’t belong to Mick and innocuous enough to be overlooked entirely, it was the perfect spot to hide something important. Jessie lifted the frame off the wall, excited to see what was behind it. But there was nothing there besides two nails and painted drywall.
Frustrated, she tried to re-hang the print. But it was heavy and she almost dropped the thing. She put it down and allowed herself a second to regroup before trying again. She lifted it a second time, stunned at how unwieldy it was.
Why is it so heavy?
The tingling in her brain had extended to her extremities. She put the frame down again and stared at it. Then she laid it face down on the ground. Kneeling down, she unfastened the backing and lifted it off.
There, tucked in behind the back of the print, was a large manila envelope, packed full to bursting. Jessie removed and opened it. Inside was cash—more money than Jessie had ever seen in her life. She couldn’t begin to guess at the total. There were easily a dozen bundles of bills, all at least an inch thick. She was tempted to try to count them but knew she was already pressing her luck by being here at all. Lingering to rifle through the envelope was one risk too many.
So she tucked it into the back of her slacks, reassembled the frame, and with much effort, managed to hang it back on the wall. She was just heading for the bedroom door when she heard the sound of the unlocked front door creak open.
