AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Fine, whatever, I’m not paying it,” I drawled, tossing the bill back to her. “Tell the director to email me when there’s a real bill, but I’ve already cut off the autopay.”
“You’ll be on the hook for it and we’ll sue,” she warned me, her voice cold. “Can your family handle that pressure?”
I froze, my eyes going wide from what I got off of her next. I threw back my head and burst out laughing. I grabbed the bill back and pulled out my cell phone, smirking at her as I called the police.
“Is that wise?” Elijah muttered under her breath.
“Yes, because if they would do this to me, they would do it to others, and most people can’t just pay eighty-four thousand dollars. And they would actually be grieving and in a bad place. I’m not letting assholes get away with this shit.”
“Get out of here right now,” the manager demanded when she realized I’d called the police. “I’m telling you to leave the property and you have to!”
“Nice try,” Elijah chuckled, ready to fight now.
I went right to the policeman when he arrived and explained what was going on, showing him the bill.
He nodded along with what I said and then came over to the counter with me and made everyone identify themselves. “So you called for us before things got out of hand?”
“No, I’m reporting fraud andextortion,” I purred, nodding when he couldn’t hide his shock. “They believe I’m the woman’s great-granddaughter. And clearly, they know that her granddaughter, Angela, was once accused of murder.” I was glad when he glanced at the paper again and there was recognition in his eyes.
“The woman over there made it clear it would be better if the bill was paid so there weren’t any legal proceedings my client would have to deal with,” Elijah added.
“Except I’mnotrelated to the family,” I chuckled darkly, smirking when the woman flinched. “And Angela is no longer wanted for murder.”
“That’s true,” the cop confirmed. “We recently revisited the old case and found out that—it was ruled self-defense.” He pulled out his notepad and studied me. “Do you know how to get in touch with her?”
“She’s dead,” I said, feeling a weight off of me that I could actually tell people that and maybe, just maybe, feel as if all of this was in my past now that my grandparents were gone. “She passed years ago from an aggressive form of cancer.” I glanced at Elijah for help.
“Twenty-five years ago?” he muttered, as if he was trying to remember the exact date. “Twenty-four or twenty-five.”
I answered the unasked question I saw in the policeman’s eyes. “My mother was friends with Angela. They met after those boys tried to rape her and hergod-fearinggrandparents said it was her fault and kicked her out. They traveled a bit, and she’s the reason my parents met and fell in love. Her one regret was that she never had the chance to explain what really happened and clear her name.
“My mother tried to but couldn’t and instead found her grandparents were in a bad spot and paid for this overpriced facility for them even if they didn’t deserve it. I only found out Angela’s name had been cleared when I requested information since I was going to be traveling here to settle the account and wrap things up.”
The cop nodded as he jotted it all down. “Can I ask why your mother didn’t come herself?”
“She has trouble flying, and it’s a long trip from Germany to here at her age,” I said, glad when he clearly understood that. “I have business in LA, so this was supposed to be a quick stop off, and I arrived to find eighty-four thousand dollars added to the bill without explanation and threats of suing me and my family wouldn’t want that. It makes me think something is in the water of this town.”
The cop snorted but then tried to be more professional. “I promise you that there are lots of us that are just fine. I do find it interesting that someone tried to reopen the case years ago. There were no notes to that,” he muttered.
“Yes, well, my mother was called aNaziwhen she called after Angela died and said it was clear that thebastardlured in three boys to suddenly want to become a murderer after teasing them,” I drawled. I nodded when he blinked at me as if he couldn’t believe that. “My mother was quite shaken from it.”
Elijah snorted. “Especially given how gentle of a soul Angela was. Thoseboyswere monsters that scarred that woman for life. She did what she did that day to survive and the damage it did to her, plus her grandparents kicking her out after—cruel doesn’t cover it. Nor how this town treated her.”
“You knew her as well,” the cop said gently. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
He got the wrong idea though which was a bit funny because Elijah didn’t even look forty, and given themathwe were giving him… Never mind. He was on our side and that was all that mattered.
“Fix the bill,” he told the manager. “And I’m filing a report. This is not the first time I’ve heard ofextra chargesbeing tacked on like this, but normally it’s a few hundred dollars that you at least lie about better. I think after this I’m going to have a talk with the judge and get an audit going on here.”
“I’d also investigate how things gomissing,” I muttered. “I didn’t know the woman or really care about her jewelry, but she had none left somehow, not even a wedding band. I wonder how often the people who work here are seen at pawn shops the next town over.”
I bit back a smirk when all three women behind the counter had the desire that the cop not check. Fucking monsters.
Seriously. There were too many monsters in the world.
2
“Can we talk?” I asked Kyle later that day when I found him at the new home base… Which was actually the one back in Atlanta we’d used before the case in Rome. Kyle really liked the place and made a remark we should make a few permanent home bases so we could stash people if we needed to instead of always hopping around.
