Мэри Эндрюс - The Newcomer

Joe stopped her. “Go back to the money Tanya had hidden. How much?”

“A lot. Nearly twenty thousand.”

He let out a low whistle. “Did she say where she got the money?”

“Just that she’d saved it. I know what you’re thinking. That she stole it. I still have most of the cash. In the back of my mind I probably knew it was dirty money.”

“You still haven’t told me how you knew to come to the Surf,” he prompted.

“It was that old magazine article your mom mentioned. Tanya had a copy of it, in the go-bag. At the time, I didn’t know what it meant. I just figured it was as good a place as any. Turns out, it actually was a good idea.”

“You didn’t know Tanya had stayed here? That I’d arrested her?”

Letty shook her head vigorously. “I didn’t know about any of that. Tanya told me she’d been living in Atlanta during that time, doing some modeling. She told me Rooney, her boyfriend, had ripped her off, taken everything and left her stranded in Atlanta. She never mentioned this motel.”

“Which was another lie,” Joe pointed out. He studied her face. “I kept thinking you looked like someone I’d seen before.”

“You and Trudi Maples,” Letty said, chagrined. “I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, especially once you told me that story about Declan Rooney and his associate. I almost left right then.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I’m not sure. Where else would I go? Your mom was so good to me, gave me a job and a place to stay. My stomach has been in knots since the day I left New York. But here, I started to feel safe. I guess I was fooling myself.”

Joe took a deep breath. “You’re not safe. Not yet.”

Alarmed, she half rose from her chair. “You’re turning me in?”

“No. But there’s been a development. That’s why I had to talk to you tonight.”

“What is it?”

“Evan Wingfield has put out a contract on you.”

Letty felt her breath leave her body. Her brain buzzed with what felt like static electricity, and once again, she felt trapped and helpless.

“He knows I’m here? In Florida? Oh my God!”

Joe grabbed her hand again. “No. He doesn’t know where you are. But he hired a woman he thinks is a corrupt housing inspector to track you down and … take care of things. Fortunately, the woman is actually an undercover FBI agent. Her name is Vikki Hill. She flew down here from New York today and checked into the motel.”

“That’s crazy. Nobody else knows I’m here. Nobody.”

“The FBI knows. After Tanya was killed, they found her arrest record and put it together.”

Letty looked around wildly. “Why would Evan want to kill me? I’m no threat to him.”

“Money. And Maya. He wants both,” Joe said.

“I’ve got to get out of here. Tonight.”

“No,” Joe said firmly. “You can’t do that.”

“I can’t stay here. You don’t know Evan…”

“Letty. Wait. Listen to me. You can’t keep running. Not with a four-year-old in tow. I know you’re scared. Hell, I’m scared for you. But I honestly think this is the only way you and Maya will be safe.”

She buried her head in her hands. “We’ll never be safe. Not as long as Evan is walking around.”

“That’s why you’ve got to do what this FBI agent wants. You’ve got to help us put Evan in prison, for what he did to Tanya.”

Letty looked up at him. “How?”

“Agent Hill wants to meet with you. Tomorrow. She’ll explain everything.”

“I don’t know…” Letty said. “What if this is some kind of trick? Evan knows people.”

“It’s not a trick,” Joe insisted. “Everything she told me checks out.” He let out a long sigh. “Anyway, you really don’t have any other options. You’ve just got to trust me on this.”

Letty stood up and fixed him with a cold stare. “You turned me in to the FBI. How else would they find out where we were?”

“You know that’s not true. If I’d wanted to, I could have turned you in weeks ago.” He touched her cheek lightly. “I care about you, Letty. You and Maya. You’ve got to believe me. I’m on your side. Meet with Agent Hill tomorrow and hear her out. Okay?”

She brushed his hand away. “What other choice do I have? If I try to leave here tonight, you’ll arrest me, won’t you?”

“Try to get some sleep,” Joe said, opening the patio gate. “She wants to meet with you tomorrow.”

30

“JOE!” HIS MOTHER’S VOICE STARTLED him awake. He opened his eyes and when he struggled to sit upright his cramped back muscles screamed in protest.

Ava was standing beside the driver’s-side window, both hands on her hips. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He yawned and opened the truck door. “I was sleeping. Until you started screeching at me.” He started walking toward the office. “And now I’m gonna go take a pee inside. Unless you want me to whip it out right here in the parking lot of your motel.”

He took his own sweet time washing his hands and splashing water on his face. Ava was waiting when he walked out of the bathroom.

“Why were you sleeping in your truck in my parking lot? Were you drunk last night? And aren’t you supposed to be at work right now?”

He yawned again, then headed for the coffee bar. He poured himself a mug and gulped half the cup down.

“I wasn’t drunk. I’m taking PTO today. Anything else?”

“When are you going to tell me what’s going on with Letty?” Ava asked. Her arms were crossed over her chest. He should have known she’d figure something was up.

“You’re right, there is something going on. But I’m not really at liberty to discuss it right now.”

“That woman who checked into the efficiency yesterday. Vikki something. Who is she really? And don’t tell me it’s none of my business. She’s staying at my motel. I have a right to know.”

Crap. He didn’t need this. He’d been awake half the night, sitting in the front seat of his truck, wedged tightly behind Letty’s Kia, just in case she decided to make a run for it. He’d finally dozed off around three.

“Vikki Hill is an FBI agent. From New York. I really can’t talk to you about this right now, Mom.”

Ava would not be deterred. “Just tell me this. Does it involve Maya? Is she in some kind of danger?”

“Maya is involved … indirectly,” he admitted. “But I’m going to make damned sure she’ll be okay.”

Isabelle came bounding down the stairs from the apartment. “Hey, bro,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Aren’t you supposed to be out chasing criminals?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be at school?” he countered. “Why is everybody so worried about my work schedule?”

“He slept in his truck out in the parking lot last night,” Ava told her daughter. “Because Letty and Maya are in some kind of trouble with the FBI.”

“Oh, shit!” Isabelle breathed. “For real? Do they really think Letty killed her sister? I mean, that’s cray-cray. Letty would never.”

“What do you know about any of this?” Joe asked sternly.

“That’s what I’d like to know, too,” Ava said pointedly. “Young lady?”

Isabelle took a half step backward. “I promised Letty I wouldn’t talk about it. To anybody. She’s in big trouble, okay? That’s all I really know.”

“Who is Letty’s sister?” Ava asked. “Why is there an FBI agent staying here? And why am I always the last to know anything?”

The office doorbell chimed and Maya and Letty walked in.

“Maya Papaya!” Isabelle exclaimed, as the little girl jumped into her arms.

Letty had dark smudges under her eyes and now she warily regarded the assembled family.

“This is about me, isn’t it?” she asked Joe. “You told them?”