“I’m sorry, Mother.”
“Why, I was truly terrified when those awful FBI agents came to the door. They just pushed their way through, messed up my house, and dragged your father away. Who knows what’s happening to him in jail. What if someone tries to kill him?”
“I’m sure they’re watching him closely, Mrs. Jasons,” Curt said.
Her mother looked over at Curt as thought seeing him for the first time. “Curt. What are you doing here?”
“He’s with me, Mother.”
“Oh, David hired you to look after us? Just as well, there have been some terrible threats made against me. Just ghastly. I can’t believe people would say such horrible things.”
“There have been messages on her cell phone,” her aunt explained. “Justin gave it to the police.”
“They don’t care. They think David’s guilty. Nobody believes he’s innocent,” her mother wailed. “It’s so dreadful. They spray painted our gates. Someone even tried to break in.”
“What?” Jenna asked, alarmed.
Her mother nodded, looking satisfied at her reaction. “Probably after my jewelry. I couldn’t pack it all, and Mary didn’t know the code to the safe. Would you go back and get the rest of it for me, darling?”
Jenna looked up at Curt. He just shook his head.
“I can’t, Mother.”
“But it’s your inheritance. Some of those things came from your grandmother, they’re irreplaceable.”
“It’s not safe,” Curt told her. “Jenna has had threats too.”
“Maybe we need to hire someone to guard the house,” Jenna said, biting at her lip.
“That will be a huge expense,” her aunt complained. “All of your father’s accounts are frozen. Your mother has nothing.”
“I’m destitute.” Tears dripped down her mother’s cheeks.
Jenna barely bit back a sigh. “Mother, you have your own accounts. Money from Grandma.”
“But that won’t last forever, Jenna,” her aunt said. “You’re going to have to figure out some way of supporting your mother through this. What if David never gets that money back? What about his legal fees?”
“I’ll take care of the lawyer’s bills,” Jenna said, thi
nking of her inheritance from her grandmother, which she’d invested.
“But what about me?” her mother asked.
“You could get a job,” Curt suggested.
Her mother and aunt just gaped at him. Jenna had to turn away to hide a smile at their reaction.
“It will work out, Mother. One step at a time. I’ll hire someone to guard the house, and once things become calmer, I’ll get your jewelry for you. Make a list.” Jenna didn’t like leaving her grandmother’s jewelry in the house any more than her mother did. It wasn’t the monetary value, though it wasn’t insignificant; it was what the pieces meant to her.
“Hunter already hired a guard,” Curt said.
“He did? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to worry.”
She gave him an exasperated look. They’d need to have a little chat about that later. He wanted her to share everything but he got to hold back if he thought it would worry her? Nope. Not the way things were going to happen.
“Please, Jenna. Get your grandma’s jewelry. For me and your aunt.”