Working in the house helped ease the constant tension coiled in her muscles. Waiting to hear whether she’d get out of this with her head still attached to her body was unnerving.
Alex’s strongest connections were too high above the local police to move quickly. To avoid suspicion, they were forced to influence and insinuate to get the lay of the land.
Alex hated to use them. She’d have to pull some major strings in return to be back in the black. The thought made her queasy. Favors like the one she’d requested weren't easy to return.
Pulling o the plastic container that was once home to a milkweed plant, Alex knelt and dug a hole in the new soil. As soon as she was wrist-deep in the dirt, the little black phone only one person knew the number for trilled.
Shit .
With dirt-caked hands, she flipped it open. “Hello?”
“It’s done,” he said. “You’re free to move about the cabin.”
The line went dead, and Alex fell forward. Her forehead landed on her arms as she took her first full breath in over a month. Shaking, she tried not to cry as relief flooded her nervous system.
The respite was short lived. As soon as the Sword of Damocles moved from over her head, the other source of her agony spiked. She considered reaching out to Charlotte but dismissed it. She couldn’t bear to see her. Even knowing she was in the o ce was intolerable.
Charlotte had gotten so deep inside her, it was proving impossible to move on. Even in the six weeks since they’d last spoken, Alex had barely managed a few minutes without thinking about her. Part of her wanted to make sure she was okay and to explore the possibility of reconciliation, but the rest of her didn’t think it was possible. There was no point in hurting each other more by prolonging things.
Stephanie was right; they should cut Charlotte loose as soon as it was practical. Maybe then Alex could start to get over her. Maybe she could start loving her a little less.
Using the garden hose to wash her hands, Alex cleaned up and called Stephanie. She informed her that the stable had been fixed and the horses were safe and sound. They really needed new codewords.
A few hours later, while Alex was watering the colorful plants she’d arranged in the huge, raised bed, Stephanie’s car appeared at her gate.
“Sorry to barge in on you and your earthworms,”
Stephanie joked as she got out of the car in her pristine sweater and white pants.
Alex tried to smile. “Come on. Let’s sit in the back and have a drink.”
With clean hands and dirt-covered jeans, Alex pulled a bottle of wine from the outdoor fridge. She handed a full glass to Stephanie, who sat at the edge of the patio chair while Alex sat across from her on the chaise.
“We live to see another day,” Alex said as she raised her glass.
Despite her expectations, Stephanie didn’t look happy or relieved. The way she gulped her wine made Alex hold her breath.
Could there really be another shoe? How many feet does this monster have?
“I found out the deal with the chief,” Stephanie said when she’d emptied half her glass.
“Oh? And what’s that? Did I steal his parking spot once?”
“You have no connection to him at all. Fermin Barriga had him in his pocket. He was looking to take you o the chessboard.”
“El Barrigón?” Alex laughed bitterly. “How much does a chief of police cost?”
Stephanie showed no amusement. “A house in the Keys, a big boat, and five million dollars. They used a series of shell companies, but they weren’t careful enough. As good citizens, we passed the information along to Internal A airs, and for safe measure, about a dozen news stations.”
“That’s bad luck for them,” Alex decided.
“They shouldn’t have tried to come for you.”
Alex nodded. “You know that boy’s club. They can’t stand what we do. We’re making more money without exploiting anybody. Our very existence is a threat.”
When she’d first stepped on the scene, Alex had played nice. It hadn’t worked and her refusal to fall in line had drawn a boundary, a line that had always been respected. Or so she thought.
“That sounds like news that should please you. What aren’t you telling me?”