Evie laughed as they turned down the woody lane to Ariel’s house—Loretta’s actually. “You’re too smart. Fifty, and it’s a deal.”
The van was parked in its usual spot. The late April day was hot, so the guys had stripped off their shirts. Evie caught a glimpse of gleaming muscles, lean abs, and serious scars before they yanked on their tops.
“New bikes,” Reuben crowed. “Now we’ll have to find another hiding place.”
“I’ve got one, if you’re interested.” Evie hadn’t meant to break the news so fast, but the opening worked. “I’ve been thinking about it all week, but I don’t have any way to reach you.”
Roark stretched inside the van and pulled out a business card. “That’s a lie. But to keep you from repeating it, here’s all our info. And one for the bubble witch.”
Loretta grinned and tucked the card in her shorts pockets. “Should I wear pink to be a bubble witch?”
“You get to make your own rules.” Evie climbed off the bike and accepted a cold drink. “Take us back to town and let me show you something. See if you’re interested.”
“I take it you haven’t heard from Jax either?” Roark pulled her aside while Reuben and Loretta loaded the bikes in the van.
“He had the firm send a check for Loretta, that’s it. I’m guessing you’re keeping up?”
“He knows us, so he’s blocked us from everything at the office. We’re just picking up what’s happening at the sheriff’s office. Stockton is out on bond. Billy Boy Blue is behind bars and spilling everything.” He looked down at Evie, probably saw her grim expression, and nodded. “Blue claims it was an accident. He was showing the Posts the lot lines, and they somehow fell in the pond, and he doesn’t swim and yadda yadda. They’re waiting on an autopsy.”
“Which will probably show shovel blows to the back of the head. That part is going around already. The coroner is a drunk who talks. What about the mayor?”
“He lawyered up, not with Stockton, obviously. It will take a while to unravel the truth with all the finger pointing. But it looks like Emmitt hoodwinked his sister into letting him mess in the files. He knew he wouldn’t get paid unless that whole property sold, and he was desperate.”
“Jax won’t let them have Witch Hill, will he?” she asked anxiously. “I was hoping he’d be on our side and not use the land to reach some plea deal.”
“Loyal and honest to a fault, remember?” His phone pinged, and he held the message up for Evie to see.SULKING.
The message included a stock image of a handsome man scowling at an open book.
“Ariel can hear us?” Evie grabbed the phone and typed:JACKASS BROTHER
A big grin emoticon flashed back.
Feeling a little better, Evie climbed into the back of the van as Roark took the driver’s seat.
“Ariel don’t always turn da sound on, but our cameras have mics. She’s gettin’ pretty bumptious with her own place.” The Cajun backed the van out. “Jax been paying us to pick up her groceries and whatnot.”
“Don’t know how much longer he can do that,” Reuben said over the sound of bubbles popping as he and Loretta worked their game console. “Firm’s still paying him, I guess. Stockton’s put his mansion up for sale. Won’t cover all the embezzled money or his legal fees. It’s gonna get uglier before it gets better.”
“Jax is paid to be my guardian,” Loretta said cheerfully. “He won’t go broke. Can I make everyone my guardian?”
Evie knuckled her head. “Not your problem. Your problem is fixing us all sandwiches while I show the guys what I showed you the other day.”
Loretta bounced and forgot the game. “It’s sooooo cool! And spooky and nasty and disgusting.”
“Oh yeah, that sounds like a winner. We going to the house? I’m ready for food.” Reuben put the game away as Roark turned the van up the drive.
“You’re always ready for food. Lucky for you, Loretta’s allowance can feed an army. I think Jax is under the delusion that we’d hire a cook and a maid. His secretary never found us one.” Evie jumped out to help take down their bicycles and wheel them to the carriage house.
“Y’know, with a little fixin’ up, dis place would make a great studio or somet’ing. You could rent it out.” Roark pried open the double doors and admired the century-old woodwork.
“I could own a car and need a garage someday,” Evie objected. “I just need to earn a living.”
“Don’t we all?”
While Loretta ran up the back steps to the kitchen, Evie lured Jax’s friends to what she hoped would be the treasure chest that would keep them around. Her plans needed people a lot more experienced than she was.
She handed them old brooms and pointed at the angled cellar doors below the back porch. “Originally a root cellar and tornado shelter.”