Chapter 16 #2
Glancing at the beach, she took a moment before continuing.
“Anyway, I put everything in my locker at work and called Susan around nine fifteen while on my break. We were both yelling at each other. She was angry I took the bag, and I was more livid that she had it in the first place. She told me it belonged to Leo and swore she didn’t know what was in it.
He’d asked her to hold it for a couple of days, and as naive as Susan could be, she did—no questions asked.
I told her it was drug money and I was going to bring it to the police.
She said Leo would kill her if I did. She was convinced he had some connections in the police department. ”
With tears streaking down her face, she paused again to catch her breath.
“How did she know that?” KC asked quietly.
“S-she had seen a guy at Leo’s apartment once and recognized him as a detective who occasionally came into the restaurant with a few other officers. She didn’t know his name, though.”
He nodded, his jaw tense. “Okay. Go on. What happened next?”
“She begged me just to bring the bag home, and she would return it to Leo. I don’t know why, but I finally agreed.
” Moriah’s body was now trembling as much as her voice.
“B-but when I got home a little after three o’clock, the door to the apartment was open a bit.
I-I went inside and found Mom, Susan, and Nicholas .
. . gagged and tied to kitchen chairs. They’d all been sh-shot to death.
There was blood everywhere—the walls, the floor, the . . .”
She closed her overflowing, tear-filled eyes as if trying to block out the horrifying memory and took several deep breaths to prevent herself from hyperventilating.
Dan shifted to the seat beside her and took her hand in silent support.
She glanced at him and gave a nod of thanks before picking up where she’d left off.
“I assume Leo or one of his friends did it. They had wrecked the place, probably looking for the bag. I was about to call the police, but then I remembered what Susan had said about Leo having connections. I didn’t know if Susan had told them I had the money before they killed her, so I went into my room, grabbed a few clothes, and ran.
I knew they would kill me if they found me, so I left Chicago and started hitchhiking and taking buses.
I slept in bus stations and motels if I could find one that didn’t ask for ID.
I’ve been on the run ever since. They almost caught me twice. ”
While KC was still stunned by her story, Brian took over the questioning. “How?”
“Once at the bus depot in Chicago, when I was trying to get out of the city, I saw Leo and two of his buddies searching the station. I slipped out through a service entrance, ran, and hitchhiked out of the city. The other time was about a week later in a small town about a half-hour south of Columbus. I’d gotten a lift from a couple of college girls, and we got into a fender-bender.
The police came before I had a chance to disappear.
I had to give the officer my ID. I didn’t think anything of it then because I’d never been on the run before.
I stayed at a run-down motel that night, and the next day, I was in a convenience store and saw three guys in a black Escalade cruising up and down the main road.
The license plate was from Illinois. I knew they were looking for me and got out of there as fast as possible. ”
Brian relaxed his stance a little, but it was clear he wouldn’t give her the chance to run even if she thought she could make it past them, which she couldn’t.
“The cop had no reason to run your license right away, but it was probably entered into the computer when the accident report was filed. That’s how they most likely traced you. ”
Wiping her wet eyes, she nodded, then watched as KC dragged a hand down his face.
At this point, he didn’t know what to believe and wanted to think she was telling the truth now, but that would mean everything before this had all been a lie.
He should have known something was up with her, but his heart and his dick had apparently done the thinking for his brain.
Brian came around from the back of the couch, nudged the duffel bag out of the way, and sat next to his brother. “How much money is there, and where’s the gun?”
A low whistle came from Dan when she said the amount. “One hundred thousand dollars, minus what I’ve used to eat and stuff. The gun is in my room.”
KC narrowed his eyes and glared at her. “That’s why the fucking serial number was removed, wasn’t it?” Biting her lip, she nodded, and he turned to his brother. “I was teaching her how to shoot the damn thing so she could defend herself.”
Rolling his eyes, Brian stood again and began pacing from one end of the patio to the other. “Oh, great, just fucking great. This just keeps getting better by the fucking minute.”
“Is there any way you can find out what’s going on up in Chicago . . . you know, without raising any red flags?
KC’s brother stopped pacing and put his hands on his hips.
“Unfortunately, my inquiry will probably result in me getting a phone call from the Chicago PD sometime today, but I’ll say her purse was turned in as found property or something.
I’ll call Sean and ask if he has any contacts up in Chicago.
Maybe he can have someone do a little snooping around. ”
The youngest of the three, Sean Malone, was an FBI agent in Jacksonville, Florida.
Turning to Moriah, he pointed a finger at her.
“In the meantime, I’m securing the money and gun.
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but you are to stay here where KC can keep an eye on you while I check out this story.
I almost believe you, but I’m also a little wary until I have proof you’re telling us the entire truth.
And God help you if you’re lying because I’m putting all our asses on the line here. ”
Sobbing, she put her hands over her heart. “I swear, I’m not. I . . . I loved my family and would never have hurt them.”
KC stood. While he was pissed off at her, he knew in his gut she was telling the truth about what had happened to her family.
What he didn’t know was if everything that happened between the two of them had all been a farce.
“I believe her, and she’ll stay with me until we hear from you.
” He gestured for her to stand. “Let’s go get the gun and give it to Brian. ”
She nodded solemnly and preceded him up the stairs without saying a word. Before the door shut behind them, he heard Brian ask their uncle, “Do you believe her?”
The older man responded in no uncertain terms, “Absolutely.”
“You and your damn, fucking strays.”