Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
S ophie felt in a better frame of mind as the men walked out the door. How many times had she wished for a brother? Always envious of her friends when they complained about theirs, she had seen the affection between the siblings despite their complaints.
Rounding the counter, she started cleaning the table. When she picked up Silas’ coffee cup, she saw the bill placed underneath. Sure she was mistaken, she unfolded it to see it was a hundred-dollar bill.
She shook her head as she cleaned the rest of the table, finding a hundred-dollar bill under each plate. Placing the dishes in the plastic bin, she sniffed back tears as she stuffed the bills in her apron pocket.
She would have to return the money when they came in the next time. There was no way she could accept it, sure they had only given it to her because they had walked in while she’d been crying.
After wiping the table down, she went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher.
When she heard the bell over the door ring, she left the kitchen, feeling more confident that she might be able to convince them to order hamburgers.
There was a lone man sitting in a corner booth. Pasting a smile on her face, she went over to greet him. As she drew closer, however, her smile slipped. He gave her the heebie-jeebies, making her want to run and hide behind the counter.
Looking through the window, she assured herself that the sheriff’s office was just a few yards away.
“Hello, how are you doing today?”
The man’s face was messed up to hell and back. His lips were huge, his cheeks were heavily pockmarked, and he had sagging flesh down his neck. He noticed her reaction, and his lips twisted in a sneer, making him appear even more sinister.
“Had better.”
“What can I get you?”
“A large glass of iced tea, and I’ll take the money your old man owes me.”
Sophie locked her knees, afraid they would give out from under her. “I can get you the tea, but any money my father owes you, you’ll have to talk to his lawyer. I can save you the trouble—once Marty’s creditors were paid, there wasn’t any money left.”
“I’ll take that tea.”
She walked away on trembling legs and went behind the counter to fill the glass with ice and tea. Carrying it back, she had to concentrate on not to spill it as she gauged the distance to the door if she needed to run.
Setting the glass down, she forced herself to ask him if he wanted something else.
“Have a seat before you pass out.”
She wished another customer would come in to give her an excuse to ignore him, but her hopes were dashed when the door remained closed.
Sitting down, she folded her hands over each other so he wouldn’t notice them shaking. “How much money does my father owe you?”
“Two hundred thousand.”
Sophie felt the color drain out of her face. “I don’t know what to tell you. Marty didn’t leave me any money. The only thing I can say is to talk to his lawyer. I can get you his name and number.”
“The money Marty owes me can’t be discussed with a lawyer, nor can I take it to a court. I lent Marty the money in good faith. I want it back.”
“If you’re expecting me to give you the money, I don’t have any. Look around—the place is empty. I can’t even hire a cook. All the equipment is old, and the building isn’t in better shape.”
“It seems like we’re at an impasse, then.” Lifting the glass to his twisted lips, he drained its contents before placing it back down, then stood up. He was a scary figure. Taking out a wad of bills, he slammed a five down onto the table. “I would figure out how you’re going to pay me before I come back. I’ll be in touch.”
Sophie watched him leave, shaking in terror. He scared the bejesus out of her.
Glancing toward the sheriff’s office, she debated calling to make a report.
What could she say? He hadn’t outright threatened her, just asked for his money. While he scared her, it was more the impression he gave her than anything overt he had done. Reaching for the empty glass, she carried it back to the kitchen.
She was beginning to dislike Treepoint. The only good thing that had happened to her since coming here was meeting Silas. His brother Isaac wasn’t anything to sneeze at, either. It was a shame Jody was their brother. She wondered if the rest of his brothers were as heartless with women as he was.
This morning, when she had served him and the woman he was with, she hadn’t realized it was the same couple she had seen the night before, smashing into the wall as they tried to get into the apartment across from the laundry room. She had put two and two together when she ducked out of the restaurant and ran home to allow the delivery drivers inside to bring in her couch and saw the woman going into the apartment.
Sighing, she started the dishwasher. It didn’t matter regardless. The way her luck was running, she would be out of business long before she found out.
“Two hundred thousand dollars?” she said out loud. “Marty, what have you done?”