Chapter Thirteen #2
“No. But I will be.” She shook her head. “I cannot believe her. She stands there like she deserves a slap on the wrist and all I wanted to do was put her on the ground. I don’t think I’ve ever been that angry in my life.”
“You had every right to be. Sam will get someone here.”
“We’re staying until they do.”
“Absolutely.”
She pulled out her phone and called Peterson. The conversation was short. When she dropped the phone back into her purse she wasn’t happy about what she’d heard.
“What did he say?”
“That I shouldn’t have confronted her. And that if she runs he can’t follow her without authorization from my aunt. He was hired to find her.” She let out a sharp breath. “He found her. That’s apparently where his job ends.”
“He’s not wrong, technically. But Sam will have someone here soon. They need to move before Avery and Judd figure out what’s coming.”
“You think they’re already packing, don’t you.”
Cole nodded. “I’d bet on it.”
She sighed and looked toward the motel. “You don’t mind waiting?”
“Not at all.”
“Cole.” She sat up. “Look.”
Avery and Judd had come out of their room, suitcases in hand. Judd hit the fob and the back hatch of the Tahoe swung open.
Aftyn reached for the door handle. Cole put his hand over hers.
“Wait. If a deputy doesn’t get here before they pull out, we get the plate numbers and follow them. That’s all.”
She exhaled and sat back, watching them load the vehicle.
Then Cole saw the Sheriff’s SUV roll into the lot and felt a grin pull at his mouth.
“What?” Aftyn asked.
“That’s Deputy Declan Cavanaugh.” He nodded toward the cruiser. “And Tank.”
“Who’s Tank?”
“His K-9. Trust me, those two are not going anywhere.” He could already hear the dog barking from inside the vehicle. “They wouldn’t make it two steps on foot.”
They watched Declan step out, close his door, and move toward Avery and Judd with the calm, unhurried stride of a man who already knew how this was going to end. A moment later Peterson appeared from his room and headed toward the cruiser.
“I suppose he’s going to stick his nose in it.” Aftyn sighed.
“Stay here.” Cole pushed his door open and walked over.
Declan glanced up. “Hey, Cole.”
“Declan. Didn’t expect to see you on nights.”
“Shift ran long. Sam caught me before I left.” He looked past Cole at the couple frozen beside the Tahoe. “Avery Newton?”
Avery’s voice came out barely above a whisper. “Yes.”
“Turn around and put your hands behind your back. You’re under arrest for identity theft, money theft, and crossing state lines.” He paused. “And given your prior record, Miss Newton, I’d strongly suggest you don’t make this any harder on yourself than it already is.”
Peterson stepped forward from the direction of his room. “Deputy, I’m Sterling Peterson. I was hired by Miss Newton’s aunt to locate her.”
Declan looked at him. “And?”
“I’m explaining why I came outside.”
“You’ve explained it. Go back inside, please.”
“Aftyn,” Avery called out, looking toward the truck. “Tell him.”
Declan took her arm firmly and turned her around without another word. She put her hands behind her back, and he snapped the cuffs on just as a second Sheriff’s SUV rolled into the lot. Deputy Mark Shaw climbed out, grinning before he’d fully closed his door.
“I’ll take her, Declan. Unless you’d rather she ride with Tank?”
Avery stiffened. “I am not sitting in there with that dog.”
“Thought so.” Mark’s grin held.
“I’ll bail you out in the morning,” Judd said.
Declan turned to him. “No, you won’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re under arrest. Judd Hutchins, turn around.”
“For what?” Judd’s voice climbed. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Aiding and abetting. You actively assisted, encouraged, and facilitated the commission of a crime with full knowledge and intent. That’s not just knowledge of what she was doing.
That’s participation.” Declan’s voice was flat and final.
“So, turn around, shut the fuck up, and put your hands behind your back.”
Judd opened his mouth again and Declan simply waited, which seemed to work better than anything else could have. Judd turned around. Declan cuffed him, took him by the arm, and walked him to the cruiser. Mark opened the back door, guided Avery in, then Judd folded in beside her and the door closed.
Declan turned to Cole. “She’ll need to come into the office as soon as she can to press charges formally. I think letting them sit overnight will do them both some good.” He gave a short nod. “I’ll be in touch.”
Cole shook Declan’s hand, then Mark’s, and through the cruiser window he could hear Avery crying. He felt a small pull of sympathy despite himself. She’d made her choices and now she’d answer for them, but she was still Aftyn’s sister, and that counted for something even now.
He looked back at the truck.
Aftyn had her hands over her face, her shoulders shaking.
He crossed to her without saying a word, opened the door, slid onto the seat and pulled her into his arms. She turned into him and cried as he held her and he let her.
****
Aftyn pressed her face into Cole’s shirt, breathing in the faint trace of his aftershave. “I don’t want to cry over this,” she said, her voice muffled against the cotton.
“She’s your sister.” His voice rumbled low in his chest. “It makes sense that it hurts. But you can’t let her walk away from what she did.”
Aftyn lifted her head, her eyes glassy. “I know, but—”
“You can’t change your mind now.” His jaw was firm. “She’s been arrested. And if you drop the charges I have a feeling your aunt will have something to say about that.”
“She’ll never forgive me.” Aftyn’s shoulders dropped. “It’s just hard when it’s family. I still can’t fully believe she did this. And Judd helping her.” She shook her head. “God, I’m glad I’m not married to him anymore.”
“Me too.” Cole’s expression softened. “Let’s go home. Dewey’s will be there another night. You can talk to Sam on Monday.”
She slid back across the seat, clicked her seatbelt, and folded her arms across her chest, staring out the windshield as Cole pulled out of the lot, gravel rolling under the tires. “I know it’s late, but I need to call Aunt Ping. She’d want to know.”
“You should.”
Cole turned onto Main Street, the storefronts dark, neon bar signs throwing color onto the wet pavement, then headed out of town toward home.
Aftyn’s fingers weren’t quite steady as she dialed. “Aunt Ping, I’m sorry for the hour, but I wanted you to hear it from me. They arrested Avery and Judd tonight.”
“When?” Aunt Ping’s voice came back sharp and wide awake.
“Just now. I watched them put in a cruiser.” Aftyn’s voice caught and she swallowed against the salt at the back of her throat. “They’ll be booking them now.”
“Aftyn.” Her aunt’s voice went hard in the way it only did when she meant every word.
“Don’t you dare feel bad about this. All she had to do was ask us for help.
We would have given it to her. Instead, she stole from us.
You press those charges. Do you hear me?
You press them or I will never forgive you. ”
“I’m going to.” Aftyn watched the dark fields pass outside the window. “I have to. She’d only do it again.”
“I don’t know where things went wrong with her, but she is old enough to know better. And I am tired of cleaning up after her.”
“I know.” Aftyn picked at a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. “That’s why I hate asking you for anything.”
“You ask. That’s the difference.” The soft rustle of bedsheets came through the phone. “Go get some rest. She made her choices and now she lives with them. Why was Judd arrested?”
“Aiding and abetting.”
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer man.” Aunt Ping’s dry laugh was brief but genuine. “Sleep. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She ended the call and dropped the phone into her purse.
Cole headed out to his house, the headlights cutting through the dark ahead. When he pulled up and killed the engine he reached over and touched her hand.
“You alright?”
“Not really.” She stared through the windshield. “I know this is right. I just feel terrible about it.”
“She didn’t feel terrible about what she did to you.”
“I know that. But she’s still my sister.”
“I understand—”
“Do you?” She turned to look at him. “Would you turn one of your brothers in if he broke the law?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know that. Nobody knows what they’d do until they’re actually in it.”
She pushed the door open and stepped out. She was halfway to the porch when she heard his door open and felt his hand close around her arm, turning her gently to face him.
“You’re right that I haven’t been where you are,” he said. “But your sister has done this before. You weren’t the first person she stole from. She stole from your aunt too. What would your aunt do if Avery had done it to her again?”
Aftyn exhaled. “She’d press charges. Same as she did the first time.”
“Right.”
She looked at him for a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you.”
“It’s fine. You’re allowed.” He let go of her arm but stayed close. “Let me ask you something. If a stranger had done exactly what Avery did to you, would you hesitate for a second?”
“No.”
“Then don’t hesitate now. She’ll do it again, Aftyn. As long as she can get away with it, she will.”
Aftyn reached for his hand. “You’re right. I’ll talk to Sam on Monday.”
“Good. Let’s get inside. I’m beat.”
“Me too.” She pressed her fingers to her temples. “This whole mess has given me a headache.”
“I’ll find you some aspirin. Come on. It’s getting chilly.” He turned toward the porch.
“Getting chilly? It’s downright cold.”
He looked back at her with a slow smile. “I could warm you up.”
“I thought you were tired.”
“Never too tired for you.”
She laughed and took his hand. “Let’s go inside.”