Chapter 10
After a long and exhausting day at the station, Willow went back to the cottage to try to catch a nap. Tommy wanted her to go back to his place with him, but she needed to be alone. She thought Mark might call sooner if she were. The detectives weren’t out front when she got back that evening. She figured they got the drift and decided to finally put in some real work, rather than bug her all day.
Richy was heavily on her mind when she got time to herself. Willow wondered if he had eaten. If he was comfortable. She knew he was probably terrified, but she at least wanted him to know she was doing everything she could to get him back.
After a long, hot shower, she sat down on the couch to relax her brain. She had some leftover Chinese takeout in the fridge that she warmed up to try and eat. She couldn’t get much down, though. She was too worried sick about Richy.
After sitting there, her heart racing and her brain soaring a million miles per minute, Mark finally called. It was a gut wrenching call, but one that she anticipated more than she did her divorce.
“I need you to think long and hard, Willow,” he said. “I know Charlie must have said something, or done something to let you know where he hides things. You were married to the guy. You lived together. There’s gotta be something he said to you at some point. Put your mind to the test and try to remember.”
His voice was deep and creaky over the phone. He was adamant about finding the money and he wanted Willow to know just how serious he was. He didn’t raise his voice at all to her, but there was an undertone that told her she”d better start thinking. And fast.
“I’ll call you back later tonight to see what you’ve come up with,” he said. “But believe me, I won”t wait around long. Don’t test my hand. Otherwise, I”ll start to pick off everyone you care about, one by one.”
After his threat, he hung up, leaving Willow in shambles even more. She was terrified for Richy, Brandi, and Tommy. Even her neighbors back home that she cared about. Mark was dangerous and very serious about getting his hands on the money. She couldn’t for the life of her think of anything Charlie might have said or done that would let her know where to find it though.
Dammit Charlie! Why did you do this to me? Of all people? You were so secretive and hid everything from me, now look. I have no idea where to find you. Did you ever really love me? Did you know that someday things would come down to this and I”d have to fight for my life and the lives of those around me, while you hide your face like a coward? I hate you! I wish I would have listened to Brandi and never gave you my hand!
Willow couldn’t think. Her brain froze up after Mark called. She tried her hardest to think back as far as she could in her and Charlie”s relationship, but she got a blank slate. The only thing she could remember was the first time he approached her.
“Wow, you’re gorgeous,” he said. “Any man in this room would be lucky to have you. If I were to get the chance, I’d take you to The Bay for an exquisite time.”
When she thought about what he said all those years ago, Willow cringed. She had no idea why she was so flattered by that. The Bay in Sanibel was a place that they’d gone to many times over and there was never anything special about it. It was a regular old beach resort. Sure, it was nice and Willow loved going there, but it wasn’t Rome, or Greece, or Paris.
The resort? Could that be where you’re hiding the money?
The thought came to her mind after a while of remembering his first lines to her. She didn’t think it was possible because it was so close, right up under her nose even. She thought there was no way it could be there.
Willow started thinking long and hard about the days they had stayed at the resort. They always got the same room, sat at the same table, and got the same housekeeper. Every single time. They hadn’t been in a while, but she chalked it up to Charlie working so much.
It had been so long since they’d gone there that she didn”t think the front desk would remember her. She was sure they had their names in some kind of guestbook or something, so she called over to check and to her surprise, the clerk knew exactly who she was.
“Mrs. Shorts, it”s been a long time,” she said. “Are you calling to book your regular?”
Willow froze for a moment, unsure of whether or not she was ready to go to that room again. Not because anything bad happened there, but because she wasn”t sure what she would walk into. If the money was there, she was afraid of what to do with it. She didn’t know if Mark had eyes on her, if she should tell Tommy what she suspected; if her telling anyone would put Richy in even more danger.
She was sure Mark didn’t want the cops involved at all, but completely stumped on how to make her next move without involving Tommy. Or the detectives.
“Uhh, let me call back in a few,” she said. “I have to check with my husband to make sure Sanibel is where we’ll be vacationing this week.”
“Okay,” the clerk chuckled politely. “Not a problem. Just give us a call back if so, and we’ll get everything squared away.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Willow quickly hung up the phone and let out a large exhale. Her heart fluttered when she thought about what she would find in that room. Not only that, but if the money was there, how had Charlie keep it a secret all this time? She figured there had to be someone at the resort helping him; someone he paid off.
Without thinking too much, she quickly packed a bag for her stay at the resort. She knew that if she thought too much about it, she would psyche herself into not going. Or worse, share her plan with Tommy. Willow had to do everything in her power to get Richy home safe. If that meant not telling Tommy or the detectives anything about where she suspected the money to be, then so be it.
She called the resort back an hour later to book her stay. To Willow’s surprise, they didn’t need a credit card or any money from her. Charlie had everything already taken care of. She wondered how, or why he always had that same room booked. Surely there was something important about it. She didn’t ask the clerk, however, for fear she’d alert him or whoever was helping him. Willow planned to figure all that out herself.
She waited until around ten that night before she left the cottage. Brandi was fast asleep and Tommy was busy at the office, so she knew no one would ask her too many questions. Tommy had already called and checked on Willow a dozen times that evening, so he was under the impression that she would be in bed for the rest of the night.
When she got to the resort, she grabbed the key from the clerk and tried to get to the room with as little interaction as possible. However, the night shift clerk wanted to talk her ear off about her marriage and why she hadn’t seen Charlie in so long.
“Is everything okay with him?” she asked. “It’s just, I”m so used to seeing the two of you together… it’s a little odd that he isn’t here. Will he be showing up tomorrow? Or later in the week?”
“Oh, um, yeah.” Willow tried to think quickly on her feet so she wouldn’t get too suspicious. “Yeah, he’ll be here later in the week. He’s been working a lot lately, more clients, more building projects. Stuff like that. I wanted to get here a little earlier than he did so I could enjoy the beach without him talking about work for most of our trip.”
“Oh!” she laughed. “I completely understand. My husband does the same thing.”
The woman laughed and accepted Willow’s explanation, but deep down inside, Willow knew she wasn’t convinced. There was something about her that made Willow wonder if she was the one helping him keep the room booked for so long.
Something about the woman, Shelly, told Willow she knew something. Either that or she was another one of his wives he swindled into thinking he loved her. Willow didn’t have time to get distracted by Shelly and what she knew or didn’t know. She had to get to the room to see what she could find.
She took a look around the room. It looked the same way it did the last time she and Charlie were there. Of course, it had been cleaned and there were new sheets on the bed, but the aura and the feeling were the same.
“Wow,” Willow scoffed. “The last time I was here I was on my honeymoon.”
She went over to the balcony and peered out into the ocean. It was beautiful there at night. Being so high up and able to see almost the entire island of Sanibel was lovely. But not under the circumstances.
After opening the sliding glass doors to the balcony to let some fresh air in, Willow tossed her bag on the bed and headed for the kitchenette. There was always wine in the cupboard when she and Charlie got there, and nothing changed.
“My favorite.” She snagged the bottle and popped the cork. “Well, it used to be my favorite. Now, I wouldn”t buy this if my life depended on it.”
Cain Five was something Willow loved to drink while she was with Charlie. He always made sure there was a bottle waiting for her whenever they went anywhere. She loved it so much because it reminded her of him and his persona when they first met; smooth, charming, and able to take her breath away. When she drank it that night, though, it was bitter and sour, making her cheeks burn.
Before she searched the room, she sat out on the balcony to wrap her mind around what she might find hidden there. Nothing looked out of place or stood out at first glance, but somehow, she could feel the burden of a heavy secret lingering in the air.
It felt like death. Lies. Cheating. Betrayal. It felt awful being there, after she had opened that bottle of wine. It amazed her how a place she once found so beautiful had turned into something so torturous for her.
Willow’s phone rang while she sat nestled on the balcony. It was Mark. At first, she thought about not answering because she didn”t want his creepy voice to dampen her mood even more, but she thought about Richy. She had to answer for Richy. His life was at stake and she was the key to saving him.
“Hello?” Willow shivered a little when she heard his breathing.
“What’s the word, Mrs. Shorts?” he asked. “Have you come across anything yet? Time is running out for your little friend here. He’s tired, hungry, afraid. I’m sure his parents are worried sick about him.”
“You’re a sick man, you know that.” She scoffed at the bitter taste Mark left in her mouth. “When this is all over, I hope you rot in prison where you belong. You, Charlie, and Charlene. All of you belong underneath the jail for what you’ve done.”
He laughed at her. It was such a disgusting laugh that made her want to vomit; and afterwards, he said something that completely made Willow’s skin crawl.
“I only needed you for access to that room you’re in. Now, find what Charlie hid there and bring it to me. Or Richy’s dead.”
BOOK 6
Chapter 1
Willow”s stay at the resort wasn”t bound by time. She planned to remain until she discovered the hidden money. She felt sure it was nearby, a hunch that Mark had reinforced. The resort seemed to be the only place Charlie could hide something from her.
The morning brought an unexpected call from Shelly, the clerk she had met the night before. “Good morning, Mrs. Shorts. Just checking on your stay. Need anything? Fresh towels, room service?” Shelly”s voice was polite, but to Willow, it felt oddly intrusive.
Willow had her suspicions about Shelly. Was she involved with Charlie, or helping him hide? Willow couldn”t pinpoint it yet, but she sensed Shelly”s connection to Charlie.
“Good morning,” Willow replied, keeping her tone neutral. “I’m just getting my day started, but thanks for asking.”
“Sure thing,” Shelly said. “If you need anything, just let us know.”
After hanging up, Willow felt a strange unease. It wasn”t unusual for the front desk to check on guests, but Shelly”s call felt different. Maybe it was because of Willow”s suspicions, or perhaps Shelly was indeed linked to Charlie, the man Willow was eager to leave behind.
After her morning routine, she opened the curtains and stood out on the balcony. It was funny that being there gave her more comfort than Brandi’s cottage that she used to consider her favorite place in the world. She guessed because of all the issues that started at the cottage. She felt lighter standing there. Willow was still worried sick about Richy, but her nerves were a lot more calm.
The sun felt good on her skin. It felt like a hug from her father or a kiss from Tommy. She thought about him a lot before going to bed the night before. How gentle and sweet he grew on her. Willow thought they’d dislike each other the entire time she was in Sanibel, but that had changed rather quickly.
Speaking of Tommy, he called her that morning. She missed his call while in her slumber, but she planned to call him back when she was in a mood to talk. For the time being, Willow wanted to really focus her attention on getting Richy back. She had to really lock in and think about where that money could be, or who had it. She knew someone at the resort knew something, and she was determined to find out exactly who it was. Though Willow felt she already knew.
Before she did anything else, Willow went down to the lobby to snoop around. She took it that Shelly was the manager of the resort because she was nestled in the office behind the front desk. Her head was deep into her computer when Willow saw her. She wondered what she was looking at, or who might have been emailing. Whatever she was doing, it looked serious enough to keep her attention away from Willow.
The breakfast bar was still open when she got downstairs. So, Willow grabbed herself a bagel and a coffee, and planted her tush at a table that wasn’t too far away from the front desk. She wanted to be able to hear everything that Shelly was saying. Willow wanted to get a feel for how Shelly’s days were run and watch her movements.
It was a huge resort. There was no telling how many hiding places there were or who was hiding in them. So, Willow kept her eyes open and watched her every move. Until Shelly disappeared into the elevator and didn’t return for almost an hour.
“Hey, um, I’m looking for the clerk who checked me in last night. I believe her name is Shelly?”
Willow approached the clerk at the desk in Shelly’s place with the intent to pry a little bit of information out of her. She looked to be a young girl who didn’t really know much, or might have been afraid to give out too much information. But Willow tried anyway.
“Um, I think she went on her lunch break,” she said. “I can give her a call on the walkie if it’s an emergency.”
“No!” Willow quickly declined. “It’s not an emergency. It can wait.”
“Okay. Is there anything I can help you with?”
Willow’s words got caught in her throat when the girl asked. There was a lot the clerk could help Willow with; Willow just wasn’t sure if she would. Or if the young girl even knew anything. Willow didn’t know how to vocalize her requests or put her in the loop without risking the girl telling Shelly and blowing Willow’s cover.
“Um.”
Willow paused to study her face. She was trying to see if she could trust that the clerk wouldn’t say anything about what she was doing at the resort, but then the elevator bell rang and Shelly stepped off.
“Mrs. Shorts.” She smiled a friendly smile as she approached Willow. “Good day.”
“Good day.” Willow chuckled nervously. “I was just um… I was just coming down to see if there would be a dinner spread tonight?”
Her odd look and demeanor didn’t really seem as if she believed Willow. Willow felt like Shelly knew she was up to something and would have figured it out sooner or later. That was a good and bad thing. Willow figured if Shelly started to accuse her of having ulterior motives, it surely meant she knew something about the money Charlie was hiding.
“Yes,” she smiled again. “Dinner spreads go out at 6:30. I can have someone bring you up a dish if you’d like.” Her eyes sparkled a bit, in an uncanny way—almost as if she knew for a fact that Willow was up to something.
“Oh, no thank you. I’ll be able to make it down in time. I just wanted to make sure I remembered correctly. Since it’s been a while.”
Willow left the lobby and went back to her suite. Something felt off to her after speaking with Shelly. There were no obvious red flags, but something was certainly up with her. Willow’s mother always told her to follow her instincts and her instincts said Shelly knew something that could help Willow.
I have to call Tommy, and let him know what I suspect. But I don”t want him barging in here throwing around accusations and getting everyone shaken up. If Shelly is helping Charlie, she can”t know that I know or suspect anything. Otherwise, she’ll tip him off and he’ll be on the move again. That’s the worst thing that can happen right now.
“Hey Willow, where you been? I tried calling you this morning.”
Tommy called her immediately after her thought. It was as if he felt Willow thinking about him and knew that she needed to tell him something.
“Yeah, hey Tommy.” Willow tried keeping her voice calm and free of any tension. “I came over to The Bay for a few nights. I needed to get away from everything and clear my head for a while. This thing with Richy has me all screwed up and I can”t think straight.”
“The Bay, huh? That’s the resort across town, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
There was a bit of suspicion in his voice about Willow being there. She thought maybe he had a bad experience with the place, or he’d gone there to get away himself. The thought that he might have thought she was hiding something again didn”t cross her mind.
“Sounds cool,” he said. “Well, with everything going on, I know it might be a bad time, but I was wondering if maybe you’d like to get out for a bit today. I’m taking a break from things myself, but there’s this spot I want to check out on the water. We might be able to find some clues as to where to find Richy.”
“Oh yeah?” her interest was piqued. “How’d you find out about this spot? And what is it, some kind of hang out?”
“Yeah. I overheard a few kids on the beach talking about someplace out near the woods. I figured we could check it out today.”
It sounded like a nice plan. Though Willow doubted Richy would be anywhere near, she didn”t mind getting on the boat that day. She thought it would”ve been a nicer getaway than just hanging out at the resort all day.
“Okay, sounds good. I’ll drive over and meet you at your place, I guess.”
“All right,” he said. “I’ll get the boat and some grub ready for the day, and we can head out.”
She saw Shelly on her way out. She was on the phone in her office at that time. The call looked serious. Willow wondered if she was talking to Charlie—the way her arms flared and her voice heightened made her think she was.
When Willow got to Tommy’s, he was already in his truck waiting for her. The minute she saw him, she smiled so hard she felt like she looked cheesy. He smiled too and although Willow was embarrassed, she felt like he didn’t care about her reaction.
“Hey you. Nice to see you today.”
She could see his eyes checking her out behind his sunglasses. He did look happy to see her. Excited even. It had been a long time since she”d seen a man look at her the way Tommy did. It made her feel good.
“Same to you,” she said. “Why does it feel like it”s been a long time?”
“I said the same thing to myself last night,” he chuckled. “You ready to head out?”
“Yep. Ready as I”ll ever be.”
The drive out to the dock was nice. Quiet, but there was still a bit of flirty tension between Willow and Tommy. Whenever he did say something to her, he touched her hand gently and lightly caressed her arm. She loved the feeling of his touch and how gentle he was with her.
Once they got the boat into the water, Willow felt like life was behind her. All the troubles and worries she was facing during that time were put on ice and her mind set sail to the open waters in front of her.
Tommy seemed freed as well. Willow could tell he was worried about Richy and wanted him home something awful, but he didn’t let Willow see him sweat. He kept his cool and tried his best to keep her comfortable.
“Richy comes all the way out here?” Willow was surprised to see how far offshore they’d gone. “How does he get all the way out here by himself?”
“A couple of the kids have boats,” he said. “They usually come out when it’s hot out. There’s a fort out here Richy helped build a few summers ago. I busted in on them a few times. Nothing special was going on. I just came out to see what they were doing.”
He talked about Richy in such a polite way. As if he was proud of him or something. Willow knew he was. Anybody would be. He was a good kid and really wanted to make something of himself. She was proud of him.
“Have you heard anything from Mark again?”
Tommy’s question threw her off. She wanted to tell him she had and share the real reason she was at the resort, but she held it in. Willow wasn”t ready to tell him much more about Mark and the money. Not until he and his team found out something more for themselves.
“I haven”t,” she said. “Not since he called, throwing around demands at the station.”