Chapter 7
Tommy went to the resort after their call. He wasn’t in the most pleasant mood at all, but there was work to be done. Things that needed to be discussed before they made another move to find Richy.
“On the map here, it looks like there’s some sort of closed-off section upstairs. Wherever this area is, is where we’ll find what we’re after. It has to be inside one of the walls or something because I can”t see it just being out in the open and no one finding it there.”
Willow listened to Tommy’s every word. He was so distant and closed off to her that it made her believe what he said about being done once everything was over. Deep down inside, she didn”t want that. She wanted to continue seeing where things would go for them, but she didn”t know how to reel him back in.
“I poked my head into the hallway up there earlier. It looks pretty empty. Like no one”s been up there for years.”
“Probably so. When new management took over this place, a lot changed.”
He went over to the sliding glass doors that led to the balcony and stepped outside. His hands were on his hips at first, and then they moved to his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He seemed stressed or nervous about finally getting his hands on the money.
“This should be a piece of cake, right?” Willow asked. “Finding the money. Giving it to Mark. Or Charlie. Or are we keeping it and using it as leverage? What’s the plan here?”
He started to pace as he thought about what they’d do. Willow’s plan was to make Charlie believe she was on his side… work with him until Mark handed over Richy, and then he and Mark could hash it out in whatever way they wanted to. It sounded like an easy out in her head, but Willow knew things would be a whole lot different when it unfolded in the flesh.
“What has Charlie suggested?” Tommy asked. “And don’t say you haven’t talked to him about things because I know you have. I can feel it in the air. From here forward, you need to be as straight as an arrow with me. Because believe me, Missy, once Richy’s home safe, I won”t hesitate to lock you up with your husband if I find out there’s anything else you haven’t told me.”
There was a serious look in his eye—a look that dared Willow to test his words and find out for herself. She knew better, however. Prison was the last place she wanted to be, especially for something she had no part of to begin with.
“I’m on your side here,” she said. “I want to get Richy back just as much as you all do. Don’t think for one second that my conversations with Charlie are to mend things between us because that’s the last thing I”ll ever consider doing. I just know he’ll work with me more than he will anyone else and as badly as I want him in Prison, I have to bite the bullet and work with him. We all do.”
She told Tommy all about Charlie’s plan to corner Mark once she brought the money in. He thought it was too risky of a plan and that Charlie was so untrustworthy Willow shouldn”t go alone, but it was a risk she was willing to take. When it came to her safety, Willow felt like she knew Charlie wouldn’t do a thing to physically hurt her. Nor would he let Mark. She was sure he would fight tooth and nail to get her out of there safely.
“What is he planning on doing when Mark is there?” Tommy asked.
“He wouldn’t say,” Willow sighed. “I think I have a pretty good idea though.”
“No.” Tommy paced the room. “We can’t let that happen. Both of these guys need to be brought to justice. If one”s dead, it may be hard for us to get a real conviction. Charlie will get a slap on the wrist.”
Willow wasn’t thinking of the legal side of things during that time. Her main focus was Richy. Charlie never flat out said he would kill Mark; the possibility lingered in the air, though. It was something Tommy hated. He wanted both men in prison until they were too old to function. Charlene too.
“Charlie said you were a great friend to him.” Willow felt like she needed to lighten the mood. “He’s said nothing but good things about you since all this started.”
Her voice was soft and interconnecting. Almost as if she knew Charlie”s words were something Tommy needed to hear to make him okay with arresting him. She knew he was okay with arresting him because he was a criminal, but Willow sensed it was hard for him to fathom. They were friends at one point in their lives. She could imagine it being hard to do away with one of your best buds.
Tommy chuckled a little. His face wasn’t so screwed up anymore either. He started to tell her about a situation from their lives, but got choked up halfway through and dropped the entire conversation.
“He can get in your ear all he wants,” Tommy said. “But I”m standing firm on this. He’s crossed the line a lot of times, but this thing with Richy, isn’t something I”m going to let go of so easily.”
“I understand,” Willow said. “And I don”t expect you to. So, what’s the plan? How are we going to get the money, bring Mark out of hiding, and keep everyone alive long enough for you to arrest them? And what about the detectives? I’m sure they won’t be too far behind.”
“Don’t worry about them,” he said. “We’ll get the money, set everything in motion with Charlie and get Richy. I’ll get my team together and keep the detectives out of our hair before we make a move.”
They waited until midnight to look for the money. Willow did her friendly check for Shelly downstairs before they did though. It was best for her to be gone—that way, Shelly didn’t see them on her office cameras and find out what they were doing.
Just as Tommy said, the money had been stashed inside a clutch inside the wall. He also thought it was Shelly’s idea to block off the top floor of the resort. At least until she found the money for herself.
Once the money was in their possession, Tommy went back to the station to assemble his team. Willow stayed behind to get herself prepared for the following day because that was when they planned to make their move. On top of that, she had to get everything in order with Charlie.
“Tommy has a plan,” she said when he called. “It won’t work the way it should if the detectives from back home are tailing me though.”
“Detectives from back home?” Charlie asked. “They’ve been following you?”
“Oh yeah. They’re really on a hunt for you and whoever is involved. They were even threatening to take me to jail if I didn”t tell them where you were.”
Charlie sounded disappointed in himself. It seemed like the more trouble he found out he caused her, the more remorseful he got.
“I’m sorry about all of this, Willow. I should have never gotten you mixed up in any of this. I should’ve just walked away when I first saw you.”
Willow silently agreed with him. She didn’t say it over the phone, but there was a burning desire to let him know exactly how much she wished he would have walked away. It would’ve saved her a lot of trouble and heartache.
“I’m meeting Tommy at the station tomorrow morning,” she said. “We want to get this over and done with as soon as possible. I’ll let Mark know I have the money in the morning; that way, he doesn”t come looking for it before we’re all set to go.”
“Ok. That sounds like a plan,” Charlie said. “I’ll let you know where to meet me tomorrow before you make the call to Mark. I want to make sure it’s somewhere where I have the most advantage in case Mark goes haywire and decides to kill us all.”
Willow went to bed that night on edge. Tommy had already taken the cash with him so there was no reason for Mark to come after her. She was just nervous about how everything would go down; how everything would work.
Charlie sounded so sure that he’d be able to get Mark right where he wanted him at the perfect time, but the closer it came to morning, the more Willow started to doubt things would go as swiftly as he and Tommy made it seem.
“Doesn’t look like you slept at all last night.” Tommy greeted her mildly at his office the next morning.
“Yeah,” she scoffed. “Thanks for noticing.”
Willow plopped down on the couch in his office and started to work away at her cup of coffee. It was black. She felt like she needed more caffeine than normal if she was going to keep her head on straight in the lion”s den.
“Is your team ready to go?” she asked. “I talked to Charlie last night. He said he’ll let me know where to meet him this morning.”
The tension in Tommy”s shoulders raised every time Willow spoke about Charlie. She wasn’t sure if he just hated Charlie for all he’d done in life, or if he was jealous because she kept talking about him.
“Good,” he said. “My team is waiting for the location then. There will be a car waiting for you behind the station. I’ll go out and talk to the detectives when you’re ready to head off.”
“A car?” Willow frowned. “Someone driving me out was never discussed with the rest of the plans. What if Charlie gets spooked and decides to back away from this? What if your guy gets trigger happy or goes on some kind of ego trip and ruins everything?”
“Well, you’re going to have to improvise,” Tommy said. “It’s the only way I can get you past the detectives without them noticing. Besides, I”m not sure I trust you and Charlie to go through with things one hundred percent.”
The realization offended Willow to her core. She couldn’t understand where he got his nerve to be so cold to her. Then, she thought of the lies she told and the man she was married to. Willow guessed anyone would have looked at her and Charlie with a side eye.
“Fine,” she said. “Whatever you think will work best. But if this whole thing backfires and someone ends up hurt, just know I”m blaming you.”
“And that’s fine,” Tommy replied without a single ounce of care for her threats. “Unlike you two, I know how to tell the truth and take responsibility for my actions.”
The longer Willow had to wait around in Tommy’s office with him, the more on edge she grew. She was overly ready for Charlie to place his call to her so that she could get the show on the road. Anything to get her out of that office as quickly as possible.
Charlie didn’t call until about two hours later and by then, Willow and Tommy had already been going at each other’s throats about changing the plans.
“He’s there now,” she said after ending her call with Charlie. “Let’s get this over with so that I can move on with my life.”
“Yeah,” Tommy agreed sternly. “Let’s hurry up and get this over with so you and your gang can get out of Sanibel for good.”
It took all of her strength not to reply to him. Willow knew he was only trying to get under her skin and she wouldn”t allow him the satisfaction. She made sure to keep her head in the game and make every move count. For Richy’s sake.