Chapter 33 A Careless Thing to Do
A Careless Thing to Do
They returned to Serena’s house for the fourth time that day just after dusk.
Morgan nudged Heidi’s ribs. “She’s home.”
Light spilled out from the front room window, the porch light was on, and a fresh set of footprints had flattened the snow from the sidewalk to the front door.
Heidi worried her lower lip as nerves knotted her guts. “I still don’t know what to say.”
Morgan took her hand. “We’ll have to wing it. We didn’t come up with a plan today, so we’re not going to figure something out in the next couple of minutes.” She pushed open the gate, marched up to the door, and yanked the rope on the bell.
“Lacey, is that you?” The voice came from inside the house. “I’m in the shower. The door’s open, come on in.”
They looked wide-eyed at each other. “Go on,” Morgan mouthed.
“You answer her,” Heidi whispered. “She’ll know my accent and voice.”
Morgan pushed open the front door and cleared her throat. “It’s me.”
“Grab a beer from the fridge. I’ll be a few minutes.”
Heidi raised her eyebrows and looked around. An old-fashioned fridge sat in the corner, and she walked over to it, taking a couple of Modelos from the door. “We may as well do as she says.” She found an opener and popped the caps, then handed one to Morgan.
She took a mouthful and looked around. The house was as shabby inside as out.
It seemed Serena hadn’t spent Heidi’s money on interior décor.
Heidi pressed her lips together. What if she had already spent it on something, though?
This would be a wasted trip. Her stomach crawled up to her throat, and her feet twitched with the urge to turn tail and run.
The sound of the shower came from somewhere close by. She poked her head into the hallway, noting the closed door with the sound of the shower coming from behind it. Good. They had a few minutes.
She sucked a breath and returned to the kitchen, where Morgan was looking at the bills stuck on the fridge. “Gas, power, cell phone bills, None of them overdue.”
Heidi riffled through a pile of papers on the table.
A couple of pay slips caught her eye, and she studied one.
It was from an insurance office in town, and Serena appeared to be paid a decent salary.
Her lips compressed. She was working for minimum wage and tips in a grotty bar, and somehow Serena had found herself an office job earning twice what Heidi did.
She could afford to pay back the money she’d taken.
“What are we looking for?” Morgan breathed in her ear as they stood together at the table.
“I don’t know,” Heidi replied. “Just information gathering.”
Morgan moved a dishtowel from the edge of the table and gasped. “Look!” She picked up the cell phone that had been underneath and handed it to Heidi.
Heidi swiped the screen revealing the passcode screen. She froze as possibilities ran through her mind. Eyes wide, she stared at Morgan. “Is it illegal to break into someone’s phone?” she whispered. “Because unless she’s changed it, I know her passcode.”
“A lot less illegal than stealing from someone’s bank account.”
Heidi took a deep breath and entered the code. The screen unlocked.
Morgan peered over her shoulder. “There’s the banking app. Don’t suppose you know the code for that? If you do, you could do to her exactly what she’s done to you.”
“She always had the same code for everything.” Heidi’s fingers trembled as she hovered over the banking app. “This feels so wrong. Dishonest.”
“She stole from you first.” Morgan took the phone. “You’re just taking back what she owes you. What’s the code?”
“Four, five, five, eight.”
Morgan entered the code and the app sprang to life. She handed the phone back to Heidi.
The balance was nearly thirty thousand dollars.
“She didn’t even need my money.” Heidi’s voice trembled. “She left me with three hundred dollars in my account.”
Morgan’s lips thinned. “Transfer it back. Do you know your account details?”
“They should be in here already. We often transferred money back and forth when one of us paid for something.” With a deep breath, she opened the payments page and scrolled through the list of payees. There she was. Heidi Lincoln. She stared at Morgan. “Can I do this?”
“Were you able to get your money back from the bank? Could the police help? Did Serena say she’d repay you?”
“No to all of those.”
“Then do it. It’s exactly what she did to you, and there was no comeback.” Morgan flicked a glance at the hallway where the shower still sounded.
For long moments, Heidi stared at Morgan. Could she really do this? She took a deep breath and set back her shoulders. Why, yes, she could. It wasn’t stealing—she was simply reclaiming what was hers. She licked her dry lips, and her finger hovered over her name on the screen.
The sound of the shower stopped.
“Hurry,” Morgan whispered. “She won’t be long. Do it now.”
Heidi’s finger trembled as she entered the details. Only the exact amount Serena had taken from her. Not a cent more. Again, her finger shook as she hit Next and reviewed the details on screen.
“Won’t be long,” Serena called.
She took a deep breath and hit Confirm.
“Two factor authentication.” She shot a panicked glance at Morgan. “It wants the code sent to her phone”—her shoulders slumped in relief—“which has just come through as a text. Three, eight, nine, one, five, nine.”
Morgan repeated it back as Heidi entered it. She watched as the screen rolled over to the payment made screen, which showed Serena’s new balance. Twenty thousand dollars less than it was a moment ago. For a second she was lightheaded, and the room swayed.
It took her two tries to close the app, lock the phone, and place it on the table. She thudded down onto a chair, fearing her legs wouldn’t support her, and picked up her beer, clasping it with both hands.
“We should leave,” Morgan whispered.
“No. I want her to see me here, and I want to tell her what I’ve done, so that she knows.”
Morgan sprang forward and grabbed the dishtowel, and rubbed the phone, paying particular attention to the screen. “Fingerprints.”
She’d just set it down and sat next to Heidi when footsteps sounded in the hall.
Heidi swallowed hard. Her heart pounded painfully. Any second now, Serena would enter the room, and Heidi still had absolutely no idea what she was going to say.
And then she was there, her long hair wrapped in a towel, a second wrapped around her body, her skin glowing and damp from the shower. Serena’s hands flew to cover her mouth, and her pale, perfect skin that Heidi had loved went even paler.
Heidi stared at her, waiting for the buzz of lust or regret for what they had done. But she was as cold as if she were outside in the snow. No regrets.
“Heidi.” Her voice was whisper thin. “What are you doing here?” She swayed and gripped the doorframe.
“Surprised to see me?” Heidi tilted her head. “You didn’t answer my calls or my emails. Your parents refused to pass on your address. Guess I’ve embraced the American way of life—I hired a private investigator.”
“Who’s she?” Serena’s voice gained strength, and she flicked a glance at Morgan.
“We live together.” Heidi folded her arms. “It’s nice to have someone I can trust.”
Serena licked her lips. “You can’t just break into someone’s house and help yourself to their beer.”
“You invited us in. Told us the door was open, to come in, and help ourselves to beer. We just did as you asked.”
“You must have known I thought you were Lacey.”
“Who’s Lacey?” Morgan’s finger drew a pattern on her beer bottle.
Serena shot her a dismissive glance. “My girlfriend.” She smirked at Heidi. “Surprised?”
“No. I don’t care who you fuck. I hope she knows not to leave her cell phone around you unguarded. Maybe I’ll let her know that when she arrives.”
“You won’t be here,” Serena snapped. “You’re leaving now.”
“I haven’t finished my beer. And you and I have unfinished business.
The small matter of the twenty grand you stole from me.
” Serena’s uncaring attitude hardened Heidi’s resolve.
They had been girlfriends. Happy. Secure enough together that Serena had asked Heidi to come to America, and Heidi had upped herself from her roots and come.
And now Serena was staring at her with disdain, begrudging her a beer and obviously wanting to get her out of the house before her girlfriend arrived.
No. Just no.
A part of Heidi wanted Serena’s face to crumple, to show some regret for her actions.
Not an apology—that was obviously not going to happen—but she wanted to dent Serena’s smugness.
She wanted Serena to admit she’d been wrong.
Hell, even for her to say it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision to take the money, that she needed it for something major.
Medical bills, starving puppies, a contribution to the Democrats.
All of those would have been—not a good enough excuse, especially now that Heidi had seen her bank balance—but at least a reason that was more than an opportunity for free money.
In an ideal world, Serena’s eyes would fill with tears, her lower lip would tremble. She’d hold out a shaking hand, beg Heidi’s forgiveness, and then open her account to transfer the money back.
“What twenty grand?” Serena’s lip curled, and her eyes were like ice. “Oh, you mean the twenty grand you voluntarily transferred to me as a gift when you were logged into your banking app. Good luck getting that back, ex-girlfriend.”
So, this wasn’t the alternative universe ideal world, then. There went her little fantasy of bluebirds tweeting happiness and Serena as a Disney princess dispensing starshine and sparkles all around her. “Still the bitch, I see.” She drained her beer in large gulps and stood.
Morgan stood as well, and Heidi went across to her, putting an arm around Morgan’s waist. Her steadiness grounded her, and the tremor in her fingers eased as she gripped Morgan.
“You see bitch, I see street smarts.” Serena shrugged.
Heidi tilted her head and studied her. Serena met her stare. How had Heidi not noticed how cold her eyes were? How arrogant her posture, her callous assumption that Heidi’s money was hers to take simply because Heidi had trusted someone she loved?
“I used to love you.” Heidi threaded her fingers through the belt loops of Morgan’s jeans. “Followed you across the world, in fact. Planned our future. Silly me, I guess. You hurt me, Serena. But you know what?”
Serena folded her arms and rolled her eyes.
“You didn’t take anything from me that mattered. I still trust people. I still love people. I know there are good and kind people in the world—like Morgan—and that you’re the exception.”
Serena didn’t move, but her gaze shifted away.
So she’d made her at least a little uncomfortable. Good. She turned away. She was done. Serena was not worth another thought. Except…
“We’re going,” Morgan said.
“Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out. See you never again.” Serena picked up her phone.
“We won’t. And, Serena…” Heidi turned back to face her and waited until Serena looked up. “Thanks very much for the gift.” She nodded at the phone. She had enough time to see Serena’s startled expression and then the panic that blanketed her face as she stabbed at the phone screen.
Heidi turned on her heel and stalked back to the front door, followed by Morgan. As the door closed behind them, Serena’s scream of rage followed them.
As they walked down the path, a young Black woman in smart office wear and snow boots was opening the gate. She stood aside to let them pass.
“Hi, Lacey,” Heidi said. “Serena’s not in a great mood. And if I can give you a tip: Keep your cell phone on you at all times. Don’t let her anywhere near it, and log out of anything important every single time. Especially your banking app. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
Lacey’s mouth dropped open. “Do I know you?”
“No,” Morgan said. “If she can find the words, I’m sure Serena will explain.” She took Heidi’s hand, and together, they walked down the street, back to their car.
“Let’s get out of here,” Morgan said. “I don’t want her to see what we’re driving.”
A quick U-turn and they were soon back on the main street.
“I can’t believe we just did that.” Heidi flung her arms in the air, hitting the car roof.
“It was like a bank heist but without the guns.” She snorted a laugh, and then the laughter rolled out of her in an unstoppable wave.
“Her face when she realized what we meant about the banking app. I wish I’d had a camera. ”
“Her horrified stare will live in my mind forever.” Morgan rested a hand on Heidi’s thigh.
“And we tipped off Lacey.” Heidi’s shoulders shook with laughter. “How perfect is that? You were fabulous. So cool and calm.”
“You were amazing. Remembering Serena’s passcode. Facing up to her like that. Justice was done. And in a way that she can’t come back at you without incriminating herself.”
“We got lucky.” Heidi’s leg bounced up and down. “Honestly, there are three things I need right now. A big scream of relief. An enormous premium margarita. And a big orgasm.”
“I think all of those can be arranged.” The glance Morgan shot her was pure sex, sultry and wicked.
Heidi shivered in anticipation. “Oh, and I think we’ve earned a fabulous dinner, which is on me.
After all, now I can afford it.” She pulled out her cell phone and opened her banking app.
“I use the same bank as Serena—the money’s there already.
” She nibbled her lower lip. “I guess she can try and dispute the transaction, but she’ll hopefully get the same response that I did—that she initiated it herself when logged in to her account. ”
They drove back to the motel, and Morgan parked the car at the rear out of immediate sight, and then they walked the short distance to town to find somewhere for dinner.
Heidi gripped Morgan’s hand. Her stomach kept jumping, and even her fingertips tingled with relief. They’d done it. A most unlikely heist, with Morgan as a most unlikely partner-in-crime.
She drew them to a stop and turned into Morgan’s arms. “You were so cool and calm. You don’t need to be a financial adviser—you could advise people on successful heists.”
Morgan laughed. “I don’t see that one being repeated.”
“I hope not. But I’m so glad you were there.” She kissed her, and it was a few minutes before they resumed walking.