Page 110 of Owen

“We said you’d been so busy with the funeral, and then there was a complication with the will and the estate that you were sorting out with Camilla when you got a stomach bug and had been bedridden for the last couple of days.”

“Did she buy your lie?” I ask Jacob, my doubtful voice half a tone higher.

“I guess she did. She didn’t question us if that’s what you mean. She just asked you to call her as soon as you were feeling better.”

Not having spoken to her these last few days, the urge to jump in my car and drive to her is strong. I miss her. And Poppy.

I’m not convinced Jade would have believed Jacob’s lie, because she’s a deception detective. She can read people so fast it scares me. Jacob clears his throat as Lincoln returns. “You received a text from Richard with a ‘tick tock’ message yesterday.” He stalls for a beat, his face turning somber. “Alongside aphoto of Jade and Poppy. It was time and location stamped.” He clears his throat. “Yesterday morning, inside the camp wire.”

“Motherfucker,” I hiss, instantly checking his threatening message.

Right enough, there it is. Bile sours my gut as tap open the photo of her, blazing a knockout smile, hair blowing in the wind with Poppy in her arms outside her house on base.

I lay my hand over my tee shirt where, underneath, lay my dog tags with their names on.

My girls.

I will not let anything happen to them. I look around the room to see where to start today’s search.

“Richard’s a bastard for doing this to you. But we might have found something.” Looking confident, Lincoln grins wide.

A flicker of hope sparks in my gut. “What?”

“It’s not much, but it’s something.” Jacob looks pleased with what they have found too. He grabs a black box file off the top of the fireplace and hands it to me.

Hands shaking, I reach out to take it, then flip open the lid. Bundles of cream postcard-size pieces of paper fill the box. “Premium bonds.” I hold one up in wonder, looking at it as if it’s a twist of destiny.

“Thousands of the fucking things.” Lincoln turns around and picks up another five box of files.

“Are they all full?” I ask hopefully. This is the type of investment my grandfather would make. He was a smart man, and, unlike my father, he made wise investment choices. Buying premium bonds would have been a long-term game plan for him.

“Yup. Found them all in yet another filing cabinet in the basement among all your grandfather’s things. That place down there gives me the chills.” Lincoln shivers. “We also found loveletters between your grandfather and an unknown lover.” He follows his words with a wink.

“I don’t want to know, and that place is a dungeon, not a basement,” I mutter.

“There are certificates and insurance policies with items listed from your mother’s jewelry and watch collection, but we didn’t find any jewelry or watch collection, either.”

“Do you think my father sold it all?” I ask, airing my suspicions.

“Perhaps.” Lincoln gives me a sad look. “But this is our job for today. We need to go through every one of them.”

“Premium bonds are a lotto, though.” I felt hopeful for all of a millisecond, but now I feel like the carpet has been pulled from under my feet. When do you ever hear of anyone winning the lotto? I’ve not known anyone close to me who’s won.

“My grandfather bought me some when I was a younger. I still have them, but I’ve never won.” Lincoln stares at the slips.

Jacob jumps in. “Each one has a code, right? If you get a winning code, the government has to pay out… tax free? This could be the answer to your money problems, Owen.”

I look down at the box filled with any last hope I have. “Let’s get started.” Then it dawns on me. “Christ, I have been so selfish. What about Skye?” I ask Jacob. “Go home to them. You’ve got a new baby.” Then I point at Lincoln. “And you’ve got a demanding girlfriend who is on a mission to destroy your dick every minute of every day.”

Lincoln throws his head back, laughing. “She’ll survive, and anyway, she’s staying with Skye to help with Aurora for night feeds. She’s in her element.”

Jacob looks at me and nods his head quickly as he smiles kindly. “She is. We are all taking care of each other in different ways. I told her you weren’t well, though, just in case Jade spoketo her or Violet.” He cringes, knowing how well those three women gelled and that they have probably spoken every day since the day they met. “The sooner we find the money, the sooner I can get back to Skye. I am missing my Butterfly and my little Princess.”

“Fuck, you guys are sickening.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,Hotshot.” Jacob mocks me, calling me out for being a gooey mess around my woman, too.

“Oh, let’s not forget aboutmy little Poppadom.” Lincoln fakes a high-pitched voice.

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