Page 38 of Pay Dirt

“Not if you are behind bars. Now apologize to these people.”

“An apology isn’t going to help,” Nathan said, turning with the new hundred-dollar bills in his hands. “But telling me everything you know about this might.”

“I found those,” Michael blurted out. “Had I known they were useless; I wouldn’t have tried to use them. I would have left them in the gutter where I found them.”

“Gutter?” he asked.

Michael shook his head. “I’m not saying another word unless you promise not to press charges for robbing you.”

Tension thickened in the air. Nathan had tipped his hand, and they were at an impasse.

“Nathan, give me your keys.”

Nathan tossed me his keys. “Where are you going?

“I’m going to take Janet to the all-night pharmacy and get these prescriptions filled, and then I’m going to go rent some hotel rooms for these people.”

His mouth parted. “We’re kind of in the middle of something here.”

“You are,” I answered.

“There won’t be any rooms,” the Pastor answered. “Not with the competition that kicks off this weekend.”

I looked around the room at these kind faces. “We’ll figure something out. I promise.”

“Why would you help us?” an older gray-haired woman asked from across the room.

“Because it’s the right thing to do,” I answered as I held back the tears that had gathered in my eyes. I wouldn’t cry in front of these people, but I would when I was alone. My heart was breaking, and no way could I just walk away knowing what I knew. No way would my conscience let me.

“I don’t have a car seat. Can we leave Mary with someone?”

Janet nodded and crossed the room, handing her daughter to the other older woman. “Momma, you take care of her, and I’ll be back soon.”

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