Page 37 of Treasured
“I’ll need your fingerprint, but no, it’s not. I’ll also need a body scan for the first time.”
She tapped the desk and sashayed to the door. “Get your call.”
Maybe she didn’t sway her ass on purpose, since it seemed like her normal walk, but the way her cheeks bounced always caught my eye. I called out as she neared the door, “Be right out.”
She closed it, and I pressed the button and checked the door was fully closed. “Mark, what did you find out?”
His gruff cough made my skin crawl. “Couple things. Are you sitting down?”
“I can be.” I followed directions. “Okay, what’s going on?”
Mark kept his words slow but clear. “Arthur Waterstone went missing.”
I leaned back in my chair. The police should have acted faster. “And Wanda?”
“Left after a meeting with the board.”
My body tensed up. This made no sense. I rubbed my forehead, like that might help me process what I’d been told, but nothing did. My mom had tried to counsel Wanda and would take her call. I swallowed. “Is Wanda directly involved with the sales?” I asked.
“Yes. The computer you hacked for us confirms.”
“Fuck,” I said and stood up to glance out my window. The beach always calmed me down. “Where is she now?”
“Unknown.”
The lapping waves weren’t helping. My gut was twisted like I had betrayed my family.
“Her illegal contracts have helped her amass a small fortune, so she could charter a flight anywhere,” Mark continued.
Shutting her down now meant I retooled the entire company that followed all the laws. I glanced at the door and asked the more important question: “So they are both missing?”
Mark then said, “Arthur’s confirmed as her front man these days. She hired him because of some of his prison contacts. And his police record is full, including felony murder.”
“Well, that’s fucking awesome,” I said through gritted teeth.
Wanda worked with criminals who knew how to kill. I’d been lucky I smelled the residue, or Mary and Bruce would have been torn from me.
Mark had no idea the storm inside my brain.
“I’ll email you everything now so you can hand it over to your lawyers,” he said.
I turned and saw the mail pop up on my screen as I said, “Thanks.”
“Cheer up, Thunder Thighs. Your girl is safe in your home.”
Fair point. I let out a sigh and almost smiled as I said, “Yeah, she’s here.”
“Well, fuck it, when everything is done, you get to run your own company, but for now, you keep her there and sign off on the papers.”
“Okay,” I said. I had no argument with the plan. I’d been assigned to stop the sales. Taking control was the only answer, but when I hung up, I closed my eyes.
My brother’s ghost had been hovering over me since the day he died, but right now, he seemed more human and like he had made a horrible mistake when he almost married the wrong woman.
So much so my stomach even cringed a little, but I picked up my phone and decided I needed to make another call. “Mom, hi.”
She gave a small laugh then said, “It’s the middle of the day. What’s going on?”
I went still as I said, “Look, if Wanda calls you or comes to see you, don’t answer her.”
