Page 110 of Surly Sheriff
He held her stare before conceding with a sharp nod.
And she recalled something she had not told him. Best get it all out in the open. “This is not Inessa Liminov,” she said, circling her face with a hand gesture.
He raked his eyes over her features. “Plastic surgery?”
She nodded. “Inessa had the prominent Liminov nose. After aging out of foster care, I headed back to Narragansett. You see, before driving away that night, we buried most of the money we stole from Sergio’s safe beneath a headstone in a cemetery.”
Beau blinked, and his mouth dropped open. He barked a laugh. “Acemetery?”
She shrugged. “Seemed the most sensible place.”
He shook his head, a lopsided grin on his face. “God help us if Jack has even half of your imagination and fortitude.”
“I hope he never learns about his momma digging up a grave,” she snipped.
“Lips are sealed. So, you dug up the money …?”
“It was creepy the first time with my sister, but the second time was so much worse.” She shivered, recalling the middle of the night excursion —by herself!— to retrieve her share of the money.
“I can bet.”
“Long story short, I used the money to pay for a new nose and some jaw sculpting.”
He winced. “Sounds painful.”
“Extremely.” She tilted her head. The next part could still get her into hot water with the authorities. “I also paid for the Raegan Williams identity.”
“It’s not the one the FBI gave you?”
“No. They named me Mary.Mary Morgan.” She shuddered. “Raegan Williams wassomuch better.Stronger. It was the name on the gravestone where we buried the money.”
He threw back his head and laughed. Really laughed. Hard.
Rae stared in wonder. How she had missed hearing that marvelous sound.
Eyes still brimming with amusement, he said, “You know I could arrest you for identity fraud.”
She lifted her chin in a challenge. “Are you going to?”
“No. But it’s something to legitimize. Once the trial’s over.” He hiked up his brows. “Any other great confessions?”
“Nothing comes to mind.”
He stepped back. “Then I’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight,” she said, and watched him descend the stairs to the driveway.
A sheriff’s office vehicle, a white truck like the one from the accident scene, pulled up in the street, and Beau changed direction, exchanging a few words with the driver. He slapped a hand on the roof and walked back to his Tahoe. Standing beside the open driver door, he looked up and called out to her, “Toby Jacobs will be with you for the rest of the morning.”
She shot a scowl toward the truck and her babysitter.
“Play nice, Rae,” Beau reprimanded from below.
She aimed her scowl at him.
He flashed her a grin and climbed into his vehicle.
As he drove away, his comment about her sister popped into her mind.
