Page 91 of Deputy Brand Gets Her Man
So she went.
She didn’t need the address. She’d been to the Montroses’ before, when the Barker boys had thrown a brick through one of the tall, gorgeous windows. The Corvette was in the driveway.
“At least we know they went home.” She drove by slowly, still not in her police SUV, and maybe that was a good thing. She didn’t want to do anything to set Montrose off. “Did you get Elena’s number when you met?”
“Yeah,” Jeremiah replied.
“You think you should give her a call?”
“Maybe I should give him a call,” he suggested. “He can’t get mad at her for that.” Then he pulled out his phone and tapped his newfound brother-in-law and possible sister-killer’s number as Willow watched.
He put the phone on speaker and set it on the console.
Montrose picked up on the first ring. “Jeremiah?”
“Yeah, it’s me, bro. I went to see Elena but they said she was so much better they sprung her.” He tried to make his voice upbeat, happy even.
“Yeah, they did.”
“That’s great news! You care if I talk to her?”
“Yeah, thing is, I don’t know if she was really ready to come home. She passed out soon as I got her into her bed.”
Willow swore in a whisper.
“Yeah, I thought maybe. That’s why I called you and not her, I didn’t want to wake her. Anyway, you can pass this on for me, then. Tell her, no hard feelings.”
He was silent.
“About her contesting the will. Shoot, I told my lawyer this morning, he didn’t have to go to the trouble. I’d have split it with her if she’d asked.”
“That’s…generous of you.”
Willow was typing madly on her phone, and he knew why when a text from her popped up on his.
Willow: Make up some paperwork he has to sign. Get inside.
“Anyway, uh, things aren’t quite final yet. The deposits have been made, but uh, they won’t clear the bank without one more signature. I have the paperwork on me. I could bring it by.”
Another long pause, then, “Sure. If you can give me an hour?—”
“I’m actually in neighborhood.”
Silence.
“Dude, I don’t know about you, but I been waiting a long time for this money to come through. I’m on the brink, you know? I need funds like, today.”
“Frankly, same,” Montrose replied. “Okay, you can stop by, but listen, we’ll talk on the back porch. I don’t want you goin’ inside and disturbing Elena.”
“For sure. See you soon, dude.” He hung up. “Why did I keep calling him dude?”
“Doesn’t matter. He bought it.” She pulled over, and when he sent her a questioning look, she said, “Let’s wait a couple of minutes. We don’t want him to know we were right outside.”
“I don’t like her in there alone with him.”
Willow looked at her watch, tapping the steering wheel. “I don’t, either. So listen, you keep him distracted on the back porch. I’ll get in the front, and find your sister. All right?”
“Okay, good. You be careful, though.”
