Secrets of Harmony Grove (36 page)

Financial crimes. That would explain the involvement of the Departments of Revenue and Banking and the Treasury today. It could also indicate the one element that had been verified by my lawyer, that somehow all this had to do with organized crime.

When I added everything up, what did it leave me with? Which of the financial crimes from the Secret Service list was the most likely possibility?

I thought of my inn.

My beautiful inn, where almost every transaction was done in cash.

My beautiful, elegant inn, where all of that cash added up to a nice profit.

My beautiful, elegant, profitable inn, which had no guests and no sales from the gift shop and no explanation whatsoever for all of that cash.

Scanning the list of crimes again, I thought about counterfeit, which was a possibility. But the one I kept going back to, the one that seemed most likely, was money laundering. Couldn’t money laundering involve lots of cash being funneled through a business?

“Bear with me,” I said to Mike, and then I texted Liz about this new development and asked if I could level with the detective. She replied immediately, insisting that I not talk unless she was present.

But things are escalating. I think Floyd has been using HGB&B for money laundering for the mob!
I typed in return.

“Who are you texting over there?” Mike asked, glancing at the phone in my hand.

“A friend. We’re tossing around some ideas.”

Before he could reply, the phone began to vibrate in my hand.

“Liz?” I said, answering it.

“Are you with the detective right now?” she asked, her voice sounding all business.

“Yes.”

“Can he hear me?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Okay. Here’s how it is. I’ll talk, you listen.”

“No problem.”

“All right. We’re walking a very thin line here, Sienna. I know you’re not in a position to tell me why you think Floyd has been laundering mob money through your bed-and-breakfast, but I’ll take your word for it. My bigger concern is that you don’t breathe one word of this to the police until I can be there with you and they can conduct a formal interview. Not a word.”

I had known she was going to say that, but I wasn’t too happy about it. Mike had been nothing but decent and kind to me—not to mention quite forthcoming. And in return I was going to withhold important information that might help him unravel his case. It wasn’t fair, and it didn’t feel right.

Still, I wasn’t stupid. I knew everything I said to him might eventually be held against me in a court of law. When it came down to it, the only course of action I could take right now was the one that would most likely keep me out of jail.

“Are we clear on this, Sienna?” Liz’s voice demanded through the line.

“Yes, but when do you see that happening? Soon?”

“What, me coming out there? I have court in the morning, but I can come out there tomorrow afternoon.”

“Okay.”

“I know this is hard. Are you all right?”

“Yeah. Just…you know.”

“I know. Hang in there, baby. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sounds good.”

I disconnected the call, trying to decide what to say to Mike. He was
obviously waiting for me to share the fruits of my conversation, but I had received my orders from Liz, and they were to keep my lips zipped.

“Well?”

“Well…I’m afraid there’s nothing I can tell you,” I said, thinking that technically that wasn’t a lie. According to Liz, there was nothing I could tell him—at least not until she was with me.

Mike was quiet for a long moment, chewing thoughtfully on his toothpick.

“But you have some ideas about what’s going on.”

Turning my head away from him and looking out the side window, I replied, “Maybe.” Turning back, I added, “But I also have a good lawyer who doesn’t want me sharing half-baked theories with the police without her being present.”

The silence that suddenly rose up between us was nearly deafening.

“Whoa,” he finally whispered. “Did
not
see that coming.”

“I’m sorry, Mike,” I said softly. I felt like dirt, especially when he glanced at me and I could see the flash of betrayal in his eyes. “It’s not like I have anything concrete. Just a theory about why all of those different agents are involved.”

“A theory you’re not willing to share.”

“Not yet. But soon. I will, I promise. Tomorrow, in fact.”

“Unbelievable.”

He made the final right turn that would bring us back to the B and B. Leaning my head against the headrest, I looked out at the passing darkness and felt a sad sense of loss. Mike had already begun to feel like a friend, and now I had ruined our friendship. That much was obvious, from the silence that filled the car to his body language, which was shouting loud and clear.

We were nearly back to the B and B when he finally spoke again, but this time his voice was remote and coldly professional.

“If that’s how you want to play this, Sienna, fine. Just so we’re clear, like I said earlier, you are not to be outside at the B and B at all, other than on your driveway. That’s it—no lawn, no grove, no pool area, nothing. If you want to visit your cousins, get in your car and drive over there, but do not
cut across by foot. And absolutely, positively do not go anywhere near the home or property of Burl Newton. Is that understood?”

“Yes.”

“Stay out of things and watch your step. Otherwise, you might find yourself behind bars, courtesy of the Secret Service.”

“I understand. Thanks for letting me know.”

He turned into the long driveway, and I realized that all of the cars that had been there earlier were now gone. Still, it was clear that someone was inside the B and B because I could see movement through the open front windows. I asked him if that was one of his men, but he said no, more than likely it was Floyd.

“Floyd? He’s out of the hospital?”

Mike glanced at me as he came to a stop.

“The hospital released him this morning.”

“Where’s he been all day?” I asked, realizing that must have been why the hospital hadn’t had him listed as a patient when I called.

“Down at the station.”

“Down at the station? Why?”

“The firearm violation,” Mike said, putting the car into park and turning it off. “Our people worked it out, but it took a while.”

“You mean the gun he had last night? How was that a violation?”

Mike spoke, but his voice still sounded flat and cold.

“Unlawful possession, thanks to his criminal record. Though as I said earlier, it looks like it’ll be treated as a summary offense.”

He opened his door to get out, but I remained frozen in my seat, wondering if he had just said what I thought he said.

“Floyd has a criminal record,” I repeated.

“Yes.”

“As in prison? The manager of my inn has been in prison?”

“Yes. You didn’t know that?”

Suddenly angry, I reached for the car door and whipped it open.

“No, I didn’t know that!” I cried, climbing out and slamming the door. Remaining on the opposite side of the car, still chewing the toothpick, Mike
stood there and watched me rant. “Here we go again! First Troy with his gambling and Emory with his past. And now Floyd? Is there anyone else I need to know about? Maybe Nina’s parents are really drug runners? Jonah and Liesl are into human trafficking? Burl Newton has a history of dressing up like a clown and terrorizing preschools?” He did not smile. “Does every person involved here have some big, dark, law-breaking secret?”

As soon as those words were out of my mouth, I knew they were a mistake. Mike remained silent for a long moment, making his point. When he spoke, it was in a voice as cold as ice.

“You tell me, Sienna.”

I took a step back, smoothed my hair, and tried to collect myself. He was right. Though I had done nothing wrong, I was certainly keeping my own share of secrets.

“Tomorrow,” I whispered, feeling suddenly deflated. “I promise I’ll tell you everything I know tomorrow.”

There was an intensity to his expression that was nearly frightening. I knew that not only had I made him angry on a professional level, but that I had hurt him deeply in some personal way as well.

Perhaps the damage could be mended after the fact, once Liz came and I could talk. Right now, I had bigger issues to deal with—namely, an employee who was likely using my inn to launder money and, oh, by the way, never thought to mention that he was an ex-convict.

“Before I go in there and confront Floyd, at least let me know the nature of his crime. Was it violent? The man who runs my business isn’t a murderer or something, is he?”

Mike studied my face for a moment before shaking his head.

“No. Strictly white collar.”

“How much time did he serve?”

“Three years.”

“Where? Some cushy white collar ‘confinement facility’?”

“No, Rahwey.”

I swallowed hard, my eyes wide.

“Floyd Underhill spent three years at Rahwey State Penitentiary? That’s
huge
, Mike. That’s hard core.”

“Yep, sure is.”

“An ex-con, who was at Rahwey no less, has had free rein over this place for two years? I trusted this man with my business here, implicitly.”

He shrugged, hands out and palms up.

“What can I say? Maybe you should have checked his references.”

He was still hurt, I understood that, but now his attitude was making me angry again.

“Floyd’s big reference was Troy. I didn’t think I needed any others. Obviously, I’m not a very good judge of character.”

“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing about myself.”

Our eyes met and held, his sparked with challenge, mine with fury. Did he really want to dwell on
us
right now? Good grief. There were far more important things going on at the moment.

“You have a lot of nerve, Detective, acting all hurt and put out with me and everything. Get over it. You know very well that you would do exactly the same thing. There’s not a cop alive who wouldn’t keep his mouth shut if he were in my shoes right now.”

His head jerked slightly back, and I could tell I had struck a nerve.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an employee to talk to.”

With that, I marched around the front of the car and up the walk toward the door, my head and heart pounding with rage. But before I could even get there, Mike grabbed my elbow, jerking me to a stop.

“Sienna, wait!”

“What?”

He didn’t let go but instead held on with a firm hand, his body very close to mine, so close I could smell his aftershave, blended with the scents of sun and sweat and earth.

“You need to settle down first before you go in there. I understand why you’re upset with Floyd, but bursting into the inn in a rage and confronting him like that isn’t going to help anyone. He’s an old guy. He had a rough night and an even rougher day.”

I met Mike’s eyes, which were black as night, mere inches from mine.

“You’re afraid I’ll take him down like I did Jeremy Lantz?”

His lips tilted ever so slightly at the corners but he resisted a full smile.

“Yeah, something like that. Just calm down first, that’s all I’m saying.”

His hand still gripped my arm, my scars pulsating under the heat of his fingers. Holding his gaze, I could see his eyes flicker with intensity, an intensity that felt both exciting and frightening at the same time.

“Sienna?” a voice said from not too far away, a man’s voice.

Startled, Mike and I both turned quickly to see who had spoken. He was standing at the edge of the driveway, his face half hidden in shadow.

Heath.

“Heath! What are you doing here?” I blurted out as Mike and I moved apart. Realizing how odd I probably sounded, I tried again, making my voice much warmer this time. “I mean, I’m so glad you came. You just startled me. I-I wasn’t expecting you until tomorrow.”