Stranded (11 page)

“Fuck all that,” Foley said coldly. “You ask your little girl out there.  She was there in the showroom with Pollard when he asked me and Donny to kill Naomi Wellington.  She heard the whole thing.”

“Did not!” called the receptionist from the other room.

“Shut your mouth!” Farmer ordered without missing a beat.

Foley smiled, very please that he did.

“She did,” Foley arched his brow.  “And frankly we don’t give a shit. Donny and I figured we don’t need Pollard in any of this.  Our thinking has been why not go hit the broad up directly? If she’s got money, I can get it from her.”

“Then what are you here for?” the attorney  asked sarcastically.

“Pollard bragged he took her dough,” gloated Foley.  “And  maybe he did.  All except for one account.  There’s one account left.  One he didn’t know about it.”

Steve Farmer’s face changed dramatically.  His reaction was so strong, he couldn’t cover it up.  He was definitely shocked.

“I see you and I are on the same page,” said Foley with a slow smile.  “Like I said me and Donny and your little girl in there all heard wonder boy ask us to kill Naomi for a price.  We got it on film. Waugh tapes everything.  What with hillbillies having such a compulsion to steal and all.”

“I don’t believe she’s got any more money,” said Farmer.

“So you’ve checked,” said Foley in a deadly tone.

“Maybe I have and maybe I haven’t,” said Farmer. “How much we allegedly talking about?”

“Nothing allegedly about it.  Naomi showed it to me.  $1.5 million,” said Foley. “And that ain’t counting the thousands she has in a wall panel which that dumb ass put at risk. Nearly sent the place up in flames.”

Farmer’s reaction was physical.  He spoke like the news didn’t bother him but his body language said otherwise.

“Thought you said you could cash the cash from her.  Why me?” asked Farmer skeptically.

“I got her to show it to me, didn’t I? That’s more than I can say for Pollard.  It’s off shore and that’s out of my league,” said Foley.

“You get me some of the cash and maybe I can help you out,” said Farmer dismissively.

“Now,” said Foley icily.

“‘Scuze me?” demanded Farmer.

“Now,” said Foley slamming the desk violently. “I just want to know how you moved the money.  I am about ready to go tell Daryl Pollard you cut him out.  If you don’t think that little honey is going to run her mouth, Pollard definitely will once he know once and for all you used him.”

Farmer smiled smugly.

“That boy won’t talk,” he said.

Foley leaned across the desk.

“He came into Mario’s right after he rigged the trap for Naomi and ran his mouth off about emptying accounts and about how you think I am ‘one of them.’”

Steve Farmer was outwardly nervous for the first time since they had arrived.

“I never said such a dumb thing,” he said, sweat showing on his cheeks.

“No?” asked Donny coolly.

Donny got up and locked the office door.

“Hey call the cops!” Farmer shouted to the receptionist.

“She can’t hear you,” said Foley plainly, looking Farmer dead in the eye.

“She can’t?” asked Farmer anxiously.

Foley swelled a foot taller. Wings burst from his back as the pressure in the room dropped as though a grave storm was about to hit.  Donny transformed that fast as well, his clawed finger tips gripping Farmer’s high back chair so that the attorney listened good.

“You going to tell us where the money is?” Foley asked coolly as he clutched Farmer’s neck threateningly.

“It wasn’t my idea,” pleaded Farmer. “They came to me. Made me an offer to get rid of her.  Wanted me to doctor some forms to make it look like she had signed the house over. When I started looking into her assets and saw all the money--”

“Who?  Who is ‘they’?” asked Foley.

“Pollard and the girlfriend,” answered Farmer.

“Who is the girlfriend?” asked Foley.  “His secretary?”

“Neighbor by the name of Kay.  Pollard started doing her a while back.  Her husband found out and left her.  Kay grew up with Naomi and has hated her for her money since they were kids. I don’t know,” said Farmer.

“Can you move the money back to Naomi’s account?” asked Foley.

Farmer nodded rapidly.

“Then, move it back now,” Foley ordered.

Farmer shook mercilessly. It took about ten minutes but he looked up the sign-ons to the new accounts he had formed, all in Naomi’s name, linked to her now-empty accounts and moved everything back. 

Foley hovered over him and once it was done, he and Donny reverted to their normal selves.

“There now that wasn’t so hard,” he remarked to the attorney in a cool, easy whisper.  “That money stays put and in exchange, we’ll drop pursing the murder-for-hire business. You’re going to advise Daryl to relinquish all claims on her property.  You got me?”

The attorney was speechless.  He could only nod.

Donny and Foley the attorney and his receptionist to themselves.

Chapter Ten

The doctor would have liked to see Naomi stay put in the hospital. But Naomi coaxed it out of him that she was technically fit enough to go home.  As much as he was also opposed, she got the sheriff to drive her home.  She couldn’t have Foley give her a ride anyway since they were supposed to be on the outs.

The Knights of Orange were around the back and the bottom of her house working away.  Curls of torn out carpet were piled to the side of the house.  Naomi knew she should probably go check in with them but she just wanted to go to her dorm room. 

John helped her up to living room. 

“Can I get you something?” he asked.

“I want a big glass of sweet iced tea.  I have some made in the fridge.  Hey you don’t have to babysit me,” she said. “I am fine.”

He studied her. “I am going to get you that iced tea and then I do have to git.  I wouldn’t leave you ‘cept I know the boys are downstairs.”

“Knock, knock,” said Foley from the entry way.

Naomi’s heart leapt. She had just seen him earlier that morning and hearing his voice, she realized she had missed him so.  He was the best medicine ever.  He cured her sour attitude.   He sauntered right over to her and gave her a big kiss.

“Thanks for taking her home,” he said to John.  “I am going to talk to her.”

“What’d you find out?” John pressed.

Foley evaded answering him.

“You found out something then,” John asked him.

“I did,” Foley replied reluctantly.  “I want to talk to Naomi first.”

“Helloo?”

Now Kay announced herself from the entry way.  Foley’s face was tight.  Naomi had never seen him agitated like this.

“Get her out of here,” he ordered John.

Naomi could really see that her problems were really taking their toll on him.

“Hey,” she said. “Kay will take good care of me.  You go home and get some rest.”

Kay was at the top of the stairs.  Foley cut his eyes to her and Kay was stopped where she was.

“Yeah that’s right,” said Foley.  “I know.”

“I am going to go now,” said Kay.

“You’re here now.  I think you out to listen while I tell her,” said Foley.

“Oh boy,” said John.

“What is going on?” asked Naomi.

Naomi was confused.  Nothing was adding up for her.  She studied her friend but Kay would not make eye contract with her.  Foley continued to be rough with her. 

He said, “I hope you’re not boning him in hopes of a pay out, but you ain’t getting any.  I saw to it.”

“What are you talking about?” asked Naomi.

“Daryl was having an affair,” said Foley, and he waited.

Naomi buckled. That was it.  That was the part that didn’t make sense.  That what why John said oh boy.  Now she knew why Kay never opened up about how her marriage ended.

“I thought you said it was his secretary,” said Naomi.  “That his secretary was with him at the bike shop.”

“Na,” said Foley, “Steve Farmer’s receptionist was with Daryl at the bike shop.  The person he’s been two-timing you was her.”

“Oh really?” asked John.

“You have a dirty mind, mister,” Kay reprimanded Foley.

“I got a keen sense.  I don’t trust or like you so you can’t fool me,” said Foley.

Naomi clutched Foley’s arm.

“I’m going to be sick,” she said.

“Oh knock it off,” snapped Kay.

“Ma’am,” said John. “You have no legitimate reason to be here.  I suggest you leave now.”

“Yeah fifty million guys at Naomi Wellington’s rescue and I am the fucking whore,” said Kay.

“Well now that you mention it,” grinned Foley.

“Oh bite me, you dumb dirty hillbilly.  She’s only doing you because you’re new,” Kay said.

“I said leave now or I’m arresting you,” said John. “Git now.”

“Arresting me for what? For checking on a friend?” she asked.

“For trespassing.  For disobeying an officer of the law and on charges of adultery which I just counseled these good people is a felony in our fair state,” said John.

As Kay walked away, Naomi burst out laughing and she could not stop.

“Naomi?” Foley called.

“Right under my nose,” she said.  “Right under my nose.  How stupid could I be? I stuck with a guy I didn’t love and had a best friend who hated my guts?”

John Hayhurst touched Naomi’s arm gently. 

“I am going to go now,” he said.  “If you all need anything.”

“We’ll be fine,” said Foley.

“You come talk to me when you got her settled.  Tomorrow at the latest,” the sheriff counseled Foley.

“You got it,” promised Foley.

When they were alone, the fact that she had hallucinated some pretty weird things lingered there with them.

“Do you have something you need to ask me?” Foley inquired.

“Who are you?” Naomi rasped.

“I am the man who loves you,” he replied.

That was a pretty good answer.

“So the weird feelings I had like the urban myths had come to life in my house -” she began to ask him.

But he stopped her.

“I think it safe to say the scary things - the bad things in your life are gone,” he said.

He took her hand.

“Come,” he said.  “Let me show you what we’ve done to your family room.  We got rid of all the darkness. Opened it up.  Made it light and airy.”

Naomi was a little sketchy going down the two flights of stairs to the basement floor.  Being secured by Foley’s strength made it possible.

“Oh,” he said as they descended.  “Did I tell you you were a rich woman again?