Sinking to the ground, Zach dabbed at the blood on his chest. “My favorite shirt,” he said and let out a sigh.
From the dirt, Lucy asked, “Is he gone?”
Zach grabbed the note that cleared Lucy of all debt. “For now, yeah. But I expect the state cops will be stopping him soon enough, given that tip they got.”
Lucy sat up. “What tip? That wasn’t part of the plan.”
Chapter Twelve
Charlie pulled the roast from the oven. In the living room, Zach could hear the news playing. Lucy had refused to move from in front of it until she’d heard every detail. Twice.
&
nbsp; “Local business man Theodore Martino was arrested today after a raid of the Twin Arrows Casino revealed a cache of illegal arms and ten pounds of cocaine. Sources say an anonymous tip most likely came from an ex-employee, but so far no one has claimed credit for exposing the illegal activities going on behind the scene at the casino. The casino owners have already fired Mr. Martino, but he continues to protest he had no prior knowledge of how such things could be going on in the business he manages. However, authorities confirmed they have been monitoring Mr. Martino for some time with suspicions of tax fraud and other irregularities. In other news—”
The newscaster’s voice shut off. Charlie rolled her eyes. “About damn time that man gets what he’s got coming. Dinner’s ready,” she called out. “Zach will you get those rolls and the butter?”
Zach moved to obey but he stopped when he saw Lucy standing in the kitchen doorway. They’d all cleaned off the fake blood, but Zach wasn’t sure his shirt would ever be the same. It had come out pink from the laundry. He watched Lucy now, wary and uneasy. She hadn’t said much to him, just kept muttering about interfering men who stepped in and took over a girl’s life. He wasn’t sure what that meant, but it didn’t sound like anything good.
Now Lucy stared at him, fire still warming her green eyes and not in a good way.
Zach lifted the basket of rolls. “Hungry? It’s been a big day.”
She braced a hand against the door frame. “Are you going to explain how you framed Martino?”
He let out a breath. He’d been putting this off for as long as he could. “Sure you don’t want to eat first.”
She took a step toward him. “Takes money to take down a guy like Martino.”
“How do you know he wasn’t really selling drugs—or running guns?”
She waved a hand. “Oh, he might have been doing all that—and more. Thing is, I know how smart he is. How careful. Leaving guns and coke around like that—sure doesn’t sound like a careful man to me.”
Charlie put a bowl of mashed potatoes on the table. Steam rose from them and the butter melted into a pool of yellow. Zach sure wanted to sit down and eat. Instead he was going to have to explain himself. He settled the rolls on the table. “Okay, I made a few calls. I know some people who know people.”
“What kind of people?” She narrowed her eyes. “Are we talking mob?”
“Hell, no. More like security experts—they’re the ones who not only know how to lock things up right, but how to leave holes that law enforcement can exploit. That’s all I did—just made sure the right people would find the right evidence.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. “And if you could do all that, why the big act today?”
“Because I wanted insurance—Martino signed off on your dad’s debt and he thinks you’re dead, or as good as. He’s out of your life forever.”
“And you’re in it?” She threw her arms wide and her voice went up. “Is that the deal I’m making now?”
Glancing from Zach to Lucy, Charlie started out of the kitchen. “I think I’ll leave you two to this.”
Lucy waved her to stay put. “No, this concerns you, too.” She fixed her stare on Zach. “You’re not just some cowboy out here looking for work, are you?”
Zach shook his head. “Can we just say this is the life I’d like to have?”
“No, let’s hear more about the life you do have. Your real one.”
He sat down in a chair. “My brother and I run an ad firm back east.”
Lucy lifted her eyebrows high. “East?”
“Well...New York. Collins, Collins and Abernathy.”