BooksBarbecue
Back Sunset Beach
Chapters (73)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Acknowledgments
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. Epilogue
  71. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  72. About the Author
  73. Newsletter Sign-up

“No,” she said thoughtfully. “I’m going to take what’s mine. All of it. Allen and I have been saving up for a house for five years. Since even before we got married. He’s such a cheapskate, he keeps me on an allowance, makes me take my lunch to work, sew my own clothes. He’s got this little black notebook, and I have to account for every dime I spend. From my own paycheck!”

He shook his head. “If you’ve got that much money in the bank, why don’t you just use it to get a divorce?”

“You don’t get it,” Colleen said, her voice shrill. “Allen’s dad is friends with every lawyer and every judge in this town. A judge is going to say that money is his, not mine.”

“How much money is there?” Brice asked.

“A little over seven thousand dollars.” Her eyes gleamed with excitement. “I’ll have enough to make a new start in a new town.”

“What happens if Allen comes after you? Calls the cops and reports that you and his money went missing? Won’t he try and track you down?”

“That’s where you come in. I need your help.”

He exhaled slowly. “What? What do you need?”

She kissed him impulsively. “See? That’s why I adore you.”

“Nothing illegal, right? I’m a cop, remember?”

“It’s nothing, really. Just a fake ID.”

He ran his hands through his close-cropped hair. “Just?”

“It can’t be that big a deal,” she said hurriedly. “All the girls had fake IDs in high school. You know, so we could get into the bars.”

“I had a fake ID when I got back from Vietnam, but I don’t even think I’d know where to get one now.”

She glanced at her watch. “I’ve got to get to work. When can we meet again?”

“Maybe next week? I’ll call you at your office.”

“Bring the ID then, okay? I don’t know how much more I can take.”

After she was gone, he sat in his cruiser for a long time, wondering how he’d gotten himself in so deep, so fast. As he sat, a blue heron emerged from the swampy woods, picking its way delicately through the underbrush. The radio in his unit crackled again, and he started the cruiser and drove away.

29

A huge cardboard file box greeted Drue when she arrived at work on Monday. A yellow sticky note from her father bore the words she dreaded most. “SEE ME.” Was she being sent to the woodshed as a result of the previous evening’s snarky phone call?

Drue trudged toward Wendy’s office, where she found a merry gathering consisting of Brice, Wendy and Jimmy Zee.

She took a half-step backward to beat a retreat, but it was too late.

“Come on in,” Brice said, waving her forward.