The Tessa Randolph Collection, Books 1-3 by Paula Lester (best ereader for comics .txt) 📗

inherit the money anyway," Lark snapped. When her mother opened her mouth to argue, Lark held up a hand. "Nathaniel works at my father’s company. Hannah's a mouse. Her husband controls her and everything about their marriage. He’s really the one who's going to control the inheritance. I'm sure he'll run my dad's property and his business into the ground. Perhaps my dear sister and I will meet again in the poorhouse."

Mrs. Cross clucked her tongue. "You should've taken the money and run, girl. Who turns down a fortune just to hang out with an old man and wait on his family hand and foot?"

Lark glared at Mrs. Cross. "I know this may be news to you, Louise, but, like I said before, there are more important things in life than money."

Mrs. Cross scoffed. "A little money never hurt anyone."

Tessa withheld a giggle. She knew through Silas that Mrs. Cross played the lottery every week.

Lark sighed. "No, but a lot of money can. I saw that close-up living in the Green household. Nathaniel has been completely spoiled by having wealth he didn't earn himself. He's a wretched man now. I'm glad I didn't take the money and become like that myself. In fact, that money made him murderous." She snarled the last word.

"You think Nathaniel killed Mr. Green?" Tessa guessed.

"Of course, he did. Who else would have? And why else would he be the one trying to get rid of me so quicky? I know they arrested some other poor slob for it, and they're trying to push me into being a secondary fall guy if the first one doesn’t hold. But I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nathaniel’s the one who poisoned my dad and tried to frame me for it."

Sky reached out and took her daughter’s hand. “It’s going to be okay.”

“No, Ma, it’s not.” She let her head fall back against the loveseat and murmured, "The sad part is I think he'll probably get away with it."

Chapter 11

AGAIN, IT FELT LIKE Gloria was going easy on her. Tessa only had one reap that morning and the rest of the day was hers to do as she pleased. Normally, that meant streaming a few rom-coms after eating lunch out at her favorite dive restaurant. Tessa saw no comedies in her future. But there was always time for a burger and fries.

She stared across the street. It helped that her favorite greasy spoon was situated just across the road from Artemis Green’s company, aptly named Green Holdings and Properties.

She thought about barging inside, using her badge to gain entrance. The only problem with that was she didn’t have a solid plan for what to do or how to deal with anything she found once she got inside. She racked her brain for a plan while she dipped hand-cut fries into a mound of ketchup.

Sheila’s Diner served burgers so greasy they’d disintegrate the paper if you tried to take them to go. A thick milkshake helped to wash the gut bomb down.

Tessa paid and gathered up her things. She decided to just do it—just walk across the street and go in. She resolved to hope for some good fortune to come her way, however unlikely. Then, good fortune slipped right past her in the diner’s doorway, wearing way too much cologne.

Nathaniel shoved his way inside, never minding that Tessa was already midway through the exit. She gasped as his elbow shoved her in the side and then turned to watch him tip his head toward the cashier and pick up a brown paper bag, already laden with grease on the bottom.

Big mistake.

In only a few seconds, he’d brushed past Tessa again and hopped into a Mercedes illegally parked in a handicap spot out front.

Finally, her brain clicked on. Tessa went into high gear, rushing to Linda and not giving the old gal a choice but to roar to life. She revved the engine, then sped off in pursuit of the much fancier car.

She was focused on the road, making turn after turn but trying not to tail Nathaniel too closely, when her phone rang with an unknown number.

Tessa was used to calls from debt collectors from before—when she’d worked as a waitress at Frank’s restaurant and lived paycheck to paycheck. But it’d been months since becoming a reaper had landed her squarely in financially stable territory. She’d paid off everything.

“I don’t owe you anything,” she answered, flipping the phone to speaker mode.

On the other end of the line, a robotic voice said, “Will you accept a collect call from Silas St. Onge?”

“Silas? Uh, yeah. Sure.”

There was a moment’s pause before the lines clicked over and she heard Silas’s breathing, slow and steady, into the receiver. “Silas?”

“Tessa, hey.”

“Hi.” She didn’t really know what to say. She wondered why he’d choose to call her. Didn’t he only get one phone call? And he had to be so mad. Plus, she was a little busy. Linda was having trouble keeping up with the more performant vehicle, and Tessa had no clue where Nathaniel was heading. It wasn’t to Mr. Green’s mansion.

In fact, they were pointed toward the opposite side of town. Maybe the casino? She hadn’t been that way in a long time, not since chasing down Chet Sanborn’s spirit.

“Are you busy?” Silas asked.

“Kind of,” she admitted.

“Okay, well, this won’t take long. I don’t really have a lot of time.”

“Silas, shouldn’t you be calling your lawyer or something?”

He laughed, full-throated and genial. She hadn’t thought she’d hear his laugh ever again, not like that. “That’s not exactly how it works. I’ve already talked—I’ve already seen my lawyer a bunch. And I do get a few minutes for personal calls.”

“Oh.”

“That’s all you have to say, considering the circumstance I’m in?”

“No.” She bit her lip, making another turn. “I’ve got a lot to say. For one, I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry.”

“I know you are. And look, it’s partially my fault.”

“Okay?”

“Yeah. I’ll just get to the point.” He