Page 12 of Saving Scarlett

Bringing Scarlett to the cabin was the best decision to keep her safe, but it did have some drawbacks. One major issue was the cell service. The cellular service at the cottage was weak, but I did have Wi-Fi, so I mostly had to use Wi-Fi calling. Because of this, I tended to use my technology sparingly there. The other issue was the lack of entertainment. The cottage was on twenty private acres, so hiking was always an option, but there wasn’t much to do inside the house aside from reading or playing board games. There was a television and a few Blu-ray videos, but there was no cable service. I knew it wouldn’t take long before Scarlett went stir crazy being stuck in such small confines with me.

Something else that was weighing heavily on my mind was my next steps and how I was going to accomplish them. I never intended to just up and leave town with this woman forever, and I couldn’t dispatch her husband from six hours away. At some point, I would have to find my way back to New Orleans if I was going to make the city safe for her once again. When I did return, I would have to figure out what to do with her.

After we ate breakfast, Scarlett offered to wash the dishes, but I insisted, needing to keep my head busy. Giving in quickly, she went into her bedroom, grabbing a book and then returning to the living room, where she curled up on the sofa to read. The book was Huckleberry Finn, one of my favorites.

When I finished washing the dishes, I grabbed my cell phone and walked outside, needing to call Phantom. Not having easy access to the local news was eating at me, but I knew he could fill me in on what was going on back home.

The covered deck on the back of the cottage was my favorite place to hang out, especially when it was raining. I loved watching storm clouds roll in, dumping torrential downpours, yet knowing they couldn’t touch me. It was particularly chilly on this late autumn morning at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains, so I reminded myself I would need to bring wood back inside.

Dialing Phantom’s number, I sat on one of the chairs on the deck, my legs stretched out in front of me. It only took one ring for him to answer.

“It’s kind of early, Boss,” he said, yawning a bit more dramatically than was necessary.

“Must be why I’m so tired.”

It was then that I realized I hadn’t slept in more than a day, aside from the few hours I got after I brought Scarlett to my home. When I got off the phone, I knew I would have to try to take a nap. I just hoped I could trust her not to get into trouble when I did.

Phantom cleared his throat. “So, what can I do for you on this lovely morning?”

Rubbing my hand down my face, I tried to remember why I’d called him in the first place. “Two things. I don’t have great tech where I am, so I wanted to know if our guy has been making any other splashes on the news, and I wanted to know if he’s been attempting to move around any more money.”

In the background, Phantom’s fingers flew across the keys, creating a cadence that nearly put me to sleep.

“The sighting in West Texas has been reported publicly, but they are also organizing a search of the swamps south of the city.”

“Okay, that’s good. If they’re looking to the south and west, then they aren’t looking here.”

The hinges of the back door squealed as Scarlett opened it. Her gaze was hesitant, but I nodded, giving her permission to come outside although I was on a call. With the book in her hand, she walked across the deck and sat in the chair beside me, reopening the book on her lap. It took me a moment to return to my conversation with Phantom as I watched her.

“Have they announced any suspects yet?”

Realizing I was talking about her, she closed the book and set it on her lap. I pulled the phone away from my ear and turned on the loudspeaker.

“No one has been announced yet,” Phantom responded. “But the news channels have been parked outside her home since yesterday.”

I nodded, searching her face. It was clear the revelation bothered her, but she remained silent. “And the money—has he moved anything else?”

Setting the book aside, she leaned forward in her chair. “Is he taking money from my trust? Or from my father’s financial firm?”

Her question caught me by surprise. Up until that point, I hadn’t asked her about her own family’s money, not thinking it was relevant. I put the phone on the loudspeaker.

“Phantom, has he been tapping into her trust account or money from her father’s financial firm?”

Keystrokes filled the space and Scarlett blew out a breath. “My father gave Joshua a loan to start his mortgage firm, but if Joshua divorces me, he would lose that resource. We both would. My trust only disperses to me if I’m married.”

What Scarlett said caught me by surprise. “Your father based your entire trust on if you were married? What a guy.”

Rolling her eyes, she leaned back in her chair. “Yeah. He’s kind of a misogynistic piece of shit, to be honest. I guess I married my father.”

I chuckled. I was so caught up talking to Scarlett, in how her dark eyes danced when she was being snarky, that I almost forgot I was on the phone until Phantom cleared his throat. “What you got, Phantom?”

“Alright. So. I will put a stop on Scarlett’s trust right now, so he’s been unable to pull anything from there. Since his accounts are frozen, it looks like he’s tapped into another mortgage company, possibly a sister company. I would have to do more research to know more.”

I stood from my chair, stretching my back. “Do that and get back to me later. Keep an eye on the search too. I want to know what he’s doing.”

“You got it, Boss.”

After the call with Phantom, I went out to the woodshed and hauled some logs inside for the fireplace. The days were only going to get colder and the fireplace was able to heat much of the cottage effectively.

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