Page 70 of Wicked Devotions: Part 2

He walks around behind his desk and unlocks one of the drawers, pulling out a folder. “Russell White.” He hands the folder over to me and continues to speak while I start looking through the file. “Former investment banker at a Wall Street firm. Scott hired him to come work as the head accountant for the church five years ago.”

White has an MBA from Wharton, no family. No criminal history aside from speeding tickets. The only thing listed is a gambling debt to several casinos in Atlantic City paid off in lump sums. Wouldn’t you guess, five years ago.

“I’m not going to ask Annabelle about him. She’s too fragile right now. But I suspect that Scott hired White, paid off his debts and sold off Harper in order for him to find ways to hide all the money laundering the church was doing.”

“How did he escape prosecution, then?” I look up at Dad.

“I don’t know. Best guess is that because the human trafficking part of the equation was the biggest lynchpin in Scott’s downfall, somehow White was able to hide hisinvolvement. Or someone tipped him off. Maybe he was even an informant.”

“Surely this guy doesn’t know his way around the marsh?”

“I’m guessing he doesn’t, but my PI photographed him handing off an envelope filled with cash to one of the former church custodians.”

I flip to the back of the file and pull out a series of photos showing the exchange. “Should we show Annabelle to see if either of them are the guy?”

Dad presses his lips into a firm line.

“I know you want to protect her and the baby, but finding Harper is as important to her as it is to me. The sooner we get her back, the better for both their sakes.”

He sighs and takes the file from me, tucking the photos back inside. “I’ll do the talking.”

I hold my hands up. “Of course. I’ll do my best to stay quiet.”

The look he gives me says what he doesn’t. He’ll believe it when he sees it. But I don’t want to upset Annabelle. She’s pregnant, and it’s clear my father cares about her. Harper loves her mom. Therefore, I don’t want to jeopardize her or the baby’s health. I mean, fuck, it could be my sibling. I don’t know how to feel about that, but it’s a problem for another day.

I follow him back out into the living room as he takes a seat beside her. He pulls the photo of Russell White out first and hands it to her.

“Is this the man who took Harper?”

“No. That’s Russ, I would have known who he was immediately.” She hands it back and looks up at Dad. “Why?”

He doesn’t answer as he pulls out another photo. “What about this man?”

She takes it and narrows her eyes trying to see the face of the man White is handing money off to. We wait as she studiesthe photo carefully. “It could be him, but it’s too fuzzy to be absolutely positive.”

Dad locks eyes with me. As far as I’m concerned, that is enough of an answer to move forward. I can tell by the way his jaw clenches it is for him, too. He pushes off the couch and pulls out his cell phone, walking back into his study and quietly closing the door.

“What’s going on?” Annabelle looks at me.

“We might know who has been harassing you and Harper. White could be behind it, paying off one of the church custodians to do so on his behalf.” I lean forward and point at the mystery guy again. “Think of all the names of the custodial crew at the church.”

“It isn’t Jerome. He was the head custodian. Most of the rest were women, members of the church, actually. I don’t think Scott paid most of them, he just waived their tithings.”

I can barely suppress the eye roll that her statement makes me feel like giving. He fucking would do that. Cheap fucking crook.

“His name might be Billy Weigman. William Weigman, I think.” She stands up and walks over to the window, rubbing her temples. “I never interacted with him because he was just a part time employee, but the more I think about it, the more I think it was.”

I pull my phone out to check on the location of Sawyer's flight, relieved when the app shows it is on approach. We should have met them at the airport, that way we could have been planning on the way back here. I look over at Cy to see him in a nearly meditative state. I’m not sure what I could do to pull him out, or if it’s even wise at this point.

Emerson and Banks are both talking quietly in the corner. I have no idea what they’re plotting, but I’m sure it has something to do with keeping Cy and me from committing too manyfelonies on our way to getting Harper back. Good fucking luck because there’s literally no crime I wouldn’t commit to have her back with us safe and sound. I know they would too, truth be told.

Dad comes back out of his office, slipping his phone in his pocket. “William Weigman. Age fifty-three, part time custodian for Flynn’s church and blue crab fisherman during the season. He has a small fishing shanty about twenty miles away in the marsh.”

“Annabelle thinks it was him who attacked them. I’m ready to jump in our boat and speed over there already. The sun is already setting, who knows what he’s done with her by now.”

“Just wait.” Dad holds up a hand. “The plane has landed, and everyone is on their way. My PI is heading over to White’s house to tail him. We need to wait until we have a plan.”

Urgency claws at my insides. Every time I hear the word wait or plan, it makes me rage inwardly. There is no plan, no waiting period that could be more important than getting to her now. I eye the cabinet where Dad keeps the boat keys, seriously considering making a break for it.

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