Page 35 of Lie for a Million

“We’re done for now. I’ll be in touch.” Lila turned away from the table and made her way through the crowded dining room to the front door. She stepped outside without looking back.

* * *

Crystal gazed down at the check Lila had left on the table. Fifteen thousand dollars was more money than she’d ever seen at one time, let alone possessed. The cash would get her into a small apartment, buy her a usable car, and allow a few nice things to wear. She could even get her hair and nails done in the beauty salon that had opened next to the grocery store.

But that was all. And it wasn’t enough. Not when she’d hoped to come away with the down payment on a million dollars.

She had foolishly believed that the money would come easily. But Lila Culhane was one tough bitch. Frank’s widow would probably make her earn every cent—on her knees.

Crystal’s threat to end her pregnancy hadn’t been serious. She’d only wanted to put pressure on Lila. But what if it hadn’t been enough? What if, for whatever reason, Lila refused to go through with the adoption?

If the baby had been Judd’s, deciding what to do would have been simple. But this baby was Frank’s. She had the results of the paternity test. Frank’s name would be on the birth certificate. That alone had to be worth something.

A chance like this one would never come again. If things didn’t work out with Lila, she was going to need a Plan B, and maybe even a Plan C.

Crystal selected a cold French fry, dipped it in the ketchup, and chewed it slowly, thinking. She could always get a lawyer and sue the family for her child’s share of the estate. It would take time and money, and she might not be able to start legal action until after the baby was born. She would have a good case; but the settlement, whether in property or cash, would go to the baby, probably in a trust, not to her.

There had to be another way, an easier way that would get her the money sooner. If the adoption didn’t happen, who else might be interested in Frank’s baby?

What about Frank’s son, Darrin, and his pregnant wife?

Crystal’s pulse skipped as the thought struck her. They might not want the baby, but they’d do anything to keep Lila from adopting a Culhane heir and securing her claim to the ranch. They should be willing to pay—either for an end to Crystal’s pregnancy or a guarantee that the newborn would be sent out of Lila’s reach. Maybe they’d even want the baby themselves, to raise with their own child.

For now, she would keep her arrangement with Lila. But it was comforting to know that, if anything went wrong, she had a backup plan.

A splatter of ketchup had dripped onto the check. Crystal dabbed it away with a corner of her napkin, but the crimson stain had soaked into the paper, blurring part of her name. Never mind, the check was still good. She slipped it into her purse. She would take it to the bank now and open a checking account with a debit card.

Her head swam with plans as she laid a $10 bill on the table and left the restaurant. Until now, things had been tough for her, living in a dump at the Blue Rose, thrift shopping for clothes, and driving her ex’s junk car. But those hardships were over. Starting now, her dead-end life was about to change.

* * *

Lila gripped the Jeep’s steering wheel, her hands damp with nervous sweat as she sped through the open country between the town and the ranch. Had she done the right thing, giving money to Frank’s pregnant mistress? What if instead of writing that check, she’d turned her back and walked away? Would Crystal already be seeking some back alley abortionist to end her baby’s life?

This was blackmail, pure and simple. But what about Crystal’s adoption offer? There was no way Lila had seen that coming. She still didn’t know what to make of it, let alone what she should do.

She was driving too fast. Her foot slammed the brake as a family of feral pigs trotted across the two-lane road. The Jeep screeched to a halt, just short of hitting one. Blasted animals. They were dangerous and had ways of turning up anywhere. Charlie Grishman sometimes killed them to feed his menagerie. But he was allowed to shoot them only on his own property.

The pigs moved down into the grassy bar ditch and vanished from sight, but Lila could still hear them grunting and squealing. She felt shaky and needed to get home. She started the engine and continued on down the road.

What did she want to do about the baby? Common sense told her to walk away. Get involved and she’d be facing worry, expense, possible legal issues, and heartache. Even if Crystal had offered to give her the baby for free, Lila would have hesitated. She wasn’t ready to be a mother—especially not to the child of her husband’s affair.

But what if Crystal was right? What if adopting a Culhane baby could secure her inheritance?

How could she even entertain such a coldhearted, mercenary, utterly despicable idea?

But she was already involved. She’d opened that door when she’d met with Crystal and given her the check. She should at least talk to her lawyer and discuss her options before she took another step.

Ahead, she could see the ranch, the stately house rising above the barns, stables, and pastures that spread behind it. In the eleven years she’d lived here, she’d come to love this place. It would break her heart to lose it. But what if the price for keeping it was too high?

Still feeling shaken, she drove in through the front gate, rounded the house, and parked the Jeep in the vehicle shed. For a moment, she sat in the driver’s seat, gazing toward the back door. She wasn’t ready to go inside yet. She needed to talk to someone—not a lawyer, just someone who’d listen without judging while she talked things out.

Mariah wouldn’t do as a confidante. Her actions when Madeleine was around had made it clear where the cook’s loyalties lay.

Sam would be the better choice. He knew about the baby. He’d interviewed Crystal. With him, Lila wouldn’t have to start her story at the beginning. But she couldn’t tell Sam about the woman’s offer to sell her child. Such a transaction, if she actually decided to go through with it, was highly illegal. Sam would have no choice but to report it.

His SUV was parked next to the bungalow. She would probably find him inside.

The midday sun felt like the open door of a furnace as she climbed out of the vehicle. She was exhausted from the battles she was fighting on every front—alone, with no one she could trust to stand beside her. Even Sam, behind his mask of friendliness, was a man doing his job. A man who still suspected her of murder. How could she trust him with her secrets?

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