Page 20 of Summer Shivers
Tyler walks into the other room to make his call. I turn to my left to look out at the beach. For a moment, I try to zone out and only listen to the waves crashing against the shore. I need peace in my head, even if it’s only temporary. Ever since I woke up and discovered Harrison’s dead body, I’ve been living a nightmare I can’t seem to emerge from. And even though I believe I’m innocent, there’s always a chance I’m not.
* * *
“Who were his enemies? Anyone he didn’t like or fought with?” Tyler has not let up with his questions. We have an appointment with his attorney friend tomorrow. Since speaking with the guy he’s been peppering with new ones.
“As far as I know, everyone liked him.”
“Does he have any paperwork or files, cell phone records, etcetera? Anything that might give us insight into a side of him you may not have known?”
“There is no side of him I didn’t know.”
“You’d be surprised,” Tyler says cryptically.
We walk around the house hoping I can find Harrison's safe. I’m sure he’d told me about it, probably even the code for it. And for the life of me, I can't remember. At this point, I can’t even remember what day of the week it is.
Eventually, Ty finds it in the master bedroom closet behind a picture. I walk in slowly, feeling unnerved.
What was the code?
I try his birthday. It beeps angrily, all the lights turning red.
I try my birthday. Same result.
Our wedding anniversary.
Nope.
The first day I started working for him?
Finally, the door clicks open, making me smile. He said he always wanted to remember the first day he saw me. Said it was the best day of his life, and he knew I would marry him, and it always made me laugh, because he was so sure of it.
The safe opens and I pull out all the files that are in there. I have no idea what it includes. This safe holds our personal effects. Harrison handled all of that. I figured he would be here if I needed anything.
Not anymore.
I hand it all over to Ty, leaving the safe open in case we need anything else. Even though the rest of what’s in there looks like a few pieces of jewelry and valuable trinkets.
He takes it back to the table in the kitchen and starts sorting through it. I grab a bottle of wine for me and bottle of scotch for Ty before joining him.
He looks at me surprised. “It’s barely one in the afternoon, Genevieve.”
I shake my head. “I don’t care. If you don’t want it, don’t drink it.”
He looks at the label and nods with satisfaction. I take a large gulp of wine, the calming effects settling in almost immediately.
He pulls out a thick envelope with a rubber band stretched around it.
“Shit, Genevieve, got to be at least a hundred grand in cash.” He whistles as he flips through it.
“Oh, good. I knew he had cash stored away in case of emergency. I just didn’t know where or how much. Grant said they’ll freeze all the joint accounts in situations like this, so I’ll need it for the attorney. I have my own money, but it’s not much and I’m not sure if they’ll freeze that, too.”
“What’s not much?” he asks.
“I think it’s got around twenty-five thousand in it. Like a rainy-day fund.”
“Fucking rich, people. Twenty-five grand for a rainy day. I remember when that was how much you made in a year.”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
