Page 1 of Lakehouse Mistletoe
Chapter 1
“I’m sorry, ma’am, but your card has been declined.” The waiter held out the piece of plastic and gave her a sympathetic look.
Helen Dunn shook her head and chuckled uncomfortably. “It must be some kind of mistake. Try running it again.”
The waiter shifted his weight uncomfortably. “We ran it three times, Ms. Dunn. Each time it was declined.”
Cybil Lattimore waved her hand in the air. “Let me pay, Helen. You can get the check next time.”
Helen felt her face go red. “No, Cybil. I can pay. This must be some kind of mistake.” She’d never had this kind of thing happen to her. Sure, she’d seen it in movies all the time, but never in real life.
Cybil nodded. “You’re right. I bet your card has been hacked. It happens all the time.” She smiled and held out her gold American Express card to the waiter. He looked relieved and hurried away.
Helen frowned. “Hacked. That’s exactly what has happened. I need to go by the bank and get this mess straightened out right now. This has me worried.”
Cybil nodded and brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “Go ahead and go. You need to take care of this as soon as possible. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Helen gave her friend a quick hug. “You’re the best, Cybil. I’ll let you know what happens.”
Helen hitched her purse over her shoulder and hurried out of the restaurant.
Once she got into her Volvo, she started the engine and turned her car in the direction of the bank. On her way, she tried calling her husband, Carl, to let him know about her card.
She sighed when her call went straight to voice mail. “Ugh. His voice mail is full again.” She would have to remind him to delete his old messages.
She smiled when she spotted an empty parking spot right at the front entrance. It was too stifling in Arkansas to walk across the hot pavement. It was the only thing she didn’t like about living in the south. The heat.
Helen hurried into the bank, dabbing at the bead of sweat running down her forehead.
The cool blast of the air conditioning had her sighing in relief.
Helen made eye contact with Joy Dean, one of the bank officers who smiled brightly from behind her desk when she spotted her. Joy made her way over to Helen.
“Helen, I’ve been meaning to call you.” She gave her a quick hug. “I’m hosting a dinner party in a couple of weeks and would love for you and Carl to come.”
Helen nodded. “Of course we’ll come. You always throw the best parties.” She reached for Joy’s arm. “I came in because I’m having an issue. Do you think you can help me? I’ve tried to call Carl but of course he isn’t answering and his voice mail is full.”
Joy chuckled. “If I didn’t constantly remind Ralph to delete his old voicemails I would never be able to reach him.” She grew serious. “I’m happy to help. Now tell me what you need.”
Helen pulled out her debit card and handed it to Joy. “I tried paying for lunch, and it said my card was declined. I’m afraid my account has been hacked.”
Joy patted her arm. “Let’s take a look. It’s good you came in. The quicker the bank knows, the quicker we can shut down fraudulent activity. Let’s go over to my desk.”
Helen relaxed as she slid into the oversized chair in front of Joy’s desk. She glanced at the framed vacation picture of her and Ralph in Greece.
Joy’s fingertips flew over the keyboard. “How is Carl? I’ve made several appointments for Ralph to get his crown fixed. But he keeps canceling them.” She glanced up at Helen and rolled her eyes. “You know how Ralph is about seeing the dentist.”
Helen smiled. “I’ll have Carl talk to him. With all the medications they give nowadays, there’s no need to be nervous.”
Joy’s brow creased and her smile slipped. “I think I’ve found the problem. Looks like your account is in overdraft.” She glanced at Helen.
Helen shook her head. “No, that can’t be. We’ve never been in overdraft. Carl keeps at least twenty thousand in our checking account. Can you tell me what the last few large purchases were?”
Joy clicked a few more keys. “Let’s see.” Her face sobered. She looked up at Helen from under her eyelashes.
Helen’s stomach dropped. “What? What is it?”
Joy held her gaze. There was something sad in the way she was staring at her. “It looks like he used his debit card at the casino last night.”
