Chapter Ten
Rachel woke far too early the next morning, and since she couldn't sleep anymore, she might as well try Jay again. She lay back on her pillow and picked up her phone.
“Hello?” The voice was sweet, female, and not Jay’s. “I'm looking for Jay Grant?” Rachel looked at the phone screen. Nope, she had the right number. A muffled sound of the phone being handed over and a curse in the background made her sit upright.
“Jay? I heard you,” Rachel shouted into the phone.
“Heeeey, sis.”
“Who answered the phone? Where are you?”
He yawned into the phone. “On a mini-break.”
“Thought you were shipping out again.”
“Yeah, got delayed.”
“Okay.” She didn't believe him but she had news. “I found Trick Masters’ safe.” Yesterday, she'd been walking by when she found him crouched by a filing cabinet that, in truth, was a front of a small safe. She’d figure out the combination, starting with a bunch of numbers she knew were his favorites—if she could ever get inside his office without him.
“I'm getting our money back,” she whispered. It'd been killing her to keep her plan to herself.
A loud shuffling. “You got money? Wait. Trick's safe?”
A soft woman's voice in the background called to him.
“Did she just call you baby? You have a girlfriend you didn't tell me about? What is going on, Jay?” She pushed up her pillow to cushion her head as she leaned back.
“Nothing. What do you mean Trick's safe? I told you to stay away from him.”
“Well, that's the thing. I'm working with him now and—”
“What? Are you fucking crazy?” His yell made her rip the phone from her ear.
“Did you not hear me? I know where he has money.” I think. She hadn't seen the inside of the safe but given his proclivity in the past to always have cash on hand it was highly likely she'd find some.
“Rachel, the guy's a loser.”
“Enough of the insults.”
“Are you defending him? The man who drained our trust fund?”
“No, it's just . . . I think he's changed. He's not the arrogant lawyer with all the answers anymore. Now he's—”
“Oh, man. Jesus, Rach.” A scratching sound came over the phone. “You've gone and fallen for him again. What the fuck are you doing?”
“I'm doing the best I can. Stop yelling at me.” She ripped the covers off her legs and stood.
“He’s telling you lies about me, isn’t he? Don’t listen to him. Just…just stay away. I leave you alone for—”
“For almost three years, Jay. I've been here alone for three years. Where have you been, Mr. Mini-Break?”
“I deserve it and more. Sasha and I—”
“So she has a name.”
He sighed heavily in the phone. “I also got laid off.”
“When?” Her anger cooled. “Why didn't you come see me?”
“With what money?”
“How about the money I've been sending you every month? A hundred dollars doesn't go far, but it could buy a bus ticket.”
“Yeah, about that. Any chance you could . . . Oh, never mind.”
“You want more?” She felt her anger rising once more—not over his obvious thought but that they were in this stupid situation to begin with.
“Forget it. Go off with your boyfriend there.”
“He's not my boyfriend.”
“Whatever, sis.”
Jay hung up on her. Hung up!
She hit speed dial. She wasn't about to let him have the last word.
This mailbox is full. What the hell?
Pacing, she stewed. If she could, she'd visit him and make him slam the door in her face to get rid of her. Despite his transient nature, why hadn’t she insisted on an address? Enough. She then did what she should have done years ago. She Googled Northstar Energy, found it was headquartered in Dallas, and scrolled through many pages of the company's website until she found a number for the human resources department. Ten minutes later, and thanks to an accommodating “Carla” on the other end of the phone, her world imploded for the second time in three years.
That stupid, mental stop sign was no match for the anger that spewed like a volcano after learning Northstar Energy had never employed someone named Jacob Anthony Grant. For three years she'd believed every word Jay had told her. For three effing years? If he lied about this, he could have lied about other things. Trick might be right. She might have been played. That motherfucker.