Chapter 12 B

My heart falls. "What?! Why?"

"Remember what I've always said. Nothing can ever be traced back to me. To us."

I feel so bad. Fallon is someone's daughter, and now they will never find out what happened to her.

"Her family doesn't get any notice, Ryder? We can't do this!" I can't believe that no one sees how genuinely evil this is. "You have to tell them where her body is."

This is just as bad as catching Jose cutting up body parts back at the house in New Jersey. Ryder always needed 'proof of death' for the payee after assassinating someone.

"If we tip them off about anything, that could lead the police to our front door," LeAnn says, bending over next to Freddie, watching the laptop screen.

"Where is she, Ryder?" I feel myself wanting to explode again. If I have to deliver Fallon's body myself, then so be it.

"Sam, there isn't a body," Ryder says, walking up to me.

I instantly move away from him, my breath hitching. "What?"

"I placed her body in an incinerator not that far from here."

I pale as I look at every one. Freddie and LeAnn look at one another.

"We are just as guilty as the person who murdered her. You do know this, right?" My eyes swell as I turn to all of them.

Ryder puts his head down.

I scoff. "So if someone does come knocking for her, what are we supposed to say?"

I can't believe I am going along with this. Here we all are witnesses to a crime. One that we need to cover up.

LeAnn looks at me and shrugs her shoulders. "She was fired for trying to steal. Keep it simple. You caught her in the act. Don't worry though; you will never have to say-"

The front gate rings.

We all look at one another as my heart climbs into my throat. Ryder looks towards the hallway. He begins to walk to the foyer, and I follow him.

"Everyone stays in here. You too, Sam." He puts his hands up to stop me.

I am going to protest but decide against it.

Ryder walks out of the kitchen. Joe, Margie, and Darryl walk back in.

"It's the cops," Joe whispers.

"What?!" Freddie and LeAnn shout.

Margie has a look of nervousness on her face. She heads straight to the refrigerator and removes some tomatoes and onions.

Darryl looks sick to his stomach. "Twenty-two years old, and I'm going to prison. I'm going to be someone's bitch for sure! I've never traveled the world."

Freddie and Joe look at one another, confusion and nervousness spreading on their faces.

"Miss Hallowell, boil some water in that big pot behind you," Margie whispers to me. Joe stands next to Margie, watching her cut into the tomatoes.

Then I understand what they are doing! Everyone is setting the scene. I do as I'm told.

I turn the burner on and fill the pot with water, placing it on the stove. When I turn, Ryder is walking into the kitchen with a man.

He is of average height, old, and hunched over. The hair on the top of his head is gone, but the area around it is still intact. He also looks intense. Does he have to use the bathroom?

He scans everyone for a brief second until his eyes rest on me. "Good evening, folks! I'm Detective Roynest. We got a call about death on this property."

I think everyone in that room should've gotten an award. We all sport the same look of confusion.

"Death?" Ryder laughs. "Sorry, but this is my family, and we are all accounted for."

"I see," Detective Roynest says as he stares at me.

I smile at him. He then removes a small notepad from the inside of his jacket. He opens it and examines it.

"So there isn't a Fallon Cadiz working here?" He asks, looking around at all of us.

Okay, I tell myself. This is my moment. I need to be convincing!

"Yes, there was! As of yesterday, she no longer works here. I caught her redhanded, trying to steal a fifty thousand dollar tennis bracelet. The one my fiancé, bought me for Christmas."

I cross my arms over my chest and roll my eyes. I pretend to be agitated. "I'm sure this is Fallon's way of trying to get us back. Calling you guys. How pathetic!"

Detective Roynest keeps his eyes on me. It starts to make me uncomfortable until I realize my face is bruised.

He probably thinks I fought with her.

"What is your name, ma'am?" He asks me as he pulls out his pen, clicking the top.

"Samantha Hallowell." As I say my name, he smiles at me.

"That's where I know you! You looked familiar. You and your folks were all over the news last year, I think."

I smile and nod.

"Listen," the detective says, walking up to me. He looks less threatening. "I have to ask, I'm sure it's not related, but what happened to your face?"

Detective Roynest's question catches me by surprise.

What is my excuse for this? I open my mouth, but words fail me.

We suddenly hear laughter and look towards LeAnn. She walks to the detective and shows him her knuckles. They are bruised from the punching bag she uses every day.

"I kicked her ass," LeAnn says as she cuts her eyes at me. "She thinks because she's marrying my cousin and has vast wealth, that she can come in here and start barking orders. I made her eat my fists. Plain and simple!"

"Well, I seem to remember this is my house. There's the door, moocher!" I challenge back, pointing toward the kitchen door.

Did I just say that?

LeAnn starts to make her way towards me when Joe runs around the island. He wraps his arms around LeAnn.

"That's enough, honey! Settle down. Remember what the therapist said about your anger."

Detective Roynest looks at us, amused. "I would say this is strange, but I see this about once a week. Rich people problems," he says, chuckling.

He then turns to Ryder and shakes his head. "Alright folks, that's all I needed. It sounds like it's a disgruntled employee making false accusations. If you happen to see her, call the station. I'll have her arrested for calling in with false information."

Detective Roynest turns and walks away. Ryder follows him.

As soon as we hear the front door close, LeAnn and I look at each other.

"Moocher, Sam? Really?!"

"I didn't know what else to say! I'm sorry!"

I am so glad I picked up very quickly what she was trying to do!

Even though it made us both look crazy, we wouldn't have taken the blame for Fallon's disappearance.

I look down at my hands and see that I am shaking. I inhale and exhale deeply. This day needs to be over.

And soon!

Joe walks into the hallway to check on Ryder and comes back in, looking visibly upset. "Okay, now I'm worried!" He whispers, looking from LeAnn to me. "Who the hell called the cops?!"

I look at LeAnn as my mouth falls.

He's right! We are the only ones that know about Fallon's death. We all look at Ryder when he walks back into the kitchen.

He glares at everyone in the room. "Good question!"