“Yeah, I moved it.”
The man lay on a cushion of hundred-dollar bills. He laughed softly and called up to them. “I can think of worse ways to die.”
A couple of the plastic-wrapped blocks of money had broken open and hundreds spilled out around him.
“Still,” Sun said. “I know fifty million is a lot of money, but I didn’t think it would be quite that voluminous.”
“Try one hundred and fifty million,” the man countered.
“Holy cow,” Rojas said, leaning over the edge, shining his own light into the man’s eyes. “You a cop?” he asked him.
“DEA.”
“I suspected as much in town.”
She stared at Rojas slack-jawed. How the hell did he know these things?
“DEA?” Adam asked. He punched his brother on the arm. “We are in so much trouble.”
22
Some days you are on top of the world.
Other days you are on top of the world,
only naked and screaming profanities
at your individual strands of hair.
We can help. Stop in for a free consultation.
—SIGN AT DEL SOL MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES
They would never have let her come. Auri knew that. Given the circumstances and what she’d already put Mrs. Fairborn through, her grandparents would never have let her come talk to the woman. She had no choice but to sneak out once again.
“This is the last time,” she told Cruz when he picked her up down the block.
The impish grin he wore created a dimple on one cheek. “You know they’re going to come in and check on you. They were checking on you every thirty minutes all day. And then they’ll never let me see you again.”
“Don’t be silly. I told them I was going home to take a shower.”
“A home that’s thirty feet from their back door. They can check there, too.”
“I turned on the water and cranked up the radio.” When he gave her a less-than-convinced look, she added, “Really loud. And do you know how long it takes me to shower and get ready for bed?”
“Sadly, no.”
“Oh.” She felt heat rise up her neck. “Well, trust me. I just bought us an hour.”
“What if something goes wrong and that hour turns into twenty to life?”
“What could possibly go wrong?” she asked. “We aren’t breaking in this time. We’re apologizing for breaking in, and while you distract her, I’ll steal the necklace.”
He nodded but kept the grin in place. He knew her too well.
She talked a good talk, but her nerves were frazzled and fried like her mom’s hair that time she got a perm. Auri was not cut out for a life of crime, even one designed to benefit Mrs. Fairborn. Once Auri managed to snatch the necklace and get it back to the Press family, she was hanging up her black mustache for good. And then, after the elderly woman passed away, Auri would tell her mom where she really got the necklace from and prove the drifter, Hercules Holmes, innocent. At least, that was her plan.
They pulled onto Mrs. Fairborn’s street and, just like before, parked down the block, just in case. “Maybe you should stay here,” she said to Cruz. “I don’t want to get you into any more trouble with your dad.”
Something flashed across his face, but it was so fleeting, she missed the meaning behind it. “My dad’s cool. It’s okay.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s it, Cruz. What is going on?”
He draped his wrist over the steering wheel and looked out over the street. Only one side of the street was lined with houses. The other side was all forest and thick brush. He studied the orange moon that hung low over the treetops. “I’ll explain later. I just want to spend every second possible with you while I can, Auri.”
Alarm prickled over her skin. “What does that mean?”
“Let’s just do this.” His voice had thickened.
She scooted closer and put her hand on his arm. “Cruz?”
He dropped his head but kept his face averted.
She reached over and turned it toward her.
Tears glistened between his lashes.
“Cruz, what happened?”
He shook his head, and said, “Nothing important,” before sliding out of the truck.
She scrambled after him.
He walked to the edge of the street and looked at the moon filtering through the trees.
Not sure if she should even try, she reached down and took his hand. He let her. His hand swallowed hers when he lifted it and ran his fingers over her knuckles.
Her stomach clenched in apprehension. She stepped in front of him and he slid an arm around her waist. “I’m not going to push you, Cruz. But please know you can tell me anything.”
“I know. But if I tell you, it’ll be real.”
She nodded in understanding. “I get that. More than you can possibly know. If you say it out loud, the universe will hear you and the glass around you will shatter and everything will come crashing down.”
“Exactly,” he said, surprised. “And if I don’t tell anyone, then I can keep living my life like nothing has changed.” His breath hitched in his chest and Auri’s squeezed tight around her heart.
She reached up and put a hand on his strong jaw. “Then don’t tell me. Do what you do, Cruz. Put it in a poem and make it beautiful like you do everything else.”
He swallowed hard and nodded. “I can try. And then you’ll tell me exactly what happened on that cliff when you were a kid? How Mr. Ravinder helped you?”
“I can try.”
A resigned smile spread across his face. “But first we have a necklace to steal.”
“Think this’ll work?” she asked, turning toward the woman’s house.
“I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”
She turned a surprised expression on him. “You have a lot of faith in someone whose only goals in life are to befriend forest animals and create the perfect mocha latte.”
They walked arm in arm to Mrs. Fairborn’s front door, Auri giving part of her weight to Cruz. Her ankle was still a little sore. She knocked, then stepped back. As nervous as she was, this beat breaking and entering any day of the week.
“Maybe she’s already in bed.” She knocked softly again, then waited.
“She has had a busy few days,” Cruz said. “What with her trying to stab a guy to death, running Mr. Ravinder over in her nonexistent truck, and then having to fess up to it all.”
“It must’ve worn her out,” Auri agreed with a giggle.
He looked down at her. “Try again tomorrow?”
“Yes, only we can go straight after school so I don’t have to sneak out. I think I’m giving it up.” They started back down the steps. “Hanging up my sneakers, so to speak. Get it?” she asked with a snort. “Sneakers?”
Cruz chuckled just as a crash sounded from inside Mrs. Fairborn’s house. They looked at each other, then went back to the door. “Was that glass?” he asked.
Auri knocked and tried the doorknob. “Locked.”
They peeked through the window but couldn’t see much for the curtains.
“Cruz, she could’ve fallen.”