He dialed his brother. “Want to hear something strange?”
Rafe laughed. “Lately, has there been anything not strange, bro?”
“I got a call from an unknown number. They wanted to know if Sharon was okay.”
“Wait…what? How’d they even know we’d found her?”
“They wouldn’t answer, but the caller said they had enough information to keep Big Jim in prison for good, and avoid having to go through with the appeal.”
“That’s great news, but doesn’t answer the question about Serena, does it? What’d you tell ’em?”
“She was fine. Funny, they knew about the car accident, though they didn’t mention anything about Drury. The voice was disguised with some synthesizer, and they told me not to bother trying to trace the call, because it was a burner and they were going to destroy it as soon as our call was over.”
“Covering all their bases. Whoever it is, they’re smart.”
Antonio agreed with his brother. Whoever the caller was seemed to know a lot about Big Jim and Serena. Which meant they were probably smack dab in the middle of the whole case.
“He texted me info on a bank in Dallas, where there’s a safe deposit box containing all the information he or she has on Berkley.”
“Do you think they’re telling the truth?” Rafe’s skepticism was apparent in his tone and his question. Antonio got it. Too much of this case had bordered on people lying, this might be one more person to add to the mix.
“My gut says yes.”
“Do you think Williamson can get a warrant for the safe deposit box? Today’s Sunday, which might be a problem.”
“Here’s the thing. The caller also overnighted a package. Said it contained notarized authorization for the safe deposit box and the key to the box. Get this, he’s sending it to your office.”
“You’re kidding! Takes some big brass ones, I’ve gotta say.”
“It’s coming by private courier, so it’ll probably get there pretty early. I plan on being at the sheriff’s office bright and early. As soon as the package arrives, I’ll head to Dallas and see what’s in the safe deposit box.”
“I’ll go with you.”
“Appreciate it, but, no. I need you to stay with Serena. Get her back to the Big House and keep her safe.”
“Williamson can send FBI guys to—”
“Nope, this is too important to trust anybody else.” Antonio paused, weighing his words carefully before he continued. “Bro, she’s too important. I can’t let anything happen to her. I’ve failed once, not keeping her safe. If anything happens to her, I…” He let his words trail off.
“I’ll guard her with my life. Nobody will get to Serena. Nobody.” He heard the resolve in his brother’s voice, the promise he’d protect the woman Antonio loved. Because there was no denying it, no more hiding from the truth. He was in love with Serena Snowden, Sharon Berkley, whatever she wanted to call herself. He didn’t care what her name was, he loved the woman he’d gotten to know over the past year. Somehow, some way, she’d snuck under his defenses and become as important to him as his next breath.
“Let’s end this once and for all.”
“What about Drury?”
Antonio scrubbed his hand over his face, and wished he was back home, instead of sitting in the traffic that hadn’t moved in thirty minutes. He gave a self-deprecating laugh as he realized he’d thought about Shiloh Springs as home. Guess it helped make the decision which had been plaguing him for months. He wanted to come home for good.
“I’ve got somebody keeping an eye on him. He’ll let me know if Drury does anything suspicious. A buddy from the Dallas office who volunteered to spend a couple of days watching the house and Drury. He’s good.”
“Then come home, bro.”
“I am.”
Coming home to stay.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Antonio followed the guard back to the bank manager’s office. The courier with the promised package had shown up at the sheriff’s office at close to ten a.m., and only then after multiple phone calls to the company to get the courier there ASAP. He’d tossed around his weight with the FBI to light a fire under them, and had driven like a cat with its tail on fire straight through to Dallas, with the safe deposit box key and the authorization to access the box.
“Mr. Boudreau, I understand you have some paperwork I need to look at.”
The bank manager stood in the open doorway leading to her office. A middle-aged woman in a business suit, she personified the stereotypical bank employee, right down to the sensible shoes and upswept hair style. Though she smiled, it didn’t reach her eyes, and Antonio had the feeling she was going to be a real hard case.
“I have a letter authorizing me access to safe deposit box one six seven two nine. I also have the key for said box.” He handed her the notarized document, and watched her do a cursory scan of its contents.
“I’ll need to check our files. Please, come in.” She walked around the big dark cherry-stained desk, its opulence and design spoke volumes about the wealth of the bank’s customer base. The bank was housed in one of the large downtown buildings, right in the heart of Dallas, its chrome and glass and steel cold and impersonal, and probably owned the whole thing. Exactly the type of place somebody with oodles of money would think it safe.
Leaning against the doorjamb, he strove to appear nonchalant, though inside his emotions were a roiling pit of snakes. He tapped his cowboy hat against his thigh and took a deep breath, hoping against hope this information panned out and he hadn’t been led on a wild goose chase by somebody after Serena. The bank manager typed away on the computer, verifying the information he’d
