When the Dead Speak

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Sam stood in front of one of the tall windows in the sitting room watching for Jake to return from the bank. He had discovered that the Chasen Heights Post Tribune had been paying on Samuel Casey's safety deposit box. It had been a little-known hideaway for their traveling reporters years ago that, somehow, slipped through the cracks in the Bookkeeping Department.

Abby stood in the living room watching her daughter. "Samantha, please come into the kitchen and eat your breakfast."

"Where is Jake? Why hasn't he called?" Sam reluctantly walked to the kitchen. She snatched a piece of crisp bacon as Abby pushed her onto a stool at the counter.

"The banks aren't open." Abby set a plate of toast on the counter.

"He had to get a subpoena, but it shouldn't have taken that long."

Sam glanced out into the backyard. Alex was kneeling in the lawn repairing a sprinkler hose. Just as she was ready to turn away from the window, her eyes caught sight of something. "Is that a dog in our yard?"

Abby peered out of the windowbox over the sink, spatula in hand. "Yes, dear, that's a dog."

Sam looked sharply at her mother. "That's not funny."

"That's Poco," Abby explained, smiling. "Jacob bought her for Alex."

"He did WHAT?"

"Alex has been admiring that dog for three weeks. He said she was going to be put to sleep. So Jacob bought her as a thank you gift for Alex fixing the cut on his head. That was very thoughtful of him, don't you think?" Abby didn't wait for Sam to reply. "She's very well-behaved, Sam. And she's going to be with Alex, not here."

"You're fawning, Mom."

"I'm what?"

"Fawning. You are fawning over Jake. All this time I keep waiting for the shoe to drop, expecting him to plop that videotape of me on Uncle Don's desk." Her hands moved in animation. Abby leaned against the sink, her arms folded in front of her as she watched her daughter rant. "But why does he have to? He has you cooking his meals, washing his clothes. He uses my house like a hotel with complete room service."

"I'm sorry, Samantha. I thought this was my house, too."

Closing her eyes, Sam bit back her irritation. She rubbed her temples, realizing how she must have sounded. "Of course. I'm sorry." She forced a smile. "Somewhere along the line I lost control. And it all started with that damn trip to Preston's."

"Yes, you do have a knack for complicating things."

"Sam?"

Sam turned toward the patio where Tim was standing, his face pressed close to the screen.

"Come in, please. I hope YOU have good news."

"Good and bad, I guess you could say." Tim gave a nod toward Abby.

"I found the second password," Tim explained. "It's GUVNER."

"That's the bad news?"

"No. The bad news is the program can only be accessed at the main terminal."

"Preston's? We have to go back to Preston's?" Sam's face twisted into a look of disbelief and sheer agony.

Sam walked him to the driveway where he had parked his bike. "Oh, by the way," Tim said as he climbed onto his bike. "I followed the dark sedan. The two men went to the Suisse Hotel. Suite 1411."