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The detective listened in silence as Matt and Delilah gave him the latest news. “How much money did your mother win from the lottery, Delilah?”
“According to her letter, $216 million. She took the lump sum payout and invested the money after paying off the house, all the bills she and Randy accumulated as well as my brother’s and my cousins’ debts. Mom’s letter said within a month of settling everyone’s bills, the four men racked up twice as much debt as she’d paid off. That’s when she realized they couldn’t be trusted with the money and started paying them a large allowance each month. Six months before her death, she changed her will to give me responsibility for the money.”
“If you die, who gets the money?”
“It’s divided between the four men.”
A soft whistle from Rod. “That’s a lot of incentive to come after you.”
“I know.”
Matt hated the fear in her voice. As long as he had breath in his body, no one would harm Delilah again.
“Matt, have your tech people at Fortress dig into Oliver Shannon. Watch your back, my friend. That amount of money makes people desperate.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
After he ended the call to Rod, Matt wrapped his arm around Delilah’s shoulders. “Doesn’t sound like the damage to Wicks is too extensive.”
“I need to be in Otter Creek.” She laid her head on his shoulder.
“Let me make a couple calls. We’ll have Wicks open for business as soon as Nick gives the okay.”
“I have to call my insurance agent. He’ll want to take pictures of the store before the damage is repaired. I don’t know how long it will take for the company to approve the repairs. Then I have to find someone willing to take it on. You know how busy the remodeling experts are right now.”
A fair point. Otter Creek was in the middle of a building boom and construction crews in the area were stretched thin. “I’ll cover the cost of repairs. You can repay me when the insurance company ponies up the funds. Don’t worry about finding someone to do the work. I have a friend at PSI who can do it. Leave a message on your agent’s phone. If you want to talk to him, give him the Fortress number.”
“Won’t my number show when I call?”
Matt shook his head. “The screen shows a blocked caller, and Zane’s program prevents the agent from seeing the number to return your call.”
Delilah glanced at her watch. “It’s not that late. Gene is a night owl. I’ll call him at home.” She tapped in her insurance agent’s number from memory.
How well did she know this guy and how old was he?
“Gene, it’s Delilah. Sorry to call you at home. I need your help.” She explained about the vandalism and the police presence at her store.
Matt listened to her side of the conversation without saying a word or moving a muscle until Delilah’s breath caught and her body tensed.
“Dinner Friday night? It’s sweet of you to ask, but I’m dating someone. I don’t think he’d appreciate me having dinner with another man.” Gentle humor colored her voice. “Matt Rainer, a trainer at PSI.” A pause. Her gaze locked with his. “Yes, it’s serious.”
Definitely serious. Matt brushed his lips over hers in a light caress.
“I appreciate you taking care of the paperwork as fast as possible. Contact Detective Nick Santana to set up a time to take pictures tomorrow. Friends of Matt will be repairing the damage to the store.”
When she ended the call, Delilah slid the phone into her pocket, still watching him.
“He’s been interested in you for a while.”
A nod.
“Have you gone out with Gene?”
She shook her head. “He’s good looking, wants a large family, works a steady job, is involved in his church, and loves Cajun food. Most would say he was perfect.”
“Why did you turn him down?” Matt hadn’t given her a reason to pass up a date with another man, a fact he would regret for a long time.
“He wasn’t you. I haven’t wanted anyone except you since you moved to Otter Creek.”
