Page 81 of Just My Luck

When the coast was clear—so to speak—he paddled back to shore and returned the surfboard to its rightful owner. He dug up his phone from where he’d buried it in the sand, putting that impermeable case to the test.

And then—he called the only person he could think of with the resources and motivation to do what needed to be done to beat Tanaka at his own game.

“Dad, it’s Lincoln. You still have people embedded in my company, right? Don’t bother to deny it.”

A short silence. “Then I will not.”

“Good. Here’s what I want them to do. My only request is that it not be traceable to me.” And he told his father exactly what he wanted his spies to do. By the time Tanaka got into Higher Ground’s files…well, he’d like to see the man’s face.

It would hurt to know that the CHUM was gone for good. He could barely think about that loss. That shimmering, mysterious, magical crystal…never to be seen again.

But knowing that the world was a safer place…that would ease the pain. Knowing people weren’t getting hurt by his actions, that Zara and Rory and Mia and Eddie would be protected…priceless.

Now there was one more loose end he needed to take care of.

40

When Zara got home, she found the place transformed. Everything had been put back in order. The place was tidy again, even more so than before Dad had ransacked it. All signs of her father had been erased.

And there was some paperwork sitting on the koa wood coffee table.

The title to the house. In her name. What the hell? The bungalow had belonged to her father and he’d insisted on keeping it in his name even though she had to cover the mortgage payments. Now, it was apparently hers, free and clear, not only of bank liens, but of Lou Morrissey’s claims.

“Oh, Lincoln,” she whispered. He must have done this before they even went to the jungle. “But what about Dad? What’d you do with him?”

That question got answered pretty quickly by a knock at the door. She ran to it and flung it open to find Marley dropping off Mia and Eddie. The kids flew into her arms in a flurry of hugs and nonstop chatter.

While they were busy ransacking the fridge for snacks, Marley pulled Zara onto the lanai. “I have a message about your father.”

Marley was from Fiji originally, a heavy-set, dark-skinned woman with an irresistible radiance to her. She’d been good friends with Zara’s stepmother before the crazy cult leader had come along. Since then, she’d tried to fill the gap for the Morrissey children as much as she could.

“Okay,” Zara said warily. “Don’t tell me he’s already been arrested again.”

“Not so far as I know.” Marley’s face creased as she gave a hearty laugh. She had the most beautiful laugh lines. “The message is, he’s on his way to Bermuda. A lawyer came to him with an offer for this house. Your dad was given the choice between a new house or a chunk of cash. He chose the cash and booked himself a flight to the Caribbean.”

Zara’s stomach twisted into a hard knot. Lucky Lou had always chosen himself, and he always would.

“He came to say goodbye to Mia and Eddie. Brought ice cream and kept them entertained for hours with stories. Now Mia wants to write a comic book about him and his capers.”

Zara winced at the thought of what those stories might contain. “I’m glad, I guess? At least they saw him before he left.”

“Yah. All good. No tears. And he left you this.” She pulled out a tightly sealed plastic grocery bag. “It’s cash,” she added, before Zara could open it. “I think it’s from the house sale so it’s clean.”

Zara whooshed out a breath. “Well, we’re going to be splitting this, just so you know. We’ll call it the babysitting fund.”

“No need, I got my own envelope. Your father’s not all bad.” She flashed that gap-toothed smile again.

“He is what he is.” That grocery bag was heavy. Zara wasn’t even sure she wanted it. “I think I can guess what happened. The lawyer said if Dad took the cash, some of it had to go for taking care of the kids.”

“Sounds right.”

Lincoln’s doing. All of it. The house purchase, the offer to her father. She had to admire his efficiency. Now she had a house that belonged to her, mortgage-free, and some of the money from its sale. Not even her dad could think up something that smooth.

Later, Mia agreed to hang out with Eddie while Zara went out. She had no concerns about their safety. The invisible magic carpet ride apparently included a bubble of security around them. She could feel it. If Lincoln had made all these arrangements for their financial security, no doubt he’d also included their physical safety.

She appreciated that, of course, especially on behalf of her sister and brother. But she wasn’t one to sit back and let a man take care of everything.

To hell with that.