Page 14 of Too Broken to Love

He leaned toward her. “And you think Frank tampered with Pop’s car?”

“No. He’s a lot of things, but he’s not a murderer.”

Hudson clenched his teeth. “Tell me what he is.”

She braced herself for the guilty-by-association judgment she’d been subject to her entire life. “Frank’s a con man and a petty crook. A master manipulator who’ll lift your wallet while chatting about football.”

The uglier parts of her past only Lia knew boiled on her tongue, but she swallowed the nasty truths.

“Frank’s a deadbeat who thinks he’s too smart to work for someone else. He’s stolen from me. Chases get-rich quick schemes and blames everyone but him when they fail.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

The steadiness of his voice unnerved her. “Six years ago. On Long Island, for one night.” More like mere minutes that had wrecked her beyond repair. “Before that Miami, where we lived. He’s in Belize now, last I heard.”

“Heard from whom?”

She hesitated, guilt curdling in her stomach. “Sam hired a private investigator to keep track of his whereabouts.”

“Why?”

She looked away from Hudson’s sharp question. Sweat popped on her forehead with each beat of her galloping heart.

“Hey, Tessa.” Malcolm slowed the SUV as they turned. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

Hudson’s tight jaw said otherwise. Hell, so did hers. Nothing was okay.

“When I met Sam, I didn’t realize he was that Sam Langley who donates to the hospital until I saw his name on my new lease.”

Hudson raised an eyebrow. “How do you know about the donations? Pop keeps them private.”

“I’m the director of fundraising at Bay County Memorial. If Frank got wind that I lived next door to a multi-millionaire, he’d show up and try to take advantage of the situation.”

Malcolm whistled low. “Sounds like Frank is a real piece of seagull shit.”

Hudson glared at her. “You stayed next door to Pop knowing Frank could show up and try to hurt him?”

The guilt in her gut twisted. “Not hurt him physically. Frank isn’t violent. His weapons are distractions, lies, and games, but they hurt just as much. I tried to move out, but Sam pushed for an explanation until finally I told him the truth.”

“And the truth is?”

She shrugged. “I live in constant fear Frank will find out what I have and scam someone I love.”

Hudson splayed his hand on his thigh. Pressing his fingers into his shorts, he cursed. “What did Pop say?”

“He said not to worry. That he’d met plenty of people like Frank and knew how to handle them.”

Hudson nodded. “That’s why he hired a private investigator. For your peace of mind?”

“Yes. We get monthly updates. The last report said Frank was still in Belize.”

Hudson tapped Malcolm’s seat. “Contact the investigator when we get to the station. And call the General. Tell him what happened and ask him to dig up everything he can about Frank…” He glanced at Tessa.

“McVie. Frank McVie.”

Malcolm turned onto Inlet Drive. “Is McVie your last name too?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” And she had no doubt whoever this General was would be digging into her past as well. He’d find a rap sheet for Frank, but the only evidence of her arrest lived under her healed cheekbone.