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“Thank you for your time.” For the sixth time today, I hang up the phone and close my eyes. It’s taken me a few days to narrow down my mother’s location after Dad’s video call, and she isn’t in a mental institution. She isn’t in Europe either.
Looking down my list, I cross off another women’s shelter in Indiana and sigh.
For some reason, she’s back in her home state and hiding. Using cash and prepaid cards, but facial recognition has come a long way and Erik found a video clip of her at the aquarium with a group of kids no older than eight.
My mother wasn’t dressed as the society queen she once was. In a pair of dark-wash jeans and cream-colored blouse, she walked with the group from exhibit to exhibit while answering what she could—helping this one little girl in particular that seemed too small to play with the others.
“Why hasn’t he called me?” I ask aloud, rubbing my temples when footsteps approach. They’re heels, the clacking loud within the open space, and I look up in time to watch Mildred try and sneak past my desk. “Take another step and adhere to the consequences.”
Mildred’s head snaps in my direction, face pinched tight in anger. “What did you say?”
“Are you deaf?” Shuffling the list of numbers in Indiana under a financial report, I raise a brow. “Well?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she turns to fully face me. “No. I’m not.”
“Then you know I both find both irritating and disgusting,” I sneer, catching Malcolm’s imposing figure standing just within the entrance to his office. “Leave.”
“You have balls for a secretary.”
“And we both know you spread those legs for anyone, my father being one of them.” Standing from my seat, I open the drawer to my right and pull out a gun with two bullets. “Married men. Engaged men. Do you sleep with family members too?”
Her face goes from furious to near ghostly white. Fake tears gather at the corner of her eyes. “How could you say something like that to me? I’m a respected member of—”
“Please cut the bull, Mildred. We both know what cloth you are cut from.” Picking up my Glock, I pull the clip out and insert the two bullets before resetting with the safety off. “Why are you here? And don’t give me some line about an appointment because you don’t have one. You have two minutes to explain.”
She fidgets, eyeing the weapon in my hand. “Malcolm called me to go over our merger. We’ve come to an understanding.”
“Lie. Try again.”
“It’s the truth, Mariah. Call him and ask.”
“Again, that’s a lie. One more chance.” I raise my hand and point toward her chest.
Mildred shakes, but her eyes are full of hate. Her animosity is palpable and so is her greed. “I came to talk to Malcolm about my brother and company. We need to come to an amicable agreement.”
“Is that so?” My cousin steps forward now, a smile on his face and Mildred calms immediately.
“Yes.” Her response is low and meek, and he’s the epitome of gracious when holding a hand out. “I’m very sorry for showing up without a prior appointment, but please, I need—”
“No worries, Ms. Frederick.” His eyes snap to mine and harden a bit for her benefit. “Put the gun away and show some respect, Mariah. She is a customer and must be treated as such. Understood?”
“Of course, Mr. Asher.”
She’s smiling at his reprimand. She enjoys me being put in my place.
Stupid fucking woman.
Mildred is pushing her luck with me, and if she catches me on the wrong day, I’ll be the one putting a bullet between her eyes.
***
24
“HAVE YOU HAD any news on his whereabouts?” I ask Malcolm, holding the phone between my ear and shoulder while Alejandro and Emiliano hold a meeting inside the family compound. We’ve been here for the past two weeks, smoking out those responsible for my mother’s death, while they try and hide.
I know where the three men are:
The shooter. The enabler. The general of Colombia’s army.
