Chapter 48
I've seen many things while on the road, but this was one of the yummiest looking as our car pulled past it. I love onions. I think I mention them once in this novel, so keep your eyes open...
Hidden Secrets
Leona Palmer Haag
Chapter 48
Kevin's voice was angry and loud, punctuated with
four-letter words. "Tucson? You went to Tucson? And Nogales? Who gave you
permission to leave Phoenix?" he bellowed.
"Exactly who do you think you are, Kevin Curtis?
My jailer? I go where I want to go, when I want to, and with whomever I want
to!" Jenn shot back.
"Not at the moment, Mrs. Claudia Morgan! You stay
put! How am I supposed to keep track of you if you get in a car and drive off?
And who is Kristina, this pesky little neighbor friend of yours, anyway? What
do you know about her?"
Jenn held the phone away from her ear to reduce the
volume. When Kevin paused, Jenn stormed back, "My very nice neighbor! And
thank you for making me deaf! Can't you say anything quietly, nicely and
without scorching my eardrums and conscience? You do know I can hang up on you
if I want and…"
"Exactly what size boot do you want to wear,
Claudia? Size ten filled with cement? And what about your precious daughter?
Have you planned her funeral yet? Ordered the flowers and picked out who will
give the eulogy?"
Jenn gasped.
"Exactly. You didn't think first, did you? You
went off half-cocked and did some half-brained thing. Nice going, smart
woman," Kevin sarcastically said.
Jenn tried to recover. "Listen, Kevin, if this
whole going off to visit art galleries in Tucson bugs you so much, send me a
plane ticket home. I happen to like Dallas. A lot! For that matter, I have a
credit card under your account number. I'll buy my own tickets. First class.
Give me ten minutes."
Jenn braced the phone on her shoulder and flipped on
her laptop and pulled up the Internet. The computer screen blinked to life, but
the Internet connection failed. "Did you cut me off the net?" she
gasped in disbelief.
"You're acting like a six-year
old, so that's how you'll be treated," Kevin said.
"Wait a minute, I want to go home, and you think
you can bully me?"
"Do I need to cut off your credit cards
too?"
"You are mean!"
"No, I'm nice. I'm keeping you topside of Mother
Earth instead of pushing up daisies and playing hostess to worms. Think about
things that way and you'll agree. You'll see that…"
Jenn snapped her phone shut and violently tossed it
across the room. It bounced on a sofa pillow and toppled to the floor. It began
vibrating, but she ignored it. "Come on, Katie, it's time to explore this
dungeon," she muttered.
Katie jumped up and followed Jenn to the garage. Jenn
pulled a ladder from a hook and carried it inside. Inspection time had arrived.
Before noon on Sunday morning she'd pulled off every light fixture cover and
checked for hidden bugs and cameras throughout the entire castle. For the
second time. Other less obvious sites were inspected as well. The interior
premises was clean.
Jenn returned the ladder and plopped down on a sofa.
Katie whined for lunch. "Let's go out just to bug Uncle Kevin," Jenn
muttered, pulling herself up. "And while we're at it, we'll see if we
should shred the credit cards because they've turned into worthless
plastic."
Jenn quickly pulled off her nighties and changed Katie
and they headed out. One ATM later she was three-hundred dollars richer. A
second ATM's later she had six-hundred dollars cash in her wallet. The third
ATM didn't hesitate to spit out her three-hundred dollar request. The final ATM
made her even richer.
The clerk at McDonald's took a twenty and handed her
egg sandwiches and orange juice.
The clerk at the first store took her credit card and
swiped it. It wasn't denied. The second purchase that afternoon went through
smoothly as well. As did the third, fourth and so on.
"Claudia, stop spending like you've robbed Fort
Knox or I'll send you to Antarctica to cool off," the voice mail message
from Kevin said when Jenn decided to finally listen to him that afternoon.
Jenn clicked to the next message. "Jenn, I can't
wait to get the sketches. Did you mail them yet?" Andrea's voice was much
more pleasant.
Jenn pulled out a bar stool and sighed. Kevin, mean Uncle Kevin, would receive them in
the mail in a day or two. Their fate lay in his hands. He was mad enough at her
that he might not choose to forward them. She typed a text message in reply:
I'll send them ASAP. Watch for them.
Before pushing send, Jenn changed it to read: If I
could guarantee you'd get the sketches, I would, but since my mail is being
monitored, it may take a while. Call or text me the moment they arrive. I'm
extremely curious to know when you get them, as well as if you get them.
Jenn pushed send.
She'd probably hear about the text from Kevin
shortly—if he had the ability to intercept them.
End Chapter 48
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