Semi-Psychic Life (Glimmer Lake #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,30
going to break anything? I remember how much you guys spent on Josh’s tools.”
“I don’t think so.” Val sipped her coffee. “I kind of threatened him.”
“You threatened Smiley Steve?” Monica asked. “I want to be you when I grow up. Minus the disorganization and laundry issues.”
“How did you threaten him?”
“I told him I knew about the affair he was having with his secretary.”
Robin wrinkled her nose. “Gloves off in the office?”
“They’d been going at it right on the desk. Could he be any more of a middle-aged-male stereotype?”
Monica rolled her eyes. “I mean, if you’re going to be a lying prick, at least be imaginative.”
“I don’t think imagination is in Smiley Steve’s wheelhouse.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “We’ve talked with West. We’ve talked with the current employer. We still don’t know who the client is, but West says he’s waiting to hear back from a couple of people.”
“Do you still want to go to Rachel and Josh’s house?”
“I don’t think I can.” She rubbed her temple. “Can we just go home? This headache is killing me. I had my gloves off in that office for like an hour and there was a lot of shit coming in. I think I’m going to need to be fresh for Josh’s house.”
“Let’s go then.” Robin rose. “I have aspirin in my purse.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Val, Robin, and Monica walked out to the minivan, and Val got in the back seat, slid her glasses on, and leaned the bucket seat as far back as it could go. She felt her phone buzzing in her pocket, but she ignored it while she grabbed the water Monica handed her and the two aspirin from Robin’s purse.
They were headed back to Glimmer Lake and her phone was ringing again. She kept ignoring it. If it was her boys, they’d be texting. She didn’t feel like talking to her parents right now.
Robin’s phone rang. “It’s Sully.” She touched the screen. “Hey.”
Val opened her eyes. “What does he want?” She checked her phone. Yep. Sure enough, three missed calls from Sully. She sat up straight. “Is there news about Josh?”
Robin handed her the phone.
“Sully, did you hear something from—”
“Why aren’t you answering your phone?”
“I have a headache. I put it on mute.”
“Where are you?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Driving with Robin and Monica. Why?”
“Why are you harassing Josh’s employer, Valerie?”
Shit.
Val put him on speakerphone. She couldn’t handle the speaker that close to her ear when her head felt like this. “I’m not harassing anyone.”
“Bridger PD is calling me, asking me why Mason’s ex-wife is going around Bridger City, asking people about her ex. Trying to get Josh’s stuff. Did you threaten Steve Garcia? Do you know how many people on the city council he knows? He’s neighbors with the mayor, for Christ’s sake.”
Robin’s eyes went wide, but Val only waved a careless hand. “I don’t give a shit. He threatened to sell Josh’s toolbox. Do you know how many thousands of dollars Josh spent on that toolbox? Those tools are his professional life. It took him years to build. If something happened to him, they belong to his sons, and I’ll be damned if some asshole who knows the mayor—”
“Did you threaten him?”
“What on earth am I going to threaten him with?” Her head was pounding. “Did he tell you? What? I’m going to beat up a guy six inches taller than me? How am I supposed to have threatened this guy? He’s the one threatening me.”
Sully was quiet for a moment. “Did he threaten you?”
“He threatened to sell Josh’s tools.”
“Did he threaten you, Val?”
“What difference does it make?” She pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Because if he threatened to sell some tools, that’s one thing, but if he threatened you, then I’m going to have to drive down to Bridger City and find Steve Garcia and beat the shit out of him for threatening you, so tell me did he threaten you, Valerie?”
She could hear the simmering anger in his voice. She spoke calmly. “Sully, he did not threaten me personally. And I didn’t threaten him.”
Lie. She completely threatened him.
“I don’t think he likes me very much,” Val continued, “but I don’t really give a shit about that. Tell the truth, Bridger PD isn’t doing jack about finding Josh, are they? They’re not doing anything.”
Sully was silent.
Val felt tears come to her eyes. She cleared her throat. “You know, just because he’s not a rich guy with connections doesn’t mean he’s not worth looking for. He has two