Appalachian Prey. Debbie Herbert

away with their mother.

      “Well, I’m leaving, and I thought I’d say goodbye first.”

      Darla colored slightly. “Right. Sorry I couldn’t help out more with the estate stuff. Ed Junior’s been down with a tummy ache.”

      “No problem.” Lilah shrugged and waited awkwardly.

      “I’ll just, uh, get off the phone. Want something to drink?”

      “Water, thanks.” Lilah plopped down on a chair in the den.

      The TV blared, although no one was watching it. Where were her nephews?

      Darla returned from the kitchen and tossed her a water bottle. “Where are the kids?” Lilah asked.

      “I started them in daycare yesterday. I needed more peace and quiet ’round here.” She shuddered. “I’m still recovering from that intruder scare.”

      “Me, too,” Lilah admitted. “I meant it when I said I’m not staying. I’ll come back when there’s papers that need to be signed when the cabin sells, and for the meeting next week in the probate office.”

      Darla tossed back her hair. “Both stupid formalities. That cabin’s not worth much, and I doubt Dad had more than a few hundred dollars in the bank. A complete waste of time.”

      “But he had thirty thousand dollars lying around the house,” she pointed out.

      “Dad didn’t trust banks. Besides, I bet he was just holding that money for someone.”

      Lilah suppressed a shudder. If that was true, was that why the intruder had been in the cabin? Would he return?

      “Anyway, do you think you could take care of all the paperwork for me?” Lilah asked hesitantly. “I only got involved with everything because Jimmy was overseas and you said you were too busy with the kids to fool with it. Now that they’re in daycare...maybe you could take over?”

      “You handle it. You always were good with all that complicated kind of stuff.”

      Irritation flared between her temples. “But I live over a hundred miles from here, and I’m busy, too.”

      “You?” Darla scoffed. “You don’t have other people depending on you to feed them and watch over them. Or a demanding husband. What else do you have to do?”

      That about hit her last reserve of patience. “I have a j-o-b. Remember? I also take college classes in whatever spare time I have.”

      “Pfft.” Darla waved a hand dismissively. “Why you wasting time getting a fancy degree...”

      But Lilah tuned out her words. Instead, she was mesmerized by the huge diamond flashing on Darla’s left hand. “Ed upgraded your wedding ring? It used to be on the small side.” Rinky-dink was more like it.

      Darla abruptly lowered her hand and crossed her arms, hiding the ring from view.

      The new pickup, ordering new cabinets, fancy jewelry. Well, that little mystery was solved.

      “It was you!” Lilah stood and pointed her finger. “You’re the one who stole the money.”

      “It wasn’t stealing. That was Dad’s money, and I’m sure he meant for me to have it.”

      Of all the selfishness Lilah had witnessed over the years with her sister, this was the most outrageous. “All for you, huh? What about me and Jimmy?”

      “Jimmy’s making plenty of money in the army.”

      “And me?”

      “You’re about to become a teacher. You’ll be rolling in dough. I need it more than you. I have a family. You don’t.”

      Lilah closed her eyes, thinking of how much thirty thousand dollars would have helped in paying off her college tuition and upgrading from her clinker of a car to something more reliable. Rolling in dough on a teacher’s salary? Not hardly.

      She drew a long steadying breath. “We’ll see what Jimmy thinks about all this when I call him tonight.”

      “Do you have to tell him?” Darla flushed and bit her lip. “We ain’t spent it all yet. I could give you each a few thousand.”

      She’d never been so angry. Lilah trembled from the injustice. Careful, careful. Don’t say something you’ll regret. “I’ll see you later, after I’ve spoken with Jimmy,” she said past numb lips.

      “Ah, come on, LayLay,” Darla cajoled, using her old childhood nickname. “Don’t get all mad on me.”

      Lilah strode past her, eager to avoid more confrontation. “We’ll settle up after I talk to Jimmy. I’ll be speaking with Harlan, too. He knows that money was stolen from the cabin. I’m sure he’ll want to question you about the theft.”

      Darla paled. “Now, look here...”

      “Save it for the cops,” Lilah said, marching out of the house and back to her car. Of all the nerve. Of course, she wasn’t going to press charges, but let Darla sweat it a little.

      Inside her car, she backed out of the driveway and then paused. Go left or right? Left meant leaving the mountain, right meant having “The Talk” with Harlan. She dreaded it, but her conscience demanded she tell him. Besides, he’d already called, wanting her to sign the missing money report.

      Digging deep into her reserves of courage, Lilah turned right.

      * * *

      THE MOMENTARY LULL in the crowded, noisy sheriff’s office alerted Harlan that something was off. He glanced up from his paperwork and followed the gaze of his coworkers to the front door.

      Ah, yes. Lilah Tedder had that effect on the opposite sex. She turned her head, scanning the room until she zeroed in on where he sat. Her blond hair glowed like a halo under the harsh fluorescent lighting, but her eyes burned like two flames, hot and flickering.

      She was no angel.

      Lilah beelined to his desk in determined steps. He hoped J.D. wouldn’t come out of his office anytime soon this morning and witness them together. She stepped up to his chair.

      “So you’ve already drawn up the report on the money?” she asked, cutting to the chase.

      “Yep.” Harlan picked up the printed document. “Just need you to sign it.”

      She sat down next to him and primly placed her purse in her lap. He slid the paper toward her, and she glanced down. “I’m not signing it. There’s no longer any need for a report.”

      “Why? You found it?”

      “In a manner of speaking, yes.”

      He was missing something. People didn’t “misplace” thousands of dollars of cash. “That’s good. Where was it?”

      “I forgot I’d moved it from under the mattress to the bottom dresser drawer.”

      She was lying, but why? Truth was, he’d been reluctant to write up the report, not wanting to draw unnecessary attention to her newfound wealth. At least not until the money was accounted for and safely deposited in the bank. Besides, her family’s name was mud as it was. This report would drag more fodder and speculation about Chauncey’s questionable activities.

      “Are you sure about this? What’s really going on?”

      “I’m more worried about intruders than...”

      She stopped, obviously flustered about blurting out that tidbit.

      “Intruders?” he honed in quickly. “You have any more men showing up to buy moonshine?”

      “No. Never mind about that. I’m leaving today, anyway.”

      “Sure you won’t change your mind?” He’d secretly hoped she would hang around long enough for him to try to win her back.