The Return of Betty Snickerdoodle by Pepper Frost

Author:Pepper Frost [Frost, Pepper]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Working Strategy
Published: 2018-11-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Cash glanced at the buzzing phone beside the computer, irritated by the interruption. He didn’t recognize the number. I should just ignore it, he thought. It was late. He didn’t get a lot of calls at that hour; in fact, he didn’t get many calls at all. But the number wasn’t just unfamiliar, it was odd: it looked like it might even have been international. Curiosity got the better of him. He clicked on his wireless earpiece to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Good thing you answered, Cash. If you hadn’t, I’d have called the cops next. I’ve got about five minutes for this call, and that better be enough time for you to explain exactly what the hell you’ve been up to.”

Cash paused. The voice was familiar, but it took him a second to place it; the connection was staticky, and there was a slight delay.

“Nice to hear from you, Chase,” Cash stammered. “To what do I owe …”

“Save it, Cash, you know why I’m calling,” Chase replied. “My dad just got off the phone with his office neighbor. Imagine his shock to hear that his office had been broken into – and that a certain file had been accessed.”

“I don’t think I know what you’re talking about,” Cash defended melodramatically.

“So it’s just a coincidence that Charlie’s office is broken into, and the person who did it was snooping the file of the author you and I just happened to be discussing before I left for the trip? The one I told you made my dad’s career?”

“A break-in? At your dad’s office? Oh, gee, that’s awful!” Cash sputtered.

“Just cut the crap, Cash!” Chase yelled. “This is your one chance to save yourself. We’re cutting our trip short. My dad is booking us on a flight home right now. We’re getting off the ship in Piraeus in three days and heading right to the airport. Give me a good explanation, and I’ll tell him it was you – and not to call the cops. I can’t promise you won’t be in trouble, but if you don’t tell me the truth, you’ll be in jail for sure. So start talking – and it better be good.”

Dammit, thought Cash, panicking. His mind reeled as he tried to come up with a plausible explanation. He cursed himself for not preparing better – and for leaving a trail at Charlie’s office. But he’d had to run out so quickly to avoid that nosy cow in the next office. Now it appeared she’d tracked Chase and his dad down on their cruise – and he hadn’t a clue how to persuade them not to cut their vacation short.

“Chase, I swear, I had nothing to do with this, you have to believe me,” Cash babbled, struggling to regain his bearings and improvise. “But how about this. I’ll go check out the office. I’ll ask around a little bit. Maybe I can figure out who did this. What do you think?”

“I don’t know, Cash. You haven’t convinced me I can trust …”

The connection crackled a bit before dropping with a beep.

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