I Want Him Dead by C.B. Peterson

Author:C.B. Peterson [Peterson, C.B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

22

Matt

The money is gone. Matt was frantically searching through his online bank account before Steve and Lily showed up. Perfect timing, he thinks wryly. He’d like to go back into the garage and pore through the account, trying to figure out just what the hell happened. The money from his father’s insurance, part of it earmarked for Ethan and Sadie, is empty. Gone. Or most of it. There’s a little over one hundred dollars left.

Matt would like to spend the rest of the afternoon pouring through his online transactions and calling the bank to sort this out. Tomorrow is a holiday, and the bank is closed.

But he can’t. He’s got to pretend to Amber and to his brother-in-law as if nothing’s wrong.

It’s not the kind of thing Matt could admit to Steve. His brother-in-law’s a nice enough guy, but he moves through the world differently. He’s got an air of entitlement that comes with having grown up with and made a lot of money.

It’s like a scent he gives off. Alpha male. Privileged. Matt knows he shouldn’t think these thoughts about Steve, but they race through his head. He can’t help. What would it be like to be Steve and not have a monetary care in the world?

If Matt confessed, Steve would probably be sympathetic—although their savings would be a paltry sum to him. Somehow, he’s sure Steve would imply it’s Matt’s fault, that he’s been fiscally irresponsible. He has been. Leaving his job was not the smartest plan.

But he was counting on borrowing from this account, from the kids’ money, just for a little while until he could pay it back. He needs it to cover their living expenses. Their mortgage and bills. What’s he going to do now, he wonders?

They’re living much more on a razor’s edge than he—and certainly Amber—thought.

Matt leads Steve out to the patio, where the November light is gray and the air chilly. Though Matt is wearing only a tee shirt, he hardly feels the cold. In fact, he’s trying not to let Steve see how he’s hot and churning inside. Where did the money go? Who took it?

“Another beer?” he asks Steve.

Steve holds up his almost full bottle. Matt decides he’ll have another and tells Steve he’ll be right back.

In the garage, Matt quickly enters his password on the computer and signs on to his bank accounts. The balance hasn’t changed. Almost fifteen thousand dollars gone. What the hell? His heart beats faster. There must be some mistake. There’s nothing he can do now. He’ll deal with it later. Matt grabs two more beers from the fridge and heads back outside.

“How’s work going?” Steve asks. Matt sighs. He takes it Amber hasn’t told Lily yet that he left his company.

“I’m striking out on my own now,” Matt says. “Starting my own business.”

“Really?” Steve looks doubtful.

Matt feels a flash of anger. He knows the statistics. Almost half of small businesses fail in the first five years. He’s not stupid. Yet he suddenly feels that way.

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