It was the most obvious explanation.
Beside him, Carmen gave a bewildered shake of her head. “I don’t remember my grandparents mentioning anything about a life insurance policy.”
“I doubt they were ever contacted,” Griff said, glancing toward Ronnie. “Do you know the amount?”
Ronnie’s smile widened. “My mother said it was three million dollars.”
“Shit.”
At Griff ’s low curse, Carmen turned to look at him with a puzzled frown. “What is it?”
“We need to go back to the hotel,” he said.
She blinked. “Now?”
“Yes.”
“What about Christmas lunch?”
He grabbed her hand, hurrying back toward the truck. “It was just canceled.”
“Thank you, Ronnie,” she called over her shoulder.
“I’m sorry if I ruined your family reunion,” he called back.
“I’m not,” she muttered. “Families suck.”
Griff didn’t argue.
Chapter Fifteen
Carmen paced the floor of the hotel, the soft jingle of her bracelet the only noise to stir the silence.
They’d been back in their private room for almost two hours. Since then Carmen had called her aunt to make their excuses for Christmas lunch, and changed her skirt for a comfortable pair of jeans.
Now she had nothing to do but watch Griff work on the computer and consider the accusations that Ronnie had delivered in a soft whisper.
A three-million-dollar life insurance policy.
It sounded like an outrageous sum for most people, but not for someone in her father’s position. He would have wanted to ensure his wife and daughter could continue to live in the lifestyle they were accustomed to if something happened to him.
And she wasn’t particularly shocked by the thought that her uncle might have found a way to steal the money that should have been hers.
But would he actually go the extreme measure of sending her the photos? Or following her to Kansas City?
That seemed less convincing.
Still, if they could find proof that he’d taken the life insurance policy and confront him with the evidence, then he wouldn’t have any reason to continue to harass her.
His sins would be exposed.
Time passed and she called down for room service when her stomach began to rumble in protest. Within half an hour, a waiter was wheeling in a tray loaded with hot turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and two pieces of pecan pie.
Griff offered a smile as she placed a plate next to the computer, grabbing it to eat with a distracted expression. She took her own food to the chair that she pulled in front of the window.
A rueful smile touched her lips. This wasn’t the best Christmas she’d ever had. On the other hand, it wasn’t the worst.
She at least had pie.
Finished with her meal, she returned the plate to the tray. She was just considering a nap when Griff abruptly rose to his feet and stabbed his fingers through his hair.
“Damn.”
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, even as she knew exactly what was bothering him.
“I can see the cash, but he’s run it through a dozen different accounts over the years,” he growled. “It makes it almost impossible to pinpoint the exact source of the income.”
She bit her lower lip. “So we don’t have any proof?”
He shook his head, his expression hard with frustration. “What we need is a copy of the policy.” His brows snapped together, as if he was struck by a sudden thought. “Did your father have a safety-deposit box?”
She gave a lift of her hands. “If he did I’m sure my uncle would have already cleaned it out.”
Disappointment rippled over his face. “So all your father’s financial records could have been destroyed.”
“Yes.” A similar disappointment speared through Carmen. Not that she particularly cared about the money. Wait. That wasn’t entirely true. Three million dollars was nothing to sneeze at. But she needed to know if her family was responsible for the pictures of those women, or if there truly was a demented killer on the loose. Unfortunately, she didn’t have anything of her father’s. “Wait,” she breathed.
Griff stepped toward her. “What is it?”
“When my grandparents came to pick me up they packed up my mother’s personal belongings. Including a small safe that she always kept in her closet.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.” She grimaced, her stomach twisting as if she was once again that lost teenage girl who needed a tangible reminder that she’d had a mother who’d loved her. “One day I crept into the attic of my grandparents’ house to see what was inside, but it was locked and before I could get it opened my grandfather found me.” She shook her head, her arms wrapping around her waist. “I’d never seen him or my grandmother so upset. At least not since my mother’s funeral.”
He reached out to grasp her hand, instinctively sensing that she needed the comfort of his touch.
“Do you know why?”
“I just assumed they didn’t want to be reminded of my mother’s life in Louisville. Now I don’t know,” she confessed. “It might have contained my father’s legal papers.”
“Is the case still there?”
“Yes.”
Even after her grandparents’ deaths she hadn’t had the nerve to go into the forbidden attic. No doubt a psychiatrist would tell her that she was in some sort of denial at the horror of her past. Carmen preferred to think of herself as a survivor.
Simple as that.
“How far is the house from Louisville?” Griff asked.
“Around three hours.”
He glanced toward the window. It was shortly after noon, and the sun was high in the clear blue sky, bathing the city in brilliant sunshine.
“How do you feel about a field trip?”
She didn’t hesitate, already heading to her bedroom to grab her coat and purse.
“I’ll drive.”
Within fifteen minutes they were headed away from the hotel and out of town. Carmen was behind the steering wheel of the truck, roaring through the nearly empty streets. Next to her, Griff was busy with the open computer on his lap while he made a dozen phone calls.
She tried not to eavesdrop, but she could tell a couple of the calls were to people he wanted to help him find out more about her uncle’s finances, plus a request for his neighbor to pick up his mail. Then he had several calls to family and friends, wishing them a merry Christmas.
His low chuckles as he spoke into the phone were a stark reminder that she didn’t have anyone waiting for her call.
No family. No friends who were waiting with bated breath by the phone.
A familiar emptiness formed in the pit of her stomach. An emptiness she’d been battling since the night her parents died. Then, with a mental slap, she brought a sharp end to her bout of self-pity.
If she wanted to create intimate relationships, she couldn’t remain so guarded. She had to lower her barriers and allow people into her heart, as well as her life.
She shot a quick glance toward the man seated next to her.
He was the reason she was feeling so lonely. And why she suddenly ached to form something deeper than a transitory affair.
So did she have the nerve to do something about it?
She cleared the strange lump from her throat as he held the phone away from his ear and gave a shake of his head. Carmen could hear the sounds of his friend’s voice warning of dire consequences if he didn’t get his ass to Missouri to spend a few days.
Pressing his thumb to the screen, Griff ended the call and tossed the phone onto the dashboard.
“It sounds like you’re in trouble,” she said, and then she grimaced.
Nothing like pointing out the obvious.
“Mmm.” Griff ’s attention locked on the open computer balanced on his lap. “Rylan was disappointed that I won’t be joining him and Jaci for the holidays.”
“You know, you should go.”
“Stop,” he interrupted without ever glancing in her direction.
Carmen rolled her eyes, taking the exit off the highway and turning onto the narrow county road.
“Are you bossy with everyone or just with me?” she demanded.
“Everyone.” He paused, pretending to consider her question. “Although I make a special effort with you.”
“Thanks,” she said in dry tones.