Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97032 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 485(@200wpm)___ 388(@250wpm)___ 323(@300wpm)
I squared my shoulders. “You tipped your hand when you told Kelly that Waters died penniless. How could you possibly know that? Amy and I had just found out. And wouldn’t you have assumed he had money, considering he embezzled from the historical society?”
Edna’s expression didn’t change.
“And then there’s your precise knowledge of the mansion’s antiques,” I continued. “Not to mention my mom’s attack. Did you call Jones after you left us that day?”
Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“The idiot was tasked with finding Waters’ keys,” she muttered.
I nodded slowly. “So, you could break into the Mercantile.”
Kelly whimpered beside me, gripping my arm. I could feel her trembling. She was scared—rightfully so. I had to get her out of here safely. Because if Edna didn’t kill me, my brother Danny would for failing to protect his wife and unborn child.
Edna scoffed. “Please. I don’t need a key to get past a lock.”
A realization slammed into me so hard I blurted it out before I could stop myself.
“You’re The Shadow?”
Edna let out a small chuckle. “A logical guess,” she admitted. “But no. I was the brilliant mind behind The Shadow.” Her lips curved slightly. “That title belonged to my husband, Henry. God rest his soul.”
She spoke with pride.
I wasn’t sure what unnerved me more—her complete calmness or the fact that she truly seemed to think this was all just business as usual.
“We had a good life together,” she continued. “My brilliant planning, his talent for disguise, and his almost supernatural ability to slip in and out of places no one thought a human could fit.”
“Like a rat,” I muttered.
Edna’s expression darkened.
“My Henry was no rat,” she snapped. “He was a brilliant thief who never got caught.”
My mind spun faster. If Henry was The Shadow, then that meant—Guy Braven.
I stared at her. “His son inherited his talent.”
Edna’s eyes gleamed. “Every bit of it. And then some.”
A slow, cold realization settled in my gut.
“And a son would never sell out his mother,” I murmured.
Edna’s smile returned. “Never,” she agreed. “He told the Feds what they wanted to hear… and then he slipped away.”
Her grip on the gun tightened.
“And now,” she said, “he’s come to me—because he knows I can make us disappear.”
“Why come here—to Willow Lake—to begin with?” I asked. “Why not some exotic place to live out your days?”
“I needed an average, but kind of no-nothing place to stay for a while to give me time to regroup and to give my son time on his own to see if he wanted to continue in his dad’s footsteps. I knew he’d want to see if he could make it on his own and I knew he’d realize soon enough that he needed me. I was about to contact him, bored out of my mind here, when he contacted me. Waters embezzling was a gift I couldn’t resist.” Edna motioned with the gun. “Enough talk. Start walking.”
I tightened my grip on Kelly, helping her move, though my mind raced ahead. How do I stall? How do I get us out of this? Mo was fast, but time was working against us.
“Where are we going?” I asked, buying every second I could.
“You’ll see soon enough,” Edna said. “Now keep moving.”
I kept my voice casual. “You know, for someone as brilliant as you claim to be, I can’t believe you left a trail like this.”
Her jaw clenched. “I didn’t.”
“Sure, you did,” I pressed. “I just had to connect the dots. You knew Waters was embezzling. That’s how you blackmailed him into working for you.”
Kelly let out a quiet moan, gripping my arm tighter. I squeezed her hand in reassurance.
Edna let out a slow breath, then shrugged. “Might as well know the truth. I realized what Waters was doing before he did. He wasn’t exactly a mastermind. All I had to do was let him believe he was. The man had no self-control—his greed always got the better of him.”
“So, you blackmailed him,” I said.
“He was perfect for it,” she admitted. “He spent his life hunting treasure. And what does a treasure hunter do? Case locations. He was already researching places that held valuables, already traveling. All he had to do was take it a step further—gather information on security, vulnerabilities, things my son could use.”
“And in exchange, you let him keep skimming from the historical society,” I guessed.
Edna smiled slightly. “See? Smart girl.”
I ignored the compliment. “Then what happened?”
Edna’s face darkened. “He got sloppy. He stopped thinking of it as a partnership and stupidly thought he could steal some items himself.”
“Waters is the one who slipped those gold coins into Anderson’s luggage,” I said, the realization hitting me.
“By sheer stupidity.” Edna scoffed. “Anderson was supposed to hitch a ride with a friend on a private plane, and since private planes have their own security checks, Waters didn’t think it would be an issue. Unfortunately for him, Anderson wound up taking a regular flight. The fool opened a whole can of worms with that dumb move.”