Off the Grid (17 page)

“She wouldn’t leave me.” Kellie looked to Caleb, tears in her voice. “She wouldn’t. Not without a fight.”

Sophie handed the cups back to Caleb and gathered her into her arms, murmured comforting platitudes even though it was her loss too. She led her into the living room, sat down beside her on the couch, pulled the young girl into her arms and pressed her head to her shoulder.

Caleb sat down on the coffee table directly in front of Kellie and put a hand on her knee. The scent of chocolate drifted around them but no one reached for the cups he’d set down beside him. “I know this is hard. You loved her. Relied on her.”

The fear was in the jerk of Kellie’s body. She turned closer into Sophie.

Caleb continued, “I also know Marnie wanted you to have the means and the opportunity to look after Quinn. I can make her wishes a reality. If he’s going to pay for what he’s done I need the whole story. If there’s anything you’re holding back you need to tell us. Before it’s too late.”

Sophie pulled a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped it around Kellie. “She wanted you safe. More than anything. No matter what. Nothing you say can hurt her anymore.”

More tears threatened. Caleb handed Kellie a tissue and she sniffed into it. “None of it matters if she’s gone.”

“Not true,” Sophie said. She hugged her close. “It matters more. She’d want you to do whatever it took. To be a survivor.”

Caleb took over. “I know this is hard but I need you to tell me the absolute truth of what happened with Jason. Marnie’s part in the blackmail scheme, as hard as it might be to tell it. Yours, as well.”

“What does it matter now? Besides, you already know the story.”

“But maybe not all of it.” Sophie added an extra squeeze of comfort to her words.

“The truth always matters. If your speculations are right, maybe you’ll remember something important. A small detail can make all the difference.”

It was there, in the slump of her shoulders, the promise of more dead weight confessions. Sophie braced for more heartbreak.

“Marnie had debts.” Kellie shot a guilty look at Sophie then Caleb. “Big ones.”

“How much money did Marnie owe?” asked Caleb.

Kellie hung her head. “Forty thousand dollars.”

Sophie closed her eyes and gathered Kellie in closer. “How…”

“She was bad into it with the drugs, then she lost something she was transporting. Something way valuable. She wouldn’t tell me what it was.” She snuggled in deeper. “Only that she had no choice to borrow from Poacher to make it right.”

“Wonderful.” Sophie massaged her forehead. An old threat from a sideways direction. She should have known, should have remembered. Caleb frowned at her wanting answers. She wet her lips, swallowed. “He’s an old school loan shark with ties to Hell’s Riot.”

Caleb frown deepened. “So this Poacher person, you think he may have killed her?”

“Being dead makes it a little hard to collect your money. He likes knives. He has a signature. Marnie knew that better than anybody.” Kellie shivered in her arms. Sophie drew a deep breath in, let it out. Marnie was out of everyone’s reach now. “Hell’s Riot owns the poverty industry down here. Poacher is one of the last of the old-school-style loan sharks left. Nowadays it’s payday loan centers, pawn shops, rent-to-own. But if you have no paycheck, nothing to pawn…”

Kellie stepped in. “And you need big money…”

Sophie finished it. “You go to Poacher.”

Sophie didn’t think it had sunk in yet but it would. And she was right. It didn’t take long.

“Jesus, her scar. She borrowed money from him before.” At Sophie’s nod, he ran a hand over his mouth, held it there. He was taking a moment, rearranging ideas in his head. A couple of seconds later, he said, “One thing at a time. I want you to tell me how this all ties in to Jason. Your time with him.”

Kellie closed her eyes. “He was supposed to be an easy mark. It was all supposed to be easy.”

“Start at the beginning and go from there,” Caleb prompted.

“Marnie knew his preferences.”

“Marnie? She was the one supplying the girls?” Caleb’s hands clenched into fists. He dropped them to his thighs, pressed down. His whole body tensed. Mouth shut tight, he traced his top teeth with his tongue. Fury hardened the lines of his face, his skin stretching to contain it.

“Caleb. Don’t.” Not here. Not now. She needed him to save that anger for later. For her.

He pulled it all back in. “Which were?”

In her arms Kellie cringed. Sophie shot him a pleading look. The one he gave back was unapologetic. She shook her head at him.

He ignored her. “It’s important. Kellie?”

Sophie’s hand found Kellie’s and she held on, gave it a squeeze of support.

“She knew the drill and she’d arranged it all before. Loads of times. Jason trusted her to keep to their deal. And even though he likes his kink he’s a safer bet than a lot of johns out there. I knew she needed money so I begged her to let me do it.”

“Do what? Exactly.”

“Set up Jason Drummond.” She sat up a little straighter and sighed. “She refused at first but things got really bad with Poacher and she needed his fee so she caved. It gave her enough to tide Poacher over for a couple of months. So, I did myself up how he liked and it started.”

A muscle jumped along Caleb’s jawline. Sophie’s heart pounded and like so many times in the past few days she knew she didn’t want to hear what was coming next.

“Tell me.” Not gentle, not threatening. But you knew he was serious. He wanted answers. He picked up a cup handed it to her. “Here, have a drink. Take a moment.”

Kellie wrapped her hands around the warm cup and sipped. It took more than a moment but she finally looked up. Her voice was small, scared, and worst of all, ashamed. “I’m small and blond so I didn’t have to dye my hair, just put it up in pigtails. No makeup, only clear lip gloss. Marnie arranged for the uniform.”

“Uniform?”

It came out in a rush, like she wanted the telling over and done with as quickly as possible. “School girl. You know, short plaid skirt, white shirt, buttons down the front, vest to match the skirt, knee high white socks, Converse sneakers. White cotton panties. Nothing else. No exceptions.”

Sophie clamped down on the bile fighting its way up her throat. Disgust showed on Caleb’s face before he could mask it, but no surprise he didn’t ask her to elaborate and Sophie was grateful.

“The blackmail?”

“We had a plan.”

“Get pregnant and collect child support? Seems extreme.”

“Caleb,” Sophie warned.

Kellie ignored her. “No. The pregnancy was an accident. Honest. It was supposed to be the same arrangement as with the other girls. Get paid to have play dates then disappear. But Marnie planned to outsmart him and get extra. And he liked me. I was a favorite of his.”

“So, you planned on getting more than the original twenty thousand plus what Marnie knew she’d get for arranging the meetings?”

Kellie nodded.

“Which all went to Marnie?”

“Yes. It had to. She needed it.” Kellie pushed her hair back.

“And when you learned you were pregnant?”

“Marnie wanted me to have an abortion and we kind of figured it was the opportunity we needed to ask for some more cash.”

“So you went to Jason?”

She nodded. “Another ten thousand on the condition he never saw me again. He made it pretty clear that meant ever.”

“We know you didn’t go through with it.”

“I couldn’t.”

“The money?”

“Went to Marnie.”

“What happened next?”

“Marnie was upset I didn’t follow through with the abortion. Babies cost money. She said he was going to have to own up and be a father. She figured Jason would pay to keep everything quiet but we couldn’t tap him for more until things settled a bit. Then we’d get our last twenty thousand. Ten for Marnie, ten for me.”

“And then?”

She rubbed her arms. “Nothing happened until Jason saw me at the fundraiser about two months ago.”

“How did you hear about the job for the fundraiser again?”

“Marnie arranged it for me. I was trying to work all the hours I could wherever I could.”

“Jason says Marnie came to him after the fundraiser asking for more money.”

“If she did she didn’t tell me.”

“How did Marnie break her arm?” Caleb asked.

“She fell down some stairs one night. It was dark. She tripped.” But she avoided eye contact, choosing instead to pick up her cup and sip more not chocolate.

“Was it before or after the fundraiser?”

She hesitated, then shrugged and answered, “I’m pretty sure it was before.”

“Here’s what I think. I think Marnie did go to Jason and he got angry, refused to pay her. Instead he came after you. Threatened you.”

“That’s why Marnie made us hide.” Tears threatened. “Until the baby was born. See, I’m telling you he killed her.”

“There’s no proof. No evidence to suggest Jason killed Marnie.”

“Marnie went to see him on Friday night asking for the last twenty thousand.” It came out on a whisper. “She said it was only fair. She said he deserved to pay. For everything. She was supposed to collect the money last night. Now she’s dead.” She twisted out of Sophie’s arms and sat forward facing Caleb. “What if he comes after me?”

Caleb took her hand, held it between his own. “Marnie was a wild card. There was no way to control her. To trust she wouldn’t keep popping up whenever she needed money. You’re easier to manipulate and you have your son to protect.”

“I want to be a good mother to Quinn. I want to support us, but I don’t see how I can.”

“By keeping things simple. And legal. If he’s the father he’s obligated by the courts to pay child support. Even if he voluntarily relinquishes his parental rights. I have a friend. He’s leaving for a year in Dubai. He’s looking for someone to condo sit. You can live there for a year rent free. Get yourself together, start a new life.”

When had he managed to arrange it? Sophie sat back dumbfounded. Things were happening too fast. It was too crazy.

Kellie shook her head. “And if he decides he doesn’t want to pay child support? We’re an embarrassment to him. What’s to stop him from coming after us?”

“I’m going to stop him.”

Sophie locked gazes with him. The determination she saw there scared the hell out of her.

He looked to Kellie. “Marnie didn’t use anything else to blackmail Jason, no pictures, no videos?”

He’d thought of everything.

“I don’t think so. It was part of Marnie’s fee. Making sure the girls didn’t leave with any evidence. It was her job to make sure they never contacted him again. And they never did. That’s why Jason kept coming to her. Marnie kept her word. Always.”

“Except for this time.”

“She was in a real bad place.”

“And that’s an excuse for blackmail?”

“No. But I know there weren’t going to be any more girls after me.”

“Why?”

“She said she was done. After she fixed things with Poacher. She didn’t give a reason.” Head down she continued in a low voice. “But…I think she was going to try and get clean. Debts cleared, fresh start, that kind of thing. She was going to do it for me. And for Quinn. Because I have to tell you, I don’t think Jason broke her arm. I think Poacher did. She was super scared and it wasn’t of Drummond.”

Sophie closed her eyes. She knew her sister. Marnie would think she could contain someone like Drummond. Her turf. Her terms. The advantage. “So she took on the lesser of two evils.”

Chapter Seven

Sophie hid out in the kitchen on the pretense of tidying up for the evening. Once again tears threatened. She tossed her damp tea towel down on the countertop.

She would not cry. Would. Not. Her butt hit the hard seat of a kitchen chair, her elbows braced on her thighs, head in her hands. She counted to ten. Then twenty. The pressure eased. One hundred.

Strong hands squeezed her shoulders. It startled her enough to have her lifting out of her chair.

“No. Sit.” His thumbs dug into her shoulder blades. A guilty sigh of pleasure escaped. Her shoulders tensed up.

“Breathe.” Down her back and up again. The base of her skull. Shoulders again.

“So good.” Her muscles unraveled under his manipulations. She let her head fall back. He came around to kneel in front of her. “Better.”

She nodded.

Concern darkened his eyes. He trailed a finger down her cheek. “It’s been a long day.”

“For you too.” She tried to smile. And failed. “You’ve been busy making your own kind of arrangements, figuring things out. Making it all better.”

He pulled another chair over. Sat down. Took her hands in his. “Back in there? Earlier? It was hard to hear. I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. It all needed to be said.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “I’m sorry too. I meant to tell you about Marnie providing the girls, but things spiraled so quickly I didn’t get to it.” She shook her head wanting, needing to be honest. “That’s not the truth either. I just didn’t want to have that conversation. Liam hated having to deal with Marnie and the havoc she created. I think part of me worried I’d be handing you the reason to walk away. “

“Hey.” He brought one of her hands to his lips, brushed a kiss against her knuckles. “I don’t scare that easy. Besides I was raised on drama. Not your kind of family issues, but Quinn family relations don’t always run smooth.”

She was willing to bet there wasn’t a pimp in their ranks. “You’re not a mirage or anything, are you? I mean you’re real, right? Flesh and blood real? Not something my traumatized mind has made up to deal with all the crazy, mind warping stuff that’s happening?”

A small smile tipped the corners of his mouth. “Here I thought I made more of an impression the other night.”

She tipped her head, searched his face, lifted a hand to his cheek. “I don’t think I could do this without you.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He wrapped a hand around hers, held it in place. “Are you up for talking about this some more?”

No.

“Yes.”

He got up put the kettle on, arranged their chairs closer to the table. When it was set with cups and the steeping tea pot he sat back down. “I called one of my buddies with the Vancouver Police Department. He works in the Major Crime Division.”