Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            Liza gasped. “Oh my God.”

            Tom whistled softly. “Wow. Did he take it?”

            “No, but he didn’t turn her down right away. He talked to his parents first. Hickman didn’t want it for himself. He figured it was blood money, but his folks had lost everything, so he offered it to them. They didn’t want it, either. So Hickman contacted her back and said no, but that if she was truly serious about reparations, she’d donate the cash to an L.A. charity for the homeless, for drug addicts, or for LGBTQ youth. All were groups that Pastor preached against.”

            “Did she?” Liza asked.

            “She did. About three days later, there was an announcement that one of the LGBTQ youth shelters in L.A. had received an anonymous million-dollar donation. Hickman didn’t know what had made her contact him or if she’d actually changed, but he was still suspicious. He knew that Pastor had left with some of the wealthiest of the congregation, all of whom had sold everything they owned, just like Amos did. Hickman figured a million bucks was a drop in the bucket to them and that if they really wanted to find him, they might donate the money as a trap.”

            “Ordinarily I’d say he was paranoid, but not in this case,” Tom said.

            “I know, right? He hired a private detective to trace her phone call,” Jeff went on. “The call came from a Margo Kitson in Walnut Creek, California. You’ll find her online.”

            Tom was already typing. “Oh my God, here she is. Margo Kitson. Married to Hugh Kitson. Here’s her photo.” He turned the tablet so that Liza could see.

            A woman in a floor-length evening gown stood with a man in a tuxedo. When Tom zoomed in on the woman’s face, Liza could see that it was an older version of the woman in the grainy photo with Pastor and the then-five-year-old twins on Tom’s bulletin board.

            “Is that the political fund-raiser from last year?” Jeff asked. “I found that one, too. Was going to send you the links. I have their address, too, if you’re interested.”

            “I just found it,” Tom said. “This is amazing. Thank you.”

            “If you can tell me where the million bucks came from without having to kill me, I’d really like to know,” Jeff said. “I think Hickman would like to know what caused her to reach out to him in the first place. She wouldn’t tell him when they talked years ago. That’s all I got.”

            “That’s a lot,” Liza said warmly. “You did good, Jeff.”

            “Well,” Jeff said, sounding embarrassed. “Least I can do for Mercy Callahan. If you can eliminate this threat to her and the others, I’ll be glad. Are you going to Walnut Creek, Tom?”

            “I am. I’d already put in for a personal day. I figured Rafe would need help getting the guests to and from the airport. But the security firm is doing a good job and there will be an FBI presence at the Sokolovs’ for at least another day or two.”

            “I know. I’m here,” Jeff said glumly. “It’s like we’re in prison. I hope it’s over soon.”

            “Your mouth, God’s ear.” Tom held his finger over the end button. “We done?”

            “Yep. I’d go to sleep, but I want to be the first one in the kitchen when Irina wakes up so I can tell her that she’s out twenty bucks.”

            “She bet, too?” Tom asked, clearly affronted.

            “Oh yeah. We had ten people in the pool.”

            Liza chuckled quietly, patting Tom’s hand. “Who won?”

            “Karl,” Jeff grumbled. “He always wins. Zoya and I had a side bet that she won. But I get to announce it, so I’m good. Bye.”

            The call ended and Tom set the phone and his tablet aside. “We’re going to Walnut Creek.”

            “We as in me and you?” Liza asked, hoping. “Or you and Croft?”

            “I’ll see if she wants to come with us.”

            Liza beamed up at him. “Thank you. It means a lot to me to help right now.”

            “I know.” He kissed her lightly. “Will this be enough, though? Once we get Belmont in custody and the folks in Eden to safety, will your need to help be satisfied, or will I need to always worry that you’re exposing yourself to danger?”