Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            “Why?” Joshua demanded. “Why would Brother DJ kill Pastor? That makes no sense.”

            “Agent Hunter?” Molina said. “Please tell them why.”

            Tom raised his voice. “Because he wanted Pastor’s money. Pastor’s bank account had fifty million dollars in it.”

            Once again there was silence, broken by muted weeping. Joshua laughed harshly. “Fifty million dollars? You are insane. Look at us. We don’t have anything.”

            “How much did you donate to Eden when you joined?” Tom asked Joshua.

            Joshua frowned. “We sold our home and donated the profits. It was about three hundred thousand dollars.”

            Tom pointed at another man about Joshua’s age. “And you, sir?”

            “Four hundred thousand,” the man said, clearly troubled.

            Tom pointed to various members, and after five people, the total was already over two million dollars. “He invested well and supplemented with sales of the drugs you grew and harvested.”

            One of the men shook his head. “We never sold drugs.”

            “Tell them to look in the cave room where the tools and schoolbooks were stored,” Graham said. “There’s a box marked Smithy Tools. It’s filled with cocaine and pot. Full disclosure,” he added, “I took a brick of the coke to try to blackmail Brother DJ into letting my sister go to the hospital. Like Pastor was able to. The coke is hidden under a rock near the computer. The package is unopened.” He pointed a finger at Joshua. “And before you can claim I smuggled it, remember that Isaac, the head of our household, thoroughly searched us. Those drugs belong to DJ.”

            A man stepped forward. “I’ll check. One of your policemen may come with me.”

            Tom exhaled slowly. He’d thought they’d ask who killed DJ and he wasn’t sure how to answer that. He’d had to surrender his weapon and badge to Molina on the way to the caves. It was standard procedure when one fired their service weapon. He’d probably have to undergo counseling before he was reinstated.

            Molina clapped her hands to regain the group’s attention. “While they are checking Graham’s claim, we can transport anyone who wants to go now. If you’d like to talk to Gideon and Mercy first, they will be here. Amos Terrill will also be here in a few hours.”

            A middle-aged woman stepped forward. “Amos is all right? And Abigail? I’ve been so worried. She’s my daughter’s best friend.”

            “They are very much all right,” Molina said kindly. “Amos realizes that many of you may want more proof, and he will tell you what he saw that drove him to run from Eden. If you’d like to leave, the first transport will depart in two hours. I’ll stay here to answer any questions.”

            “And if we choose to stay?” Joshua asked, still belligerent.

            “I can’t make you come with us,” she said, “unless you’re suspected of a crime. Like kidnapping or child endangerment.”

            Joshua’s jaw tightened. “And for those of us who are innocent of wrongdoing?”

            “I can’t make you come with us, but you can’t stay here. This is private property.”

            Two hours later, the first transport departed, Tiffany and her little boy on board, and there wasn’t an empty seat.

            And, after Amos arrived and talked to the remaining members, the next transport was also filled.

            Finally, an ambulance arrived with two paramedics. Hayley and her baby were loaded in with Graham riding in the back with them.

            Tom waved as they drove away, headed to Sacramento, where Hayley would be checked out at UC Davis. Arm tightly around Liza’s waist, Tom turned to Gideon, Mercy, and Amos, who’d stayed to help the members understand the new world.

            “We did it,” Tom said, feeling both satisfied and oddly unsettled. “We found them.”

            “You found them,” Mercy corrected with a smile. “You and Liza. Thank you.”

            Amos nodded. “Yes. Thank you both. For me and for Abigail and every person who felt trapped and too afraid to escape.”