Jo studied her. “What else did the man want to know about those three members?”
“The only one he asked more about was Trent. Did I know him, if I’d seen him in the bank, and how he acted.”
“Did you see him?” Jo asked.
“No. All three were just names to me. I didn’t even know Trent was a journalist.”
Jo believed her. “You don’t watch the local news?” Sabrina shook her head. “You didn’t research them more, or follow them, anything like that?”
Sabrina shook her head. “No, I swear. I figured if that man was asking about those people, they’d be watching them, too. They wouldn’t want to see me there, or they’d wonder what I was doing.”
“Maybe,” Jo said.
“Oh,” she moaned. “I think I’m going to be sick.” Sabrina took in a few deep breaths and went on. “They told me if I talked to anyone, they’d kill me.”
“You should talk to the police,” Jo suggested. “They can keep you safe.”
“Safe in jail.”
“Yes. Given the circumstances, they might go easier on you.”
“What about my family?”
“The police could help.”
Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t know what to do.”
Jo didn’t have any other advice. Sabrina was in a terrible situation. Jo quickly went over their conversation in her head. That man had chosen Sabrina because she was vulnerable, and he’d known she needed the money. That was a good move, and with the threats as well, it had worked. What they hadn’t counted on was Jo being at the bank as well.
“If you’re lying to me, I’ll know it,” Jo said.
“I’m not. I’m telling you the truth.”
Jo stared at her, then said, “Call Holton.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Sabrina drew in a long breath and let out a heavy sigh. Jo repeated that she should call the police. Sabrina finally stood up and dug in her purse on the counter for her phone. She also pulled out a small business card and held up both.
“Holton gave me his number.”
Jo nodded. She had Holton’s number as well, and if Sabrina delayed, she was going to give it to her.
And Sabrina did delay, staring at the card in her hand. Then she swore softly.
“How stupid could I be?” she muttered to herself. “I should’ve just walked away from those men.”
Jo didn’t reply. It was an easy thing for Sabrina to say now, after the fact. But when someone is threatening you, threatening your family, the situation is different. It didn’t excuse what she’d done, but Jo could understand—her father and her sister were always on her mind.
Sabrina finally dialed a number, put the phone to her ear, and waited. Seconds later, Jo heard Holton’s voice, and Sabrina frowned and mouthed, Voicemail. Her voice shook as she left a message. “Detective Holton, this is Sabrina Padilla. I was . . . wondering if you could give me a call, please. Thank you.” She ended the call and stated the obvious. “I left him a message.”
Jo nodded. “Hopefully he’ll call back soon.”
Sabrina suddenly whirled around and peeked between the kitchen window blinds. “What do I do while I wait? That man might come here. How do I know he’s not watching now, waiting for you to leave? Oh, I’m a dead woman.”
“Is there anywhere you could go, anyone you could stay with?”
Sabrina shook her head. “My brother’s in school in California, and I don’t want to go to my mom’s. That might put her in danger, and I don’t want to explain anything to her.” She ran her hands across her face. “It’s going to be hard enough telling her what I did.”
And she couldn’t go to any friends, either, Jo realized. That would put them in danger.
She quickly contemplated her own options. She didn’t want to be involved, but per usual, she already was. And she couldn’t leave, knowing that a man might come after Sabrina at any moment.
“I’ll stay with you,” Jo offered.
Sabrina threw up a hand. “How can you protect me? Who are you?”
“I can’t get into all of that, but I can keep you safe.”
The woman put her hands on her hips. “Are you some kind of cop?”
Jo allowed a small smile. “Something like that, at least in a past life.” Her eyes narrowed. “I didn’t see anyone around your house earlier, but I’ll check again. We can’t be too careful.” She stood up. “I’m going to check outside.”
Sabrina sank to a chair. “You think they’re out there?”
Jo thought about it. “Probably not. If they were, they’d try to come in by now. They’d want to know what we’re doing in here, and they’d be worried about you talking to me.”
Sabrina nodded with some encouragement. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Turn out the lights, and I’ll slip outside. Wait by the door, and if you see or hear anyone else, call the police. Give me ten minutes, and if I’m not back, you dial 911.”
“Ten minutes? That long?”
“I want to see if there’s any activity.” Jo squeezed the woman’s arm, now noting a rapid pulse. The reality that she’d faked before. “It’s okay. Lock the door behind me.”
Sabrina stood by the door as Jo let herself out, and then a click sounded as Sabrina locked the door. Jo ducked down and let her eyes adjust to the dim moonlight. She believed what she’d said—that there was no imminent threat at the moment—but she wasn’t going to take any chances. She crouched down and sneaked around the side of the house.
Jo checked the street, then went to the backyard and checked the alley, staying low. There were the usual sounds of traffic on neighboring streets, and someone spoke for a moment in a yard a few houses away. However, there were no signs of anything suspicious. Jo surveyed her car next, until she was confident that no one was watching it. Finally, she crept back into Sabrina’s yard, approaching the house from a different direction. She reached the corner, pressed herself against the wall, and again paused. After another minute of only the neighborhood sounds, she tiptoed to the back door and tapped on it.
“It’s me,” she called out softly.
She heard the knob rattle as Sabrina unlocked the door, and then it swung open. Jo slipped inside and relocked the door. Sabrina breathed a sigh of relief as Jo flipped on the light.
“It’s safe,” she announced.
Sabrina nodded. “Let’s go into the living room.”
Jo followed her and sat on the couch, while Sabrina took the loveseat. She still held her phone, and she kept looking at it.
