Chapter 28
Sam cracked opened Bernadette’s front door to find Raul panicked and breathing heavily, while Fido tried to push his way inside the house. Sliding through the gap, Sam met them on the porch, shutting their conversation outside to avoid dragging Bernadette into whatever new drama had wormed its way into her life. This was not how she wanted her best friend to meet her boyfriend for the first time.
“What’s wrong, Raul?”
“I was about to take Fido home when I saw cop cars turn onto your street. When they pulled up in front of your house, I hurried over here. The cops are at your front door, Sam!”
Sam glanced down the road, noting not one but two police vehicles parked in front of her house, lights flashing.
“What? Why?”
“I have a hunch this is why.”
Raul handed her that morning’s newspaper, which he must have found buried under the snow in the yard and she had failed yet to read:
Swindler Stanton At It Again
“What’s it say?” Sam skimmed through the article, scouring for as many facts as she could while Raul elaborated.
“The media originally accused you of stealing the ledger, but the story’s changing. Now they think you faked the accounting numbers. And somehow rumors are spreading that you slandered Cook with a false pregnancy claim.”
Oops. Sam really regretted making that joke to the lady in the supermarket.
“So what? I already knew all this.”
“It gets worse.” Raul sighed. “It sounds like they’re trying to turn it into a legal double-whammy. And Thomas Cook is officially pressing charges against you now.”
“For what crime, exactly?”
“For theft.”
“I thought I was being accused of forgery.”
“Let’s hope so!” Raul exclaimed.
“Hope so? Why would you say that?”
“Because theft is a way worse charge than forgery, Sam.”
When Sam read the byline, she instantly recognized the journalist’s name as the one she had met only yesterday outside of her office building in three feet of snow: Floyd Jameson. He had wasted no time running with his version of the story!
In his article he painted a picture of a victimized Dr. Thomas Cook, orphaned CEO of Cook Pharmaceuticals and casualty of slanderer Samantha Stanton. According to Jameson’s anonymous resources, Sam had stolen Cook’s empty accounting book, then she filled it out, masterfully faking his handwriting, all in an effort to launch a personal attack after a pregnancy scare. Long story short, this could easily convince readers that Sam was public enemy number one.
“What am I going to do if they end up pressing both charges—larceny and forgery?”
“Don’t forget slander,” Raul added.
“But it’s all a lie!” Sam yelled as Raul placed a hand on Sam’s trembling shoulders.
“I’m so sorry, Sam. I’ll do what I can to fix this, but Thomas Cook is determined to get the last word. I tried to warn you…”
But it was not the time for an I-told-you-so, and Raul remembered this a moment too late. Sam sucked in a steadying breath, grabbed Fido’s lead rope, and without a goodbye slowly trudged across the yard toward the greenhouse she had spent six months saving up for and one month building with her own two hands.
Once inside the only place she felt herself these days, she rummaged through a metal box hidden under a shelf, pulling out an envelope with the words In Case of Emergency penned across the front.
Calmly making her way to her back porch and through the house, she found Raul in the front yard arguing with the police. She released Fido, planted a kiss on his forelock, and told him to behave while she was gone. Then she gave one last long look at the home she would leave behind.
She approached the officers and handed Raul the envelope. “Get this to Mr. Getty at Women’s House Magazine and insist he run it. Don’t take no for an answer.”
“What is it?” Raul asked as a policeman read Sam her rights while handcuffing her.
