Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
“For one thing, my father started using the tunnels. He spent time down there with other men, including your father,” Sammi said, glancing at Juniper.
Juniper’s breath hitched. She wanted to ask Sammi a million questions, but she bit her lip and let her friend continue.
“Sometimes, I still liked to sneak down into the tunnels to be alone. I liked the fact that I had a secret place I could go and no one could discover me. But it wasn’t as appealing when men started coming and going.”
Rocco was sitting on the coffee table, rubbing his thighs. “Do you know why they were meeting down there?”
Sammi smiled. “Only because I was sneaky, and I eavesdropped on them.”
Juniper couldn’t help but return the grin. She wasn’t surprised. Sammi had always liked snooping around.
“My father and your father often met with two other men, Rick and Stoney. Mom never liked them. She thought they were up to no good. The four of them played poker, drank, and smoked cigars a lot. They met in a large room off the tunnels because she didn’t like the smell. It was gross, so I usually didn’t stick around when they brought out the cigars.” She waved a hand in front of her nose and scrunched up her face.
Juniper couldn’t blame her.
Magnus frowned. “How long had they been friends with your fathers?”
Sammi tapped her lips. “A few years, I think. Apparently, they were also friends of Eric and Edmund, but I didn’t know about that until today. After Edmund took me hostage from my parent’s home last night, he drugged me and brought me to the South Island. I don’t even know how we got here. Perhaps a private jet or boat? I have no idea.
“When I came to, I was in the back of a van. Two men were in front. One was Edmund, and I soon learned the other was his brother Eric. They were in the middle of a huge argument over why Edmund had never told Eric about the money before now. I pieced together a lot of what happened twenty years ago from listening to them. They’re idiots. When Edmund robbed that bank and then got caught, he left the money with Rick and Stoney. Rick and Stoney were in charge of finding a place to hide the stolen money, and since they frequented the tunnels, they thought that would be the perfect location.”
Juniper winced. “So my father and your father knew about the money?”
Sammi shook her head. “No. They didn’t. They knew that Rick and Stoney wanted to stash some ‘things’ in the tunnels for a while, and our fathers told them no. I heard your dad and my dad in a heated discussion yet again about whatever Rick and Stoney were up to. They were worried it was something illegal. They suspected drug smuggling and didn’t want Danger Bluff involved in a drug ring.”
“My dad hated drugs,” Juniper pointed out. Had he really not known about the money? Her shoulders were gradually relaxing at this possible revelation.
“So, let me get this straight,” Hawking interrupted, “Rick and Stoney asked your fathers if they could store some things in the tunnels. Your fathers told them no, and then the two men hid the money down there anyway? If that was the case, where did the two men go?”
“They drowned,” Sammi announced.
Juniper gasped. So did everyone else.
Sammi nodded. “I was in the tunnels early that morning, hiding from the world. I heard them come in through the tunnels that led to the ocean. They were whispering, so it was hard to hear them, but I hid in a dark corner and then followed them at a distance like I was Nancy Drew or something. In hindsight, it was a stupid idea. I could’ve gotten killed.”
Juniper reached out and grabbed her friend’s hand to give it a squeeze. She knew how impulsive Sammi could be. It didn’t surprise her that she’d followed the men.
Sammi gave a wry chuckle and groaned. “They each had a huge bag on their backs and kept talking about laundry. I watched them stash the bags in that little cove. And then they left the way they’d come.”
“Did you go look at it?” Magnus asked.
Sammi scrunched up her nose. “No. Gross. I thought it was dirty laundry. I thought they were homeless or something and keeping their belongings in the tunnels.”
A few of the Daddies chuckled.
Sammi shot them all a glare. “I was a kid,” she defended.
Magnus reached around Juniper to pat her shoulder. “We all understand, honey. I’m sorry. No one means to make fun of you. Your innocence probably saved your life.”
“Wait,” Juniper said. She was confused. “I don’t get it. Why are you all laughing?”
Magnus rubbed her thigh. “Rick and Stoney were discussing money laundering. Edmund probably told them to hide it and leave it for a while, perhaps even twenty years. By then, it would have been easier to move it offshore or even back into circulation, laundering it.”