Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(101)

“Lay it on me,” Erin said.

“We’re going to do it on the computer,” Annalee said. “A transfer of funds or a bank draft, whichever you’re capable of. Everyone banks online. I need fifty thousand transferred into my offshore bank and don’t worry, I’ll take it from there.”

Erin just shook her head. “You’re kidding.”

“Not even slightly. You want to handle that for me, or do we wait for Aiden?”

Erin thought for a moment. “I can do it,” she said. “It needs a phone call. Just to my investment account manager. She makes the transfer into my money management account, I can transfer it from there. Online.”

“If you screw this up and tip anyone off, we’re going to have trouble,” Annalee said.

“I won’t screw it up,” Erin promised. “Then you’ll go?”

“Absolutely. Why would I want to hang around here?”

“Where’s your partner? That Mujo guy?”

“Well, that’s the problem,” Annalee said. “When we figured they’d be looking for us, he split. Left me high and dry. Not the first time, and he always comes around when things cool down, but for right now, I can’t go anywhere without money. And as usual, he took what we had.” She smiled. “I’ll find him. I know just where to look.”

“He did that to your face, didn’t he?” Erin asked.

“Mujo has a bit of a temper, but then so do I. I guess I set him off.”

“Annalee,” Erin said, shaking her head. “Why in the world would you want him back? Can’t you manage to get just about any man you want?”

“No one is like us,” she said. “Me and Mujo. No one understands and no one is like us, that’s all. That’s how it is.”

Erin shook her head. “What a life,” she muttered. She walked slowly and carefully to the desk, precariously close to Annalee. She flipped open the laptop and logged on. Then she picked up the phone and placed a call. She cheerily greeted her account manager’s assistant, explained she was making a large down payment on a lake house in northern California and asked that fifty thousand be transferred into the checking account of her trust. When that was done, she looked up at Annalee. “Now what?”

“The account number and transit number are right there, on that pad by the computer, all ready for you.”

Erin took a deep breath and accomplished the rest. The whole operation took less than fifteen minutes, which was incredibly frightening. “Done,” she said.

“I’m going to have to verify that,” Annalee said. “Move away from the computer, please, and don’t do anything stupid. I’d rather not shoot anyone today, but you must know what my freedom means to me.”

“No problem. Verify away,” she said, moving back to sit beside Marcie. “Are you all right?” she asked her sister.

“Well, yes and no,” Marcie said. “I’m doing okay, but I’m having some serious contractions. They’re getting close and hard. The real deal. This means I’m supposed to call my doctor and meet him at the hospital. But at the moment…”

Erin jolted upright and shouted at Annalee. “Do you realize what’s happening here? That my sister is in labor and has to be in a hospital for a C-section? There’s no time to waste! There could be huge consequences if you delay us!”

Annalee looked up from the computer as if bored.

Marcie touched Erin’s arm. “We’ve been over all that. Not her problem, she says.”

“It’s by God going to be her problem if she ignores it! Hurry up over there!”

“It’s not recorded quite yet,” Annalee said calmly. “Take it easy.”

“Just check my transfer receipt,” Erin demanded. “Banks usually take twenty-four hours to register a deposit.”

“Well, you need to shop banks,” Annalee said lightly. “Mine takes twenty-four to make the funds available, but they record almost immediately.” She leaned back in the chair and idly played with her weapon. “It shouldn’t be too long.”

How could the woman be so calm in the face of her sister’s labor, knowing the situation was so dangerous for Marcie? But then, if she was truly sociopathic, nothing would affect her. It was eerie, watching her calm.

It seemed to Erin to take forever, and as she sat beside Marcie she could feel her large abdomen harden and relax a few times.

“Have you timed them?”

“Five minutes or so. Nothing to worry about yet. Maybe she’ll leave and we can carry on.” She took a breath. “Ian’s going to kill me.”

“Once you’re fine, he will. Can you concentrate on not having a baby? Something like self-hypnosis?”

“I don’t know,” Marcie said. “Up till today I’ve been concentrating on having him a little early….”

“Swell.”

There was a little ping! across the room. Annalee said, “Well, now.” She closed the laptop. “Nicely done.”

“Hate to see you rob us and run, but we understand.”

Annalee laughed. “You know, one of the things I admire most, especially from a woman under pressure, is a good sense of humor. But gee, that went so well, I think we should wait for Aiden and do it again. Double your pleasure?”