White-Hot Hack (Kate and Ian #2)(7)
She opened her laptop to send an e-mail to the food pantry. She’d reached out to Helena as soon as they’d returned from Roanoke Island, apologizing for not checking in sooner and blaming her absence on a bit of lingering sadness and a desire for solitude. Helena had been so happy to hear from her, and now that Kate had a new laptop and a secure, well-hidden ISP address, they’d been corresponding on a regular basis.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Dear Helena,
I hope this message finds you well and that the leaves in Minneapolis are just as gorgeous as they are in Indiana. So far September has been absolutely beautiful, and I hope you’re enjoying fall every bit as much as I am.
I got the job at the law firm I told you about in my last message. I’ll be in charge of a small caseload of public interest files. It’s the type of law I’d hoped to practice after I graduated, and I’m so happy to have finally found a position.
How are Samantha and the kids? Have they been in lately? I hope they’re doing well. I bet Georgie is getting so big. When you have a minute, there’s another client I was hoping you could check on. His name is Zach Nielsen and he lives with his younger brother and disabled mother. The last time I spoke to him, he mentioned he’d gotten on full-time at his job and might not need any more assistance from the food pantry. Can you pull his file and see if he’s been in? I was just thinking about him the other day and thought I’d check. If he has been in, there’s no need to let him know I asked.
Please tell Bert I said hello. I sure do miss you.
Hugs,
Kate
Kate’s e-mail chimed fifteen minutes later when Helena responded.
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Dear Kate,
It’s simply beautiful here in St. Anthony Main. The only thing that would make it better is if you were sitting at your desk across from mine. I miss your smiling face. Congratulations on your new job. I just know things are going to work out for you.
Samantha and the kids are doing so well. She told me her situation has improved enough that she’s been able to hire a babysitter a few nights a week so she could take a night class at the community college. Eventually she wants to get a degree in restaurant and hotel management. She’s so determined, Kate. You should be proud of all you’ve done for her and the kids.
I pulled Zach Nielsen’s paperwork, but it doesn’t look like he’s been in since the last time you marked his file. See all the good we’ve done, Kate? Helping people to get back on their feet means we may not see them again, and in this line of work, that’s a great thing.
Well, time to get back to work. I’m so happy to hear from you. Please write again when you can.
xoxo,
Helena
Kate breathed a sigh of relief. Phillip and Ian had anticipated that Zach Nielsen would return to the food pantry in an attempt to find out where she’d gone. The trick was to check in with Helena in such a way that it would not arouse her suspicion, because if Zach were to come in and question her, they wanted her response to be natural. If she acted strange, Zach would surely pick up on it. The update on Samantha made her smile. Ian was still giving her money anonymously, and she was obviously putting it to good use.
Kate curled up in one of the new chairs Jade had placed in front of the fireplace. She couldn’t wait until it got a little colder and she could light her first fire. In an attempt to stay out of the workmen’s way, Kate had been spending most of her time in the kitchen, and it had quickly become one of her favorite rooms in the house. The windows let in an abundance of natural light and gave her a nice view of the pool and patio area. Linda had been right about the changing leaves, and the trees dotting the property and surrounding hills were on fire with the blazing colors of autumn.
As she looked around the room, she admired the shiny stainless steel appliances and the gleaming cherrywood cabinetry, wondering if it was odd to spend so much time in a room she never actually used for its intended purpose. The granite countertops were empty save for a giant silver fruit bowl Jade had brought three days ago that was still empty because she and Ian had fallen into their usual pattern of subsisting on takeout and it had been almost a week since they’d gone to the grocery store.
She found Ian in his office. “I’m going shopping.” She came around his desk to give him a kiss. “Back in a couple of hours.”
“Buy everything,” he said as she walked out the door.
Kate drove down Washington Street and parked near a small home goods store. In the appliance section she selected a panini press, food processor, stand mixer, and Crock-Pot. She bought a set of pots and pans, spatulas and whisks and mixing bowls, and measuring cups. At the specialty market, she bought a crusty loaf of Cuban bread and a pound of roast pork. Before heading for home, she stopped at Safeway and filled a cart to the top with pantry and freezer staples, meat, fresh produce, and dairy items.
She put the groceries away, and after scrubbing the apples, she piled them high in the silver fruit bowl. Then she took the panini maker out of its box and followed the instructions for use. While she waited for it to heat up, she glanced at the recipe on her laptop and laid out the ingredients on the counter: ham, roast pork, butter, mustard, thinly sliced provolone, and dill pickle slices.