Honey Kisses

Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Surprise Visit

Jackson switched off his computer. Today was his one month anniversary and Annie had been bustling around the kitchen all day. He'd asked if she wanted to celebrate at Sizzling Sicily, the ritziest restaurant in town, but she'd said she wanted to prepare a candlelight dinner, if that was okay with him. Hell, anything Annie did was okay with him. He reconsidered—well, anything except steal from him.

Although his marriage was fulfilling, the unresolved question about his missing money kept their relationship from being perfect. With each day, questions gnawed at his gut—did she do it? If so, why? How? An idea began taking shape in his mind. He left his office and found Annie in the kitchen stirring batter in a bowl. She looked up and the smile lighting her face made him want to forget the theft. However, wanting to forget, and being able to, waged a continual war in his heart. He sat on a stool at the island.

"Would you like me to pour you some coffee or tea?" she greeted him.

"I'll get it. You finish what you're doing." He walked to the coffee pot.

Annie hummed while she worked.

Jackson said, "Honey, I've been thinking that I need to open a personal bank account for you. I don't know why it didn't occur to me before. I want you to have money of your own for, you know, shopping, manicures, eating with your girlfriends, that sort of thing."

Annie frowned at him. "There's plenty of money in the household account. I don't need any more. Even the new Toyota you bought me is over-the-top."

"Annie, the car is not over-the-top. That clunker you were driving was falling apart. I've made up my mind. Tomorrow we'll go to the bank and I'll deposit five thousand dollars into an account for you."

Annie dropped the wooden spoon she was stirring with into the bowl. "Jackson! What would I do with five thousand dollars? There's no way I'm accepting that amount of money!"

Jackson walked around the island to stand beside her. "Baby doll, you are too cute for your own good. I haven't been able to take my eyes off you since I walked in. We'll talk about this later. Do you think you can put dinner on simmer so we can simmer for an hour?"

A playful smile quirked her lips. "Only an hour?"

Jackson laughed low, slipped an arm under Annie's legs to pick her up, and walking to the stove. "Turn it down to a slow simmer, baby."

The next day, under protest from Annie, they went to the bank and he opened an account for her. He planned his next step, and although he'd feel like a rat, Alligator's words taunted him, You hogtied yourself to a thief! A week later he followed through with his plan. After work he slipped into his office, closed the door, and turned on his computer. He was no slouch when it came to basic computer skills and within a short time he'd sabotaged his computer's start up.

That evening he brought Annie to his office with the excuse that he wanted to show her how to log on to the internet and call up her new bank account for online banking. He feigned exasperation. "Crap! Something's wrong with my computer. This puts a wrench in my night. My broker sent me some important emails. Excuse me while I call him." He left the room and came back fifteen minutes later. When he stepped into his office, Annie wasn't there, but his computer showed his logon screen. She had repaired the damn thing. He silently cussed a string of profanities.

He entered the kitchen. "What happened to my computer? It seems to be working now."

"Oh, I don't know. Sometimes turning something off and then back on works wonders. That's what I did, and I guess it reset something. Now you can look at your important emails."

Jackson knew she was lying and it put him in a foul mood.

"Do you still want to show me how to log on?"

"No. It can wait until later." He left the house and went to muck the barn—anything to release his anger.

* * *

Ann was worried about Jackson. He hadn't been himself for several days. He'd been moody and quiet. The few times they'd made love had left her unfulfilled. She was at a loss as to what was troubling him. As for the bank account he'd opened for her, she had no intention of touching the money—not after she'd already helped herself to fifty thousand. Between her increasing guilt and Jackson's bad mood, she didn't feel the same closeness with him, and it broke her heart. She toyed with the idea of coming clean, but once again decided against it. He might feel obligated to go to the police and she couldn't risk upsetting the loan shark. She didn't know what to do.

At the beginning of October while they sat in the living room, with Ann reading a book and Jackson watching a football game, there was a knock on the front door.

"I'll get it," said Jackson. "It's probably Newt. He was going to drop by with some sketches Sage wanted me to look over for an addition to their dorm."

Ann barely looked up from reading the Maxwell Henry novel she'd purchased the day Sarah introduced her to Dixie. The story was a page turner and she was right at the cliff hanger. She heard voices in the foyer but didn't pay attention. A few minutes later she heard footsteps and glanced up. Jackson entered the room followed by Alligator and another man she'd never met. They were dressed in typical business suits that were wrinkled, like they'd been on a long trip. Jackson had a stricken look on his face and she dropped her book in her lap. "What's wrong?"

Jackson walked to one of the book shelves and leaned against it. Alligator and the other man stepped to the center of the room. Ann looked from Alligator to Jackson and back to Alligator.

Alligator said, "Annie, I'm an FBI agent and this is Agent Mahoney. We've come to escort you to New York."

Ann jerked her eyes to Jackson's and saw something that made her heart stop. He knows. That's why he's been behaving so weird. She wanted to flee the room but swallowed against the urge. She was caught. She said to Jackson, "How long have you known?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "Since the week it happened."

"What! Why would you marry me?"

He didn't respond.

Alligator said softly, "A husband can't testify against his wife."

Ann furrowed her brow.

Jackson looked at Alligator. "I want you to know she'll have the best attorneys money can buy. I'll spare no expense. In fact, she's not talking to anyone until an attorney is present."

A slight smile creased Alligator's mouth. "I think you've misunderstood our visit." He looked at Ann. "We haven't come to arrest you; we know you were blackmailed by your dead husband's loan shark. We've come to enlist your help in taking his organization down."

Jackson pushed away from the bookcase. "What!"

Alligator waved him to a chair. "Maybe we should all sit down and take this from the top."