Free Fixed in Fear by T. E. Woods Page B

anyway?”
    Hayden looked up from her plate, eager to reclaim her pride. “Hadley dared him, that’s why.”
    “Nuh-uh!” Hadley cried. “He went up there on his own stupid business.”
    “You did, too, Hadley. I heard you,” Hayden insisted. “You said you didn’t think he was strong enough to climb that tree, and he said he was.”
    “That’s not a dare,” Hadley insisted.
    Mort smiled at his son. Time may have flown since the days this table sat in Edie’s dining room, but the one-upping conversations between siblings remained unchanged. A buzzing in his pocket pulled his attention away from the she said/she said tug-of-war Robbie was refereeing. Mort pulled out his cellphone, recognized the number, and stood.
    “I’m sorry, Robbie. I’ve got to take this.” He looked down on his granddaughters. “I’m trusting you two not to make any trouble.”
    “That’s a ten-four, Papa,” Hayden said as she glowered at her sister.
    Mort accepted the call with a casual greeting as he walked away. It wasn’t until he was out in the privacy of the front porch that he spoke the name of his caller.
    “I’ve been waiting for your call, Liddy.”
    “Busy day, Mort. I’m just back from a conference. You know how it is. First day back after a couple of days away. Lots of phone calls to return. Lots of patients to see. This is the first free moment I’ve had. What’s up?”
    Mort found himself unsure of where to begin. He didn’t want to shame her. And he didn’t want to put her in a position where she may feel a lie is her best option.
    “Mort? Are you there?”
    “I am. Look, I’m sorry for saying I was waiting for you to call me. That came off heavier than I wanted it to.”
    “Is something wrong?” He heard the concern in her voice. “Your message said to call soon. If it was urgent I wish you’d have said so. Is it Robbie? The girls?”
    “Everyone’s fine.” He decided to plunge in. “I want you to know I’m proud of you. And to tell you the truth, a little scared for you, too.”
    Lydia took a few moments to answer. “You’ll have to be more specific, Mort.”
    “Edward Dirkin. Eddie Dirkin to his friends. We got word from the FBI that he’s been arrested.”
    Lydia said nothing. Mort was glad she didn’t try to sidestep the issue. She didn’t lie. He hoped their relationship had progressed to a point where she could trust him to know the truth.
    “All that money he stole from that guy he killed. Feds say it’s been shipped back to his wife and kid. Nice work. I guess all that investment you poured into that fancy equipment down there in your bat cave helped you find Dirkin and the money.”
    She still said nothing.
    “FBI says they’ve never encountered a system like it. They can’t trace how Dirkin’s accounts were hacked and all the money siphoned out. Can’t figure out how the widow’s accounts were accessed, either. Looks like The Fixer’s as stealth as she’s always been.” When she still said nothing he shifted gears. “Listen, Liddy. I’m damned proud of you. Dirkin’s been a black eye on the feds for years. You found him when they couldn’t. Good on you. His trail was cold as ice but you found him. You found the money, too. The widow and kid of the man Dirkin killed deserve to have that back at the very least. Again, great job.” He hesitated a moment, then murmured. “It would have been easy to kill him, Liddy. I know that. Loner found dead in the middle of nowhere…living under an alias…no way anyone would have made him for Dirkin. Especially if you made it look like an accident. There wouldn’t have even been an inquest. But you did the right thing, Liddy. You didn’t kill the bastard. That’s what I’m most proud of. Can you hear me, Liddy? Can you?”
    “I hear you, Mort. It’s an interesting story you’re telling.”
    She didn’t trust enough to admit to anything. He went on with the message he knew he had to deliver. “You’ve got to stop. You