Page 73 of The Reluctant Roommate

The sound of the shower came from somewhere close by. She poked her head into the hallway, noting the closed door with the sound of the shower coming from behind it. Good. They had a few minutes.

She sucked a breath and returned to the kitchen, where Morgan was looking at the bills stuck on the fridge. “Gas, power, cell phone bills, None of them overdue.”

Heidi riffled through a pile of papers on the table. A couple of pay slips caught her eye, and she studied one. It was from an insurance office in town, and Serena appeared to be paid a decent salary. Her lips compressed. She was working for minimum wage and tips in a grotty bar, and somehow Serena had found herself an office job earning twice what Heidi did. She could afford to pay back the money she’d taken.

“What are we looking for?” Morgan breathed in her ear as they stood together at the table.

“I don’t know,” Heidi replied. “Just information gathering.”

Morgan moved a dishtowel from the edge of the table and gasped. “Look!” She picked up the cell phone that had been underneath and handed it to Heidi.

Heidi swiped the screen revealing the passcode screen. She froze as possibilities ran through her mind. Eyes wide, she stared at Morgan. “Is it illegal to break into someone’s phone?” she whispered. “Because unless she’s changed it, I know her passcode.”

“A lot less illegal than stealing from someone’s bank account.”

Heidi took a deep breath and entered the code. The screen unlocked.

Morgan peered over her shoulder. “There’s the banking app. Don’t suppose you know the code for that? If you do, you could do to her exactly what she’s done to you.”

“She always had the same code for everything.” Heidi’s fingers trembled as she hovered over the banking app. “This feels so wrong. Dishonest.”

“She stole from you first.” Morgan took the phone. “You’re just taking back what she owes you. What’s the code?”

“Four, five, five, eight.”

Morgan entered the code and the app sprang to life. She handed the phone back to Heidi.

The balance was nearly thirty thousand dollars.

“She didn’t even need my money.” Heidi’s voice trembled. “She left me with three hundred dollars in my account.”

Morgan’s lips thinned. “Transfer it back. Do you know your account details?”

“They should be in here already. We often transferred money back and forth when one of us paid for something.” With a deep breath, she opened the payments page and scrolled through the list of payees. There she was. Heidi Lincoln. She stared at Morgan. “Can I do this?”

“Were you able to get your money back from the bank? Could the police help? Did Serena say she’d repay you?”

“No to all of those.”

“Then do it. It’s exactly what she did to you, and there was no comeback.” Morgan flicked a glance at the hallway where the shower still sounded.

For long moments, Heidi stared at Morgan. Could she really do this? She took a deep breath and set back her shoulders. Why, yes, she could. It wasn’t stealing—she was simply reclaimingwhat was hers. She licked her dry lips, and her finger hovered over her name on the screen.

The sound of the shower stopped.

“Hurry,” Morgan whispered. “She won’t be long. Do it now.”

Heidi’s finger trembled as she entered the details. Only the exact amount Serena had taken from her. Not a cent more. Again, her finger shook as she hitNextand reviewed the details on screen.

“Won’t be long,” Serena called.

She took a deep breath and hitConfirm.

“Two factor authentication.” She shot a panicked glance at Morgan. “It wants the code sent to her phone”—her shoulders slumped in relief—“which has just come through as a text. Three, eight, nine, one, five, nine.”

Morgan repeated it back as Heidi entered it. She watched as the screen rolled over to the payment made screen, which showed Serena’s new balance. Twenty thousand dollars less than it was a moment ago. For a second she was lightheaded, and the room swayed.

It took her two tries to close the app, lock the phone, and place it on the table. She thudded down onto a chair, fearing her legs wouldn’t support her, and picked up her beer, clasping it with both hands.