Katrin’s heart continued to pound so hard it drowned out every sound in the room. What the hell was her father doing with assault rifles? With fucking rolls of cash stuffed inside peppershakers? She searched the bin again to see if it offered any further clues. Nothing but the weapons and the money.
She forced herself to rise, to take a step back. She kicked over one of the penguins. The room felt small and airless, and she struggled to breathe.
Her father had never expressed any particular interest in guns before. He had a small handgun and a permit to carry it, and he’d kept it on him when he was walking around Cincinnati late at night. Kept it behind the counter at his shop. But these were military-level weapons. And that amount of cash — you didn’t get it running a general goods store.
My father’s a … a…
She couldn’t let herself think it.
There had to be an explanation. She’d just wait until he got home, and then confront him about it.
But if he was a criminal … if he were someone she didn’t actually know at all, would he hurt her, if he learned she’d discovered his secret?
It was hard to imagine. He loved her. An unconditional, almost obsessive love. If she asked for the truth, he’d tell her. And she’d…
She’d stand by him. Of course she would. He was her father. The only parent she had left.
But what if he was the kind of man who hurt people? Killed people?
She closed her eyes, calling on memories of her mother.
What do I do?
Who is he?
Sometimes she swore she could feel her mother’s presence in the room, speaking to her, guiding her. There was nothing now.
Did you know?
She flashed back to the last time she’d spoken to her mother.“Honey, there’s something…”
And Katrin had waited.
“Never mind.”
She couldn’t stay here now. She had to talk to her father at once. She texted him.Are you at the store?
What had her mom been trying to tell her.
She waited a few minutes, staring at her screen, willing him to text back. No answer.
Dammit.
She went to the garage and got in her Ford. Pulled out of the driveway a little faster than necessary, and sped off toward the general store.
###
Katrin pulled into the parking lot of Pete’s Goods, out of breath and still shaking. The store was closed — it’s Opening Soon sign hung proudly across the front of the building. A light was on, and someone was moving inside. But her father’s car wasn’t anywhere in sight. She shut off the car and hurried toward the door, her heels clacking on the pavement.
Rex was in there. What the hell? Wasn’t he supposed to still be tending bar at Hammered & Nailed? She knocked on the glass. Rex spotted her, smiled, and came over to let her in.
“Katrin. What’s up?”
“Do you have any idea where my father is?” she asked.
Rex’s brow furrowed with concern. “Something wrong?”
“I just need to talk to him. I thought maybe he was here.”
Rex studied her carefully. “He’s out on a delivery. He’ll be back soon.”
A delivery? At this time of night? What kind of delivery?
“He’s not answering my texts or calls,” she said pointedly.
Rex’s eyes flicked. He was nervous.
Shit. Shit shit shit. What had she gotten herself into?
She could play dumb. People always assumed pretty girls weren’t too bright. And she could find out what Rex knew.
She softened her voice, widened her eyes. “He’s … I think he might be in some kind of trouble.”
She didn’t miss Rex’s slight frown. “Why do you say that?”
How much to reveal? She gave her voice a little quaver, for good measure. “I found some things … I think he might be caught up with some bad people.”
Rex’s jaw twitched. Whatever her father was involved in, Rex was at least peripherally aware of it, if not involved outright. She was sure. “What kinds of things?”
“I can’t go into detail. But I need to talk to him. If you know where he is, then please, Rex, tell me.”
“I can call him,” Rex said finally. “He might be more likely to answer if he thinks there’s an emergency with the store.”
More likely than if he thinks there’s an emergency with his daughter?Katrin was still half numb. Whowas this man they were talking about? It couldn’t be the same man posing with Goofy in that Disney World photo. The same man who told her not to ride a motorcycle because it was too dangerous.
Rex went in the back room to make the call. So he didn’t trust Katrin to hear what he might say to her dad. That told her a great deal. She looked around. Pete’s Goods was a small, unassuming shop, only a little larger than a gas station store. It sold a small selection of hardware, toiletries, and food essentials. Once it officially opened, her dad said he planned to partner with a local bakery to sell a few baked goods.
He’s my father,she reminded herself, despite the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.How can the man who’s treated this store like a labor of love, who wants to sell Bundt cakes, for Christ’s sake, be … bad?
There was no proof he was.
Except that Rex is back there having a private call with him. Except that I found an AK-47 in one of his moving bins.
She could run. Leave the store right now, and go … where, exactly?
She had to see this through. Had to learn the truth.
Keeping an eye on the door to the back room, she crept behind the counter. In the store her dad had run in Ohio, he’d always kept that handgun behind the counter, on a shelf under the register. Hopefully he kept it here too. She didn’t trust Rex, didn’t trust anyone at the moment.
She was feeling around under the register when Rex emerged from the back room. He took one look at her, and his face went dark.
“What are you doing?”
She straightened, struggling to remain calm. “I could ask the same of you.”
Rex rubbed his balding head. Smirked.
Shit.
“Where’s my father?” she asked coldly.
“Sorry, honey.” Rex grinned. “He’s busy.”
“With what?” She didn’t like the way Rex was looking at her. She wanted to demand to know about the guns, the money, wanted to order him to put her on the phone with her father.
To her horror, Rex lifted his shirt slightly, revealing the butt of a revolver. He let his shirt drop down, the gesture casual, as if it wasn’t even intentional. But of course it had been.
“Hang tight, Katrin.” He pulled up a folding plastic chair and motioned to it. “Why don’t you have a seat right here? Your daddy will be back soon. And he’s got plans for you.”