Page 18 of Savage Peril

“Will you participate in the restaurant’s operation?” Lori said. “Or are you only planning to invest capital?”

“I can’t cook or anything,” Nick said. “I’m sure I’ll drop by, offer support and all that. Primarily, it will be an investment for me.”

“How much?”

Nick dropped the bombshell without flinching. Upon hearing the amount, Lori nearly choked on her drink. A pang of guilt struck her for thinking the worst, but she suspected that Nick wanted the money for something else and was just using the restaurant as a cover.

The pattern had repeated so many times. Nick would gain funds for a worthy endeavor, like a career or college. Then the money would evaporate with no results to show for it. Lori wondered if he wanted the money for drugs. Supporting a habit was costly.

Lori studied her brother, but there were no signs of drug use—yet she might be deceived.

“You have your trust fund,” Lori said. “And you received a lump sum that Dad gave you in his will. What happened to all that money?”

Nick stood up. “It costs a lot to keep up this place, to eat and live in this city. You’re one to talk. Look at all you got.”

Nick was jealous. He claimed that their father had played favorites and loved Lori more.

Lori sighed. “Don’t start this again, Nick.”

“Start what?” Nick said. “You know exactly what I mean. Dad gave you the clinic. You’re sitting pretty. And what do I get…just the scraps?”

“That’s just not true.”

“You’re selfish,” Nick said, “I’m sure your boyfriend would agree with me. Or should I say ex-boyfriend. I suppose that he wasn’t good enough for you.”

“That’s a low blow.” During Lori’s engagement, Nick had hung out with Matt, and they’d become friends. She didn’t know if that would last now that she’d broken up with Matt. She’d probably be blamed for destroying that friendship, along with everything else.

“I’ll talk to Matt. He will side with me, you’ll see.”

“Nick, stop this,” Lori said. “It’s not a battle, and anyway, Matt doesn’t have influence over me. It’s just too much money, that’s all. I have a lot on my plate right now. I have to run the clinic and make sure we stay solvent. I’m not rich, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Nick glared at her. He drummed his fingers on the back of the chair and shifted from one foot to the other. He appeared nervous and didn’t sit down.

“Are you on drugs again?”

Nick shoved the chair and threw his Pepsi can against the wall. “Why would you accuse me of that? I told you that I quit.”

“I hope so,” Lori said. “And don’t buddy up with Matt. He won’t give you drugs.” She blurted that out before thinking. When Nick was in a bad way, he would go to extreme measures to feed his habit. And in the back of her mind, Lori thought about the supply order discrepancies that she still needed to talk to Matt about.

“You think all I want from people is drugs,” Nick said. “That’s your opinion of your own brother. You can’t imagine that Matt is a friend?”

Lori didn’t stay to hear more. It was disheartening, since they only had each other now, but not much had changed. If anything, Nick was worse than before. Without their father around to intervene, Nick seemed to think that he could guilt Lori into giving him what he wanted.

*****

That week, Uncle Sheldon was around more. He was familiar with the clinic and was friends with the staff. He seemed genuinely interested in the business and wanted to demonstrate support for Lori.

Sheldon took Lori to dinner, and she welcomed the break. It was a relief to have her uncle to talk to, and during the meal, a thought occurred to her. When her father had been alive, his routine was to go to dinner with Sheldon once a month.

Lori had been glad her father had Sheldon and that the brotherly relationship was intact. She tried to think; Sheldon had taken her father to dinner not more than a week before his death.

“Uncle Sheldon, can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“The last time you saw my father, how was he?”

Sheldon appeared to think that over. “Well, we had dinner at my place. I made spaghetti. Robert seemed in good health, if that’s what you mean. It wasn’t until later that week that he got sick, isn’t that right?”

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