Page 123 of Wood Riddance
He remained quiet as he stepped into the garage. “Shut the door,” he finally said, his tone far more firm than I’d ever heard.
“Not going to do that,” I said. “Why are you here?”
He moved closer. His eyes were hard and his shoulders were tense. “We have a lot to talk about. I know what you’re doing. Old files, talking to Ellen, looking at those brakes the other night.”
My stomach dropped. “What I do in my shop is none of your business. Please leave.”
He reached behind him and produced a handgun from where it was tucked in the waistband of his jeans. Pointing it at me, he growled. “Shut the door.”
I hit the button on the wall next to me, and the door shut slowly behind him. It was dark, but my neighbors, especially Mrs. Dupont were nosy. Hopefully they’d see the strange car and call the cops.
With the gun still pointed at me, he stalked closer.
I held on to the wall for support. This was not happening. “What are you doing? Why are you pointing a gun at me? We work together. You’re my dad’s best friend.”
“Was. For a long time. But we hadn’t been friends for years before he died, sweetheart.”
Nausea roiled in my stomach so much more violently than it had over the last several days. What was he talking about?
“Your dad was a goody two-shoes who caused a lot of problems for a lot of powerful people. And when given the chance to actually make money, he refused. Righteous bastard. Not all of us are content to labor every fucking day until we die.”
He had lowered the gun to his side as he spoke, thank God, so I remained silent, letting him continue his story. Shit, Finn was going to be so mad. After our whole heart-to-heart, where I promised not to confront Richard, that asshole showed up at my damn house. Jesus, what was the point of emotional growth if a psycho with a gun was going to show up anyway?
With my heart in my throat, I willed myself to remain calm and nodded. “I get it. What happened?”
“I didn’t want him to die. I’d loved him like a brother for decades. But it wasn’t personal.” He shrugged. “It was business. Management felt it was necessary.”
“Youkilled my father?”
He shook his head and huffed. “God, no. My idiot nephew did. And Hebert. That guy’s the worst. Proud and greedy is a great combination. Makes for very useful idiots.” He shrugged.
What struck me most was how relaxed he was. Most people would be amped up. They’d be nervous and prone to making mistakes in a tense situation like this. But he stood before me like holding his best friend’s daughter at gunpoint wasn’t out of the ordinary for him.
“I was supposed to be named CEO after he passed. We’d talked about it years ago. The plan in case something happened to him. You kids would still retain some rights, but I’d run the show. And unlike your dad, I would be open to more lucrative…” He paused and scratched at his cheek. “Partnerships.”
“Drugs,” I spat. “You’re talking about drugs. I thought you were better than that, Richard.”
He shook his head and laughed. “Oh, sweetheart, how little you know about life. We have to play the hands we’re dealt. There’s no money left in fucking trees. Too many regulations in the states. Cheap lumber from China has ruined the industry. The most valuable assets we have are the roads. Private roads that go straight to Canada.”
As he talked, his voice got louder and he spoke more quickly. He waved his right arm around to emphasize his points while he held the gun steady in his left hand. I inched along the wall toward my workbench.
He-Man had picked up on the tension, and he’d gone into guardian mode. He barked and growled, lunging on his leash.
“So that’s why you tried to kill Henri?” I asked.
He shrugged. “One of the reasons. I hadn’t counted on him thinking quickly enough to jump out like that, let alone surviving the injuries. And unlike with your father, it was personal. That prick sidelined me when he took over as CEO.”
I scoffed. “He trusted you and promoted you. How could you do this? You were a member of our family. Paz’s godfather, best man at my parents wedding. Why?”
“He was getting close to learning the truth. Then Remy had to marry that meddling little bitch. Once she started sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, we had to change our plans. Making sure Hebert took the fall was easy, but you nosy Gagnons destroyed a decade of work and planning.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m doing my job, living my life.”
“God, you’ve always been such a mouthy bitch. I know exactly what you’ve been doing. I have access to the security cameras at the shop. Have to admit you’re smart, but I figured you’d drop it after a while. Should have known you’d rather get yourself killed than let it go.”
“Put the gun down,” I pleaded, willing my heart not to beat right out of my chest. “We can talk about this. I have neighbors. You can’t shoot me.”
“Sure I can. I’ve got powerful allies. Including some in law enforcement. Management will protect me. And honestly, I’m tired. Shooting you is the easiest option. Sometimes it’s best to keep things simple.”
