Page 5 of Caught in the Axe
I followed him, matching his long strides, past the executive suites. It was hard not to slow when I noticed the framed black and white photos on the walls. This was the one thingthey’d done right with this facility. As we continued our trek, I was met with images of Hebert after Hebert. Logging in the woods, dragging logs with chains and horses, riding floats of timber down the river.
The nostalgia that had hit when I noticed the photos was quickly replaced with a surge of anger. All of this history was gone. So many jobs were gone, forcing people to leave town. Because my idiot father had gotten greedy. I’d never had any interest in the family business, but I understood and appreciated what it meant to my family and this town.
We passed several empty offices, some of which looked to have been ransacked. It was unsurprising, I supposed. The feds had tossed this place last year, and that was before the break-ins my brothers had been dealing with.
Gus and Jude had worked with local brokers to sell off the more expensive furniture pieces, the fancy projection screens, and the majority of the electronics.
The massive conference table that sat twenty had been difficult to offload, though they’d eventually found a buyer in Vermont. That sale alone netted enough to keep the electricity on for the next year, so that was a plus.
Now, where that ornate table had once sat, my brother and his staff had pushed together plastic folding tables. Chief Souza stood from one of the metal chairs that surrounded the makeshift conference table when I entered and shook my hand. Two of his officers stood as well, both dipping their chins at me.
“The famous Owen Hebert,” Souza said, a toothpick wedged firmly in his teeth. “Came all the way from Boston, did you? Though I was under the impression that you’d be here thirty minutes ago.”
I bristled, but I schooled my expression into something I hoped came across as neutral. “I would have been here sooner, but I was stuck behind a moose.”
He laughed. “Bastard probably knew you were an out-of-towner. Musta been trying to fuck with you, ayuh?”
Shaking off my annoyance, I gritted my teeth and sat in the chair next to Gus. I pulled a notebook out of my briefcase and found a pen. Then I straightened in my seat and focused on the chief. This was business, and I didn’t have time to fuck around with this dumbass.
Chief Souza had been a Lovewell fixture since I was a child. He was known for being good-natured and he was decent at his job, albeit a bit on the lazy side. He had thick gray hair and a Magnum PI mustache that was his pride and joy and could often be found at the local dive bar, drinking beer with some of the people he’d previously arrested.
For several minutes, he pontificated about crime and Hebert Timber and how Lovewell used to be a safe place. His implications were clear. This town had been safe until my father decided to turn to a life of crime.
I kept my mouth shut and let him yammer on. Gus, thank fuck, did the same. It was best we let him say what he wanted to say so he could get the hell out of there.
“We wanna help,” the chief said, resting his elbows on the table and affecting a fake-ass look of concern. “Clearly, you’re still dealing with the mess your father left. I can assign an officer to drive by periodically.”
“That’s not necessary,” Gus said politely, sitting straighter in the chair beside me. “The place isn’t as busy as it used to be, but we’ve got it covered.”
The last thing we needed was the law riding our asses. Ifwe were going to get this place sold, then the next few weeks would be frenzied. Once I really dug into the financials, I wasn’t sure what I’d find, and the last thing I needed was the cops looking over my shoulder as I did.
“Then I’m going to insist you install security cameras.”
As if we had the funds for that. I’d bet just about anything that the vandalism and break-ins could be pinned on asshole teens messing around.
“I’ve got a guy,” Chief Souza said with a smile. “He’ll do right by ya, and he won’t gouge ya if you’re a friend of mine.”
I opened my mouth, ready to brush off the suggestion. Every word out of his mouth, not to mention his body language and the smarmy looks, made me feel like he was playing with us. Like a cat tossing a mouse around for fun before swallowing it whole.
“Thank you,” Gus said sincerely. He stood, silently signaling to the assholes that it was time for them to leave. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“Because I could get a warrant. If you think that’s necessary…” The chief’s tone was light, but the threat was clear.
“No need,” Gus said, sticking his hands in his pockets. “Help with security would be great. We’re eager to stop the break-ins and help you in any way we can. Now that my brother is here to help, I know things are gonna turn around.”
I nodded, pretending like I was up for the challenge as opposed to dreading it with every fiber of my being.
“I’ll show you boys out,” Gus said, leading them away and leaving me alone.
I stood in the empty conference room, taking in the view of the expansive Maine wilderness on the other side of the massive windows. This place was everything I never wanted.And yet the weight of the situation had settled onto my shoulders. There were six of us brothers, and it was up to me, the one who’d walked away, to fix it all.
Gus’s footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then he was stepping back into the conference room. “Thank God they’re gone.” He heaved out a sigh. “They wandered around the building taking pictures for a damn hour before you got here. I sat them down with coffee and sent Molly out for donuts just to keep them from fucking around too much.”
“I don’t like him.”
He shrugged and sidled up beside me near the windows. “He’s the police chief, and he coached the high school baseball team forever. He’s not a bad guy, but he’s covering his ass. Though I am a little concerned that he’s looking to make an example out of us.”
His cell rang in his pocket, and he held up a hand. “Hold on.” He’d barely gotten a “hello” out when his brows pulled low and his mouth turned down into a frown. “Shit,” he said into the receiver. “Give me twenty minutes.”
