Page 30 of Axe-identally Married
I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I gave him a head nod, then shuffled back to the conference room. I wished more than anything I could slip in and take my seat unnoticed, but someone my size didn’t have the luxury of sneaking anywhere.
When I returned, they were discussing the fire that had been set in the machine shop. The police had arrested a guy and charged him with arson, but by the way Parker was talking, there was more to this story.
“My contact at the FBI tells me he gave a full confession,” she said. “The guy swears he acted alone and was so strung out he doesn’t have any specific memories.”
“I don’t buy it,” Chloe said. “It’s all connected. The guys who approached me and this guy. I saw the photos. That tattoo.”
“Lots of timber people have tattoos,” Finn said.
Chloe shook her head. “Nah, this was different, and I’ve seen it before. It was some kind of tree or shrub.”
“I’ll pull the photos,” Parker said. “We can take a look, and I’ll ask around.”
“Are the FBI cooperating?” Owen asked on screen.
Parker laughed. “Agent Portnoy is an old friend of mine. You’ve had the pleasure of dealing with him, I’m sure. For that, I’m terribly sorry. But he is good at his job. Sadly, federal interest and funds vary. It can be hard to sustain a multi-year investigation of this nature.”
“But you’ll give him a swift kick in the ass, right?” Adele asked.
“Yes. I think it’s safe to say my involvement will motivate him.” Parker rubbed her hands together. “Owen and Lila have already handed over financial records, and Chloe has given me full access to employee records and contracts. So now my plan is to dig in, start with the paper.”
Clearing her throat, she tapped a few keys on her laptop, and a slide appeared on the screen. It was filled with details regarding arrests that had been made. The second slide listed the dates and times of the recent break-ins and thefts, and a third was filled with photos of the various buildings around the campus.
“Following the money is a good way to start. I promised my husband I wouldn’t get myself into any dangerous situations.” She rolled her eyes like there was a fat chance of that happening.
I’d just met the woman, but already, I couldn’t imagine anyone telling her what to do.
“I’ll be your fresh set of eyes. Every detail is relevant. Tell me everything and anything. I’m going to create a shared drive on a private server where we can store documents and communications.”
“We’ll get you whatever you ask for,” Gus said. “We need answers, we need accountability, and we need to stop whatever is happening.” He put his arm around Chloe, who was seated next to him.
Fuck. I closed my eyes, wishing this would all go away. My oldest brother, the guy who had dedicated his entire life to this company, had finally gotten the thing he had always wanted: a family. But now, during what should be the happiest time in his life, he was being dragged down by this shit.
“I’ll be working through evidence and asking questions, and I’ll need everyone’s assistance.”
“We’ll do everything we can.” Finn straightened. “I’ll fly you out wherever you need to go.”
“And I can help with the maps and geographical stuff,” Jude said, resting his forearms on the table. No one knew these woods like he did.
Gus turned to me, his expression stoic as always. “Cole, you don’t have to be involved.”
Those few words were like a knife to the heart. “I want to help,” I said sharply. He may not have meant that I had nothing to offer, but the comment rankled me just the same. My entire family was rallying together to keep the people they loved safe, but dumb Cole had nothing meaningful to contribute. Story of my damn life.
“What can you do?” Owen asked in a way that probably sounded fine to the rest of the group but was clearly meant as a jab.
And he wasn’t wrong. I had nothing to contribute. I knew very little about the business, mainly by design. My whole life, I’d stayed as far away from my father as I could, and unlike Gus and Jude, I’d never had any interest in Hebert Timber.
From a young age, I’d dedicated my life to hockey and assumed I’d be a famous pro hockey player by now. Living far away and visiting once in a while to show my family how successful I’d become.
But I was here now. And I had more than enough time on my hands. But other than that time and a desire to help, I was worthless. I couldn’t read financial records like Owen or advise on the business like Gus and Jude. I didn’t have resources like Finn, who could transport Parker and the rest of them anywhere they needed to go.
“Hold on,” Parker said. Crossing her arms. She was tall and intimidating. Of course she was. She was Adele’s best friend.
She regarded me for a moment, her lips pursed. “Everyone can help. And his help will absolutely be valuable. You planned RiverFest, right?”
I nodded, still tense from being discounted by my brothers.
“Good. Let’s chat. I’m thinking we could use your connections with city hall and the mayor’s office. Everyone is still raving about all the work you put into it.”
