Page 25 of Axe-ing for Trouble
I gave her a salute and closed the door behind me. As I padded down the hall, I shook my head. Why did she have to fight everything? She should be taking it easy. Instead, she was duking it out with me at every turn.
I looked down at Ripley, who cocked her head in response, as if confused. I owed her a really long game of fetch for all the disruption to her routine.
With a sigh, I scratched her ears. “I don’t know either, girl.”
* * *
Parker Gagnon wasa woman worthy of both respect and fear. We’d hired her to help us untangle some of the secrets and unknowns around my dad and the family business. When it sold, inconsistencies had been discovered, and pulling those threads had led to even more questions.
Since she began working on our situation, I’d spoken to her a few times, but since my job was to run the machines and keep the crews moving, I wasn’t a lot of help when it came to the questions she had regarding the company’s financial records.
Chloe loved her, which meant she was probably excellent at her job. And I had no reason to think otherwise.
But we’d been stuck for quite some time, and with each day that passed, frustration grew.
Now that Mila was here, I prayed she was the missing piece we needed to finally put all this mess behind us.
Parker was tall and sporty and wore her dark hair in a ponytail. She didn’t mince words and was always taking notes.
Unsurprisingly, Mila did not share my fear of the woman. I couldn’t imagine Mila being scared of anyone. Even while she was dressed in baggy sweats and still recovering from her injuries, she was sharp, intense, and confident.
Parker lobbed a few softballs, testing Mila’s responses, probably ensuring she actually knew what she was talking about. But before long, she really dug in.
I poured coffee as they went back and forth, Parker asking questions, using a tone she’d clearly perfected in her law enforcement training and Mila keeping her answers clipped and full of sass.
Despite never wanting any part of it, this mess had somehow landed in my living room.
Most days I focused on the things I could control. I worked and took care of myself and my house. Played my guitar and hiked with my dog.
The fallout from my dad’s crimes honestly felt too big. If I focused on it, I’d lose myself.
A couple of my brothers had been shocked, even upset, when our dad was arrested. And even more so when we learned the extent of his crimes, his responsibility for the death of Frank Gagnon.
Me? I was sad.
My brain couldn’t accept it. Wouldn’t accept it.
Even when all the evidence had been laid out, even after he’d confessed, I struggled to understand.
He’d never been a good father to any of us, even to Gus, who he’d molded to follow in his footsteps. But the man had a great life. He ran the company his grandfather had founded with his brother. He had six sons and the respect of the entire community.
It was hard to believe that wasn’t enough for him.
My brothers all had their theories about why he’d done it. Gus thought it came down to greed, but Owen was convinced he was a sociopath. I wasn’t sure where I fell. I couldn’t put that much energy into trying to decipher his motivations. What I did know was that I wanted this over.
His arrest hadn’t been the end. Not by a long shot. In fact, it was only the beginning of a long nightmare for my family. One that was getting more dangerous by the day.
Mila described the Ape Hanger, a biker bar she’d worked at, and some of the people she’d met—as well as the things she’d seen—to Parker, who furiously scribbled notes.
“So you showed up there like a vigilante Nancy Drew?” Parker asked.
“Yes,” Mila replied.
The comment was likely intended as an insult, but Mila seemed to bask in it.
“One thing I’ve learned as a journalist is that the story is in the people. Always. So getting close to the people was essential. It’s a shady place. No one asks questions. So I kept my head down and observed.”
Parker made a noncommittal hum and scribbled in her notepad.
