Page 68 of Peak Suspicion
“He said he wanted us to have the same name. And he needed to make a fresh start.”
“Did you know he had a criminal record for indecency with a minor and possession of child pornography?”
More silence.
“Mitch? Were you aware of your father’s criminal history?”
“He told me he was in jail because he had hurt someone in a knife fight. He said it was a misunderstanding.”
“Not according to the information we’ve uncovered.”
“What else did he lie to me about?”
“Has your father ever said anything about Mira Veronica?”
“Mira? No. Why?”
“Does your father own a gun?”
“No. At least… I don’t think so. I’ve never seen him with a gun.”
“But you don’t go through his things.”
“No. When he moved in he asked me to respect his privacy. He said he would do the same for me.”
“Do you have a gun?”
“No.” The answer was firm. “Why all these questions? What has Dad done?”
“A neighbor reported shots fired in the apartment complex where Mira lives. She’s not answering her phone. Your SUV is in the parking lot.”
“I’m coming down there.”
“You need to stay out of this, Mitch.”
“Ed is my father. And Mira is my friend. If something is going on, maybe I can help. Maybe I can talk to him or something.”
“No. Stay where you are. We’ll contact you if we need you.” Gage ended the call. “Where is SWAT?” he asked.
“They’re on their way,” Travis said. He checked his phone. “They should be here in another twenty minutes or so.”
Jake looked toward the apartments. Most of them were dark and silent. But light glowed behind the curtains in Mira’s front windows. “We don’t even know if he’s in there,” Gage said. “And maybe Mira isn’t answering because she turned off her phone.”
In response, Travis keyed his microphone. “Ryker, what have you got?” he asked.
“The glass in the back window by the fire escape is busted out,” Ryker replied. “I climbed up there and tried to look in, but this side of the apartment is dark.”
“Get back on the ground and wait for instructions,” Travis said. He looked at Gage. “Sounds like someone climbed the fire escape and broke the window.” He frowned up at the apartment. “No bars on these windows.”
“Because everyone thinks living in a small town is safe,” Gage said. “And usually, they’re right.” He joined his brother and Jakein studying the apartment. “Maybe we should just go up and knock on the door.”
“And whoever fired those shots earlier shoots Mira—or us.” Travis shook his head. “We wait for SWAT.”
It was the smart thing to do, even if it wasn’t what any of them really wanted.
Carter couldn’t believeEd had shot him. And now that his initial shock was wearing off, he couldn’t believe how much he hurt. He kept one hand clamped to the wound on the right side of his chest, sticky blood seeping through his fingers, and told himself he wasn’t going to pass out.
“What do you think you’re doing! He didn’t do anything to you!” Mira shouted at Ed, who turned his attention—and the barrel of the gun—toward her. She started toward him.
