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“Dad says watches are only for old people.”
“Zackery!” Laura scowled at him.
“You’re correct. It’s a dying fashion that I hope will come back around sometime. I much prefer a watch than looking at my phone.” The door opened, and we could hear footsteps and their dog’s excitement. Laura stood quickly.
“Something smells amazing.” Rich, one of my contractors, came around the corner, but his face fell the moment he looked at me.
“Rich,” Laura pointed at me, “I wish you’d told me you had a friend coming over. I could have made something better than pork tenderloin and potatoes.” She gave him a hard look as I cut into the dry pork.
“Mr. Gates, what a surprise.”
“Is it?” I dipped the overdone meat in the relish and hoped the moisture would help me choke it down. “Seems to me you might’ve been expecting me to come by, considering what’s been happening with my hotel.”
“Laura, take the boys to their room,” he ordered.
“No,” I dabbed the corners of my mouth, “Laura, stay right where you are.” I set my gun on my lap. I kept it just out of view of the children but where Rich and Laura could see it. “Why don’t you have a seat?”
“Do as he says,” Rich warned his wife, whose face had drained of color. He slowly set his bag down and made his way over to the chair at the end of the table.
“Wise choice.” I smiled at him then at his wife, who had eased back into her chair. She drew her boys close. I smiled at them to put them at ease. “Now,” I took a long draw from the water glass and kept my voice conversational, “I want a name.”
“Mr. Gates, I don’t know who it is.”
I looked away and studied the photos on the wall as I wondered why no one at this point ever told the truth.
“Your youngest here was telling me about his hockey game this weekend. At the T-Mobile Arena, wasn’t it?” I looked at the child.
“I play defense.” He piped up, and I smiled warmly at him as his mother told him to keep quiet.
“I see your father is playing the same position.” I gave Rich an accusing expression.
“Mr. Gates, I get my orders from above, then tell my men where to be and when.”
“I understand how the construction world works, Rich.” I cleared my throat, annoyed. I wasn’t getting anywhere. “Perhaps, Laura, you should take the boys next door. It would be a pity for them to overhear something that could threaten their mental health in the future.”
“No.” Laura looked torn. “You’ve got the wrong man. You?—”
“Laura.” Rich cut her off, and I raised my hand to shut him up.
“Go on.” I waved.
“You want Mr. Tupot. He’s the snake at the top that makes all the underhanded deals.” Tears flowed down her cheeks, and the boys began to grow nervous.
“Very good, Laura.” I smiled at Rich, who looked sick. “But now you need to do as I asked and take the boys next door.”
“No, you can’t hurt him.” She started to panic while Rich yelled at her to leave. “You can’t! We need him, the boys need their father. They?—”
Bang!
I fired a shot at the ceiling, and they all went still with wild eyes and gaping mouths.
“I won’t repeat myself again.”
She grabbed both boys by the arm and hurried them out of the room. I moved my attention over to Rich, who had his hand over his mouth. His eyes were red and wild.
“If you’re going to play in the dark, you need to be prepared for what that brings, Rich.”
“I was only doing what I was told.”
