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Viktor
Addie was much improved in the days that followed. She was well enough the week before Thanksgiving that Cymbeline felt ready for a night out at the underground club. I happily agreed, picking her and Fiona up at their house to take them to the resort. When we reached our destination, I parked and helped them both from my car. Flynn stood at the entrance talking to two gentlemen I didn’t recognize. They were dressed in pin-striped suits and dark hats, but it was their multicolored shoes that caught my attention. Men from the city? Perhaps Chicago? From the terse expression on Flynn’s face and the way the shorter of the men leaned close to him, I suspected they were having a heated conversation.
“What’s Flynn up to?” Cym asked under her breath. “Those men seem dangerous, don’t they?”
“I’ve seen him with those two before,” Fiona said. “They make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”
“Mine too.” Cym slipped her gloved hand into mine. “I think he’s into something bad.”
I’d heard rumors about a secret distillery somewhere outside of town. My brother had come right out and asked Flynn about it recently. Flynn had been adamant that talk was just that, talk with no truth to it. However, I’d known Flynn Barnes a long time. A hardness had come to his eyes when Isak pushed him further. He’d actually snapped at Isak, which surprised me. They had been at war together. Not much could break their bond or trust. Each time I’d seen Flynn of late, he’d seemed to have lost the playful zest for life. Seeing those men with him tonight made me wonder if the rumors were indeed true.
“I wish he’d talk to us,” Fiona said.
“Fat chance of that,” Cym said. “He seems to be drifting further and further away. Have you noticed it, Viktor?”
“Yes, somewhat.” I didn’t want to elaborate and ruin the evening. “But I’m sure everything’s fine. He has a lot on his mind these days.”
We started across the parking lot toward the door to the basement. A sudden thought struck me. “Fiona, when we’re not here, you’re careful, aren’t you? If this is the type of man coming here, I’m not sure it’s safe for a young woman.”
“Like the night I came out for air.” Cym shivered. “I don’t like to think what might have happened had you and Theo not come to look for me.”
“Li looks after me,” Fiona said. “I never come out here alone. I’m much too afraid for that.”
“Good, I’ll rest easier knowing that.” I didn’t say it out loud, but I worried that Li Wu might be as much of a target as a young lady. Most folks in Emerson Pass were tolerant, but if there were men coming up from Louisville to enjoy the free-flowing booze of Flynn’s club, they might not take favorably to someone of Li’s origin.
The men in question, perhaps because of us, walked away from Flynn. We stopped to greet him.
“Good evening.” Flynn tipped his hat. “Mr. Olofsson, what did you do to deserve such fine company as my sisters?”
“Lucky,” I said.
“I’m working tonight,” Fiona said. “These two are on a date.”
“Addie’s better,” Cymbeline said. “So I felt all right about coming out.”
“You’ve both been a great help to Mama,” Flynn said.
“When did you see her?” Fiona asked, an edge to her voice. “I didn’t think you’d been out to see Addie at all since she’d been sick.”
An uncomfortable silence hung over us for a few seconds. I’d never heard Fiona use a sharp tone in my life until now.
“Mama was out to see us this morning.” Flynn spoke lightly, as if he hadn’t noticed the pointed question from his sister. “She gave us the good news about Addie. I’d have been out myself but I’ve been busy with work, and Shannon hasn’t been feeling well.”
“Or is it that you don’t like sick people?” Fiona asked. “Anything unpleasant is too much for you and your pretend world.”
Flynn blinked, clearly as surprised by his younger sister’s bluntness as I. “Like I said, I’ve been busy. This business, which employs you and Li, I might add, doesn’t run itself. Phillip’s been busy making skis lately, so I’m on my own most of the time.” He turned his attention toward Cymbeline. “Speaking of new skis, I’m surprised you’re not too tired to be out tonight, given all your activity on the slopes.” Flynn raised one eyebrow. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were training.”
“She simply wants to know without question that she can beat the boys,” Fiona said. “Which she can. I’ve been measuring her distances.”
“I hope that’s all it is,” Flynn said. “We don’t need any trouble. I’ve heard from athletes all over the country. We’re going to have quite the event.”
“Speaking of trouble,” Cym said. “Who were those men?”
“None of your concern.” Flynn reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes. He offered one to me, but I shook my head no.
“Since when do you smoke cigarettes?” Fiona asked.
“Now and again. Since the war,” Flynn said.
“They cause cancer,” Fiona said. “Did you know that?”
“That’s propaganda.” Flynn grinned and tapped his finger on the top of Fiona’s head, as if she were a silly child. “Meant to keep us from doing as we please.”
Fiona frowned and pulled her jacket tighter around her middle. “It’s almost time for us to start our first set. I should get inside.”
Flynn nodded as he twirled the cigarette between his fingers. “You should. We’re opening in five minutes. Li’s been here for at least thirty minutes. He believes in warming up.”
Fiona glanced over at Cym and a kind of understanding passed between them. One I could not read.
Before either of the women could answer, Flynn said, “I’d like to talk to Viktor. Cym, would you mind going in with Fiona?”
Cym opened her mouth as if to argue but seemed to change her mind. She squeezed my hand before following Fiona through the door.
Flynn took a drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke away from me.
“What is it?” I couldn’t keep the briskness from my voice. I’d not thought it possible to feel at odds with Flynn. He and Isak had been best friends since I could remember. However, the man before me was not the one I’d known.
“Nothing in particular. How are you? I haven’t seen you much now that you and Cym are spending so much time together. I miss you.”
My irritation softened. “I’m well. Busy with Cym and my work.” I indicated with my chin the direction from which the men had disappeared into the black night. “You sure you’re all right? Those guys looked like thugs.”
“Yep. All good.”
