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Her eyes are wide. “No shit?”
“Yeah. Didn’t my father tell you?”
“Honey, he didn’t even tell me you existed.”
“What about my brother? Did you knowheexisted?”
“I knew about Joey. They had some falling out is what he said, and then of course you know he disappeared those years back.”
I gulp. “Falling out?”
“Yeah. Curt didn’t have a lot of good to say about his son. He was always angry that he didn’t go into the construction business with him, and he blamed him for losing all his money.”
“I thought he was going to work for my dad after the divorce.” I frown. “And what money?”
“You didn’t know? A couple years ago, Curt came into some money.”
I widen my eyes in total surprise because it didn’t look like the man had a dime to his name based on the house. “He did?”
“Oh yeah, I know you can’t tell from the way we live.” She read my mind. “But apparently it was somewhere in the mid six figures.”
“Did he have any of this money left by the time you met him?”
“Not really. From what I hear he went to Las Vegas and blew a big chunk of it, and the rest of it trickled away because he got less and less work and drank more and more beer.”
I wrinkle my forehead. This isn’t making any sense. “How did he come into this money? I’m not following.”
The waitress returns with our drinks and Rainey reaches for a sugar packet in the holder in the center of the table. “I didn’t know him then, but it was some kind of investment. That’s what he says, anyway.” Then she darts her gaze around the restaurant as two women come in to eat. “I’m not sure I should say anymore.”
“Why not?” I take a sip of the iced tea Amy delivered. Yuck. It’s not fresh brewed.
“Curt won’t like that I’m talking to you about this.” She grabs a spoon from the napkin roll in front of her and stirs her drink. She’s suddenly nervous.
“I’m his daughter. I have a right to know what he’s doing.”
“I’m afraid he doesn’t see it that way. I should’ve kept my big mouth shut.”
Amy returns with our sandwiches, and Laney stops talking altogether.
She doesn’t say another word as she stuffs her face with her steak sandwich and fries, and when she’s reduced them to a few crumbs, she gestures to Amy and orders another sandwich with onion rings to go. Rainey’s not thin, but I have a feeling she hasn’t had this good of a meal in a while. I happily pay the bill for her extra food.
She chatters about mundane stuff on our drive back, and then she gets out of the car when I pull into the driveway. “Thanks again, Sadie. I enjoyed the lunch.”
I’m not ready to give up my search yet. “You mind if I use your bathroom?”
“Sure, that’s fine. Come on in.”
She opens the rickety screen door, unlocks the front door, and I follow her inside.
“Down the hall, first door on the left.” She points, but I doubt I need directions in a place this small.
I walk over the carpet to the bathroom. It looks about how I expected. Nothing more than a bathtub, a shower curtain decorated with palm trees and coconuts, a toilet, and a sink. The hand soap dispenser is empty. Great.
I don’t actually have to go to the bathroom, but I take a look around. In the mirrored cabinet above the sink is a man’s razor and a bottle of aspirin. No drugs. Not that I expected to find any. Rainey’s drug of choice is clearly nicotine, and my father’s is alcohol.
Still, I’m relieved. My father may be an asshole, but at least he’s not a drug addict.
I flush the toilet for show, and then I turn on the faucet, try to extract whatever’s left in the soap dispenser, and then wipe my hands on my jeans. I don’t want to touch the hand towel.
