“You got the shaft, I assume,” Punc said.
“Yeah,” Dad muttered.
“So you turned to Mom?” I asked.
Finally, he looked me in the eye. “You won’t believe me, but we were trying to put things back together.”
I closed my eyes for a long moment. “You’re right. I don’t believe you because when you were here the week before she died, Cat heard you two having another knock-down-drag-out fight.”
“It wasn’t as bad as all that,” Dad said.
“Have I got this right, you thought you could turn a quick buck, but since you didn’t have the money for it, you convinced your ex-wife to hit up a loan shark who’s well-known for not keeping good books, and being a thug. Is that right?”
“Yeah,” Dad whispered, nodding.
Punc stared him down. “You’re leaving something out, Doug.”
Fear invaded Dad’s expression. “No, I’m not.”
“Then why’d you stash the boxes of merchandise in Mom’s garage? Someone suggested the police were onto you having counterfeit products. Is that what’s going on, Dad?”
“Listen, don’t worry about the boxes.”
Rather than exploding, my head only reared back. “You put us in danger two times,” I whispered.
“Anyone else know where you hid the boxes? Someone was in their backyard late last night - or was that you?” Punc asked.
Dad ignored Punc.
Punc would not be ignored. He edged closer to Dad. “Answer me. Were you in their backyard last night?”
Dad stared at Punc for a long moment before he sighed. “Yes. I didn’t mean to scare the girls.”
“Not sure I believe you,” Punc muttered.
Dad’s eyes widened. “I couldn’t drive up here. I been out of town for a few weeks, but someone’s been following me since I… came back.”
Punc glanced at me and back to Dad.
It was obvious Dad was hiding something else.
“Did you get Savannah’s messages?”
Dad shook his head.
With a head shake, Punc asked, “Were you out of town, or were you in jail?”
Dad’s lips pressed together, and his face turned a little pink. “I got picked up on a drunk-and-disorderly not too long after Beth’s funeral and I got sentenced to three months.”
Punc nodded. “That’s why you didn’t return her calls.”
Dad sighed and turned his head.
“How’d you get here now?” I asked.
“I went to the Great Clips up the road. The manager is sweet on me, and they keep their back door open. I hustled on through and walked here. Figured by the time whoever’s following me checks, they’d have lost me.”
“That’s… kinda smart,” Punc said reluctantly.
