“Did Skye tell Ash that she’s your daughter?”
“I don’t think so,” says Kimmich. “I think she’s just trying to cause some major trouble. You know, big scandal and all that. And then she’ll reveal she’s my daughter, just to make a huge splash. The way she tells me by texting me a name. Nothing more. Just a name. But I know what it means. Girl’s got a lot of anger. Can’t say I blame her. Neither of her parents have done right by her.”
“Who else in town has she slept with?” says Zoey. “And does she always demand money after the fact?”
“Oh, a few guys. I don’t want to get them in trouble.”
“Is one of them Teddy?”
“Not that I know of,” says Kimmich. “He doesn’t seem like the type anyway.”
“Has she slept with Mike Wahlquist?” says Zoey.
Kimmich keeps his mouth shut, but his eyes answer with an emphaticyes.
Zoey shrugs. “Ouch. So circling back,” she says, “Teddy told you Ash was consorting with unsavory characters and you’d better watch your back. Correct?”
Kimmich leans forward and says, “Worse than that. Teddy told me that Ash’s new friends, his motorcycle gang buddies, thought Teddy was muscling in on their drug business because Teddy’s growing pot plants on his five acres. I mean, technically it’s legal, but the state is taking forever to license a dispensary. Most people still get it on the street. Teddy said he told them to go fuck themselves, and they beat him up pretty bad.”
“And that made you lay off Ash about the whole Skye encounter?” says Clay.
“What? No way. I don’t back down. In fact…” Kimmich hesitates, sips his Scotch, then says, “I didn’t want to say nothin’ until we had more proof, but Mike and I think we know where that biker gang established their southeast Minnesota headquarters. We’ve been staking the place out hoping to bring you visual evidence.”
“And where’s that?” says Zoey.
Kimmich lowers his voice to just above a whisper. “Lukas Keskinen’s place down by Chatham Creek.”
“You and Mike have secretly been staking out the Keskinens’ house down by Chatham Creek?” says Zoey.
Kimmich nods, unable to hide how impressed he is with himself.
“That’s why you’re sometimes unreachable by phone or radio?” says Clay.
“No coverage down there. And we turn off the radio,” says Kimmich. “Can’t risk any of those bikers on the property hearing us.”
“And you think drug dealers are running product through Lukas Keskinen because he…?”
Kimmich raises his eyebrows. “He’s in charge of the local motorcycle gang.”
“And you think he’s teaming up with gangs outside the area to run drugs into Riverwood?” says Clay.
Kimmich doesn’t offer a verbal confirmation but more of anif the shoe fitskind of gesture with upturned palms.
Zoey smiles. “Do you know the name of Lukas Keskinen’s motorcycle gang?”
Kimmich shakes his head.
“They’re called the Shriners. Ever hear of them?” says Zoey.
“I know Keskinen’s a Shriner,” says Kimmich. “I see him and the boys riding mini bikes every Fourth of July parade. Wearing their little fezzes and vests. That’s doesn’t mean they’re not dealing drugs. I’ve seen them out there ganged up on their Harleys.”
“They’re ganged up on their Harleys,” says Zoey, “because people sponsor them by the mile. They ride up to Duluth ordown to Iowa City. All to raise money for the children’s hospital in Minneapolis.”
“Andy,” says Clay, “I hate to break it to you, but there’s no motorcycle gang trying to run drugs into Riverwood. You and Wahlquist have been wasting your time.”
Kimmich looks down, shakes his head, then looks up. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.”
CHAPTER 34
