14. Family Business
CHAPTER 14
Family Business
A fter a long bubble bath with Levi and his magical hands, Isla felt more like herself. Her body was sore, and she knew she’d feel even worse tomorrow. Lia had suggested hot baths and showers to help ease the pains, but Isla figured Levi himself had her feeling better.
He opened the fridge. “Hungry? What do you feel like eating?”
Her stomach was fluttering. “I think I’d rather call my father first.” She didn’t want anything in her stomach in case the call was awful.
Levi closed the fridge and turned on the kettle before coming to hug her. “You want some privacy for the call? I can go into another room.”
She hugged him tightly. “No. I’d like you here. I’m not sure I’m strong enough to do this without you.” She felt more than heard his chuckle.
He stroked his hands up her back. “You’re strong enough to do anything, but I’ll be here. If it gets weird with me there, wave me away.”
That helped. She decided to sit at the kitchen table. She wasn’t comfortable enough with the call to relax on the couch.
Levi brought over two mugs of tea and pulled a chair close to her. He didn’t pressure her to do anything, just sat beside her and waited.
Finally, Isla opened her contacts list and scrolled down to her father’s number. “He might not even have the same number.” When her father hadn’t reached out after a few years, she’d changed her own number. That way, she could pretend he’d tried to reach her, even though she’d known he wouldn’t.
Levi nodded but didn’t speak. She looked at the time. San Antonio was an hour earlier. Her father would likely be at work, but most people kept their personal phones on them, too.
Quit stalling, Isla .
She almost told her inner voice to shut up, but it was right. The call wouldn’t be any easier if she waited ten minutes. Or a day. Or a year.
Finally, she clicked the button to make the call, and another to put it on speaker. It rang only once before going to voice mail. She clicked off, not anywhere ready enough to leave a message.
“Well, that was anti-climactic.” She clicked on his work phone number without giving herself a chance to chicken out. She’d worked herself up to this conversation, and if she didn’t do it right away, she might never do it.
“You’ve reached RD Oil. How may I help you?”
The female voice obviously wasn’t her father. “I’d like to speak with Reginald Duggan, please.”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No.”
“May I ask who is calling?”
Deep breath. “It’s Isla. Isla Duggan.”
The soft gasp was audible. “Please hold, Ms. Duggan. I’ll put you through.”
Isla reached out and snagged Levi’s hand. Her eyes prickled with tears, and she swallowed hard.
There was a click on the line. “Isla? Is that you? Isla?”
She had to swallow hard. “It’s me, Dad.”
“I’m so glad to hear your voice. Did Glen find you? He didn’t tell me.”
“Glen? No. I haven’t spoken to him. I was just thinking about you and thought I’d call.”
She heard her father swallow hard. “I’m so glad. I’ve been trying to find you. I want to tell you how sorry I am about that day. About all of it.”
Tears started to flow down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, too.”
His laugh through the phone was harsh and full of regret. “You have nothing to be sorry about. You were right, but I just couldn’t see it. It took me years before your words sank in. Years more before I could see past the fact that money wasn’t everything. I made so many mistakes, Isla. I hope one day you can forgive me.”
She wasn’t sure what had caused the change in her father, but she didn’t think he’d ever made such a long speech to her. And he’d definitely never told her she was right. “What changed your mind?”
Her father choked out another laugh. “A woman I’d been dating told me I was a complete idiot and that unless I could pull my head out of my ass and value the truly important things in life, she was out of my life.”
“Wow.”
“I know. It took me some time and a fair bit of groveling, but I’ve made some changes. And for the first time since your mamma died, I’m happy again.”
Levi looped his arm over her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled at him through the tears while she spoke to her father. “I’m happy for you.”
“You’re going to like Elaine. I think your mamma would’ve liked her too.”
Isla had to take some deep breaths to speak. “I’m glad to hear it. Why did you send Glen to look for me? Where is he looking?”
Her father sighed. “I had a health scare about a year ago. Heart attack that I was lucky to survive. With Elaine encouraging me to find you and the fear that I might be too late, I knew it was time to start acting like an adult. I wasn’t in any shape to search the country, and I figured it would be a good task for Glen. Find out if he can do anything other than agree with me.”
That made Isla laugh, and her father chuckled, too. “Last I heard, he’d found out about a job you had in a lab here in Texas. Future 4 Us, I think it was called. But no one there would confirm you’d worked there or tell him where he might find you.”
That was good. At least the lab hadn’t given out her phone number or personal details.
“Where are you now? Are you happy? Do you have a good job? Is there anything you need?”
That made her smile, and she squeezed Levi’s hand while she smiled at him. “I’m very happy, and I have everything I need.” Levi lifted her hand to kiss it. “I moved to Vermont recently and plan to do more experimental work with crops. It’s early in the season, and I’ve only planted a garden so far.”
“You always loved the garden. Our cook planted it, didn’t she? What was her name again?”
And there was her dad. Oblivious to the people he’d considered beneath him. Asking about the woman now was a good sign. “Constanza. She loved the garden and taught me so much.”
Another sigh. “I’m glad. When your mom got sick, I became a terrible parent. I know I can never make it up to you, but I’m very sorry I wasn’t a better dad.”
More tears threatened. These were words she’d never thought she’d hear. “Thank you.”
They chatted for a few more minutes and made plans to talk again in a few days. When they hung up, she stared at the phone. “I can’t believe how well that conversation went. It was beyond anything I could have ever imagined.”
Levi picked her up and cuddled her into his lap. “He sounded sincere about his regrets and wanting to change to be a better person.”
“He really did. This Elaine must be a miracle worker. I know it was him, but I think he spoke more words to me today than he did in all the years after my mom died.”
“I think you might be that miracle worker. It sounds like your words that day meant a lot to him.”
And that was a happy thought. She was so glad she could tell Marcus to take her father’s name off the suspect list.
L evi didn’t want to upset Isla. She was so happy about the conversation with her father. And he agreed it was highly unlikely that her father was behind the attacks. Unless the man had major acting skills, he’d been genuinely relieved and thrilled to hear from Isla.
But red flags had been waving throughout the conversation. Cousin Glen, the slime ball and sycophant, was unaccounted for after being sent to search for Isla.
What if the man had his own agenda in his search for his cousin? After this many years, Glen would likely assume he was Reginald Duggan’s heir. Especially when Duggan had cut Isla out of the will all those years before. Did he think finding Isla meant losing his free ticket?
Money made people do things way outside their character. And if Glen’s character was weak to begin with, it wasn’t a big stretch to see him trying to hurt Isla to ensure he was the primary heir.
Isla’s phone buzzed, and from her expression, he knew her happy bubble had started to leak. She typed and then looked up at him. “Marcus is on his way. He’s coming to take our statements.”
Levi nodded. He’d hoped they’d have a chance to nap or at least relax, but he understood his friend’s desire to get the investigation moving. Hopefully, he’d found something to help them.
He wanted to tell Isla about his gut feeling regarding her cousin, but the police cruiser pulled up to the door and had Hopper barking his greeting to his visitor.
Isla let Marcus in and locked the door behind him. Marcus nodded his agreement with her actions, then looked her over. “How are you feeling? Both of you?”
Isla shrugged. “Sore. Lucky. Scared.”
Levi took her hand. “That about covers it.”
Marcus nodded. “I bet it does. Okay, I’ll try not to take up too much of your time. You’ll need to get some rest after going through that.”
They took seats in the kitchen, and Levi grabbed another mug of tea for Marcus. Hopper settled himself at Isla’s feet.
Isla went through the story for Marcus, making him smile when she explained how Hopper liked to pee on her tires.
Levi went next but didn’t have much to add. Then he turned to Isla. “I think you should tell Marcus about your phone call.”
She smiled and turned to Marcus. “I called my father today. We had a really nice conversation. It was a little awkward because we haven’t spoken in years, but it was good. He was happy to hear from me and has been trying to get in contact with me.”
Her voice trailed off, and her head whipped around to Levi. “You think it’s my cousin?”
He grimaced and leaned toward her. “I think there’s a good chance it is.” Watching her happy bubble burst sucked.
Marcus spoke. “Someone want to fill me in?”
Isla chewed on her bottom lip for a few seconds, then turned back to Marcus. “This is the cousin I told you about before. Glen Hicks.”
Marcus nodded. “Yes. I’ve done a bit of superficial digging on both him and your father. Without a warrant, I can’t do a lot, but I found out a little. Your cousin does work for RD Oil and has since he graduated with a business degree. He’s been in several departments, but hasn’t risen to the top in any of them. He’s currently listed as an assistant to the executive assistant in the public affairs department.”
Levi frowned. “What does that mean?”
Marcus shrugged. “No idea. I think it means he does what he’s told and is shunted from task to task.”
Isla frowned. “I don’t know anything about my father’s company. I can’t tell you anything about the departments or what they do. Same with Glen. But he always made me uncomfortable. I avoided him whenever possible.”
Levi moved his chair closer to her and squeezed her hand. “Sounds to me like you have very good instincts.”
She smiled at him. “I think I do.”
He grinned back. At least she didn’t hate him for suspecting her cousin.
Marcus scribbled some notes in his book. He had the recorder on, but his buddy had always preferred using a notebook for planning. “Did your father mention Hicks?”
Isla nodded. “When I called, he first thought Glen had found me and got me to call him. He said he’d sent him to look for me because my father wanted to reconnect.”
Marcus’s eyes cut to Levi. “And this is why you think he might be behind the two incidents.”
“He’s got motive and opportunity. If Isla and her dad reconnect, Glen could be looking at less of an inheritance.”
“I don’t want my father’s money.” Isla’s voice was indignant, making both men laugh.
Levi squeezed her hand again. “We know that. But from what you’ve said, your cousin wouldn’t understand that. He’d want it all.”
Marcus agreed. “He likely wouldn’t even consider you wouldn’t want it. If money is so central to his way of thinking, he wouldn’t consider a possibility where you wouldn’t be after the inheritance yourself. He’s probably imagined that you’ve spent the last twelve years scheming how to get back into your father’s will.”
“But I haven’t even contacted him until today. Not even once.”
Marcus smiled. “In Glen’s mind, he’d imagine that you were plotting because that’s what he would have been doing. What he has been doing.”
Isla shook her head. “What a horrible way to live.”
“During the conversation, did your father say where Hicks is? Or what he knew about you?”
Isla shrugged. “Not much. I wasn’t focused on that. Do you remember?”
Every damn word. “Duggan said Hicks knew about Isla’s last job at the Future 4 Us lab but that he couldn’t get her phone number or current whereabouts from them.”
Marcus tapped his pencil on the table. “I wonder if he found out more than he told your father. It’s unlikely your father would follow up with the lab, so Hicks could tell him whatever he liked.”
Isla shivered, and Levi put his arm around her shoulders.
His voice wasn’t more than a growl. “That’s what I think.”
Marcus flipped to another page in his book. “We found proof of tampering with your car. As Levi suspected, someone sliced the lines to the power steering and the brake fluids. The brake lines themselves were slit. Not all the way through, but enough to weaken them. Whoever cut them wanted the car to work for a few minutes until the fluid drained. With this proof, I’ll have more power to investigate. I’m going to name Glen Hicks as a person of interest in the case. That will give me some powers to dig into his life and find out where he is.”
Levi was pretty damn sure the bastard was right here in Vermont.