Chapter 3 #3
“Hell no, I’m not okay with that, but it’s not my place, and that’s the thing that everybody forgets.
It doesn’t matter what I say or what I do.
It’s Dad’s place, legally in his name only, so he gets to decide who inherits,” he pointed out.
“Thus, as much as I would very much like to inherit the pub, that’s not happening, no matter how many of my family get wiped out.
That’s just the way it is.” He looked over the others and asked, “Right?”
They all nodded.
“And you have no siblings?” Riley asked Derek, vaguely remembering hearing something about the close-knit clan. If he hadn’t been watching Derek’s face so closely, Riley would have missed it. For the briefest of moments, anger flared in the older man’s eyes.
Derek nodded slowly. “I have a half-brother. My father had an affair while my mother was carrying me. So we’re close in age”—he took a deep breath—“but not in personality. He is cut of the same mold as my father, and they didn’t see eye to eye.
My mother wouldn’t allow the bastard child around us, even though she stayed with my father after finding out about Nick’s existence.
He shows up every once in a while, but it’s never good to see him.
He’s also not legitimate, so he will never inherit.
Even though he is Dad’s genetic son, even my dad won’t allow Nick into the family ownership of the pub.
Lately Dad has been narrowing the ownership field to his legal paternal line only. ”
Jackson nodded. “And Granddad will never change his mind,” Jackson stated. “He’s just as stubborn as everybody else in the family, and it’s almost impossible for him to ever accept that he’s wrong.”
Riley couldn’t help but think, Just like Mr. Montoya. “And, if Timmy does inherit, and he’s still in the condition he’s in?”
“Then I will manage it,” Jackson added quietly, “although Gerald might think he should, as my older cousin. His mother was my aunt and died in a car accident when Gerald was fifteenish. This world has been hard on the women in the family. My mom passed away in childbirth, with my sister. Even Granddad didn’t remarry after Eloise, our grandmother, died of breast cancer decades ago. ”
Riley faced him, pointing out, “That’s definitely a concern. I’m sure other people have also considered that too.”
“Well, if you’re trying to cast me as the bad guy …” Jackson said.
Several of the men grumbled too, but Riley held up his hand.
“Hold on. I’m not casting anybody as a bad guy.
Yet the one thing always missing in something like this,” he explained, “is having all the correct information on all the players. So, pardon me if I ask the hard questions, but somebody has to. If the police haven’t already done it, then they’ve done you and Timmy a disservice. ”
Old man Derek stared at him and groaned.
“It’s still a touchy subject, and, honest to God, it probably will be forever, but, when I messed up decades ago, I never owned it.
And Dad’s made no bones about keeping that promise to never trust me with the pub,” he admitted, “and there’s really no going back as far as Dad’s concerned. ”
“Good to know,” Riley stated. “And when it comes down to Granddad Beltran not backing down, is there any doubt in anybody else’s mind that he might?”
“I wouldn’t think so,” Derek replied, shaking his head. “Everybody is pretty aware of how irate, angry, and stubborn he is,” he declared. “The older he gets, the worse he gets. If anything, I think most people would be shocked if Dad ever changed. I can’t see him ever doing that.”
Riley stared at the four other guys. All agreed with Derek. “Good enough,” Riley stated. He studied the area and asked, “So, this is where Timmy was?” He turned to the men and said, “Now show me the one area you’ve deliberately been avoiding.”
The men shared a look at each other, then at their appointed leader, Derek.
The old man stared at Riley and asked, “How did you know?”
“Because I’ve been in the military for years, investigating for a very long time,” he replied, “and I get it. For whatever reason, you don’t want me to see something down here, but I’m not here about anything you might be doing.
As long as it’s not hurting anybody, and I mean people or dogs, …
I’m not interested.” When they remained silent, he added, “The minute I find out something down here is hurting animals or women or children,” he snapped, “I’ll nail every one of your asses to the wall. ”
“And we’ve told you it’s not that,” Derek repeated.
“Yeah, so you have, but you’re still hiding something and not telling me what it is.”
“So?” asked one of the younger men belligerently. “He can say whatever the shit he wants, but that doesn’t mean any of us believe him.”
“But, Rory, if he can help—”
“What? We don’t know anything about this guy,” Rory complained. “He’s just walked in here, somehow got himself onto the search team, and now you’re all ready to listen to him. That is complete BS.”
The old man raised his voice as if ready to blast him, but Riley spoke up.
“That could be true, but, when it comes to finding that War Dog and finding some answers regarding Timmy, I’m probably the best bet you’ve got.
After all, the police aren’t helping you.
Plus, you’ve already had plenty of time to search.
Yet, if you haven’t found Cain so far, and you don’t know what’s really going on, then get the hell out of my way and let me do my job.
Otherwise, there will be consequences, legal consequences, involving the US government—and they won’t be ones you like. ”
“Are you fucking threatening me?” Rory roared, as he stepped forward, pushing Riley back.
Riley barely held his ground. “You just made a really good point right there,” he noted.
“How many people here could have done exactly that and watched as Timmy went over into the water behind us, while you just stand here, wondering how—or if—to help? Or did it occur to you that maybe you shouldn’t help, that maybe, maybe this was the answer you’ve been looking for?
Maybe this whole thing wasn’t premeditated, but, if opportunity knocks, sometimes it’s a good thing when all of a sudden everything blows up, and this time it blew up to your advantage,” he suggested, staring at Rory with a hard look.
Riley pointed at him. “You’re Timmy’s cousin.
Do you stand to inherit the pub when Timmy dies?
If so, I will look into you and every man in this room today,” Riley vowed.
“The more you guys fight me, and the more you try to tell me that I’m not who I am and that I don’t have anything to offer, the more I’ll be looking at you because somebody here stands to inherit a shit ton of money and a thriving business, both the legal pub and whatever illegal activity you have going on down here in the tunnels.
So somebody took out Timmy, who was young, capable, and deserved a chance at life.
So, Rory, either back off or make that final push that’ll send me into the water, and then we’ll have a pretty damn good idea just what happened here. ”
Rory stepped back, his tone hard as he snapped, “You’re not pinning that on me. No fucking way.”
Derek called him out, “Then stop being an asshole. I don’t know if Riley’s here to help us or if he’s just here after the dog, but, either way, we need Cain for Timmy’s sake.”
Rory looked over at Derek and then back to Riley. While he glared at Riley, Rory spoke to Derek. “You sure about that? I mean, Tim’s already a vegetable, and finding the damn dog won’t make a bit of difference.”
Riley stared at the jaded young man. “If that’s the way you feel, why the hell are you down here?”
“I’m down here to make sure nobody else has any accidents,” he declared, his gaze going from one to the other.
“That’s right,” Derek pointed out. “The one thing Riley did say that’s so true is that somebody did this, and no way in hell am I losing anybody else in this family because of some greedy asshole who thinks Timothy shouldn’t have been given the pub.”
Derek gave a good long look at the other guys gathered here.
“So, … if anybody here had something to do with my boy hooked up in that hospital, you’re on notice,” he yelled.
“I ain’t taking it, and now that this guy’s around here too, you better believe that all bets are off.
Riley and I will find out who did this.”
With that promise, Derek turned and stomped back the way they had come.