Page 50 of Lost Lake
He tightened his grip on the counter. “What was she doing there?”
Odd question for him to ask, especially when he didn’t know anything about her these days. “She was afraid of something and was on her way to see me.”
“But you don’t know what it was?”
Another odd question.
“No, do you?” Gabe asked.
“Me?” Brad’s tone mirrored his mother’s surprise. “Why would I know what Kenna was afraid of?”
“Because you know what’s going on in the criminal underbelly around here. If it somehow invaded her life, you’d know about it.”
Brad removed his hands and shoved them into his pockets. “If you’re here to insult me and the family, you might as well leave.”
“We’re just here for the current address of Kenna’s parents,” El said.
“And who are you? Law enforcement by the looks of it. Otherwise, I don’t know why a beautiful woman would dress like a nun in today’s world.”
“Brad!” their mother said. “No need to be rude.”
“No worries.” El smiled. “He’s right. I think of this as my uniform. Do you know where Kenna’s parents are, Mr. Irving?”
“I’m sure Mom told you they moved to a retirement village in Gold Beach.”
“She did, but she didn’t have an address.”
He stood looking at El, and Gabe could almost see the thoughts pinging through his head. “I can probably get that for you.”
“You being helpful? That’s a first.” Gabe studied his brother for a few moments to see if he had an ulterior motive. “How would you get their address?”
“I know the couple who bought their house. They might have a forwarding address in their paperwork. Sit tight. I’ll go ask them.” He spun and rushed out the door.
“He’s always willing to help.” Gabe’s mother said with pride as she returned to the table.
As usual, his memory of his brother was far different than his mother’s. “He seemed bothered by hearing about Kenna’s murder.”
“Of course he did,” his mother said. “He might come off as a tough guy, but he’s very sensitive.”
A snort came to the surface, but Gabe swallowed it and stood. “Unless you have anything else to offer regarding Kenna and her family, we’ll be going.”
Her eyes widened. “But what about the address?”
Gabe fished out a business card from his pocket and laid it on the table. “If Brad gets it, have him text me at this phone number.”
She got up slowly. “You sure you can’t stay, son?”
“Not as long as even one person in our family is still involved in criminal activities.”
His mother glanced at El.
“Don’t worry, she knows about the family business, and she’s not here to do anything about it,” Gabe said. “Like we said, she’s here to get information on Kenna.”
El stood and handed her business card to his mom. “Please let me know if you learn anything else about Kenna and her murder. Or where Lucy might be.”
His mother nodded vigorously. “I doubt that I’ll hear anything, but you can be sure if I do, I’ll call you.”
“Goodbye, Mom.” Gabe barely got the words out through a closing throat. He rushed for the front door, assuming El was following him. He whipped it open and charged down the steps. On the sidewalk, he turned for a brief last look at his mother, but his emotions overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t stay there.
