Page 45 of Twilight Tides
London didn’t look convinced, but she nodded and turned from me.
Kelly had always been a friendly, warm kid, which surprised me, considering how much Jill toyed with her emotions. However, I think my daughter had been pushed over the edge, so no one could blame her for being cautious or resentful. And she was fourteen. I was due the teenage ups and downs with her, and this latest event seemed like more than enough trauma to kick it off.
Marrying a woman my daughter barely knew didn’t exactly make me Father of the Year, even if I had done it partially for her.
Jill and I had both failed our daughter.
And now I’d put London in an awkward position too.
This was one giant clusterfuck, and I had no idea how to make any of it right.
16.Murray
Kelly had reluctantly gone with London to the ladies’ restroom on the ferry, and I’d taken that opportunity to call my solicitor so she could contact the police to get the info she needed for the emergency order. Then I called Mum to tell her everything. She was understandably upset, and I asked her if she could come spend some time with Kelly in the morning. With that arranged, I hung up and contemplated calling Fraser back, but I had a pounding headache, and I just wanted to ignore everything for a while.
Jack was at the harbor that evening and greeted us as we came off. If he was surprised that I didn’t stop the Discovery to chat, he didn’t show it as we drove away with a half-hearted wave. We were all exhausted.
The last thing I wanted to see was my cousin standing beside his car outside my house.
“What the …” I heaved an aggravated sigh.
“Is that Uncle Fraser?” Kelly leaned between mine and London’s seats.
Technically, he was her second cousin, but because of the age difference, Fraser insisted Kel call him uncle instead.
“Uncle Fraser?” London asked, unclipping her seat belt.
“My cousin. My head of charter and distribution.” I turned off the engine, studying Fraser’s unusually serious expression and dreading whatever he was about to tell me.
What more could I take today?
We all got out and Fraser’s expression softened when he saw Kelly. “You all right, wee yin?”
I frowned because he didn’t seem surprised to see her. “London, will you take Kelly inside?”
“But Dad?—”
“I’ll be right in, m’eudail.”
Fraser gave London a nod as she gestured for Kelly to follow her into the house. I waited until they were both out of earshot. “What the hell is going on?”
My cousin looked furious. “We’ve got a major problem.”
“Well?”
“Do you know the lad we hired at the beginning of the season? From Liverpool? Josh Hughes?”
“Vaguely …” I cursed as soon as the wordLiverpoolregistered. “No. Fucking no.”
“He showed up at the office today and said he needed to talk to you. He told me what was happening with Jill and the drug raid at her house. He knew all about it because he’s?—”
“He’s a gang member,” I surmised. “Fuck. What the fuck, Fraser?”
“I had no idea. He had what I thought were legitimate references. I called Northern Fisheries for his reference.”
“Or youthoughtyou called Northern Fisheries. So … is this about me, then?”
“I think so. I think they targeted Jill deliberately.”
