Page 18 of Meant for Two
“Dad, let’s sit in the conference room. We’ll have privacy in there.”
“What about your apartment above the warehouse? I haven't seen the progress in a while.”
Jeff’s apartment wasn’t quite ready for prime time, but his dad wouldn’t care if it was full of construction material. “Sure. It’s better than it was the last time you saw it, but the kitchen isn’t quite done.”
“I wasn’t expecting a cooked meal, son.” His father smiled.
“Got it.” They met Zane coming out of the warehouse. “Dad wants to chat upstairs.”
“Works for me.”
The three of them took the stairs up to the loft. It had two bedrooms and a great view of the land behind the warehouse. As soon as they stepped inside, Jeff removed the sheets that covered the sofa and chairs in the living room. “Have a seat. If I had a refrigerator, I’d offer you a drink.”
“This isn’t a social call,” his dad said.
“What’s on your mind?” Jeff could guess.
“We’d all like to believe this is an isolated robbery, and it might be, but I want to be prepared in case this is some sort of revenge act.”
“Revenge against who?” Zane asked. “You? The Hensleys?”
His father leaned back against the sofa. “I don’t know. That’s why I’m here. Since the robbery, I’ve suddenly become paranoid, coming up with a lot of crazy ideas.”
Jeff huffed. “I’m the king of crazy ideas. Hit me with one.”
“For the moment, let’s assume the Hensleys are innocent victims. I’m not saying they are. In fact, Adam is working that angle. I told him that I’d work on a few other theories.”
“Who are you thinking is out to get you?” Jeff asked.
“Phil DePaul.”
“Why?” Jeff asked. "Because you legitimately outbid him for the Development land?”
His father shrugged. “I guess. You know how he’s against land clearing. Phil believes that if you cut down a tree you need to plant another one. I love the idea, but there isn’t a whole hell of a lot of land in this area that isn’t covered by trees. We need people to help boost the economy.”
Zane leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I heard he invested in something else.”
“He did. He bought a hardware store over in Midvale, but apparently, it isn’t doing well.”
“I don't know a lot about Phil other than he’s a werewolf, but would you say he’s vindictive?” Jeff asked.
“Let’s say, when he wants something, he goes after it. I haven’t asked Adam yet, but I’ll ask him to check if Phil has a record,” his dad said.
“Not to throw a wrench in the system, but he could have hired someone to sabotage Woodland Estates,” Zane said. “Think about it. Whoever broke into the Hensleys came in through the woods. For a young werewolf, it’s not a big deal, but Phil is no youngster.”
“That’s what worries me. The thieves were werewolves. We know that much, but considering how easily they broke in, stole the merchandise, and got out, I’m thinking they were professionals,” his father said.
“Not to state the obvious, but that makes it harder to find the person,” Jeff said.
“Exactly,” his father said. “I was hoping you two could come up with some ideas. Has anyone been upset enough with either of you to want to take down the Development?”
“We’re contractors. If they are upset with me, they’d harm this store, not Woodland Estates.”
“That’s probably true, but if they harmed my livelihood, you would be upset,” his father said.
“You’re right about that. Let me think.” Jeff looked over at Zane. “I’ve pissed off a few women in my time, but I don’t see any of them being devious enough to do something like hiring some werewolves to rob you.”
“Keep working on it. I might be totally off base that this has anything to do with revenge, but like I said, I don’t want to rule anything out,” his dad said.