Chapter 31

The warmth of Daniel’s shoulder remained on her cheek during the walk home. Daniel had wanted to escort her, but she insisted they part ways at the drugstore. Her father would be home by now and she didn’t want him to spoil the evening. Her heart took wings as she walked, swinging her arms as if she might float off at any moment.

And Daniel hadn’t even kissed her.

Finding her father hungry and irritable didn’t squelch the spark of joy growing inside of her. She pulled together a quick dinner, tidied up, ironed clothes for tomorrow, and packed his lunch without a single moment of resentment.

“What’s with you tonight?” Dad gathered the evening paper from the table.

She smiled as she breezed past him with a load of laundry. “The world just seems a brighter place this evening.”

He burrowed down into his chair, the paper on his lap. “Yeah, well, that will wear off. Just read some of this news.”

Laurie put away the last of the dishes and kissed her father goodnight. “At least that’s all far away. Everything and everyone I care about is right here in Port Angeles.”

Her father huffed and snapped the paper closed. “I think I’ll go out for a bit.”

Laurie paused on her way to her room. “Go out? This time of night? What do you need?” She frowned.

He shoved the gray cap down low on his forehead. “None of your business. Get to bed, now.”

A few of the sparkles from her day fizzled as she watched him push open the door and disappear into the night. She left the porch light on and sauntered off to bed. Plumping up the pillows, Laurie fetched her book. Summoning Daniel’s face, she lowered the pencil to the paper. She sketched him with one foot on the ground and the other propped up against the log, gazing across the harbor toward the curve of the spit and the lighthouse in the distance. No bootleggers, no G-men, no storm. Just strong shoulders. Her pencil shaded the curve of his back.

Strong enough to do the right thing.

Daniel sat at his grandfather’s table, his arms resting on the table. “So, how bad is it?”

Granddad leaned against the kitchen counter. “They swept through the records like a tidal wave. The paperwork is in shambles. What they didn’t take with them is strewn around the basement.”

“Brown claims our numbers don’t add up.”

His grandfather shook his head. “He just grabbed as much paper as he could and shoved it into boxes, carrying it off. He wasn’t crunching any numbers.” He scratched his chin. “If you ask me, he wasn’t even looking for numbers. He was looking for names.”

Daniel’s blood chilled. “Names?”

“Who’s using prescriptions to drink and who’s not.”

Daniel leaned back against the chair. “He can’t do that. It’s supposed to be confidential between doctor, patient, and pharmacist.”

Granddad lifted his hands. “I don’t understand why he’d even care. When someone comes in with a prescription, the Volstead Act doesn’t apply.”

A headache simmered behind Daniel’s eyes. He pushed fingers against his temples. “I thought he was just trying to lay in a case against me. Why would he care who is buying the liquor? It doesn’t make any sense.”

His grandfather walked around the table and refilled Daniel’s coffee cup. “For the sake of our business, we need to call off his dogs.”

“I hate the idea of buying him off.”

“What choice do we have? If Brown continues digging, he’ll find something that will either shut us down or lock us up. Or both.”

“He’d have to fabricate something.”

“You think he wouldn’t?”

Daniel closed his eyes. “No, you’re right. I just wish I knew what he was up to. Why is he targeting me?”

“Other than his obvious interest in Laurie Burke?”

Daniel opened his eyes and stared at his grandfather. “He pressured her into giving him my name.”

“So you said. But it’s clear that he has his eye on her.” Granddad picked up his breakfast plate and walked it to the sink. “And you are the competition.”

Daniel looked down at his plate, still full. He couldn’t seem to summon an appetite this morning.

“And Daniel, one other thing.” He ran some water over the plate and turned to face his grandson. “How come he let you go so quickly?”

“That bothered me, too. He claimed he needed time to go over the paperwork.”

“Perhaps a certain young woman intervened?”

Daniel pushed his chair back from the table and stood. “Laurie said she explained her mistake to Brown.”

Granddad’s forehead creased. “I just hope that’s all it was.”

Daniel froze, his hand reaching for his plate. “What do you mean?”

“That girl has a heart of gold, Daniel. She’s protected her father for years. Now, as you explain it to me, she’s protecting her brother.” The older man rolled up his shirtsleeves as the sink filled. “She was willing to sacrifice you to protect Johnny, right?”

Daniel scraped his plate into the wastebasket. “Something like that.”

“What is she willing to give up to protect you?”

The words sank into Daniel’s stomach like a lead weight.