T heo led the way to the parlor, but the sofa didn’t appeal to him. He didn’t know where Hazel or her mother could be, and he wondered that he even considered it.
Artie had followed his brother. He searched the bookshelf when he entered the room, sorting through the lesser read volumes. Theo knew he wouldn’t stay long. The evening chores needed to be done.
I have a feeling I don’t want to know what he’s up to. I don’t like the sound of it.
Artie’s sigh caught Theo’s attention, and he turned to face his brother. He looked weary and troubled as he stepped back from the shelf, blowing dust off a copy of Ben Hur that Theo had never seen him read before. Not that he had ever read it either.
Theo took a seat on the sofa, leaning forward. “What’s bothering you, Artie?”
His brother looked up, dropping one arm with the book under it. “A number of things. To which are you referring?”
“We could begin with whatever led to your interrogation of Fred Salts a few minutes ago.”
Artie sighed again, taking a seat beside the piano. He moved his head to lean against the wall. “I’m not sure you want to know that.”
No. I don’t. I don’t want to know anything. I’m not going to let you look miserable without talking to you about it though.
“You’re always better off if you talk things through.”
Artie shook his head. “Maybe not this one.”
Theo watched him for a moment, then sighed once again. “It has to do with the incident between Dad and Dorothy Hodges, doesn’t it?”
Artie only looked back at him.
“Did you discover something else? Obviously, something to Dad’s disadvantage or you wouldn’t be worried about telling me.”
Artie slowly raised his head from the wall. “I…” He tried again. “I don’t think Dad is who we thought he was.”
“In what way?”
“I’m not sure he was the upright businessman that we always thought.”
Theo paused. If anyone besides his brother had suggested any such thing, he would have merely been angry. Artie, on the other hand, he had to listen to, even if he had given little subsequent thought to his brother’s previously voiced concerns. He took a breath. “What makes you draw that conclusion?”
Artie rested his head on the wall again, fanning the pages of the book. “There have been several things.”
“I suppose that the Hodges girl is one of ‘several things.’” Theo stood, unable to sit still. “Artie, you haven’t known her that long. You have known Dad for your entire life. Why would you take her word over his?”
Artie took his time replying. “Because everything I’ve seen about her seems to be telling the truth. And because I saw her with Dad myself in Apache Junction, and what I saw further inclines me to believe her.”
Theo made himself stay in the room, much as he wanted to bail from the conversation. “What does she say about Dad then?”
Artie clearly noticed his desire to escape. “I’m still not sure I should tell you.”
“If you’re afraid that I’ll hunt her down and wring her neck for it, you needn’t concern yourself.”
Artie raised his eyebrows. “I’m not.”
Theo shook his head, the wave of anger passing. He resumed his seat on the sofa. “Just tell me, Artie. I might as well hear it now as later.”
Artie still hesitated but appeared to concede. He sighed. “She says Dad threatened her and her father a number of times. That he terrifies her, especially when she’s been alone with him. That, when I found them in Apache Junction, she had pulled her knife, but only after he attacked her.”
“She could be trying to get sympathy, because she doesn’t want to be hanged for his murder.” Even Theo knew he could be grasping at straws—what could either of them do, if the girl found herself sentenced whether they believed her or not?—but he had to make the suggestion.
Artie put one arm behind his head. “She could. I don’t believe it though.”
“Artie…”
“You heard Fred. Dad knew she is afraid of him. Fred knows it. Fred is afraid of Dad and Dad isn’t even here!”
Theo crossed his arms. “I’m not afraid of him. Neither are you!”
Artie jumped to his feet. “That doesn’t mean that others can’t be. He never let us near his business. When I wanted to work, he didn’t want me to do a farm, but he allowed it because he wouldn’t let me work with him.”
“He sent you to meet the Hodges girl.”
“Telling me absolutely nothing about it. They even sent written messages part of the time without informing me of their contents.” Artie shook his head. “No records. Huge payments. Everyone Fred can mention that he’s lent to seems to be dead or moved away. Theo, there is something wrong!”
Theo hung his head in his hands. “Maybe Fred is right. Dad could be dead. He’s certainly missing. Maybe it doesn’t matter right now.”
Hazel’s voice echoed through the house, calling for Artie. He turned to answer but looked toward his brother first. “Or maybe it’s the reason why Dad is missing or dead. Look here, even if he’s a rogue, I want to know what’s happened to him. He’s my father. I’m not saying that I don’t. This could be the only way to find out.”
Theo watched his brother leave the room, before lounging back on the sofa. Throwing his arm over his eyes, he sighed heavily.
I may prefer to live out my days in ignorance. If he’s dead and a rogue…What do I do with that?