Her Dad’s Best Friend novel Chapter 36

Ring.

“Hello? What’s up, Dad? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Kelly, baby girl, I just wanted to check in with you. How’s school going?”

“Dad, your voice sounds really weird. It must be a bad connection. School’s fine. Is everything okay?”

Nothing is okay. Her father is about to die by my hand.

“Everything’s fine.”

I muffle my snort. George is a terrible liar, which makes it crazy that he got away with cooking our books for so long. Sentimentality made me forgo annual audits. Emotions are liabilities.

“You sound like you’re sick or something.”

“Yeah, maybe I should see a doctor.”

He’ll probably see a medical examiner very soon. More accurately, a medical examiner would see him.

“I just wanted to tell you that I love you, Kelly.”

“I love you, too, Dad.” There’s silence on the line. “Are you sure you’re okay? I can drive home this weekend.”

If she came home this weekend, she’d be driving home for his funeral, but she doesn’t know that. I feel bad for Kelly, his naive daughter who had nothing to do with any of this. Her father’s death would ruin her life. I am taking back all of my money with 10% interest, compounded annually. I hope that he has some kind of life insurance. Otherwise, Kelly’s going to be broke.

“Don’t worry about me,” George says. “Just study hard. Be happy. I love you. I have to go now.” His fingers are shaking when he hits the red button to end the call.

George’s life will end in a few seconds. “I’m impressed. You didn’t try to get her to call the police. You didn’t tell her that I was here.”

“What would be the point? I’m going to die anyway. I don’t want her to have a vendetta against the Genovese family. She’s not tangled up in this. My daughter is the one good thing in my life. I have stolen. I have lied. But my daughter has never and will never see any of that.”

I put the safety back on my gun. “Maybe that’s the price.”

“Excuse me?”

“A few minutes ago, you were about to die. You had nothing to offer me. Now you do. Kelly is the one good thing in your life.”

“Oh, no.” He’s shaking his head. “Not my daughter.”

I smile. “Yes. Your daughter.”

Chapter Two

Driving Home