“You think someone harmed him or kidnapped him?” she asked.
“I don’t want to think that, but it’s a possibility I have to consider,” I said. “My dad is a huge player in the real estate world. He’s made a name for himself as being very, very good at cutting deals and stealing property away from another investor. It’s made him more than one enemy. Not every investor is on the up and up. There are plenty of shady people trying to put their money in real estate for one reason or another.”
“Like the mob?” she asked.
“Organized crime in general,” I replied. “We’ve been pretty lucky to avoid any of those guys. Sometimes we’ll get one of them that comes along and wants to give us way too much money. We have always been very careful about who we go into business with. Maybe we messed up. Maybe my dad pissed off the wrong guy. I just don’t know, but I have to consider all options. It’s a plausible scenario.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t they reach out with a ransom demand?”
“I don’t know,” I said with a sigh. “My dad has more money than I do. Maybe they’re getting him to pull money from his accounts.”
“Wow. That is scary.”
“Yes, it is,” I agreed.
I sipped the tea that didn’t taste bad, but it wasn’t my cup of tea—pun intended. Kona’s head popped up and she jumped to her feet. The hair on her back stood up and she moved to stand in front of Thea with a low growl escaping her throat. I had no idea what was happening until a man’s head popped over the fence.
“I told you I was going to do it!” The man shouted and waved a piece of paper. “I got the signatures needed. They are out of here.”
“Why don’t you go to bed?” Thea snapped. “Isn’t it past your bedtime?”
“Make jokes, but I’m the one who will get the last laugh. Those damn dogs are going to be gone soon.”
Kona barked but didn’t move from Thea’s side. Thea had her hand on the dog’s collar. “Get a hobby, Mr. Wedge. Truly, there has to be something better for you to do with your time besides torturing me and my dogs.”
“Your dogs have been torturing me since you moved in!”
“Let’s go inside,” Thea said. “That asshole doesn’t sleep!” She shouted the last loud enough for the man to hear.
We went back inside with Kona growling one last time. Thea shut the door and put a guard over the doggy door.
“What the hell was that about?” I asked.
“He’s an asshole with nothing better to do,” she said. “He makes living here miserable. We can’t be in our own backyard without him starting trouble. He’s the menace he accuses my dog of being.”
I didn’t like the situation. Not at all. The guy was clearly watching her. It was late. There would be no other reason for him to stick his head over the fence. We weren’t being loud. The dogs didn’t let out a peep. He was a creep. It seemed like she was surrounded by them wherever she went.