Page 121 of Massacre Monday

His snappy tone confirms my suspicions.

“Did he hurt Mom?”

Dad’s hand slaps across his face as he trails it down his cheeks. His eyes wince as if he’s in pain. “He tried.”

“And so you…”

“Did what needed to be done.”

My throat gets tight. Respect for him not just as a good father, but also as an amazing husband andmangrows.

Confusion still tugs at my brain, and it won’t go away. Mainly to myself, I whisper, “But why notme? Why go afterher?”

“What?”

“His daughter is now a professor of Criminologyhereat Northview.”

My father’s shoulders stiffen. “Oh?”

“Yeah. And Pen, er Pippi, has been in her class, except…she’s been giving her a terrible time. In fact, Pen just went to drop it now after Amanda told her to. I asked her to, because I don’t think she’s safe. Her roommate was slaughtered, and then her ex-dance partner went missing, but ifyou’rethe one she wants for revenge, why not come after me?”

With a completely flat response, Dad says, “I don’t know.”

“So youdoknow.” I sit forward with a gasp. “Oh…”

Everything falls into place.

His hand works itself to the back of his neck, then he stands and paces the room.

“I see,” I say, barely able to look at him now. “Were we set up?”

Whipping his head to me, he asks, “Who?”

“Me and Pen.”

The muscles in his neck flex as he swallows. “No. I think that must have been a wild series of coincidences. Fate’s way of making a joke, perhaps.”

“I think we were meant for each other.”

“It would seem that way.”

Taking a deep breath, I shift to a more comfortable position. “So you and Maxtook careof the problem of Professor Hall together… Were youfriends?”

“What? No. A mafia boss who owed us some favors lent him to me. Before the incident, I’d never seen him. When he showed up as the hired muscle, he called himselfThe Bear. We completed the job, and he left.”

“So his was for money.”

He nods. “And mine…for revenge.”

“This is what I don’t understand. Why hasn’t Amanda come aftermethen? Does she not know of your involvement, but of Max’s?”

“We hide our records very well. No one should be able to figure things out. I have no idea how she would know about Freidenberg’s involvement at all unless it was a slipup on his ex-employer’s side.”

“Maybe.”

“You can’t tell your mother any of this.”

“Mom doesn’t know?”