Page 60 of The Problem Child (Emerson Pass Historicals 4)

“And I.” My gun was under the seat of my car. I’d never have thought I needed it at Thanksgiving dinner.

“What is this?” Lord Barnes asked Theo. “Do you know?”

“Papa, I’ve no idea.”

“Nor do I.” Phillip scratched the back of his neck. “But Flynn’s been secretive and elusive lately. He obviously has another business that I don’t know about.”

Isak made a noise at the back of his throat. “I have a guess.”

We all turned to him. “What is it?” Lord Barnes asked.

“Flynn hasn’t told me, but I think he’s running a distillery,” Isak said.

“What? No, that’s impossible,” Phillip said. “We buy the booze from some moonshiner who lives in the woods.”

“I think he’s making it,” Isak said. “I’ve seen him drive out to the old mine area a couple times.”

“He’s set up out there?” Phillip asked.

“It would be a good spot. Out of town and deserted,” Isak said. “My guess is he’s using the old office building.”

“If he does run a distillery, what would those men want from him?” I asked.

“He said something about not selling,” Lord Barnes said. “Maybe they want to buy it.”

Theo had paled. “This isn’t an offer to buy. It’s informing him that they’re going to take it one way or the other. That’s the way these mobsters work.”

“They don’t want anyone distributing booze other than them,” Isak said. “Since Prohibition, criminals have taken over the making and distribution.”

“Why would they care about a small distillery out here?” I asked. “One that probably makes just enough to sell locally?”

“I don’t know about that,” Isak said. “This is Flynn we’re talking about. He sees a business opportunity, he’s going to take it. Maybe that’s why he wanted the road from Louisville opened.”

That should have been obvious to me but had not been. Hearing it out loud, the theory made perfect sense.

Theo sat down hard on one of the chairs and let out a long, despairing sigh.

“Here to take what he built for their own,” Isak said. “They probably work for someone who wants Flynn to stop interfering with their business.”

“Do you mean he’s getting in the way of their distribution?” Lord Barnes asked.

“Isak’s right,” Theo said. “They don’t want any of the smaller distilleries in their territory selling to speakeasies or individuals.”

“Emerson Pass is no one’s territory,” Lord Barnes said. “We run this town, not mobsters.”

“He opened us up to it when he started making gin,” Theo said, then cursed under his breath. “If he doesn’t give it over to them, they could kill him or his wife or one of us. That’s how they do.”

“My God, Flynn, what have you done?” Lord Barnes sank into a chair and put his head in hands.

It was then we heard the gunshot.