The color drained from Bernie’s face. “I don’t know why.” He blinked rapidly, his mind obviously working a mile a minute. “It’s…it’s just wrong,” he said. “I would never do that to her. To anyone.”
Asher’s gaze flicked to the mirror.
Boone sighed. “This doesn’t make sense.” He pointed at Bernie through the window. “That is not a man who orchestrated what happened to Kinsley. I don’t believe it for a second.”
“Neither do I,” Rhett stated. He reached for his phone and texted Asher: Not seeing anything on our end.
Asher looked at his phone again and then flipped it back over. “Here’s the thing, Bernie. The manner by which we got your name leaves no misunderstanding that you’re connected to this in some way. I don’t want to arrest you. But you need to tell me now, if you were not the one responsible for Kinsley’s attack, then who do you know that would do something like this? You need to explain why we got your name. If you don’t, I cannot help you.”
Any remainder of color in Bernie’s face drained out, leaving him ghostly white. He bowed his head. His fingers trembled on top of the table as he wrung them together.
“He’s afraid,” Rhett commented.
“But why?” Boone said, taking a step closer to the window.
A long moment of heavy silence followed, with Bernie keeping his head down. Then he finally said, “I had no idea any of this would happen.” Everything got real slow after that, as Bernie went on, “I only just learned about what happened the other night, but even then, I still wouldn’t have believed anyone would hurt her.” He lifted his head, tears rimming in his eyes. “I would have come forward if I’d known.”
Asher reached out and placed a comforting hand on Bernie’s arm. “I know that, Bernie. Like I said, I know what kind of man you are.”
Bernie visibly swallowed, a single tear trailing down his cheek. “It’s Josh.”
“Your son, Josh?” Asher asked. At Bernie’s nod, Asher pressed, “What about him?”
Bernie’s voice cracked. “He gambled all his money away. He lost everything, including the bar, and owes even more.”
Asher sat quietly, letting Bernie talk in his own time.
Bernie added, “Josh didn’t know, you know. He’s just a stupid kid. Didn’t know what he was getting himself involved in.”
Rhett would’ve been in there shaking him to hurry up.
Asher stayed perfectly still. “What didn’t Josh know, Bernie?” he asked.
“What…what owing money to the wrong people would cost him. That’d they take the bar. That’d they take everything.”
“Who are these people?”
Bernie’s face got even paler now. “I…I didn’t know…who…I didn’t know.”
“Bernie,” Asher said with a snap to his voice. “Who are they?”
“The Wild Dogs,” he said. “I’ve seen the symbol on their leather jackets. It’s one of those motorcycle clubs.”
Boone shot Rhett a look. “Do you know them?”
“Never heard of them,” Rhett said, grabbing his phone from his pocket to search the name on the Internet.
And right as the browser found the name, Bernie added, “I only found out whe
n they came to the bar that they’re a biker gang from New York City that’s expanding, and that Josh had taken a loan from them. He didn’t realize that the loan gave the biker gang ownership of the club.” His voice blistered. “It’s not even ours anymore. The bar. They’ve taken over. I’m there to ensure the bar’s success or Josh’s life…it’s over. They came to the house with guns…my wife…she was so afraid…”
“You should have come to us with this, Bernie,” Asher said. “We could have helped you.”
“I didn’t know…I just didn’t know…” He began sobbing.
Asher’s heavy sigh was visible when he turned toward Boone and Rhett in the window.
“It makes sense,” Boone finally said. “They now own a bar that is losing to Kinsley’s. From what she’s told me, she’s been having her best year yet. While that wasn’t a problem with Bernie, that would be a problem to this gang.”