No. There had to be some mistake.
“Arrested? What for? Are you certain?” Why hadn’t her mother called? “Where’s my phone? Oh, drat, it’s still at the clinic. I forgot it. I-I need to call my mother.” Oh, God, she’ll be a mess. And without her father around it would be up to her to calm her mother down. Although, there was no chance in hell she’d achieve that.
“I’ll go and get your phone for you,” Travis reassured her.
“Okay, good. Thanks.” She rubbed her head, trying to think. “Wait, what was he arrested for?” This had to be a mistake.
Curt shared a look with Travis, which she couldn’t decipher. She tensed, knowing it wasn’t going to be good. Of course, it wasn’t good, her father had been arrested for God’s sake.
Curt took a deep breath then tightened his hold on her. “Supplying arms to terrorists.”
“What? But . . . what . . . that’s ridiculous,” she stumbled over her words, almost stuttering. “How could they possibly think my father is dealing in arms trading? The company he runs builds parts for airplanes. We don’t make weapons.”
“But his company ships things all over the world,” Travis pointed out. “The FBI and ATF believe he’s been shipping weapons overseas to a dealer who supplies arms to terrorist groups across the Middle East and Africa.”
“That’s crazy. How would he even get ahold of any weapons?”
“So, you’ve never heard him talk about any of this?” Travis asked, looking at her intently. “Never heard him speak of someone called The Brit?”
“The Brit? What? Who’s he? I’ve never heard him say anything about any of this. Curt, this has to be a mistake, right?” He knew her father. He knew he wouldn’t be capable of this.
“Do you know Doug Shipman?” Travis asked.
“Yes, he’s a good friend of Daddy’s. We often went on summer vacations together. His family owns . . .” she trailed off as it hit her.
“Shipman Arms Manufacturing,” Travis finished. “The feds have also arrested Shipman on suspicion of supplying arms.”
“Oh, God, I feel ill. It can’t be right. Are you sure Daddy was a part of it? Maybe it was all done without his knowledge.”
“Maybe,” Curt told her, but she sensed his doubt. He thought this was true.
“FBI and ATF agents are currently searching the buildings and warehouses belonging to your father’s company. It will take a while, but then we’ll know if they find anything,” Travis told her.
“He was a marine.” She stared at Curt, wishing he’d tell her this was all some stupid joke. But he just watched her steadily, the look on his face resolute.
“This is no joke, is it?” she whispered.
“No, baby.”
She looked up at Travis. “I need my phone. I don’t have a landline and I have to call my mother.”
“You don’t have a landline?” Curt asked. “What if your cell dies or you forget it like today?”
She pressed the palms of her hands against her stinging eyes. She really didn’t have the energy to fight with Curt right now. She needed some time to herself to think. She just couldn’t believe this of her father. She couldn’t.
“Curt, maybe give her a break, huh?” Travis said.
She moved her hands away from her eyes and gave him a grateful look.
“I’ll go get your phone, Jenna. Just think about whether you remember anything your father told you. Anything you might have overheard.”
She shook her head, staring at Travis in amazement. “I didn’t know anything about this. Is that why you’re here? Because you think I’m guilty of something?”
“Nobody thinks you’re guilty of anything.” Curt said, glaring at Travis.
“Of course not. But if you have any information that could lead to finding The Brit we need to know.”
“Travis,” Curt said in a warning voice.