Alone (Bone Secrets, #4)(48)

The line was silent.

Yes, his son couldn’t be expected to prevent what he didn’t know was happening. That meant he needed to watch Jason closely.

“You need to know what my grandson is doing. Keep a tighter rein on his activities. Do you know where he is all hours of the day?” He didn’t care if the question seemed unfair. They were in a crisis mode. There could be no more mistakes. “Our success stems from our control. It’s important that no one step out of line. And it’s up to us to enforce it.”

“He’d said he was going to a friend’s house. He’s always at someone’s home.”

“Then it’s time to curb his activities. Who’s in control in your home? You or Jason? You can’t let him run freely about the city doing as he pleases. He’s shown he can’t be trusted. It’s time to crack down.”

Why did he have to give this talk? Leo knew the rules. He knew he was directly responsible for Jason’s actions. “How are you going to fix the problem at the medical examiner’s?” the old man asked.

“I don’t think there is a problem. I got what we needed and confused the scene to mislead them. It will take them days to sort it out.”

“You’re making assumptions. They’re professionals. You know the bones have been assigned to Victoria Peres. She’s renowned for her anthropology skills. It may be as simple as an easy crossword puzzle for her.”

The line went silent again. Let him think on that. The old man didn’t tolerate sloppy work or assumptions made on no information. Let him sweat under his father’s praise for the woman’s work. Maybe it would push him to try a little harder. Nothing like a bit of rivalry.

“What did you do with the bones?”

“They’re safe,” Leo answered with confidence.

The old man closed his eyes. Had this man learned nothing from him? “Where are the bones?”

A pause. “At the house.”

“Where your boy can find them?”

Another pause. “He won’t find them.”

Jesus Christ. “Boys can find anything. Especially deliberately hidden things. Remove them at once. I want them here.”

Leo cleared his throat. “Yes, sir.”

That was better. A little respect. Perhaps the fault did lie with himself. Had he been too lax on his flock? Was he growing too soft in his old age?

“Where is Jason now?”

“Ummm. I’m not sure. He’s not answering his phone. I’ve told him to call me at once.”

“He’s not obeying well, is he? I want to see him. Tomorrow. First thing in the morning.”

“Ahh. Okay. I’ll try to find him.”

The old man’s blood pressure rose. “Find him now! And get those bones over here tonight. What is wrong with you? I’ve never seen you so incompetent before. Can’t you find his location with his phone?”

“I’ve tried. He must have powered down his phone. I’ll be able to tell the minute he turns it back on.”

“So he’s avoiding you. He knows how to keep you off his back.” The old man’s mind raced. Jason was becoming a big problem. The stunt he’d pulled last week had brought national attention to the deaths of long ago. What was the boy up to? He’d never been so defiant before.

“I’ll find him,” Leo said assuredly.

Liar. The old man had no confidence in his son. Within twenty-four hours, he’d managed to destroy any trust and respect he’d built in the old man’s eyes. This was an important time for them. He needed to rely on people who’d proved themselves to be trustworthy, and this man was rapidly sliding down the ladder.

“Get those bones over here now,” he ordered.

“On my way, Father.”

The old man broke the connection and turned his attention back to the television. Memorial attendees were being interviewed. Their stories were jumbled and confused and offered no insight into the terror that’d happened inside the building. One gun, two guns, three guns. Figure it out, people! How could the eyewitness accounts be so different? He answered his own question; no doubt these were not eyewitnesses, but people who simply wanted their faces on TV. They may have been present, but they didn’t see anything.

What was he going to do with Leo? And the boy? His heart hurt at the thought of punishing them. But they’d broken the rules. The boy had broken a direct order. And the father had failed by not keeping the boy in control.

He’d meted out punishment several times. His other son, the oldest boy, had been an issue for many years. He’d demonstrated as a child that his mind didn’t work correctly. The old man had read that improper upbringing during a boy’s formative years could add to adult issues. But these were brothers. How could one turn out normal and the other so malicious? Was the lack of a mother that important?

He shuddered at the memory of his last encounter with the evil brother. He’d defied him, hoarding a precious necklace that had belonged to his dead mother. The boy had been eighteen at the time, and had shown a history of mental instability. The elders had urged him to do something to control the boy. He’d given him chance after chance, many more than any human deserved. When he’d been ordered to return the necklace to the family coffers, the young man had refused, clinging to the necklace and the memory of a mother he’d never known.