Page 45 of Bad Rio

Holding the door, he ushered her inside and closed it quietly behind them. He pocketed the key. Inside the building, it was dark.

“This the front of the business?” Rio whispered.

“Yes, the receptionist area, then behind that, cubicles for sales people. Our offices are just past this area.” She pointed past rows of desks down a wide hallway.

He hesitated in an open doorway. “What’s in here?”

“That’s the day care room. It opens to an outdoor patio where the children can ride tricycles, get a little sun.”

“Children?” He raised a brow.

“Yes, for our employees who are parents. Rio, we don’t have time—”

“You provide day care?”

“Yes,” she said impatiently. “When I came to work here after college, I noticed our employees rushing off to pick up their kids. Some of the moms were sad, and they missed them. So, why not provide care here? The mothers and fathers can visit their kids any time, have lunch with them, and when their shift is over, they don’t need to drive anywhere to get them. Simple. Now, let’s go.”

Moving with her down the hallway, Rio said, “How does this business work? You said it’s a distributorship.”

“I wish you could see the warehouse on a normal work day,” she said in a low voice. “It’s so busy, with people working hard both in the shop and here in the offices. But right now there’s no time for that. We need to get moving, okay? There isn’t time for a tour.” Didn’t he understand the need to hurry?

“Just a mini-tour, then.”

“Argh!” Frustrated, she clasped her hands together. “Okay. Real quick, De Monte Wheel Solutions is a distributorship, and more. We sell hubcaps both in bulk to car manufacturers, and also if a private customer wants just one special wheel cover. We stock vintage, as well as new. Also, we have a reconditioning division.” She hesitated, then said with no small amount of pride, “We strive to beat our competitors. That’s why I keep such close tabs on shipping. Those costs can rise pretty fast.”

Something akin to admiration came alive in his eyes. “You really care about this place,” he stated softly.

She blinked. “Of course I do. It’s my family business.”

“Understood. And I can see why it’s important to you. Right now, I want to see the floor itself,” Rio said. “We can look into the offices afterwards. One day, I’ll want a full tour of the place. Got any flashlights in here?”

“I think my brother has a little penlight in his desk.”

“Grab it.”

“Okay. The machinery is in back. There’s one big shop with different staging areas and a loading dock.” She opened the second door, went to the desk and found a small flashlight.

Rio nodded, and she led the way past the offices to the warehouse. While the hallway leading into the shop was dark, Becca was startled to see light emanating from the rear of the building.

Behind her, Rio must have seen the same thing. He squeezed her arm in warning. Did she hear voices?

Moving silently along the wall, they entered the shop, a large single area of some eighty thousand square feet. Steel i-beams loomed with rows of product stacked high between them. Machinery, tooling, and wooden pallets containing hubcaps were arranged with pathways zigzagging neatly through the labyrinth.

They kept the penlight low. A ramp along the wall led to an upstairs viewing station and restrooms. That area of the floor was dark. Rio squeezed her again, and when she looked at him, he thrust his chin at the ramp.

Together they crept upward, well concealed by darkness. At the viewing station they stopped, and knelt below the top railing to peer downward.

At the rear of the shop, the large doors opened and Becca gasped.

Lights in the back were turned on, spotlighting a man directing three others to load up a forklift and move crates to a waiting flatbed on the loading dock. Recognizing the man giving directions, she froze. Her heart rate skyrocketed.

“Let me guess,” Rio whispered in her ear, “The sweet and innocent Uncle Tim?”

Numbly, she swallowed hard and nodded.

Quietly, they watched the process and stayed low while her Uncle Tim and the other men pushed some of the wooden boxes to a corner and piled tarps and equipment on top. They closed the doors and locked them from the outside. The truck’s engine rumbled to life and it was driven away.

Becca couldn’t imagine what her uncle might be doing there at this time of night. Confusion filled her.

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