Chapter 8

But Albert had barely even left the room when Hubert turned on his daughter with spiteful eyes.

“But look at you,” his voice was hard with accusation. “You don’t look like you are suffering like the family you left behind. How long did you have to open your legs and to how many men?!”

 Penny’s spine went straight. “Everything I have I worked hard with my sweat and blood despite the hardship, despite everything. If you are bitter about my success then maybe you shouldn’t have sent for me!” She took pleasure in the widening of his eyes. Biting back a small smile she continued in the same stern voice. “I am not the little girl I was when I left, dad. Now, will you tell me what you want from me? I have a company to grow.”

It took him a while to get over her words. It was nice to see Hubert Nowak speechless for a change. But she couldn’t take full satisfaction though, not when his eyes were so hollow. He sat back in his chair and looked at her mother before reaching a hand out to take hers in his.

“I conned the wrong person.”

Penny looked around at the bare furnishing. “Doesn’t look like you did much with what you got. Is this why you left Poland?”

He bowed his head. “Albert told you?”

“I had to know what I was getting into. If I was to leave my company to help you do I not need a good reason?”

Hubert’s eyes were hopeful when he looked up at his daughter. “You will help me?”

“That depends on what you want me to do.” Penny’s eyes drifted to her mother again. The poor woman didn’t even have enough strength to speak. Penny reached out and took her free hand in hers. “What happened to my mother?”

He bowed his head for a long time. His shoulders trembled as he took deep breaths. It took a while for her to realize he was crying. His bony shoulders shook with each sob. He could barely contain his tears. His fingers linked with Maja’s When he lifted his head his eyes were bloodshot.

“Your mother has lymphoma. I tried everything. I spent everything to treat her but nothing…nothing worked” He sniffed and bent his head to wipe the tears off his face. “I have not been the best father or husband.”

Penny looked away. Seeing her father, a man feared and respected for his prowess. In the network of underground thieves, con men and gamblers, he was the biggest shark in the water. Or used to be. What was left of the ferocious Hubert was a man riddled with debts and grief and a dying wife. Even though she felt sorry for him she couldn’t pretend the past 10 years did not happen.

“I am not here to be a member of your pity party, dad. This is not the time for that. I have a business to run and every minute spent outside it is an opportunity for my rivals to take over.” Her voice was rising and she didn’t know it. “So tell me what you want and let me be on my way!”

It wasn’t until she felt the frail hand of her mother on hers that she realized she was getting angry again.

“Don’t be so hard on your father, króliczku. He loves you, you know. We all do.”

Penny felt tears stink her eyes. Króliczku, meaning Bunny. When was the last time she heard that term of endearment. It brought all those lost memories back. Those memories had been replaced by her new life at age 18.

“Maja,” her father said. “You shouldn’t talk too much. You need to conserve your energy.”

Even in the gloom if there was one thing that remained constant it was her parents’ love.

“I know I have no right to ask anything of you,” Hubert said his voice soft and very low. “But if there was anyone else I could turn to I would. It hurts me to bring you back into this dysfunctional family.”

Somehow Penny believed him.

“I received a typed letter. Someone is blackmailing me. He goes by the name Avenge.” He reached into his pocket to retrieve two papers. “He knows my past and everything I have done. He swears he can turn me over to Polish authorities and would only refrain if I help him.”

“What sort of help does he want?”

“A couple of jewelries, a lot of art work. A lot of things. He needs my service stealing these things but…as you can see I have retired from that life.”

“Have you father? Have you really retired from that life” Penny asked.

Hubert held her gaze, her eyes were so much like his and it hurt to see her reflection there. She had loved her father very much, she thought the world of him until he chose to sell her off in his greed. True he wasn’t the perfect father. What father teaches his daughter to steal? By all moral standards he was not a true father figure yet he was all she knew. She knew how proud he was of her expertise while in the business.

Penny decided that she had to thank him for his betrayal. If he had not tried to marry her off she wouldn’t have discovered legitimate potentials.

Yet she was about to give up that legitimacy to help her family again.

“I have, bunny. I do not have the power to steal anymore. If I had anyone I trusted I would have asked this of them instead.”

“What about Albert?”

Hubert looked hesitant. “He has a business of his own now.”

Penny sensed there was more but he didn’t say anything more than that.

Hubert opened the letters in his hands and passed them to her. She took them and read them carefully. There was nothing in them to give the writer away. They were typed. But the curious thing was whoever typed them used a typewriter.

Penny felt the paper between her fingers feeling the imprint of the manual typewriter keys.

In the 21st century who still uses a typewriter?

Obviously someone who did not want to be traced. A computer generated letter could be traced but typewriters left nothing but imprints.

Penny read the letters again. They were haikus and their meanings were clear.

The first letter read:

Should judgement fall.

The thief no place can run.

But here salvation comes.

The second one was a continuation of the first and it was here she saw what the writer of both letters wanted.

Should salvation come.

The price though fair or steep.

Would you be wont to pay?

“There was an enclosed letter telling me to write my response and send it to a mailbox which was obviously registered in a fake name, I checked. If I want salvation I only have to send that letter of affirmation.”

Penny read the letters again. Should the writer make good his threat her father would end up in prison. She knew the weight of his crimes. She shared his guilt as they were once partners. If he went to jail so would she.

“I will do it.”

There was silence in the room.

“Whatever he wants I will steal them.”

“Penny…”

She raised her hand. “Don’t dad. I am not doing this for you. I do this because I am linked with this family no matter how much I deny it. If you are sent to jail it wouldn’t take a genius to link me with you and I too would be sent to jail. I cannot risk that.” She stood up and stared into his eyes so that he saw the hate in her eyes. “I do this for me.”

Even then Hubert smiled sadly. “Thank you.”

Penny hardened her heard against the flutter of hope budding in it. Looking away she said, “Send that letter and let’s see what Avenge wants.”