FATHER ALWAYS SMILING

Chapter 54 ~~~~~

Jeremiah frowned; he did not seem to like Anthony's answer.

"Look, I can hazard a guess as to why yous might be here, but I bet you ain't much of a guessin' man. I'm also the type ta not flap my gums to just anyone, especially not after what happened ta her."

So he knows what happened to Amalie. Kira thought, given how protective he seemed to be to the girl, he must have some close connection.

"We aren't here about that," Elija answered. "It's about what happened at the hospital with Mr. Terach."

"Ah..." Anthony said with a rather pissed-off scowl. "That creep. Ya still haven't found him, huh?"

"No," was Jeremaih's only answer.

His eyes narrowed on the man. "Then what good are ya? He and that damn teacher, but then I bet yous guys don't fair any better. Given you and yer buddy look ta be, what, Secret Service? FBI? Why don't ya clean up yer own problems before dealin' with ours? Though that Terach Prick, he's from the States, ain't he? So, I guess he is yer problem."

"What exactly, are you implying?" Elija spoke up. "And what teacher are you talking about?"

Anthony looked at Kira. "Ya keepin' him in the dark on purpose?" then looked to Elija before she could even answer. "I'm talking about a Ped that tried to hurt the little girl who lives here. That guy is of the same ilk as the one yer trackin' down. Though if it were up ta me, I'd bash his brains in." he would have said more but stopped and turned to see the front door behind him opening where Amalie Hilmarsson stood, looking perplexed, dressed in a red plaid overall dress that stopped just below the knee and black long-sleeved shirt and matching socks, her hair partly pulled back with French beret.

"Mr. Anthony? Who are you talking to?" she spied Kira first and scowled faintly.

Why does she hate me? Kira thought but kept it to herself.

Amalie's gaze then landed on Jeremiah, with a peaked interest. "Were you the man that called my Dad yesterday?"

To Kira's surprise, the man knelt at her level so they would be eye to eye. "Yes, I spoke with your father last night. However recent events made us need to speak with him in person, it's why we're here."

Kira stopped all function for a moment out of pure shock, the heck was this? Agent Amos was so tight-lipped before, but with a little girl, he's spilling all of the details.

"Oh, okay." Then she asked. "But why were you fighting with Mr. Anthony?"

"We weren't fighting," Jeremiah said quickly.

"Yeah, what he said," Anthony added drawing Amalie's attention and he smiled at her. "Don't worry about what that old guy says."

Jeremiah glared at him. "Excuse me?"

Anthony merely snickered at the man's rather dry response.

Who would have thought that Jeremiah had a softer side? Kira couldn't help but find it unbelievable. But that good feeling changed when she noticed how Amalie looked at Elija and quickly hid behind Anthony. "Kid?"

Kira looked at Elija and saw just how intently he was staring at the girl. The hell?

"Agent Amos, this girl, whose her father?"

Jeremiah looked at Elija with a puzzled stare. "Oh, didn't I tell you? She's—" he trailed off when a car pulled into the driveway. "Speak of the devil, I guess you'll just see for yourself."