Chapter Thirty Eight

Stephen

I’m sitting across from this jerk, waiting for him to meet my gaze after I’ve just landed a punch on his mouth, splitting his lip.

He’s taking his sweet time to lift his head and look at me, but that’s fine. I’ve got all night, and I’m not leaving until I get the answers I’m after.

I sit there, eyes locked on him, playing a game of chicken, waiting for him to crack and spill his secrets.

Chad - What the hell, man? What’s your problem?

Stephen - That’s your opening line?

Chad - I... I don’t know what you’re talking about.

So I punch him in the mouth again.

Chad - Shit! What the hell, Stephen!!

And just for that, I punch him in the mouth again.

Chad - Okay, okay, for fuck’s sake, what do you want?

Stephen - You really need to ask? Choose your next words carefully, Chad, because if I have to hit you again, I might not stop.

I watch as he sighs heavily, finally realizing he’s cornered.

Chad - What do you want, Stephen?

Stephen - Wrong answer. Two more strikes and you’re out.

Chad - What the fuck does that mean?

Stephen - One strike left.

I lean back in my chair, still holding his gaze.

Stephen - Think before you speak next, Chad. Take your time. Like I said, I’ve got all night.

I watch as he scans my face, searching for a clue, any hint of what I already know. But I’m better at this game and I give nothing away. I pull a joint out of my pocket and light up while I wait. I offer it to Clint who emerges from behind him and takes it. That’s when Chad realizes it’s now or never. If he doesn’t spill everything, he won’t be walking out of here.

I watch as he hangs his head in defeat.

Chad - I was doing my usual drop and just before I got to the entrance of Brando’s, Mike and his partner showed up and cuffed me with the bag full of their order. They dragged me into their car nearby and drove me out of town before tossing me out on the highway and roughing me up.

Chad - They finally identified themselves as CPD and DEA and said they knew what I’d been up to. They threw photos at me from the past few months, saying they had enough evidence to put me away for life.

Chad - At first, I didn’t say anything, until they started saying I was just a small fish in a bigger pond and they wanted in. Mike was dirty, man!

Chad - He was originally from New York and was demoted for being dirty there. He had connections with CPD who got him in without a background check.

Chad - They made it clear I worked for them now. In exchange for passing him a few parcels each shipment, I got a get out of jail free card and he promised not to touch any of you.

I take the joint back from Clint and take a few drags, still not saying anything.

Chad - When I wasn’t getting enough for his liking because I couldn’t shortchange it that much without affecting the drops, they leaned on me to get him in. He might have been DEA, but none of those parcels were making it back to build a case against you, any of you. There was no active investigation.

I stay quiet. There’s more, I can tell by his face. And I want the partner’s name! He’s still out there somewhere.

Chad - The night you told us you were shutting down, he lost it and put pressure on me to steal the entire shipment with him in the shed. When I refused, he said he would do it himself and make sure he took Trinity down with him. With her out of the way, you would soon turn back to the game. You had nothing else.

Before I can think, I punch him in the face again.

He fucking knew he had every intention of killing my wife and did nothing to stop it. My blood is boiling now.

Stephen - Who is the partner?

I ask him, my voice icy cold as I glare at him.

Chad - When you called us all to the shed and I saw him lying there dead, I knew it was my chance out. There was still some stock hidden in his room he hadn’t had the chance to pass off yet to his partner to sell on. They were getting me to steal it for them to sell at a profit.

Chad - I took it and brought it here with me to make some extra money on the side to get away and go into hiding permanently.

Stephen - Who is the partner?

Chad - I took that stock with me in the truck that night, got rid of the usual drops and skimmed a bit extra off the top. Once I got here, I called my old friends who are now in Ireland and told them what I had and they came over and took care of it, splitting it 50/50 with me. Soon it became too tempting when they offered me a 60/40 cut if I continued to get extra for them from Phil.

Stephen - Who is the partner?

Chad - With what I had taken from Mike’s room and skimming off the top here, I had enough to keep me going for a while. I went back to the states to tidy everything up before I disappeared for good, but I was flagged at immigration and dragged into CPD.

Chad - They interviewed me and interrogated me for a day before I finally cracked and told them Mike’s plan with your wife. They knew she was one of the last people to see him before he disappeared, just like you guys.

Stephen - WHO . . . . IS . . . . THE . . . . PARTNER?

I repeat, slower this time.

Chad - I came to your house that day trying to warn you they were digging. When I got back, it just became second nature to start taking it again, more and more each time. Once I realized Phil and Sergio were getting wise to it, I called them and told them I needed to get out, it was too hot. I took one more large hit from them and fled to Ireland. Mike’s partner was constantly lurking in the background.

Chad - He wanted a cut in again as he had lost considerable income from Mike’s death, which he now knew was the case after pressuring me, as well as you shutting down. Eventually, we agreed to give him 30% to keep him quiet and we split the rest.

Chad - I’m sorry, man, I never wanted to do this to you, any of you. I was just in too deep. I took off to Ireland and we just got into a routine of selling there and thankfully no one knew where I was so I was able to go off the grid. Then Sergio showed up.

Stephen - I’m going to ask you this one last time, and Chad, if you don’t answer, don’t mistake the fact that I’m out of the game now and settled with a family as a sign of weakness. I will destroy you, and I promise you here and now, you will not leave this room tonight alive.

Stephen, I trusted you. For years, man. You were like a brother to me. I gave you everything you ever wanted. And you and Mike, you plot to kill my wife behind my back. For what? Greed? So I’m asking you, one last time. And God help me, if I have to ask again, it’ll be the end of you.

Stephen, his voice shaking with rage, demanded, “Who the hell is the partner, Chad?”

Chad, his voice barely a whisper, replied, “Detective Peters.”