Chapter Twelve: Caught In A Trap
Mia
The day dragged on as the detective grilled every single one of the Rebel Saints, but after the security tape was shown, she had nothing to go on, and she knew it. To me she was being a pain in the ass.
When Bones came in she took it to the next level. “How does it feel to have your club overrun with drugs, Gabriel?”
“The Wheelz club doesn’t have a drug problem. We don’t know where that guy came from. Somebody set us up, that’s my first thought. Why don’t you look into that instead of harassing our club?”
“That guy’s name is Josh Markum, and he was a recovering drug addict. He was on the straight and narrow, and he fell off the wagon. Early 50’s. He had a chance to live, and he died in your bathroom. How do you feel about that?” The detective was baiting him terribly.
Bones didn’t take the guilt trip. “Awful, and I’m sorry for his family’s loss. Rebel Saints have nothing to do with his death, I can assure you.”
“Can you?” she quizzed.
I jumped in, “Stop baiting my client. He’s told you already and your accusations are going nowhere. You have the security tape as proof, so get off your high horse, detective.”
She sat back after that.
Bones’ eyebrows furrowed as he leaned towards the detective. “I have a 16-year-old son. I want to work together with law enforcement, not against you. I want him to have a bright future in this town. Rebel Saints are committed to that. We are working on community outreach programs right now. Trust me, we don’t want the town overrun with drugs any more than you do. I suggest you take a look into the Devil Riders and their operation. You’re looking into the wrong club.”
Bones’ speech hit all the right notes with the detective, because she became more respectful at that point. One of the more successful interviews of the day.
The undertone of the day for me was something entirely different, with the truth eating away at me. I knew Doc had something to do with the overdose. He laid out the blueprint to me on the phone, and there was no way I could avoid seeing the truth of the situation.
By the time I left the Holbeck station, the sun had fallen behind the horizon replaced with a blueish-grey skyline. My eyes were drooping at the wheel, that’s how tired I was.
By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was soak in the tub and eat chocolate. I got in the shower and kneaded my tired muscles. When I got out, I grabbed a chocolate bar from my pantry, nibbling on a square as I looked at myself in the mirror.
How does it feel to be a liar, abetting criminals? I shook my head as I moved to the kitchen.
I had a call to make. I despised the fact I had to make it. I pressed the green call button.
“Mia. Nice to hear your voice. How are you this fine day?”
His slimy tone made me sick to my stomach and as soon as I heard his voice I wanted to hang up the phone. “I’m doing okay. Is there anything you want to confess to me, Doc?” My chest was heaving trying to gain oxygen as I sat on my couch.
“No, can’t say that I do. Why?”
“Doc, did you have anything to do with that drug overdose at Wheelz? The questions you asked me were…” My throat closed down as I held the phone away from myself squeezing my eyes shut. I took a few deep breaths and returned the phone to my ear.
“I don’t know why you think we had anything to do with that. These accusations are charming coming from you. Even if they were true, you represent the Devil Riders. You belong to us, so I suggest you get in line real quick, Mia,” his hoarse tone held the promise of death.
I feared for my life and for Numbers. I wanted to tell him so bad what was going on, but I knew he would be angry. “I don’t belong to you,” I pushed out in a choked voice. “I don’t want to work for you anymore.”
He snorted. “Oh no, that’s not how it works little lady. You have my money therefore you work for us now. Don’t get ahead of yourself. We have an agreement. A deal is a deal.”
“I still have the money. I can give it back to you. This is over. We can call it square, you can have the advice I gave to you for free,” I fought back with a hurried tone. I did have the money. I hadn’t put down a deposit on the nursing home. I was still searching with Mama. She wasn’t convinced about Sunnyside after she met one of the orderlies. She didn’t like the look of his eyes.
“Nope. That’s not what’s going on here, sweetcakes. You work for me. End of story. It would be a shame if you were feeling some sort of guilt complex and it put your mother and your little friends over at Rebel Saints in danger. Or should we have a little press release go out to the papers about your dalliance with a Devil Rider?”
The venom and cruelty coming out of Doc’s mouth shouldn’t have been a surprise to me, but it was. I let out a sharp gasp. “You wouldn’t dare!” I exclaimed. “Don’t you touch my mother, or anybody else,” I warned, but the heat wasn’t there. It was more like intense sadness at my poor choices.
“Well then, all you have to do is keep working for us. You keep our little secret and we are good.”
“So you do admit to doing it! I knew you did it,” I spat out.
He let out a gruff laugh. “I didn’t admit to nothing, Mia. I know you have something going on with that Numbers guy. You wouldn’t want that accountant to wind up dead in the Mississippi River, now would you?”