Scotch.
“Easy, girl. You’re gonna hurt yourself. Guess the hearing didn’t go well.”
“The Davies and the ACLU set me up, that’s all. I’m so done with them. If I could just get justice for dad, I’d quit right now.”
Mac had been waiting for these words for a long time. He felt her frustration but there was more than that at play. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was jealous. She was gone all the time. He knew they had no agreement; both had ducked from that curveball. She still lived in DC and travelled constantly, wherever her cases took her. Knowing how the alcohol would affect her, he poured a small shot.
She drank the shot and pushed the glass toward him, clearly not satisfied. Mac held the bottle and debated his options. He’d seen her drunk once before, after they’d scattered Wood’s ashes over his island. It wasn’t pretty, and he didn’t want to go there again. He put a flat hand over the glass. “I’ll have another waiting for you, but please drink some water and take a shower.”
Just for spite, she grabbed the bottle and took a shot directly from it. “Fine.” She stormed off toward the bedroom, turning before she was out of sight. “And, we’re going to have a little chat about why you won’t help me out as a witness.”
“Got your hands full there, bud,” Trufante said as he finished his drink and left.
11
“My buddies - they want to meet you,” Pete hesitated anticipating the reaction. He paced the patio outside of the rental house. Every time he passed the glass door he saw Jeff and Dan sitting at the bar watching him.
“No freaking way. I got my neck stuck out too far on this already. This dude we’re dealing with is a little south of stable,” Trufante said.
“I don’t know if I can get them to go along without some assurances. We’re pretty much trusting you. I don’t even know you. You have to believe they’re skeptical.”
“Listen, dude, this isn’t a bake sale. I’m trying to save your asses here. We’ve gone past the point of no return just telling him it’s found, and now he’s on his way to Marathon. It’s a small town - he’ll find you.”
Pete put the phone down an uneasy look on his face. He thought about the guy pulling the trigger on the imaginary gun. “He won’t meet you. Says he’s too involved already.”
“I’d like to be too involved, and collect $12,500 for a few phone calls. That’s all he’s doing.” Jeff said,
“Yeah, I still say we keep it and sell it over time. No way he knows,” Dan said.
“After seeing your little party the other night, I vote no on that one. It’s not going to end well. Remember Scarface — the first rule is not to use your own stuff. You’ve already violated that one.” Pete said.
Dan stood up, looking like he was going to get aggressive.
“Enough. Pete, go make the exchange, we’ll wait here.” Jeff said.
Dan was in Pete’s face now. “You pushed this on us. I’ve reconsidered. You guys return your share. I’ll take mine and do what I want with it.”
“Sit down,” Jeff starred at Dan, “Time for some tough love. Pete’s right. Selling drugs is not in your wheelhouse. You’ll end up taking us down with you. It’s not a ton of money, but it’s something and we can wash our hands of this thing.”
Dan sat down. They took his silence for acceptance.
***
Pete waited for Trufante outside the bar where they first met, the cooler loaded in his trunk. He’d taken a few extra minutes to restock the bricks in the cooler trying to make forty-seven bricks look like fifty. With any luck the guy would just glance at the cooler and not count every brick. Trufante pulled up on his motorcycle and parked next to him. Without a word, he opened the passenger door and got in.
“Howdy, partner. We ready to go get us a payoff?”
“A little nervous. What if he counts them.”
“Just gotta keep a poker face.”
“Yeah sure,” Pete said
“Easy, girl. You’re gonna hurt yourself. Guess the hearing didn’t go well.”
“The Davies and the ACLU set me up, that’s all. I’m so done with them. If I could just get justice for dad, I’d quit right now.”
Mac had been waiting for these words for a long time. He felt her frustration but there was more than that at play. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was jealous. She was gone all the time. He knew they had no agreement; both had ducked from that curveball. She still lived in DC and travelled constantly, wherever her cases took her. Knowing how the alcohol would affect her, he poured a small shot.
She drank the shot and pushed the glass toward him, clearly not satisfied. Mac held the bottle and debated his options. He’d seen her drunk once before, after they’d scattered Wood’s ashes over his island. It wasn’t pretty, and he didn’t want to go there again. He put a flat hand over the glass. “I’ll have another waiting for you, but please drink some water and take a shower.”
Just for spite, she grabbed the bottle and took a shot directly from it. “Fine.” She stormed off toward the bedroom, turning before she was out of sight. “And, we’re going to have a little chat about why you won’t help me out as a witness.”
“Got your hands full there, bud,” Trufante said as he finished his drink and left.
11
“My buddies - they want to meet you,” Pete hesitated anticipating the reaction. He paced the patio outside of the rental house. Every time he passed the glass door he saw Jeff and Dan sitting at the bar watching him.
“No freaking way. I got my neck stuck out too far on this already. This dude we’re dealing with is a little south of stable,” Trufante said.
“I don’t know if I can get them to go along without some assurances. We’re pretty much trusting you. I don’t even know you. You have to believe they’re skeptical.”
“Listen, dude, this isn’t a bake sale. I’m trying to save your asses here. We’ve gone past the point of no return just telling him it’s found, and now he’s on his way to Marathon. It’s a small town - he’ll find you.”
Pete put the phone down an uneasy look on his face. He thought about the guy pulling the trigger on the imaginary gun. “He won’t meet you. Says he’s too involved already.”
“I’d like to be too involved, and collect $12,500 for a few phone calls. That’s all he’s doing.” Jeff said,
“Yeah, I still say we keep it and sell it over time. No way he knows,” Dan said.
“After seeing your little party the other night, I vote no on that one. It’s not going to end well. Remember Scarface — the first rule is not to use your own stuff. You’ve already violated that one.” Pete said.
Dan stood up, looking like he was going to get aggressive.
“Enough. Pete, go make the exchange, we’ll wait here.” Jeff said.
Dan was in Pete’s face now. “You pushed this on us. I’ve reconsidered. You guys return your share. I’ll take mine and do what I want with it.”
“Sit down,” Jeff starred at Dan, “Time for some tough love. Pete’s right. Selling drugs is not in your wheelhouse. You’ll end up taking us down with you. It’s not a ton of money, but it’s something and we can wash our hands of this thing.”
Dan sat down. They took his silence for acceptance.
***
Pete waited for Trufante outside the bar where they first met, the cooler loaded in his trunk. He’d taken a few extra minutes to restock the bricks in the cooler trying to make forty-seven bricks look like fifty. With any luck the guy would just glance at the cooler and not count every brick. Trufante pulled up on his motorcycle and parked next to him. Without a word, he opened the passenger door and got in.
“Howdy, partner. We ready to go get us a payoff?”
“A little nervous. What if he counts them.”
“Just gotta keep a poker face.”
“Yeah sure,” Pete said
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