Page 124 of Clean Slade
“No. I love my promotion. I just…it’s so hard. Everyone’s so used to Thom Eldon waltzing around town and taking statements that no one cares about me. I’m trying to write this article about the corrupt cops in the police department, but no one wants to go on record. And no record, no article.”
“Sounds like they’re more scared than disrespectful.”
I hated that my best friend was digging into dangerous things, but as I’d learned from the whole cartel debacle there was no way to stop him.
“Yeah, I know. But I’m sure they’d talk to Thom.”
The previous crime correspondent was now a retiree, and Tiago had taken his job. I was sure some people might have been attached to Thom, but it was more than that.
“Thom didn’t try so hard. Remember that. He didn’t ask the hard questions. He just took police statements and witness interviews, and that was it. Keep trying. I have faith in you. You’ll win them over. Just…be careful, okay?”
Tiago scoffed.
“Trust me, unless someone wanted to go through Joey, no one would dare.”
That was overtly arrogant. Joey couldn’t be in two places at the same time, but I didn’t tell him that.
Mainly because I knew he wouldn’t listen. And also because I was hungry.
Plus, my phone rang, and I picked it up without thinking first.
It was thewrongphone.
“Hello,” I said and turned away, walking into the break room, trying not to raise suspicion.
“It’s me,” said the now-familiar voice of my dealer.
“Is it ready so quickly?” I asked.
“No. I just want to make sure you didn’t make a mistake.”
“Nope. No mistake.”
“You want ten bricks?”
The idea made me shudder, but my father had been clear. He wanted me to be their best distributor on the market, so we increased the order every time. Even if it made no sense. So ten kilos of coke it was.
“Yup.”
The man whistled. I didn’t know his real name, so I’d nicknamed him Barry. I didn’t know why. He just struck me as a Barry.
“Impressive. The boss will be pleased.”
“I’m glad he’ll be pleased. When can I meet him?”
“No one meets the boss,” Barry said.
“Not even your best seller?”
“No one. Meets. The boss.” As if he couldn’t be clearer, Barry also hung up on me.
Shit.
I hoped I hadn’t pissed him off enough that he would cut me off.
I messaged Barry straight away. I could call, but I didn’t know if he’d answer so soon.
King:
