Page 21 of Spark
Christ.“We have processes for that.Ones that ensure safety from the authorities.Leo, what if you get caught?”
“Those ‘processes’ take too long.”Leo said the word mockingly, pouting like a toddler.“Anyway, I’m not going to get caught.It’s, like, the whole reason I have Phil.I’m totally covered.”
Philip Constantine III, Esquire, was the eight hundred-dollar-an-hour defense attorney they kept on retainer to get them (read: Leo) out of various legal scrapes.Phil had the perfect trifecta of an impeccable record, moderately questionable ethics, and a reputation for ruthlessness.Simon suspected that Phil knew exactly how arrogant Leo was, as well as his stone-cold guilt of everything he’d defended Leo against.Thankfully, Phil didn’t seem to care, just as long as he could find a technicality to manipulate or a judge to bribe.
But Phil was a lawyer, not a fucking magician, and even he had limits.
“What about the street cameras?”Simon asked.
Leo exhaled as if he were indulging a child.“I chose that warehouse for the exchange because there aren’t many cameras, remember?Just the one on the back of the place, and I didn’t go in or out that way.”
Simon chose all of their drop locations, of course.He’d never give Leo that kind of control.But Leo was all too willing to claim the good ideas and letting him take the credit allowed Simon to operate in the shadows.
Shadows that wouldn’t exist if Leo went down for something stupid.“Please tell me there won’t be any fingerprints or DNA.”
“What?No.”Leo huffed a don’t-be-ridiculous laugh.“Seriously, Si.You should be happy about this.”
“And you got rid of the weapon?Threw it in the river, or a fire pit, or a deep hole in the middle of nowhere?”
“God.”Leo rolled his eyes, throwing back the last of his drink in one gulp.“This conversation is officially boring me.Seriously, Simon.Everything isfine,okay?Brinkman isn’t going to be a problem anymore—you’rewelcome—and now, the rest of the mid-level dealers know what happens when you cross Leo Navarro.See?It’s a win-win.”
Simon paused.Leo had been far too impulsive, which meant Simon would have to keep digging in order to make sure all the loose ends were tied up.But he also had to play Leo carefully.Pushing too hard would only make Leo push back.He had to give Leo the illusion of control.
“Alright.I’ll make arrangements for his territory to be covered,” Simon said, turning to head back to his office and have a word with Runner.
But a knock on the door stopped him halfway across the floor.“Mr.Navarro, sir,” came the low, stern voice of their head of security.“We have a situation.”
“Come,” Leo said, his dark brows lifted as the man lumbered into the room.
“There are two detectives from Intelligence at the gate,” the head of security, Eddie, said.“Maxwell and Hale.They’re asking for a word with you.”
“Did they say what it’s regarding?”Simon asked, his heart thumping with unease.
Eddie shook his granite slab of a chin.“Negative.”
Simon’s thoughts clicked into order.If the police had a warrant, they’d have led with it.No, this was a fishing expedition.The question was, for what?
“Fucking cops.They’re a pain in my dick.Tell them I’m not here,” Leo said dismissively, waving a hand.“If they really want to talk to someone, they can call Phil.”
“No.”Simon softened the word with a placating smile that tasted like a shit sandwich.“Dodging them might make them suspicious.If you talk to them, you can find out what they’re afterandwhat they know.Like you said, there’s nothing to worry about with our current”—he cut his eyes to Eddie—“situation.You can still stonewall them without sending them away.After all, you’re smarter than they are.”
Thankfully, the pandering did the trick.“Fine.”Leo looked at Eddie.“Bring them into the drawing room.Let’s get this shit over with.”
Simon couldn’t let Leo meet with the police unsupervised—God only knew what would come out of his mouth.But he knew better than to attract any attention, so he followed Leo into the ornately decorated drawing room, carefully selecting a wingback chair he could sink into and be easily overlooked.A minute later, Simon watched Detectives Maxwell and Hale follow Eddie into the room.Leo held court by the oversized marble fireplace, his politician-pleasant smile shifting into something slightly more lascivious as he also took in both detectives.
Specifically, the blonde with wide green eyes and a pretty little Cupid’s bow of a mouth, forming a perfect smile.“Wow,” she gushed, spinning her gaze over the hand-carved plaster molding and custom silk draperies.“Beautiful house.”
Leo ate it up with a spoon.“So kind of you to say, Miss…?”
“Detective,” she said with a bright smile.“Hale, and my partner, Detective Maxwell.We’re with the Intelligence Unit.”
“What a pleasure,” Leo said, moving to shake her hand but ignoring her big, brooding partner, which didn’t seem to put the guy out.“Leo Navarro,” Leo said silkily.
Detective Hale turned toward Simon, her blond brows lifted in expectation, until Leo had no choice but to add, “My brother, Simon.He works for me.Anyway, how can I help you today, officers?”
“It’s detective,” Detective Maxwell said, his voice the sort of quiet and serious that said he knew seven different ways to defend himself to the death with a dime-store pen.“Both of us.”
Leo chuckled, unbothered.“Well, well.Okay, big guy.Detectives.”He looked at Detective Hale, then tipped his head at her partner with a wink.“Is he always so serious?”
