The Wright One

MIA

I don’t know what the hell is going on. Just that Joseph wanted me to go to this bar. He said something about a job. I don’t know how he would know that a bar was hiring. But I humor him. Following him to the bar seems to be a good idea. This is one of the most popular places in town. I have never been but I have heard of several people that talk about meeting up here.

Joseph seems to be looking around for someone. He sighs. “He’s not here. We have to go inside.”

“What is going on?”

“Just trust me ok.” He drags me behind him into the bar. It’s still early so there aren’t really any patrons, but there are two guys behind the bar. One of them looks kind of familiar, but not at the same time. He nods to my brother. “Are you looking for me?”

Joseph nods. “Yeah, is he here yet?”

“Not yet, but let me take you upstairs.”

He ticks his head to the side so that we know to follow him behind the bar. He takes us down this hall and up some stairs. I stop when we reach a door that the man has to unlock. “What is going on?”

He just smiles at me. “Now I understand why my brother is making such a fuss. You are quite a pretty thing.”

Joseph grumbles. “That isn’t it.”

He shrugs. “I know, I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Right now I feel like we are in some mob situation and I am not into that shit.” He opens the door. “Well, head on in. I’ll send him up when he gets here. Just don’t break anything and we are cool.”

Joseph rolls his eyes. “I’m not five.”

“How do I know you aren’t just some thug kid that is running from the law.”

Joseph laughs. “I think the fact that I am meeting your brother kind of kills that idea.”

The guy laughs. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. You’re cool kid. Hang tight, I am sure he will be here any minute.”

He passes us back down the stairs, but stops and turns around. “Lock the door behind you. I don’t like people up there.”

Joseph nods. Then we are in some strange man’s apartment. I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I have to get some answers. “This isn’t about a job, is it?”

“No, not exactly.”

I sit on the couch and fold my arms over my chest. “Well, what is it then?”

He glares at me. “I know you lied to me. You aren’t in some relationship with Brock, you hate him.”

I roll my eyes. “Is that what this is about? You are making a big deal out of nothing. Who are we supposed to be meeting?”

I don’t get an answer from Joseph, I get the answer when the door opens and there standing in front of us is Detective William Wright.

I stand up, pissed as hell right now. “What the hell is going on? Am I being arrested?”

The Detective holds his hands up. “I am not here to arrest you. I just want to help. Can we sit and talk for a minute? If you don’t like what I have to say then you can leave. But I really think you need my help.”

I start shaking my head. “No, you don’t understand. You can’t help.”

“Yes, I can. Please just give me a chance to explain.” He motions to the couch.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

I feel so defeated that I flop on the couch regardless of how I actually feel about the situation. I know there is no way that this man can help me. He is just full of ideals. He can’t actually help me. No one can. I already know the only person that I can rely on is Brock, he made sure of it.

The detective takes a seat across from me in a chair. “I’ll start and then you can fill in anything that you want to.” I nod but I don’t think I will be adding anything. “I know you didn’t do the robbery. I am currently gathering the evidence to prove it. Here is what I know: Gus Stanford was shot on his way to work. At a time that is ridiculous. By the same men who robbed the bank. I know that you have a connection with Brock Danford. I know it isn’t a good one. No matter what you are trying to sell to your brother right now. I have looked into it. He is involved in drugs and organized crime. There just hasn’t been enough evidence to bring him in. I highly doubt that is someone that you would want around your brother. I also know that you would do anything for your brother. I have a feeling that he used your brother to get you to help him with this bank job. I also have a feeling that is how he is keeping you under his thumb. I also know that with your help I can bring him down. I can keep you safe Mia, I just need you to trust me.”

I shake my head. “How are you supposed to do that? I’m not going to have a place to live in a few weeks. He runs everything in the slums. I am not going to get a job being accused of bank robbery. He will hurt Joseph if I don’t do what he says. He is my best bet to keep us both safe.”

His eyes get soft. “Are you really safe though? Constantly in fear that you will do something wrong and he will hurt you or your brother. Is that any way to live? I am telling you that I can help you.”

I can feel my tears building. “How?”

“I will put you in witness protection.”

I scoff. “Your department thinks I am the robber, they aren’t going to put me in witness protection.”

“I didn’t say it would be through the department.” He states firmly.

I look at him confused. “What does that mean?”

“It means that I will put you in a place that Brock can’t find you. I will look after you myself. I have to do this. I know you didn’t do this. I can’t just turn a blind eye to it and let you get arrested for a crime that you didn’t commit. My Lieutenant is sure that you did it. I am trying to convince him that you didn’t. But he is a stupid ass man. So I want to put you somewhere where Brock can’t touch you. In exchange I want testimony about what happened. The truth.”

I can feel myself crying. “What happens if this doesn’t work, then I am stuck with Brock again.”

“No, I will get you and Joe out of town. You will never be charged. I have enough to prove that you didn’t do it. I can create plenty of plausible deniability. You can start somewhere else. I have the money to do it.”

I look at him seriously. Sure he seems sure of himself, But what is in it for him. There has to be something. Nobody does anything for nothing. “What do you get out of it?”

“I get the force to take me seriously. For a long time I was just there because of my name. They don’t think I can actually do the job. I am a poster boy for the force but I hardly get to do anything besides write tickets and be in the parades. I want them to know that I can do this job. If I can take down Brock, then the department will have no choice but to take me seriously.”

“I’ll tell you what I know, but none of this is on the record yet. I don’t want this to get back to Brock.”

He nods. “Tell me your story and I promise that no one will hear it but me until it is time.”

“Alright, a little while back I caught Brock talking with Joseph. I thought that he was trying to bring Joseph into his group of thugs. Well, I don’t want that. I started to yell at him. He kind of laughed it off, but later he came to me when we weren’t in public. He cornered me in an alley on the way to the store. He told me that if I ever raised my voice to him again that I would regret it. As far as he was concerned, my brother’s life was forfeit for my behavior. I begged him to reconsider. He said the only way that would work is if I gave him something equally valuable. Like a way into my bank. He told me that if I failed at any time that he would kill Joseph. So I kept the bank and the vault unlocked until he and his men arrived. I told him who was working security that night. Apparently Gus was already working for him. I told him when I would be the last one in the bank. Then he hit it. He took me hostage and told me that way I would never be a suspect. Only when I walked back to town, the whole town already thought I did it. I went to him to tell him and find a way to fix it. He came up with the story and I made it more believable. He said he would take care of me after this all blew over, but I had to pay him in exchange.”

The Detective waits for my answer, but I see the question on his face. “He wanted me to be his girl. I know what that means. It means that he can do whatever he wants to me. He also reminded me that he can still kill Joseph anytime that he wanted. I just had to keep my head down until this whole thing blew over. Only I got fired. This morning he knew before I did. He showed up at the apartment and told me the only way he would take care of me was to marry him. To move in with him. I tried to tell him that would bring suspicion to us, but he wasn’t listening. Everyone thinks I did it. I’m not going to get a job. I don’t have any savings. We were barely getting by as it is. I didn’t have a choice.”

He nods. “Well, you have a choice now.”

I sigh with relief. “So, what’s next?”

He smiles. “You are going to leave from here. I will have your apartment packed up and put in storage so nothing can happen to it. Then I will buy you some clothes and things that you are going to need while you are in the safehouse. I am sure if you were followed that they don’t know that you are in the apartment. There is a back way out of here. I will be the only one that will know where you will be. You are both going to dump your cell phones. I am going to get a burner that you will use for now.”

“Joseph is in school, he can’t just drop out.”

“They have distance learning now. We will arrange it. We just have to work where it isn’t going to lead to his location.”

Joseph grunts. “There isn’t much to do. Most of my assignments are online anyway. I just have to log in and do the work. I’m not an idiot. I can even email my teachers about tests. They do this by proxy thing, I am sure I will be fine.”

Detective William gets up and moves to the bedroom. He comes back out with a couple of hoodies. “Put these on, just in case they are watching. My guess is that they are going to be looking through the front door that you came in. But this is just in case.”

“I can’t believe I am doing this.” I say as I pull on the hoodie. Making sure to cover my hair and that if I look down then my face will be covered too.

I don’t know if this is the smartest thing I have ever done, or the dumbest.