Fortunately, a few minutes later, it becomes clear we have something to hold over Victor when I find about five grams of cocaine up under the house. If we’re lucky, we may be able to get Victor to shed some info on Dominic. Unfortunately, it means Mitch may be in more shit than the poor kid can handle.
Not the news I want to give Liberty.
“Look what I found, Victor,” I call out when I crawl back out from under the house.
“Ahh, man it’s not mine, I swear.” He starts shaking his head, still denying it’s his.
“This is how we’re gonna play it, Victor. You’re going to tell me the information I want and I’m going to drop the charges of assaulting an officer and resisting arrest.”
“Nah, man, that's bullshit. I’m no snitch.”
“Then you’re under arrest for obstruction, assaulting a police officer, and possession of an illegal substance.” I start to read him his rights, knowing he’s going to cave before I finish.
“Aww, hang on, man, what do you need?”
“I need information on Dominic Westin.”
“Are you fucking insane? No way I’m going against him.” He shakes his head, not okay with what I’m asking.
“He doesn’t need to know it's you. I just want to know where we can find him.”
“Jesus, I don't know.” His shoulders slump, and I know he’s thinking about it.
“You think you got problems with a guy like Dominic finding out you snitched. You’re gonna have huge problems with me if you don’t give me what I want.”
“Fuck, man. If he finds out I rolled on him….”
“He won't,” I promise, knowing it's not really a promise I can keep. Hopefully, the information he gives us is enough to put the asshole away.
Then he won't be anyone’s problem.
Least of all mine.
Fourteen
Liberty
“Uggg, this is hopeless.” I slam the phone down on its cradle and let out a frustrated groan. Does anything ever happen smoothly around here?
“Bad news?” Sue asks from the doorway of my office, bringing me out of my pity party.
“Yes. The church where we were going to hold the car wash next Saturday just informed me they can’t let us use the parking lot. They booked the hall and now due to health and safety, we both can’t be there.”
I flick through the mess of paperwork on my desk, trying to decide how I’m going to figure this out.
“Well, crap. Where else could we hold it?” She steps into the office and takes a seat across from me.
It’s Saturday afternoon and once again, I’m in on my day off, dealing with this mess.
“There are a few places I can call. I know the gas station down on Parkton may let us use their lot at short notice.” I flick through the folder holding all our fundraising information.
“What about your dad’s car yard? That would be perfect.”
“Yeah, it would be, but after what happened with Mitch the other week, I’m not sure it’s wise to let him around the boys right now.” I shut the idea down right away. It’s bad enough I have to deal with Mom and Dad checking in on me every day. I don’t need my dad getting in my business, or in the boys’ business.
“Things still tense with the parents?” She smirks, knowing full well since she’s fielded calls all week from both my mom and dad.
“Don’t try to be funny.”
The start of an argument in the recreation room at the same time the doorbell rings cuts our conversation short and has both of us out of our chairs.
“You want the fight or the door?”
“I’ll take the door.” I opt for the easiest option and exit first, making my way through the house to the front door. I can hear Sue sorting out the boys, just as I open the door to find a very pissed-off Mitch and an equally pissed-off Hetch standing there.
“What the—” It takes a second to register the man who’s spent every night in my bed over the last two weeks is not here for me, but for something more serious.
Mitch.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. Don’t freak out.” Mitch shrugs off Hetch’s hand from his shoulder and pushes past me into the house.
“Hold on there, buddy. What’s going on here?” Mitch ignores my question, stomping his way down the hall into his room.
“Ahh?” I turn back to Hetch, my mind running a million miles a minute wondering what sort of trouble Mitch has found himself in now.
Keep it together, Liberty.
“We picked him up over in Redlands. He was hanging with one of Dominic’s boys.”
“Jesus Christ.” I run a hand over my face, completely frustrated. I feel like we take two steps forward, then three back. One day he seems to be on board, and the next I have the police bringing him home.
“Can I come in and talk to you for a second, Lib?” he asks, pulling me from my freak-out and back to him.
Shit, he has more news.
“Ah, yeah, of course. We’ll go to my office.” I step back, letting him in, and directing him to my office.