Chapter 4 - The Inside Man
The air in my kitchen was suddenly entirely devoid of oxygen.
I stared at the grainy photograph of Marcus Thorne, a man who had eaten Thanksgiving dinner at my table just three years ago.
Brenda paced the length of the room, running her hands furiously through her short gray hair.
She muttered that Marcus had retired a year ago, claiming he wanted to spend more time fishing in Florida.
Instead, he was apparently running interference for a massive money laundering operation and rubbing elbows with monsters like Julian.
Clara practically vibrated with panic, asking if Marcus was the reason the police didn't arrest Julian last night.
Brenda stopped pacing and nodded slowly, realizing the terrifying depth of the corruption.
Marcus still had half the precinct on his personal payroll, which meant Julian was completely immune to local law enforcement.
We couldn't just call 911 because the cops responding would likely be the very people protecting him.
Brenda pulled out her encrypted cell phone and dialed Marcus's private number.
She put it on speaker, the dial tone echoing loudly in the tense silence of my home.
Marcus answered on the third ring, his voice casual and friendly as he greeted his old partner.
Brenda did not waste time with pleasantries, demanding to know why he was taking briefcases from Julian Vance.
The line went dead silent for ten agonizing seconds.
Marcus's voice completely changed, dropping the friendly facade for a tone of sheer panic.
He asked Brenda where she got that information, warning her that she was digging into a grave she couldn't climb out of.
Brenda demanded to know where Julian had taken Lily.
Marcus lowered his voice to a frantic whisper, saying Julian was just a foot soldier and the people he worked for did not leave loose ends.
He told Brenda to meet him at the old railyard in thirty minutes, promising he would bring the ledger that proved everything.
Brenda hung up the phone, checking the loaded magazine of her service weapon before sliding it into her holster.
She told me to lock all the doors and wait for her call.
An hour and a half passed in excruciating, agonizing silence.
Finally, my cell phone rang, flashing Brenda's name on the screen.
I answered quickly, asking if she had the ledger and if Marcus gave up Julian's location.
Brenda's voice was shaking uncontrollably on the other end of the line.
May you like
She told me that Marcus couldn't tell her anything at all.
When she arrived at the railyard, she found Marcus dead inside his car with a single gunshot wound to the head.
