Wait, what? I thought I’d seen it all, but what kind of tactic is this?
“Uh, gentlemen.” I lean a bit closer to them. “Maybe you can go argue over who gets the last donut somewhere else. Otherwise, I’d like to leave now.”
Bad Cop snaps. His fists hit the table hard enough to make it shudder. I catch a string of curses I don’t understand. He doesn’t need words to make clear he’s losing it. Good Cop tries to calm him down.
A muffled laugh floats in from the hallway.
So there’s an audience behind the mirror. Great. I've had enough.
I get up and head for the door to leave this circus behind, but Good Cop isn't done yet.
“We found traces of benzodiazepines in your sample.”
That catches my attention.
I turn back, taking my seat again, careful to keep my face neutral.
Good Cop switches to gentle, “What can you tell us about that?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
He shrugs. “We know, Tom. We want to know where you got it. No consequences for you.”
Yeah, right. Like I believe that.
They want answers. So do I. Like what the hell is going on, and if this morning’s raid was about the same shit that ended up in Yosh’s drink. Maybe it’s smarter to play along. For now.
“I crashed at a friend’s place at Palm Oasis. Swiped them from his medicine cabinet. He has a prescription.”
Good Cop scribbles it down. Bad Cop cuts in.
“How about cocaine?”
No buildup, straight to it. I almost respect the lack of bullshit.
“Mate, that shit had me picking songs for my funeral three months ago. Not doing that again.”
“One more thing, and we're finished,” Good Cop says. “Did you notice anything unusual at the resort, or at their beach during your stay?”
I pause. Plenty of weird shit went down in that madhouse, but nothing that justifies the SWAT treatment they gave us this morning.
“Nah. Mostly been lounging by the pool. Bit of a holiday, you know? At least it was until you lot came barging in.”
I push back my chair and stand.
“I appreciate the hospitality, gentlemen, but I really need to find a dentist now.”
To my surprise they don’t stop me.
Ten minutes later, I’m in downtown Saint Luna, the Caribbean sun melting the cold out of my limbs.
I fish my phone from my pocket.
Yosh. I need to know if he’s alright. He was in bad shape this morning, and now, after hearing the lab results… God, I just need to know.
I scroll through my contacts. For Yosh, it’s easier to go straight to Z and scroll up
I tap his name, heart thudding as the phone rings endlessly. Then the automated voice comes: “The person you're trying to call is unavailable…”
