“What do you do for a living?”
“I was working in a candy shop...” He starts sobbing again, and it’s getting harder to decipher his words through the spluttering. “... t-to help out my mom with the rent, but... it closed, and that’s when... I took Mr. Holt’s offer.”
“I’ll pay you triple what he’s paying you, and you can keep the money he gives you, too. But there’s a catch. From now on, you report back to me every request he makes. If you do what I ask of you, you’re off the hook and with some good money to show for. Got it?”
He nods.
I glance back at Link, letting him know it’s his cue.
“He’s nineteen. Lives with his mother, who has an autoimmune disease. She got divorced five years ago. He also has a sister who’s four years younger.”
Link continues listing all the information he dug up, and I watch as the boy’s eyes widen even before he hears his own home address.
“See how easy it is for us to know everything about you? Do good with what I ask of you, and I’ll make sure your family has money by giving you a job with me—a legal one that pays well. Or, fail me, and you know what follows.”
“I won’t fail you! I-I promise!” He keeps talking, but all I can focus on is the snot that’s already at his chin. Adding that to the fact that he pissed himself, it’s safe to say we’ve done a decent job of scaring him.
“Anything to add, guys?”
Silence is the most atypical thing when both Carter and Connor are in the same room. I’ll have to figure out how to make them bury the hatchet... not in each other.
“You’ll come back in two days, and I’ll give you the list.”
Barry nods.
“Let him go!”
Connor pockets his phone and then cuts the zip ties on the boy’s hands. He rubs his wrists but doesn’t stand up.
“Is there anything else?”
“I’m not sure if it matters, but I wasn’t the only one hired by Mr. Holt.”
I lean in, while he wipes off the snot with his sleeve, waiting for him to spill it.
“I’m listening.”
“A friend of mine, who also worked at the candy shop, told me today he was hired to follow some redhead and report back to Mr. Holt if she’s seeing someone.”
The chair screeches back as I grab Barry’s shirt and haul him up.
“What the hell did you say?”
“S-s-some redhead h-h-he s-s-saw in a club. H-h-he wants to know if she’s s-s-seeing s-s-someone.”
Fuck! I broke him.
“Do you have a name?” I spit out with urgency.
“N-no.”
I let go of the boy before looking back at Link.
“You think he’s after your redhead?” Dean questions from behind me.
“For his sake, I hope not,” I grit through my teeth. “Go! If youfind out anything else, I want you to report to me by leaving a note here for the security guards. And in two days’ time, come for the list. Got it?”
“Yes, s-s-sir.”
