chapter thirty eight

Chapter 38
word count: 462

Bud sipped hot coffee before leaning back to take a long look at his new companion, "Ren." So now he was cavorting with the enemy, a bloody cop on the take. The guy's uncle was mafioso. And Ren was nothing more than a quick fix in the department to keep his family's noses clean. Bud's stomach lurched at the prospect of working with the guy. And, now he promised Uncle Frank he would look the other way when Frank needed him to, just like this idiot...shit. He was no better than Ren now.

The cop looked back, a hesitant smile crossing his face. He appeared less than eager to work with Bud. The fellow took a bite from a sugar donut. Ha! The irony...this filthy hand of the mafia, sitting around drinking coffee, eating donuts, and acting like a friendly neighborhood beat cop.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Ren wiped sugar off his fingers and flipped open a notebook,

"No."

"Well, as I was telling you in the car, I know who we're looking for. I just don't know where they are right now."

"Refresh my memory." You filthy bastard.

"We're looking for Vic DeMarco and a hot little number he picked up off the street, a hooker."

"Splendid."

"You got an attitude problem?"

Bud returned his gaze. The fat ass-hole. Look at him, stuffing his face with donuts. The man was a poster boy for weakness and lack of discipline. It was hard to believe the guy had such ruthless relatives. The choir boy innocence had worked, though, getting him a job on the force. Who could believe he had blood on his hands?

Then he remembered why he was doing this. Janey's face wafted through his mind, and the picture Uncle Frank had shown him, the one where her beautiful eyes looked out, begging for rescue. "So when did you talk to him last?"

"He called me on his cell phone for an update. I told him what had happened, how Uncle Frank had your wife and Stan. He went ballistic. He wanted them."

"What for?"

"I'm not sure if he is on a power binge or if there's some reason he needs a bargaining tool." Ren took another bite of donut, and continued, answering with his mouth full. "I've never quite understood the guy. A lot of skeletons in his closet."

Bud's heart clouded. "My wife is in the middle of this.You mean he wants a bargaining chip against me?"

"I don't know. You got anything on him?"

"Who the hell is he?"

"Security at the prison. You know him."

Bud gulped his coffee. Of course, that Vic DeMarco. We're back to the prison again. "Did he have anything to do with those canisters that were found?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

"Well, let's find out."