by Esme Beal
“Okay is one thing. Successful…”
Judith looked around the bar. She didn’t have to say much to get her point across. With just a few patrons around us, I already knew what she was getting at.
“…Successful is another thing,” she said.
“I guess that’s why I’m not having any fun for a person my age. I’ll figure this out. Don’t worry about it.”
“If you say so. Say, Bryce… I’ve had a long day on the docks. What do you think about giving me the first beer on the house?”
I raised an eyebrow at her. All of the wrinkles on her face and those bright blue eyes of hers made her look so innocent even though I knew that was far from the case.
“How can you talk to me about this place not being successful then ask me for a free beer?” I said.
“You know I’ll buy another…”
I sighed a deep breath and looked at the bartender.
“Norman,” I said. “Give Judith a beer. On the house. Make sure she buys another one after this.”
“You’re too kind, Bryce,” Judith said.
She ran a hand over her wet, silver hair then started rubbing her hands together. The way she smacked her lips in anticipation of her drink kept the smile on my face.
“Enjoy your drink, Judith.”
I stepped away from the bar and took a moment to observe the scene. I leaned against the wall and sighed. It was later in the day and most people were getting off work. In the West Bay, the majority of them were busy on the docks. Owning a bar meant that was always a group of men and women looking to relax after a hard day’s work. It was part of the reason I knew this place could be successful. The only problem was everybody else felt the same way.
Brickstone didn’t do anything to stand out too much. The atmosphere was ordinary. Another run-of-the-mill bar where people came to when they just wanted to have a drink and get away from the world. If anything, I could’ve used some money to renovate the place. The building had been around for decades without much change. Despite all that, I loved it all the same. Brickstone wasn’t much of a bar but it was my bar. And I wouldn’t have traded it for anything else in the world.
I turned around to head into my office when I heard the front entrance open behind me. I turned around and saw the man I was used to seeing.
“Bryce…”
He greeted me with a tight hug. I held him tight just the same.
Cade looked like he always did. Jacket disheveled. Shirt dirty. Boots like he’d been running around in the dirt. I guess that’s what happened when you spent all day riding.
Of course, I never cared too much about the clothes. Blond hair slicked back over his head. Beard thick, likely because he was too lazy to shave it. And those brown eyes of his. They always said that he looked like he was up to something. Something about his posture and the way he was always shifting his eyes around. I never noticed it too much.
To me, he was just my brother.
“Cade,” I said. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you think I’m doing here? I’m here to see my little brother.”
“No, seriously. What are you doing here?”
“I came here to check on the bar. How are things going around here?”
“See for yourself.”
Cade looked around but there wasn’t much for him to examine outside of the few patrons just trying to enjoy their drinks in peace.
“You know, I think there’d be more customers if you turned the lights on a little bit,” he said.
“Customers don’t want bright lights. Then just want to have their drinks in the dimness they’ve got now.”
“If you say so.”
“It’s not what I say. It’s what they say. You can ask ‘em for yourself if you want.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
Cade gave me a knowing smirk. I laughed back at him and tried my best not to roll my eyes.
“Listen,” he said. “There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“All right… Let’s talk in the office.”
I never put much weight into it when Cade said he had something to say to me. He always had something to say.
We stepped into the office. I sank into my seat while Cade leaned up against the door, his arms crossed.
“So?” I said with a shrug. “What’s this all about?”
“I’ve got something.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I’ve come up with a way to get you out of here.”
“What makes you think I want to get out of here?”
“I know you, Bryce. You’re trying to do the right thing. But I’ve got something big. Something real big.”
“And what’s this something real big?”
“There’s a guy coming. His name’s Robert Rivera. You ever heard of him?”
I shook my head.
“He’s a major dealer,” Cade explained. “Big-time. He’s moving weight in every big city. And now he’s coming to Snow Falls.”
“What does this have to do with us?”
“I got word that Rivera is setting up a major distribution facility. And he’s doing it right here in the West Bay.”
It shouldn’t have surprised me that a serious drug dealer was thinking about setting up shop in the West Bay. The Northside was where most of the rich folks and middle-class citizens lived. And in the Southern Block, most of the drama came from all of the people struggling to get by. But in the West Bay… the police avoided the West Bay as much as they could because of the gang activity.
“All right,” I said. “This Rivera guy is setting up in the West Bay. That still doesn’t explain what it has to do with us.”
“I think I could get in on the deal.”
“What?”
“Rivera can’t just come to Snow Falls and expect to start moving weight. He’ll need someone. That’s where I come in.”
I could already see where this was going.
“Let me guess,” I said. “You and the Chargers start working for Rivera and distribute his drugs all over the West Bay.”
“Think about it…”
Cade moved away from the wall.
“…The Chargers got as much clout in the West Bay as anybody else. I get in good with Rivera, I’ll be first in line to start working for him. I work for him first, I get first dibs on all of the money that starts coming in.”
Even though Cade was enthusiastic, I couldn’t deny the anxiety I had. My stomach twisted into knots to the point that I had to shift in my seat.
“I don’t know if I like the sound of this,” I said. “Dealing drugs… That’s probably a bad idea.”
“It’s not like I’ll be working for Rivera forever. Just a few deals. Once I make enough cash, I’ll get out.”
“Still… It seems like too big of a risk. I don’t want you to get into any trouble, Cade.”
He smiled at me and shook his head.
“I’m not gonna get into any trouble,” he said. “When’s the last time I got into any trouble?”
“You got arrested for that brawl a few weeks ago.”
“What? That was nothing.”
“The Chargers are always causing trouble. It’s not like your record is spotless…”
“Bryce, listen to me…”
He moved forward and put his hands on my shoulders. Despite what kind of a man everybody else saw, I always saw just my brother when I looked into Cade’s eyes. And my brother was a man who had his heart in the right place.
“…Look at this place,” he said. “It’s a dump. We’re barely making ends meet. You really wanna run this bar for the rest of your life?”
“Why not? I think if I save up enough money, I can make a few changes and improvements. Business will get better.”
“If I do this work for Rivera, Business will get better a lot faster.”
Cade had already made his mind up. There was no way I could talk him out of it.
I
sighed a deep breath and looked away from him.
“It’s just you and me, Bryce. That’s how it’s always been. We have to look out for each other. I promise you, once I’m in, I’ll get out as quick as I can. You just have to trust me on this.”
What bothered me more than Cade being so willing to go through with this was there was a part of me that wanted him to do it. The appeal of the kind of money he could make was tempting and I was ashamed that I felt the way I did.
“You hear me, brother?”
He shook me in his grip slightly, forcing me to turn back to him.
“Everything will be all right,” he said. “Hell, we can sell this place and you can stop having to run it if you want. That’s the kind of cash I can make with this deal.”
“…I worry about you, Cade.”
“I know you do. I just need to trust me on this.”
He gave me a half-smirk. Seeing his confidence was enough to make me smile right back.
“All right,” I sighed again. “I trust you.”
“Nothing will go wrong. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ll see.”
Chapter 3
URIAH
Most people wanted to live in the Northside. When you were there, you knew you’d made it. The Southern Block was just the opposite. It was a place forgotten by most of the politicians and residents of Snow Falls. A place where everybody down on their luck had no choice but to live. It was like two different sides of the city. But the West Bay…
The West Bay in Snow Falls had its own unique flavor. The buildings weren’t as rundown or abandoned as the Southern Block. They weren’t fancy either. A lot of the traffic on the streets came from some of the biker clubs roaming around the area like wolfpacks. And when it wasn’t traffic on the streets, there were gangs lurking in the darkness of the alleys and hiding behind the corners. The West Bay wasn’t as destitute as the Southern Block but it was definitely more dangerous.
“You nervous?”
I looked over at Sanders in the driver’s seat. He had a subtle grin on his lips.
“Why would I be nervous?” I said.
“You’re looking around like you’re paranoid.”
“I’m not paranoid. I’m just checking to make sure that nobody is tailing us. Anybody finds out we’re police and it won’t be pretty.”
“Folks in the West Bay are dangerous but they’re not the smartest bunch. You keep your nose out of everybody’s business and they won’t try smelling you to see if you’re a cop.”
“That’s just it. I’m here to put my nose in everybody’s business. If we’re going to get our hands on Rivera, I have to do whatever it takes to get as much information as I can.”
I couldn’t hold back a sigh.
“You’re nervous,” Sanders said.
“Not nervous…” I muttered.
I looked back out the window and watched the West Bay pass me by. The punks and thugs on the streets eyeballed me but it wasn’t much more than a passing glance. I searched for the right place to start. Something caught my eye in the distance.
“Over here,” I said.
Sanders slowly pulled the car to the curb. The old man leaned back in his seat and got comfortable with a donut from the box he had in the backseat.
“You know, I’ve gotta admire how nonchalant you are about all this,” I said. “We’re going after a major drug dealer and you can sit comfortably in your seat and eat that donut like nothing is wrong.”
“Just because I’m not as serious as you are doesn’t mean I’m not aware of how serious this situation is. This is a big deal for you.”
“It’s a big deal for all of us.”
“No, mostly you. Captain Lee has got an eye on you. She’s expecting big things from the prodigy at the police station. You nail Rivera and you’ll make detective.”
He took a chunk out of his donut and smiled at me while he chewed on it.
“Like I said. Big deal for you.”
“It doesn’t matter who it’s a big deal for,” I said. “One way or another, I have to do this. Can’t let a guy like Rivera come to our town and try to pollute it. Snow Falls already has enough problems.”
“And why did you pick here exactly?”
I looked over in the distance. There was a small bar with a flashing neon sign. There was something about the place that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was a feeling I couldn’t explain but couldn’t shake either.
“I don’t know,” I said with a shrug. “This place looks just as good as any. The West Bay is a big place. With all of the gangs and biker clubs around here, I’m bound to run into someone who knows something about Rivera.”
Sanders swallowed the rest of his donut and smacked his lips with satisfaction. He dusted his hands off before reaching back for another donut. He was so fat that he struggled to shift around in his seat. It was a wonder how someone like him managed to keep serving on the police force.
“Just remember,” he said. “Take your time on this. Lee doesn’t want you to solve this case in a few hours.”
“I know, I know. The district attorney’s office is building a case against Rivera. As soon as he steps foot in Snow Falls, all eyes will be on him. I’m supposed to gather as much evidence as I can. Once we’ve got enough to make a conviction stick then we go after him.”
“Hey, look at you. You’ve got this all figured out.”
“I haven’t got this figured out until I’ve got it figured out.”
“This will take a few weeks. A few months, maybe. This isn’t like anything you’ve ever worked on, Kennedy. Take your time.”
“You know I will. I just said—”
“You just said you’re taking your time to collect evidence because the DA wants as much dirt on Rivera as possible. I’m telling you to take your time for your sake.”
I shook my head in confusion.
“What are you talking about?”
Sanders actually took the time to ignore the new donut in his hands, so I knew he was about to get serious. He looked me right in the eye and pointed a finger at me.
“How long have you and I been working together?” he asked.
“I don’t know. About a year now.”
“A year… That’s more than enough time to figure out what kinda man you are.”
“Really?” I said, an eyebrow raised. “And what kinda man am I?”
“You’re a young go-getter. Always looking to do what’s right. The kinda man who sacrifices everything else if he really believes in something.”
“I wouldn’t say that but even if I agreed with you, would that be such a bad thing?”
“It makes you a fine person, a damn fine person. But men like that don’t last very long. Especially in a place like the West Bay.”
“And how would you know that?”
“How long have we been partners, Kennedy?”
“I just said. About a year—”
“I’ve been on the force for more than 20 years.”
“Yeah. And?”
“You aren’t my first partner. What do you think happened to the other ones?”
He widened his eyes at me. I didn’t have to think too hard to see what he was getting at. But there was nothing he could say to deter me. I had to do this.
I clenched my jaw and gave him a nod.
“I’ll be careful,” I said. “I’ll go slow. If it takes weeks… months even… We’ll get Rivera.”
“That’s all I wanted to hear. Now… Go ahead and check the place out. I’ll be here waiting on you. You call me or come back if you run into any trouble.”
“Are you sure it’s such a good idea to be sitting in your car? Especially with all these people roaming around. Looks suspicious…”
“Folks around here mind their own business. To them, I’m just some fat man looking to have a donut in peace.”
Sanders gave me a satisfied smile then took a generous bite out of his glazed donut. I chuckled softly at him and got out of the car.
It was a warm night in Snow Falls but the breeze was cool. The sky had already gotten dark and along with it, most of the buildings in the West Bay. The only lights came from the places where everybody looked to be hanging out. Bars. Clubs. Pool halls. The kind of places you knew something was going on behind closed doors.
I headed down the street and stopped at the place I saw from a distance.
Brickstone… Looks as good a place as anywhere else…
I went inside and immediately noticed that it wasn’t as lively as the neon sign shining through the window. There was a decent number of patrons but all of them were sitting at their tables and drinking like they were too tired to do anything else. The conversations were mum. The only sound came from some music on a jukebox in the corner of the bar and the smacking of pool balls on the pool table.
The liquor was so strong that it felt like the insides of my nostrils were burning. The lights were dim but the floors and walls looked like they could use a good cleaning.
You sure know how to pick ‘em, Uriah.
I figured examining the decor would draw too much attention to myself, so I headed to the bar. The bartender was leaning up against the wall. His arms crossed, he looked at me for a second before turning his attention back to the TV hanging on the side of the wall.
“How do you get any service around here?” I said to the woman sitting next to me.
She was an older woman, leaning up against the bar like she had too much to drink.
“If I knew how to get good service around here, it’d be the first time it ever happened.”
“Yet you’re still here.”’
“Some of us don’t have much of a choice.”
She gave me a smile. I wanted to assume she was just being friendly but there was no telling with the residents of the West Bay.
I decided to try my luck.
“Uriah,” I said.
“Uriah… Judith.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Judith. You from around here?”
“I’m from around here, sure. You think someone like me would bother coming to a place like this on purpose?”
“So you’re from the West Bay. You must know a lot about this place.”
“I know as much as anybody else. Not that there’s much to know.”