Black Jasmine (2012) by Toby Neal

Author:Toby Neal [Neal, Toby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Lei and Captain Corpuz sat in the molded plastic chairs outside a window into the interview room at Kahului Station. Gerry Bunuelos and Abe Torufu had been officially assigned to help with the investigation and sat with Lei to observe the interview. Inside, seated at a shiny steel table, hunched James Silva.

He was wearing a toupee, and he stole a finger up to scratch under the rug. A Primo Beer shirt, weather-beaten Dockers, and rubber slippers on feet that could have used a wash completed his ensemble.

“He didn’t want to come in,” Bunuelos said. “I had to threaten to press charges on the cockfight, which we’d let him off of before in exchange for info on the girl.”

“Don’t really blame him,” Lei said. “Now that I’m hearing a little more about the House.”

Marcella and Rogers, in full buttoned-down FBI glory, entered the interview room.

“Hey, who are you? What’s going on?” Silva cried. They didn’t answer as they set up a video camera on a tripod (they’d declined to use the station’s equipment) and an audio recorder. They took seats across from Silva.

“What’s going on?” he asked again.

“What do you think is going on?” Rogers flipped open his cred wallet. “Special Agent Rogers, FBI.”

Marcella opened hers as well. Silva, not handcuffed this time, jumped to his feet and ran to the door, yanking at the handle—locked of course.

“I suggest you have a seat, Mr. Silva.” Marcella patted the table invitingly. “You aren’t in trouble. We’re just looking for some information.”

“I don’t know anything!”

“MPD seems to think you do. We’re investigating who’s behind the gambling and cockfights and hear you know a little something about betting against the House. You have a little bit of your own thing going, don’t you?”

Silva’s pallor went gray, and he sat abruptly in the remaining steel chair, clutching the back of it for support. Lei glanced at the guys. “What’s she talking about?”

“Don’t know,” Bunuelos said. The captain shook his head.

“How did you know?” Back in the hot seat, Silva scratched under the toupee, which slid to the left.

“You can bet that if we know, the House knows. You might as well help us take him down.”

“I just do a few local fights on my own. No threat to his operation. He won’t bother with me.”

“How do you know? We can help you. Protect you. He’s already put a contract out on a police officer who’s investigating.”

Lei flinched, and her hand crept up to fiddle with the bandage on her head. The guys swiveled to look at her.

“Yeah. Someone’s trying to kill me,” she said to Bunuelos and Torufu, who looked at her wide-eyed. “Don’t know if it’s the House, though. Seems like the Feds sure have a lot of intel.”

“The Feds have a lot of confidential informants. They’re in a position to pay them a lot more than we can,” Captain Corpuz said.

In the interview room, Silva appeared motivated by this information. “Okay, I’ll tell you what I know—but only if I can have protection.

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