Tribes by John Clarkson

Author:John Clarkson [Clarkson, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-05-28T16:00:00+00:00

37

Beck wasn’t going to stop questioning Irene now. He sat in the Knoll knockoff chair next to Manny Guzman so he could look directly at Irene sitting opposite him on the couch.

“What happened to your friend, Irene?”

Irene Allen’s face hardened. Her eyes narrowed. For a second, Beck thought she was trying to suppress tears. But it wasn’t tears. It was anger. Irene took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She looked away and retreated into herself, clearly reluctant to relive what had happened. Then she turned to Beck and said, “Back before I left for Maine, about three years ago, I found out that Deborah was dealing drugs for the Kin. I don’t know how long she was doing it or at what level. All I know is she got arrested.”

“Who arrested her?”

“The DEA. They sent her to the federal detention center in Brooklyn. They wouldn’t let me see her. I talked to her on the phone twice. She said they were trying to get her to testify against the Kin.”

Beck was surprised that a federal agency had been investigating the Kin. Clearly, they were selling significant quantities of drugs.

“They offered her a plea deal?”

“Yes.”

“I presume she had a lawyer.”

“Yes. Someone downstate. She didn’t tell me much about him. The next thing I heard, one of the prisoners beat her up. I don’t think it was too bad. Whoever did it told her to keep her mouth shut.”

“How’d you hear that? From Deborah?”

“No. From a DEA agent who showed up at my apartment.”

“What did he want?”

“He wanted me to tell Deborah she should take the plea deal and testify against the Kin. He told me about the assault. Said he wanted to get the plea deal done and get her out of the detention center and into a witness protection program.”

“How did he know you were connected to Deborah?”

“I was with her when they arrested her. In this house.”

“That’s when you found out she was dealing drugs?”

“Yes.”

“How’d you know it was for the Kin?”

“Because everybody knows they control the drug trade around here.”

“What did you say to him when he asked you to convince Deborah to testify?”

“I said I would try.”

“Did you talk to her?”

“No. I didn’t get the chance. Deborah got attacked again. This time they had to send her to a hospital. She had a concussion, a broken nose, and a fractured eye socket. And something wrong with her neck.”

“How did you find out about that?”

“Same DEA agent. He phoned me. By then, I was half out of my mind with worry. I was convinced that the Kin knew I was talking to the feds. I told that guy I wouldn’t talk to him anymore until he got her out of the detention center and into witness protection. I hung up on him.”

“Then what?”

“The hospital discharged Deborah, and those fucking assholes sent her back to the Brooklyn MDC. She committed suicide three days later. At least that’s what the prison people called it.”

“How?”

“I don’t know exactly. I heard about it from Deborah’s mother.

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