CHAPTER 62 Laboratory

*Liam*

I usually skip Saturday morning breakfast with my father to get more sleep, but there was something I had to do that couldn't wait.

When I sat down beside my father at our dining table to have breakfast, even he couldn't keep his surprise to himself.

"Whatever you have to do or whoever you have to see must be really important for you to be out of bed so early on a Saturday morning," my father said, looking away from his digital newspaper to gaze at me from over his eyeglasses.

"I need to speak to Dan," I said while pouring some syrup on the plate of french toast Clair just placed in front of me.

"I thought you were going to help out with your little girlfriend's nonsense," he scoffed while fixing his glasses and focusing his attention back to whatever he was reading.

"It's actually not nonsense, Dad," I argued after swallowing a slice of french toast. "Miss North Dakota backed out of being this year's Miss Honey Bee for our spring parade. Virtue and Chip are at least helping our town find one from among our own to be the star of this year's parade."

"I didn't know Miss North Dakota wasn't going to grace this year's parade," he mumbled, the usual disapproving tone present whenever he was uninformed. "Well, don't forget your other responsibilities. I want the delivery to arrive right on schedule."

"About the delivery tonight, Capo Bastone wants half," I mentioned casually.

"Half? Why does that nitwit want half?" I knew my father wouldn't like the new arrangement. I took a sip of my coffee and gazed at him as I explained.

"I agreed to let him have half of the money, so he could stop him abducting women in this town," I told my father. "I think he doesn't care if he ruins my chances as a reelectionist."

I crossed my fingers and hoped my father would intervene on my behalf. To my utter relief, I saw my father shake his head with a scowl on his face.

"He promised the Sheriff he would refrain from any noticeable criminal activity after the Joan Summers' fiasco of last year until elections were over," he growled, placing his tablet on the table and taking out his smartphone. "I will call his mother and tell her to put a leash on that psychopath she calls a son. Excuse me."

My father stood up from the table and went into our study to have some privacy. I smirked as I quietly sipped my coffee, grateful my father could still pull some strings. Unfortunately, I didn't have a close working relationship with Cynthia McDowell, but my father did. If there was anyone who Pete would listen to, it was his mother.

I asked Claire for another cup and waited for my father to come out of our study. I was halfway done with my refill when my father finally appeared with a look of concern on his face.

*What is it this time*?

"I was told to dispense with the arrangement her son has asked of you and continue honoring the previous arrangement," my father said, sitting down in his chair. "However, there is an issue that is troubling. The laboratory personnel could not get any DNA on the glasses, utensils and plates your guests used last Saturday when I was away."

"What?!" I angrily glanced at Claire whose face had turned red from her evident betrayal. She coughed and quickly left the dining room, heading back to the kitchen.

*The punishment for betrayal is death, Claire*.

"You don't think I wouldn't know about your little dinner date with Virtue Sullivan and that insect everyone calls Chip?" My father's gray eyes had a wicked glint in them.

"Dad, I don't know what the problem is. She is a beautiful woman who I would like to date-"

"Yes, all of them are beautiful, until she has a knife at your throat." Theodore Cohen never minced words. He didn't trust Virtue. "According to the laboratory specialist, all he found was H2O2."

"Maybe Claire accidentally placed the dirty dishes and utensils in the dishwasher," I reasoned, hoping my simple explanation would remove any doubt my father had.

"Hydrogen peroxide, Liam. H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, not water. According to the lab specialist, hydrogen peroxide imposes oxidative stress on cells, leading to cell death," my father explained. "I'm impressed someone as beautiful as Virtue Sullivan is careful, but it makes me wonder what she's hiding."

I tried to remember if I saw Virtue with anything in her hands. I did notice she used moist towelettes. Maybe it had hydrogen peroxide in them.

*But that wasn't the issue here*...

"I recall Virtue used moist towelettes when she had dinner here, but Chip didn't, *Dad*," I said, snarling as I said the word 'dad'. "It seems strange that your laboratory specialist couldn't find DNA from the both of them. Maybe you should ask Claire if she handled their used plates and utensils properly. Then again, that isn't the issue here. What did Virtue Sullivan do to you that has made you so suspicious of her? I understand if you don't like her, but you are putting way too much effort in discrediting her." I looked at my watch. "I have to go." I stood up from my chair and was about to leave when I remembered something. "Before I forget, Abigail's parents have been asking for you. They're wondering why you haven't gone to visit their daughter who is currently in a coma at the hospital. Good day, *Father*."

I put all my disdain on the last word I uttered before turning to leave the mansion. I haven't been up for an hour and already the day was turning into a horror movie.

I'll deal with Claire later, right now I needed to negotiate terms regarding Dan's smuggling operation.

I drove out of the estate and headed towards Hillcrest. I didn't mind if the day started crummy... All I cared is getting my delivery safely into Cohen mansion and delivering Capo Bastone's cut without delay.

I parked in front of the clubhouse of the residential area and hurriedly walked inside. Outside, it looked like any clubhouse, but inside, it was guarded like a fort. It was through the basement of the clubhouse where you could find the entrance and passageway to the meth laboratory underneath the church.

After walking through a long tunnel towards the glass doors of the laboratory, the guards redirected me to Dan's office. Through the clear glass walls, I saw numerous Hillcrest residents in hazmat suits, goggles, masks, and gloves cooking meth. I covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief as I walked by, not wanting to inhale the rotten egg smell emanating through the glass walls.

As I approached, the frosted glass door of Dan's office swung open. A guard appeared and ushered me inside.

Dan was seated behind a large wooden desk covered with bricks and sachets of crystal meth... all ready for distribution.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Mayor Cohen?" Dan said as his eyes met mine, gesturing for me to take a seat in one the chairs in front of his desk. I usually didn't visit the lab during the day, but it was the only place I knew where I could find him.

"I heard of your smuggling operation, Dan," I said. "Does Capo Bastone know about this?"

His smile quickly changed into a frown. "Nicole told you. I knew I couldn't trust her to keep quiet. I bet you're here for a piece of the pie." He opened a drawer, took out a couple of wads of cash and threw it on the desk in front of me.

"No, I don't want your money. What I want is your cooperation, Dan. Whatever Capo Bastone wants done, any pertinent information, it goes through me first," I negotiated. He stared at me, shocked.

"Does this have something to do with Virtue?"

"That and among other things. I don't want women going missing so near the elections... especially Virtue," I answered.

"So you're taking my advice and wooing her to be your wife?" Dan asked. I nodded my head. He rubbed his chin and squinted his eyes, obviously thinking. "Through her business, we can smuggle more meth and launder more money. Imagine, Liam, we use her boutique as a front, putting up branches all of over the state. It would be perfect for business. With all that money, you could run for governor or senator and have a beautiful wife beside you when you campaign. Just imagine, Liam. The possibilities are endless."

*It was my dream*...

"I've spoken with Capo Bastone and all he asks is to keep the cash flowing. He'll set aside his, uhm, carnal urges and play nice," I said.

"Well, I doubt Capo Bastone will keep his word while he plays alongside Cris. I've been telling you, Liam, you need to keep Cris on a tight leash. You never know... his shit may just blow up in your face," Dan warned. I scratched my head. There was something going on.

"What do you know?" I asked him.

"They have a girl locked up at Bismarck again. She was abducted just last night at Mandan," Dan answered, leaning back in his chair. "The police has CCTV footage of the abduction. For all we know, Cris may be identified as a suspect... soon."

*Fuck*!

"He's judging tonight at the Miss Honey Bee pageant. I'll talk to him then, Dan."

Dan rolled his eyes at me. "Liam, out of the four of us, Cris is the weakest link. He always demands for a lion's share of our take without any of the risk. Honestly, I'd rather give Jack his share," Dan said. "Cris is a liability. We need to get rid of him."

I stared at Dan, shocked he would stab his friend in the back. Unfortunately, he was right. Kidnapping, raping and killing girls left and right was something that may come back and bite us in the ass. Cris needed to be dealt with accordingly.

However, I couldn't kill my friend.

"I can't kill him, Dan, and I won't. I can't betray him like that. Can you?"

"You're right, I can't either," he answered, lowering his eyes, regretting his words. "But there is another way to get rid of him without killing him..."

"We'll give him a taste of his own medicine."