Page 68 of Rules of Engagement

"About a week ago. I was just in the bar, mindin’ my own business and dealin’ some weed, when he came over. I thought he wanted to tell me I was in the gang but he said I had to do a job first and the job came with a nice bonus package. I figured it was a big shipment o’ somethin’ that he needed moved but he said naw, I just had to shoot a guy for him. He showed me a photo of Jim Solomon."

"John," corrected Garrett. Mikey pulled a face. "Never mind. Keep going."

"Mooch said he would give me two grand if I pulled it off! I never had that kind o’ money before and it sounded pretty easy so I said I'd do it and Mooch said that would get me into the gang and they would get me my own jacket and a bunch of other gang stuff."

"That's so sweet," said Garrett.

"They gave me the address and the gun and a list of instructions on how not to get caught. I know all that stuff. I boosted the motorcycle a couple days before and hid it and I wore a motorcycle helmet to cover my face. It was so easy. I just waited around for a while until I recognized him. He got out of his car and walked into the house. Then this cute, little brown-haired chick turned up. I checked and then I double-checked the address..."

"Very diligent of you."

"I didn't want to miss my opportunity. I rode the motorcycle onto the sidewalk and walked up the steps. I punched the doorbell and he opened the door. That was good because I didn't want to shoot the chick. Ain’t no money for that," Mikey continued breathlessly. Maddox's hand brushed mine and I curled my fingers around his, holding on tightly. "Anyway, he answered the door see? And I shot him. Pop! Pop! Then I got back on the motorcycle and tore outta there."

"Would you have shot 'the chick'?" asked Garrett. He made little, air quotes in the air and I wondered if Mikey noticed how cold Garrett's tone sounded.

"I guess so." He shrugged. "If she got in the way, but I wouldn't do nothin’ nasty to her. I'm not like that. There're girls at the bar who hang out with the gang practically for free."

"What about the warning?" asked Garrett.

"What warning?"

"Keep up with me, Mikey. The warning you were supposed to give to the man you shot."

"Nuh-uh. It wasn't no warnin’ for him! It was a warnin’ for someone else. I don't know nothin’ else about it, but I figure they musta gotten the message, you know what I'm sayin'?"

Garrett pulled a pad from under the folder on the table and produced a pen. "Start writing it down," he said. "Write down everything you told me and don't leave anything out."

"My writin’ isn't too good."

"You'll have plenty of time to improve," said Garrett. "Interview terminated by Lieutenant Graves. I'll be back soon." He got up, grabbing the file and the still sealed envelope before he walked out of the room. A few seconds later, the door opened and he walked in.

"Nice work," said Maddox.

"He's not the smartest cookie in the box," replied Garrett. "I'm surprised he didn't even ask for a lawyer. He caved too quickly too. Lexi, I'm sorry. This wasn't what I hoped for."

"I know but you caught him, he confessed, and that's great," I said. "Thank you."

"What happens now?" asked Damien. "Obviously, he's just a tiny piece of the puzzle but is it over?"

"I think we all know it isn't. We need to get to this Mooch guy and find out who ordered the hit. Or the warning, as Mikey is calling it."

"What if you keep pressing Mikey? He might have forgotten something," said Damien.

Garrett shook his head, his eyes looking weary. "I don't think so. My gut tells me he doesn't know anything more. I don't think there was ever any intention of giving him a gang jacket, or two thousand dollars. I think he's fully expendable. I think that was probably the point of picking him for the job. If he got caught, no one cares what happens to him. If he got injured or killed in the process of carrying out the job, again, no one cares. He can't tell anyone anything. He's no great loss to anyone. He's nothing but a patsy."

"I want to say that's sad but I currently don't care if he's in prison for the rest of his life," I said.

"Throw the book at him and let him rot," said Damien. "I'm glad this is over with. My brother deserved better than that."

"I agree with you on the last point," said Garrett, "but I can't stop here. I want to go all the way up the chain."

"Don't you have enough evidence against him with the ballistics report?" asked Damien. He pointed to the envelope Garrett held.

"Oh, that." Garrett wedged the folder under his arm and tore open the envelope. He laughed when he looked at it, then turned the single page for us to see.

"We're all out of egg salad sandwiches for lunch," I read.

Maddox laughed. "That was your bargaining chip?"

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