Page 145 of Driftwood Daffodil

“Well Miss Ford, and correctmeif I’m wrong,” Honest Jack pulled a file out of seemingly nowhere and dropped it down on the counter. "But isn't your brother currently in jail for killing Atlas Mancini?”

“I wasn’t there.” I sang back.

“And,” he reached forward and flipped the file open. “don’t you go to school with the youngest son Giovanni, who according to my records has been following you around for a week.”

If he wanted to point out facts. “That doesn’t mean I know him.”

His brow arched. “Is that why you were seen leaving his house at 8:27 this morning.”

Look at him being a good little investigator.

“What do you want Jack?” and what else had he seen?

Were there FBI guys sprinkled throughout the entire town? Were there some in here right now, hiding in camouflage?

“I’ll be frank with you Miss. Ford.”

Alright, Frank it is.

“I’ve been on this case for three years. We have every avenue covered, except the house.”

My eyes rolled up to his. I saw where this was going.

“Let me stop you right there Frank.” I closed his file and slid it back towards him. “I can’t help you.”

Hell would freeze over before I ever set foot in that house again. Let alone to get dirt for the FBI. If I was going to die it was going to be doing some ridiculous thing – like boxing a family of raccoons – that gave Gio Mancini absolutely no satisfaction.

“But I can help you…”

I highly doubted that.

The bell above the door dinged and I nodded as Trixie strutted in, chin all up in the air while her high heels clicked. I might’ve been annoyed by the snide scowl she shot me if Jack hadn’t added…

“Or should I say I can help your brother.”

Now he had my attention, and I was guessing by the way the corner of his mouth lifted, he knew it.

“You can get Kato out of prison?”

He shook his head, “No.”

What good was he?

“But if you bring me something I can use, I’ll have him moved to a federal penitentiary, where there's more security.”

Know what else there was more of, organized crime people. So I failed to see how that was any better.

“I understand your brother’s had a hard time. He’s been in the infirmary numerous times, had countless reprimands, spent time in solitary…”

Exactly my point. How would locking him up in a place with his literal enemy be any better? He’d be dead the first night. Which was exactly what I opened my mouth to tell him, when Jack’s next statement caused the world to fall out from under me.

“And he was stabbed in his cell last night.”

Kato was stabbed! Why weren’t we told? I couldn’t breathe. All the air in the room disappeared and all I could see was my brother, cold, alone, and bleeding with no one to look out for him. I wanted nothing more than to hold him in my arms and smell the oil on his clothes. I used to hate that scent, but I’d give anything to smell it again.

A hand pressed down and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

“It’s okay, it wasn’t a fatal wound.” Jack said with sympathy in his tone. “He’ll make a full recovery.”

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