Page 47 of Sinful Promise
“Arch was following up.” Increasing my pace, I work to close the gap I’ve created between myself and the other three. “He came out to see you a couple times, Garz.” I shake my head. “You can’t even remember that shit anymore? You’re drinking too much. Besides, the information you tried to sell us was bullshit.”
“Nuh-uh,” he rumbles. “I haven’t talked to Detective Malone since that time you were there.”
“Garz, you’re frying your brai—”
“Swear!” he shouts, like he’s afraid I’ll hang up. “I swear, Detective. He hasn’t come to see me, he didn’t call. And none of my people have had words with him either. But I heard some things, yeah? Things about that first vigilante case you were trying to tie up.”
“Justin Dowel’s case?” I’m a skeptical man by nature. Optimistic and outgoing with my friends, but suspicious as fuck when talking to people like Anthony Garzman. “That was months ago.”
“But you haven’t closed it yet, right?” His words are muffled, like he’s got something in his mouth. Then I hear theclick-click-clickof a lighter, and the deep inhale he takes once his cigarette is successfully lit. “Dowel’s murder remains open.”
“Yes, but—”
“‘Cos you didn’t catch the vigilante,” he presses. “‘Cos you don’t know who it is.”
“No. But—”
“You should come on over to Brady’s.” His words come out with a smile, now that he knows he’s got me. “It’s that bar over on—”
“I know where Brady’s is,” I cut in. “But I’m busy, Garzo. So how about you just tell me what you think you know, and I’ll decide if it’s worth my time. If your information has value, I’ll get you some cash.”
“Come to Brady’s,” he counters arrogantly. “But don’t bring Archer Malone.”
My stomach drops as I come to a screeching halt on the sidewalk.
Arch, Minka, and Aubree continue on, blind to the fact I’m no longer walking with them. They laugh and chat, teasing each other while heading toward the promise of good food inside a familiar dive bar.
“Garzman—”
“Ask him,” he taunts. “Ask him if he came to see me when he said he would.”
“And you think I should take your word over his? Motherfucker, he’s my best fri—”
“Just ask,” he repeats. “Then come find me. I’ll be here for the rest of the afternoon. So catch some distance and hop your ass across the city.”
He ends the call so I’m left with the single, solid beep that says he’s gone.
I look up just as Arch stops at the door of Tim’s Bar and holds it open for the ladies. His smile is infectious, carefree, when it so rarely is.
Glancing around for the last of our foursome, he peers along the street and pauses on my eyes. Then he tilts his head to the side as I start walking again.
He’s a good cop. The best I’ve ever met. And now Anthonythe ratGarzman wants me to sneak out solo and talk crime, like it was Arch who committed the murder.
“Hey.” Curious, Archer watches me as I come closer. He looks me up and down when I struggle to find a smile. “You okay?” Then he glances toward my phone. “Who was that?”
“Huh?” I fist the device in my hand, but stare at the blank screen and wonder what the fuck I’m going to do… and what it will do to our friendship. To the trust we share. The brotherhood we forged forever ago.
But why would Arch say he spoke to Garz, when he didn’t?
“Fletch?”
“It was Penny.”Fuck! Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.I drop the phone into my pocket and stare down at my shoes. “She was just checking in.”
“Yeah?” His grin grows larger, because he loves my daughter. With his whole fucking heart, he loves her.Because that’s what brothers do.“Is she okay? You look a little worried.”
“Yeah.” I shake off my mood and force a smile to cross my lips. “She’s fine. Listen, I was just thinking…” I crook my thumb over my shoulder and point back toward the George Stanley building. “We were talking the vigilante, right?”
Like it always has, discussion of the murderer we’ve yet to catch makes Archer’s green eyes burn dark and dangerous.
