Page 17 of For Life
“I haven’t noticed it in your reports, or in Wu’s more thorough reports.” Captain Brown told him with an edge, “What groups are you seeing an uptick with?”
“The I-talians have been causing problems for the Russians, who you know have gotten more law-abiding.”
“Hmm, that may be,” Captain Brown offered, “Except I just got word that the man who was shot was Italian. Name of Giuseppe Russo.”
“In-fighting?” Matlock suggested as their voices faded away.
Not wanting to chance getting drawn into Matlock’s racist bull, I darted to the stairwell and down to the garage without incident. I’d ride my bike to Shepherd’s and check on Ant, then head home if they didn’t need anything.
Shepherd let me in the back door, since the front of the restaurant was taped off as a crime scene. I found Ant setting a bowl down on the table in their open living space, with their roommates Roman and July flanking them. A small weight left my shoulders that Ant wasn’t alone.
“Hi,” Ant whispered and stood, starting to pace towards me but then stopping short, “I’m ready to tell you what really happened now.”
“Can I hug you?” I asked, knowing they needed it.
Ant nodded and bit their lower lip before falling into my arms, shaking and holding in a sob. I had suspected there was a lot more to what they said. The dispatcher over my radio had said a witness saw the shooting, and I was pretty sure it had been Ant calling since it came in so quickly after the shots. No one else had been around or come forward as a witness by the time I left work. But Ant could take all the time they needed in my arms before sharing.
Minutes passed, where I rubbed their back and kissed Ant’s forehead. There was no rush, but when Ant stopped shaking I pulled back to look into their eyes. Brushing hair out of their face, I saw silent tears had left tracks on their cheeks.
“It’s going to be okay, I promise.”
“It won’t be okay.” Ant shook their head and stepped back, taking a deep breath before letting it all out. “I was closing down the Kitchen, and had just let the others out and locked up. Music was playing and I was wiping down tables. Then, I saw a dark man meeting with a blonde woman and a hulking guy across the street. They were dressed way too nice for the neighborhood, you know? So when I saw a cop walk up, I figured they would get harassed for whatever they're doing. Possibly dealing drugs? So I went up to the window to watch the drama, and the dark man seemed upset. I don’t know for sure if he was pulling a gun first, but when I saw the gun… I screamed. They looked my way, and I saw the cop’s back but the other two had guns out and pointed at me. I was freaked the fuck out, so I called 911 and hid behind the counter. They were banging on the windows, and shot at one to try and get in. Then there were sirens and they stopped right before you got there. ”
Ant paused and I wasn’t sure why they didn’t continue. “Why couldn't you say this downstairs earlier?”
“Because,” Ant swallowed audibly in the quiet room, stuffing their hands into the apron pocket that they still wore. “Maxx, you were there so fast, the fire truck was pulling up behind you. But, I hadn’t told you anything yet, when…”
“When what, tiger?” I wasn’t sure where the nickname had come from, maybe from thinking about how Ant was no house cat. I caught their wrist and pulled Ant’s hands out to hold them. “You can tell me. I’m on your side, no matter what.”
Ant bobbed their head and squeezed my hands in acknowledgment before continuing. “...You were closely followed by the cop who might’ve shot that man.”
Their words sank in slowly. There was a cop with the woman and man. One of those three shot the man—Giuseppe Russo, Captain Brown had said—but Ant saw the cop running away. If I was followed by that cop, then the only person it could be was my partner.
“Wait,” I dropped their hands and stepped back to run my fingers through my hair. “Matlock was with the shooters?”
“I’m sorry, Maxx. And I understand if you don’t believe me. I’m so sorry.”
Their soft and scared voice had me reaching for Ant again, pulling them into my arms as the roommates came closer. I could tell they all wanted to be sure I didn’t hurt Ant. I had no plans to ever do so.
“No, tiger, no sorries,” I murmured into their loose hair at their neck, thinking about the moment in the restaurant when Ant became withdrawn after Matlock showed up. “You saw what you saw. And Matlock pushed to be alone tonight, then was cagey about a bunch of stuff. Blamed the Italian mob for starting things with the Russians, or in-fighting. I was already suspicious, but I believe you.”
Ant started sobbing and leaned on me fully, their arms going around my waist. I would be there for them, as long as Ant let me.
“What are you going to do about it?” Roman challenged me. “Because we might have connections.”
Chuckling darkly against the side of Ant’s head, I led them back to the couch. I knew their group had a sort of friendship with the Russian Bratva boss, Felix Kiselov. I had no clue if this was actually related to organized crime, but Matlock sure wanted it to be.
“Go ahead,” I waved a hand at Roman, “You can get Felix on the phone to see what he knows.”
“Felix mostly goes by they/them pronouns, now,” Shepherd told me off-handedly, getting out a cell phone. “I’ll call their Daddy, Maksim. Felix is likely asleep.”
Holding Ant, I tuned out most of the noise coming from July and Roman while they cleaned up the kitchen and coffee table, and tried to hear what Shepherd was saying. Ant’s sobs had calmed down by the time they finished giving a rundown of what we knew and listening to whatever Maksim and Felix knew.
“So, what’s the word?” I asked as soon as Shepherd hit the end call button. “‘Is there really a Mob-Bratva war going on?”
“Maksim assured me that there was no current war, and there hadn't been any real animosity in a long time,” Shepherd came to sit on Ant’s other side, taking one hand until they looked up. “But Felix’s cousin did try to start things with the Italians who are still around, wanting the distraction for a coupe. And she is a blonde woman who dresses fancy.”
“Are you saying Ant is caught up in a fake war? Can we do anything?”