Chapter Nineteen
Sam
Jackson was wiping down the counter of the bar. There were a couple of stragglers playing pool in the corner and another couple sipping beers near the dance floor. Apart from that, however, the place was practically empty, and I wondered again how Jackson was keeping the bar afloat.
“Maybe you should bring in some live entertainment every now and again?” I suggested. “That way you’d get the really young crowd in here.”
“I already do,” Jackson replied, somewhat defensively.
I smiled. “I’m just saying, we need to think of ways to keep the bar running.”
“The bar is running fine. We even made a profit last month.”
“You did?” I said, unable to conceal my surprise.
“Oh ye of little faith.”
I laughed. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, it’s just that things have seemed pretty…low key around here lately.”
Was it my imagination or did Jackson purposefully avoid meeting my eyes? I wondered. The action reminded me of the money he had been trying to conceal from me the other day. If those were bar profits, then I would have expected him to throw it in my face.
“The money’s coming in,” Jackson smiled. “How was your date with the MILF by the way?”
I knew he was changing the subject, but I was ready to talk about something else, too. “It was surprisingly amazing,” I said. “And, can we please start calling her Mia?”
He rolled his eyes. “Did you bang her?”
“Dude,” I said. “Her kid was with us.”
He stopped cleaning the glass in his hands. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“She brought her kid along on the date?”
“It was my idea,” I admitted.
“Why on earth would it be your idea?” Jackson demanded, as though he had no idea who I was anymore.
“Because she was dangerously close to turning me down,” I said. “I had to make an offer she couldn’t refuse.”
“Would it have been such a big deal if she had turned you down?” he asked. “I mean, you already slept with her.”
“That’s not the fucking point,” I said, annoyed with his tone. “I really wanted to take her out.”
Jackson raised his eyebrows. “Ah… I see.”
“You see what?” I demanded.
“She was about to turn you down, so that made it a challenge for you,” Jackson said smugly, looking comfortable once again. “You wore her down and now you have the satisfaction of knowing you can get any woman you want – am I right?”
“Sometimes I forget what a big prick you can be,” I said, shaking my head at him.
“What?” he asked defensively. “You’re telling me you’re genuinely interested in this woman? Despite the fact that’s she’s got baggage?”
“Don’t we all have baggage?” I said. “I have a mother who abandoned me and my brothers when I was a kid, only to materialize fifteen years later with this crazy story about how she was trying to protect us from the man who was trying to kill her. That doesn’t sound like baggage to you?”
Jackson paused for a moment. “Man, you’re getting soft.”
“I am not,” I said, feeling compelled to defend myself.
“Come on, Sam,” he said. “You can’t deny this is a departure for you. Since when have you ever taken a woman to dinner? And since when have you described an encounter with a woman as successful if it didn’t include sex?”
“It’s more than just sex with Mia, though,” I said, trying to explain myself. “It’s…”
“Yeah?” he prompted when I trailed off.
“I don’t know… I like talking to her,” I said, aware of how alien the words sounded on my tongue.
Jackson gave me an ironic smile. “I never thought this would happen.”
“Nothing is happening,” I said quickly. “I had one date with her – that’s all.”
“And, are you planning on seeing her again?” he wanted to know.
“Yeah, if she’s agree to go out with me again,” I nodded. “I would actually want a second date.”
“Will this date include her daughter?”
“I wouldn’t mind if it did,” I said honestly.
“Wow,” he said, shaking his head at me. “This is a real 360.”
“It’s 180, you moron,” I said, rolling my eyes. “A 360 would mean I was back in the same place I started out.”
“Right, whatever…that’s what I meant,” Jackson said.
The couple by the dance floor got up and walked out of the bar, leaving us a little emptier than when we started. I watched them leave. They were a young couple. The guy was of average height and medium build. He had a tattoo sleeve and a piercing in his left eyebrow. The girl was petite and fine boned with bright blue hair cropped short.
I noticed how his hand stayed on the small of her back the whole way they walked to the door. I noticed how she walked just beside him, brushing her hands against him when she could. It was a silent message to the world: we are together and we want you all to know it.
I had never noticed the subtle nuances of couples before – I had never been interested enough to notice. But now that I did, I could see the comfort in it.
“What are you looking at?” Jackson asked.
“Nothing,” I said quickly.
“She was hot,” Jackson nodded, misinterpreting my curiosity in the couple. “I don’t blame you.”
“I wasn’t checking her out,” I said.
“Yeah,” he nodded, shooting me a wink. “Sure thing.”
I sighed, but refrained from correcting him. What would be the point? Jackson would believe what he wanted to believe. I decided to just leave it. I heard the sound of the door open, and I craned my neck to the side to see who it was.
“New customers,” Jackson said happily.
The woman that walked in was dressed nicely in a dark brown suit and white blouse. She had blonde hair that was tied back and a strict, no nonsense look about her.
“Since you’re all hung up on Mia,” Jackson said. “You won’t mind if I hit that, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “Be my guest,” I said. “She doesn’t look like the friendly sort, anyway.”
“That’s what gets me hot under the collar,” he whispered to me. “It’s going to be fun loosening up that put together piece of ass. I’ll bet she’s wild in bed.”
The woman walked into the bar and then a moment later, two policemen followed her inside. Instantly, I felt the atmosphere change, and I sensed Jackson tense beside me. The woman glanced over at the bar and then she walked straight towards us.
“I’m Detective Keller,” she introduced, in a crisp voice. Then she turned to me. “Are you Jackson Neilson?”
“I… No,” I said.
“I’m Jackson Neilson,” Jackson stepped up.
Detective Keller nodded once and turned to me. “And you are Samuel Burbank?”
“Yes,” I nodded, frowning. “How did you-”
“Gentlemen, you are both under arrest,” Detective Keller interrupted as she stepped aside. “Officers.”
The two policemen stepped up, one towards me and the other headed behind the bar for Jackson. They cuffed us both and started to move us towards the door. I was vaguely aware of the small group in the corner by the pool table. They were undoubtedly watching the whole thing. I only hoped none of them were taping it.
The policemen read us our rights as they cuffed us and muscled us out. “Hold on,” I said, trying to resist.
“This will go much easier for you if you co-operate, Mr. Burbank,” Detective Keller said in a reasonable tone.
“Why are we being arrested?” I demanded, forcing the police officer to a halt.
“You don’t know?” Detective Keller asked.
“No, I don’t,” I said firmly.
She raised her eyebrows for a moment and regarded me coolly, as though to tell me that she knew I was lying, but was going to humor me anyway. “You are being arrested for money laundering, Mr. Burbank.”
I felt my body grow cold as I remembered the papers I had signed for Jackson a few weeks ago. I turned to him and caught his wide eyes and the guilty expression on his face.
He had known – he had known all along. Not only had he started an illegal business, but he had dragged me into it, too. I felt my body tense with rage as I stared at the face of the man I had trusted most in the world.
I shook my head at him, and Jackson dropped his eyes immediately. I was prevented from saying anything as the officer behind me twisted me forward and pushed me out the bar and into his vehicle.
My mind was going crazy on the long drive to the station. I had no idea about any details pertaining to the bar. I had been a fool to sign those documents, even if Jackson had been the one to put them in front of me. I couldn’t believe how stupid and blind I had been.
Once we were at the station, the officer walked me up the steps of the precinct. “Can I call someone?” I asked.
“You can make one phone call,” Detective Keller said, stepping up from behind me. “And then you can wait for your lawyer in a nice cozy cell.”
First, I was booked and relieved of all my personal affects. I was allowed to stay in my clothes, however, and I was grateful for that. They took my phone, my car keys, and my wallet. I was shown to the phone, while a police officer hovered close by. I stared at the receiver for a long time, wondering whom I should call.
Peter was the obvious choice, but I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in his eyes. The only other option available to me was unthinkable at this moment, though. So, I sucked it up and dialled Peter’s number. I counted fourteen rings before the line went dead. I felt a vague feeling of sinking all of a sudden, and I knew I had to contact someone immediately. And, it had to be someone who could help me.
She was the last person I wanted involved, but she was the only lawyer I knew. I held my breath and dialled her number.