visit,” The Dick said all too casually. I didn’t sit in the seat he gestured to or reply when he’d offered me a drink. I didn’t want to stay longer than I needed to, and I certainly didn’t want to drink whatever he handed me.
“Anthony Saint James,” were the only words out of my mouth.
The other eyebrow raised to join the first as he leaned back in his chair. I didn’t like the way he draped his arms on his lap or how he cocked his head to the side for me to continue without so much as a question as to why I was bringing up a dead man. We both knew the reason. He just didn’t think he’d have to hear about him again. Plain and simple.
I pointed toward the document. “I don’t know who’s cock you had to suck to try getting those documents destroyed, but clearly you’re shit at a decent blowjob since it didn’t take much to collect information on what you’ve been up to over the years.”
The moment his face turned red, I smiled. Tendons in his neck tightened and my anger grew for the bastard who acted like he didn’t give a shit about anything or anyone. Least of all a man he hired somebody to get rid of. “You come into my office and—”
“It’s annoying, isn’t it?” I cut him off. Shrugging, I leaned my hip against his desk. “I’m curious, though. What made you think that getting Rodney Scott a new gig over in the San Fran area was going to get him to keep quiet? Was it threatening his reputation? Or his sexual orientation? Fuck, maybe it was the dirt you dug up on how his marriage was fake. Deidra Scott took that money you offered her real quick, didn’t she? Can’t say I blame the woman. It must have been challenging to watch your husband parading men around her all the time knowing she was the last person he was giving his dick to.”
His nostrils flared. “You want to explain to me why you’re bringing up Saint James’s defense attorney? Seems a little pointless at this point, doesn’t it?”
That made me laugh. Loud, deep, rumbling laughter escaped my previously pressed lips, only flattening his more in reaction. He loved watching people when he played the game, but he was shit at taking it. “I’m sure you’d like to think so considering the circumstances of his untimely death.” His jaw ticked as I pressed on without giving him time to argue. “It’s not a secret that Rikers Island is known for their unjust brutality. In fact, with the right amount of money, anybody could get away with a few crimes inside. You already know that though, so I’ll skip ahead to the good stuff. Phone records. Video recordings. Oh, and one very talkative guard with an overbite. Officer Johnson? I’m sure you know the one I’m talking about because you padded his bank account with over $100,000 dollars just weeks before Anthony was beaten to death in the section he was supposed to be monitoring that night.
“Come to think of it, the video alone says plenty. But you didn’t know that because the money you gave him was blood money to ensure the cameras were turned off during the attack. The phone records may not reveal a lot in the grand scheme of things because Scott wanted one on one time with Saint James without being recorded to go over their meetings, but your name was said enough to make the federal judge question why you weren’t more involved in questioning during the trial. You and Henry Murphy sure were lucky all this time. Must have been a relief knowing you two could keep living your lives knowing somebody else was taking the fall.”
Slowly, Pratt stood up with a deadly glare on his face. He didn’t even touch the folder I dropped in front of him, much less look down to figure out what was inside. I’d wanted him to, to see what kind of evidence was stacked against him so he knew he wasn’t the invincible asshole he thought he was. Money talked. Counterfeit money talked louder. Other businesses Pratt was known for, drugs, weapons, sex trafficking, practically screamed. As did the audio of Rodney Scott and Anthony Saint James discussing appeal tactics by gathering names to help prove Anthony didn’t act alone. “I’m giving you ten seconds to get the fuck out of my office before I call