felt his lungs deflate as the air rushed from them. He thanked the technician and turned to his partner.
Alex grinned as he disconnected his call. “Officers on the scene at Raphael’s apartment building have discovered boxes labeled with Kilton Pharmaceuticals. We’ll need to cross-check, but it looks like we may have found what came from the stolen van.”
24
Kyle stalked into the interview room, slapping a folder onto the top of the table while sliding into the seat opposite of Raphael. Not in the mood to drag things out further, he flipped open the folder and began. “The drugs that were in your possession have been identified as being from Kilton Pharmaceuticals. The boxes of drugs that were in your apartment have been identified as being from the Kilton Pharmaceuticals van theft. Your fingerprints are on the bag that was in your possession. Your fingerprints are on the boxes, and we have identified from other fingerprints several of your comrades. They are currently being rounded up or are already in custody. The drugs that were in your possession in the bag have been identified as fentanyl. Right now, you’re looking at multiple charges and a long stay as a welcome guest of the prison system.”
Snorting, Raphael leaned back in his seat. “Then what the fuck am I doing here? Throw me in jail and be done with it. It’s not like I can tell you anything that’s gonna get me out of this.”
“You’re partially right. But just how long you’re going to be a welcome guest could very much have everything to do with what you start telling me.”
Raphael sat quiet, and Kyle took that as a positive sign.
“We know you’re part of a larger scheme. What I want to know is who else can be connected above you. I’m not convinced you stole the truck or were driving it the day the Kilton Pharmaceuticals van was robbed. But that was armed robbery and a man was injured. I’ll have no problem pinning that on you.”
“It wasn’t me!”
“Then give me something to go on.”
“Hell, you think everybody sits around the table and plans this shit? It’s not like I got some memo telling me who’s doing what.”
Kyle looked at Alex sitting next to him and grinned. “I like that. A memo.” Turning back toward Raphael, his smile dropped. “When I get finished throwing everything at you that I think will stick—plus some that might not—you’re going to wish you had a fuckin’ memo.”
Raphael slumped in his seat. “I wasn’t in that truck. Wasn’t part of the robbery. I was told that someone was gettin’ shit to me. I start selling and keep a percentage.”
“Honor among thieves? How the hell did someone know you were giving them the right amount?”
“Because the person talking to me knew exactly how much shit was given to me, what I can sell it for, and what their take was going to be after I had my cut. They had it figured out to a fuckin’ penny. Plus, I got the feeling they were the kind of people that I shouldn’t fuck with. Fine with me… I was gettin’ plenty out of the deal.”
“Who delivered the shit to you?”
“Just got a first name.”
“And?”
“Dude named Jerry. Don’t know his last name, but they call him Jerry D.”
Shooting Alex a quick glance, he stood and walked out of the interview room, pissed that he hadn’t brought everything in with him. Moving to the evidence board, he looked at the small notes they had tacked to the side. Joe Parson’s brother’s name was Jeremiah. Jeremiah Dempsy. Grabbing his phone, he called the lab. “The boxes brought in from Kilton Pharmaceuticals that we got from Raphael’s place this morning. I know you’re going to check fingerprints through more databases, but was there a match with Jeremiah Dempsy? He’s had priors, so he’s in the system.”
Waiting for them to call back, he grinned when he gained an affirmative. Back in the interview room, he sat down and pierced Raphael with a hard gaze. “Okay, so we know who delivered the boxes to you. Now tell us how the payments go.”
“I get a call. Shit’s dropped off by Jerry D. I get another call and only deal with one person. They tell me where to meet, and I start making sales. As soon as money comes to me, I turn around and start paying.”
“Seems like a lot of trust. He’s actually trusting you to keep making payments?”