Jakub felt his heart pounding in his chest as the giant of a man pulled him through the endless maze of hallways, with each step they took getting ever closer to their destination. He had heard stories about Dan and how ruthless he could be when crossed, so Jakub was understandably terrified. Finally, they reached an old wooden door that Manfred opened without hesitation and Jakub found himself standing in a large office illuminated by pale yellow light coming from an ornate chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The walls were lined with shelves full of books, strange artefacts, and antique weapons, while various pieces of furniture like armchairs, couches, and tables filled up most of the remaining space in Dan's office. Seated at one end behind an imposing oak desk was none other than Dan himself, looking down at Jakub with an expressionless face that made it impossible for him to gauge what was going through his mind. Manfred walked over to him then leaned down low until he was just inches away from Jakubs ear: "you better watch your words kid or else you won't be leaving this place alive". With those words still ringing loud inside Jakubs head, Manfred stepped back and stood guard next to another bodyguard stationed near one corner, arms folded across their chests - ready for action should any incident occur - as if noticing something out-of-place would trigger some kind of invisible alarm system that only they knew how it worked. All these details passed by swiftly inside Jakub's mind as he braced himself for whatever might come next. Jakub stood in front of Dan's desk, feeling a strange mix of fear and anger. He was angry at the fact that he had been dragged here and treated like a criminal. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel scared by the thought that the Don could think he was somehow responsible for the murder, and therefore for the disruption of the Don’s business. After all, who would be crazy enough to kill a woman right under the Don’s window. If he took a step to the window and stretched a bit, he could literally see the crime scene. Some Policeman securing the site, the body had already been removed, but the dried blood running down the steps still told a story by itself. The Don’s people hiding in the small park that frames the Balduin stairs, their usual selling spot occupied by far more police presence than they would have ever liked to see, hung around inconspicuously behind the greenery. Clearly, their Ecosystem had been thoroughly disrupted. Jakub figured that the Don was in a mood. He was losing money by the minute, and the prospect of the Bulls about to peek their corrupt noses right into his business, certainly wouldn’t help either. Dan ‘The Don’ leaned forward in his chair and gave Jakub a long, hard stare before finally breaking the silence:
“So why don't you tell me what really happened, kid? I want to hear it in your own words.”
Jakub took a deep breath as if mustering enough courage before looking back into Dan's eyes with determination: “I found her body just like I said earlier… I didn't kill her or have anything to do with it! That night, I was just out there trying to make some money when she turned up… bleeding out … dead. All I did was call for help right away - how could this be my fault?”. Dan kept staring at him for what felt like an eternity until finally letting out an annoyed sigh:
“Alright then, so it wasn’t you. I can believe that. Nonetheless, a woman died, practically on my porch, none of my people know
who did it and here you are claiming ignorance”
“I’m no claiming anything.” Jakub interrupted him “I’m just saying I didn’t see anything. There wasn’t anything to see really, the lady walked down the stairs, and then next moment she was clutching her throat and bleeding out. It was dark, I couldn’t see anything.”
The Don leaned back in his armchair.
“You don’t seem to understand my boy”
“What is there to understand?” it shot out of Jakub “I don’t know who did it, ask someone else!” Jakub was sweating as he lost his cool.
Manfred stepped up behind Jakub, put a hand the size of a shovel on his shoulder squeezed until he had Jakub’s full attention, and firmly pressed him back into his seat.
“You see, Jakub is it? There are two ways I am willing to let this play out. First, guilty or not, you go to prison for this death. Of course, we would be thankful for you taking the heat, maybe even arrange for some deal with law enforcement to get you out early, or see to it that your stay isn’t too uncomfortable.”
Jakub almost screamed: “I didn’t do it, you can’t send me to the Bulls for this.” Manfred gave him a quick slap on the cheek. “Manners boy.”
“Thank you, Manfred, that is quite enough” The Don faced Jakub for a second, “It was quite enough, yes?”
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
Jakub nodded. The Don turned his armchair around to look out of the window.
“Secondly, we, you or law enforcement finds your accused.” Jakub drew a big breath, he was being offered a way out, he had already been playing vivid imagery of prison life in his head for a while now, but here was his straw. His way out.
“However, as it is not within my patience to let this investigation and undue scrutiny of my affairs continue for an indefinite amount of time, I am giving you until next Monday. If by that time no suspect has been arrested for the crime, it is your head in the gallows, I have 15 men testifying to that end. Do we understand each other?”
Jakub frowned.
“But Sir, that is in five days.”
“Well, I suggest you get busy then... Manfred will see you out. And good luck on your quest, we are all firmly rooting for you!” The Don beamed at him with a smile as Manfred single-handedly lifted Jakub out of the chair and put him on his feet.
Manfred dragged a disbelieving Jakub out of the room, then put him against a wall and spoke, entirely out of character, in the whisper quiet voice of a little girl trying not to be overheard by her momma: “Look kid, you heard the Don, I don’t have to tell you how serious this is. If you want out of this alive and free, I recommend you go talk to the Bullies first. That way you will be a witness first, and a suspect later, that should give you free movement until your time is up. Minus the 24 hours the Bullies can hold you for now. After that is done, you go talk to Dirk.”
Jakub was puzzled, by the voice, the circumstances, the vice-like grip on his shoulder, nothing made sense any more: “Who the fuck is Dirk?”
“Dirk, is the guy you want to talk to, probably the only one who could help you, and I know for a fact that he will. You see, that girl, was his… And if I know Dirk, he is not going to let this slide. You will find none more suited, if all goes well, you just stick to Dirk until things are solved. At least that is your best shot as far as I know.”
Manfred pulled out an old-fashioned notebook, the kind very responsible people carry in their breast pockets for emergencies, ripped out a page and handed it to Jakub.
“When you meet Dirk, tell him to come see me for a drink.”
Jakub clutched the ripped piece of paper that Manfred had given him with both hands and shakily went outside. For a minute, he just stood there, eyes fixed on the sun, the cleaning bots chirping about as they went about their usual daily routine, the Bullies chattering among themselves about whatever business happened over at the crime scene fifty meters to Jakub’s left, the city making city noises. His eyes narrowed as his resolve hardened. He would not be going down like this. He would find the bastard who did this. “Fuck the Bullies, ACAB!”, now that Jakub was thinking clearly, he couldn’t bring himself to trust the Bullies enough to freely turn himself in. Manfred was obviously an idiot for suggesting this, but it was interesting to consider that Manfred had tried to help him at all. It must mean something, probably, that the Don truly wished for him to succeed, or at least appear that way to him. A couple of minutes of silent thought later, he made his way over to the address Manfred had given him.
Meanwhile, Dan ‘the Don’ Simmons ran through just the same thoughts Jakub did, albeit somewhat less worried. This was not a usual petty crime that he, on his turf, dealt with on a daily basis. Yes, the victim was a local hooker, but the manner of her passing and the potentially intentional implication of his business, could mean that there was someone acting deliberately against him.
Manfred entered the Don’s office, but Dan didn’t let that bother him. Eventually, Manfred audibly cleared his throat, triggering the Don to talk.
“Have you sent the boy on his way?”
“I have, as instructed.”
“How did he take it? Do you think he will succeed?”
“Sir, If I think me might have kicked a rolling stone lose. I would be surprised if this wasn’t going to start an avalanche.”
“You are being overly dramatic, Manny.”
“No Sir, one of our ladies, her throat sliced on OUR doorstep, and we haven’t the faintest clue as to who did it… None of the men having seen anything, this whole thing smells of a plot. It just all seems so impossible. There were seven of our men around the stair that night. And the assassin wasn’t even spotted? Either our boys are lying, which I don’t think plausible, or someone worth a lot of money managed to sneak past the Bullies surveillance as well as our own, murdered that poor woman and just vanished without a trace.”
“Tell the boys to suspend all activity until this affair is behind us. And arrange a meeting with senator Scholz.”