23. Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
KRIK
K irk looked at his screen and sighed. He had been trying to figure out who this person was, but he wasn’t having any luck. It was a burner phone, one that couldn’t be traced. Whoever it was, they knew what they were doing.
He had looked into where it could have been bought and went through hours of security footage, but came up with nothing.
Who was this guy?
Kirk looked back at the camera feed to his front door. Betsy said she had grabbed it before going into the apartment so that meant someone had to come to the door. He watched as the front desk man placed it on the ground and left.
Unease filled him. Was it his front desk man who was the person threatening Betsy? Kirk hacked into the apartment's security feed and watched several minutes before the note was placed. He watched as a man walked up to the front desk and handed him a note.
Kirk looked through the feed to see if he could find out anything about the guy handing it to the front desk but he couldn’t. The guy knew where the cameras were and angled his face to where Kirk couldn’t see him. He was also wearing a baseball cap.
He was experienced.
“Shit,” Kirk mumbled.
He didn’t like it when people threatened someone he loved and cared about. He especially didn’t like it when they were experienced and were getting away with it. No one got away with it when it came to people he loved.
Kirk got up from his seat and made his way towards Betsy’s playroom. She had been spending the afternoon in there while he looked into this.
“Baby,” he stuck his head in.
She was laying on her stomach with Mike right next to her while she colored in one of the books he had gotten her. He found out it was one of her favorite pastimes, something that would relax her. So what did he do? He bought more and made sure to have one in each room and in his car so she always had one.
“Daddy?” she turned her head. “Is it time already?”
“Time for what?”
Before he started to look into whoever had done this, he told her he was but to get him if she needed anything.
“Time to, I don’t know.” her cheeks got bright red towards the end.
“Time to what?” he asked again.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Color with me?”
“Not yet, baby, but soon. Daddy needs to go downstairs and talk to someone real quick. But once I get back, I’ll color with you.”
Her face fell. “That’s okay.”
“I promise once I get back we can color for however long you want to.”
“Okay, Daddy.”
He walked over, leaned down, and kissed her forehead.
“Daddy will be right back.”
“Who are you talking to?” she asked before he could make it out of the room.
“The front desk man about something.”
Betsy looked at him with a worried expression.
“Everything is going to be okay. Daddy is just going to talk to him and that’s it. Nothing bad is going to happen. I’m just going to ask him some questions. I’ll have my phone so if you need anything, call me,” he gently said. “No leaving the apartment, understood? Good. Daddy won’t be long but I need you to stay in the apartment where the door is locked. Daddy wants you safe.”
He didn’t like the worried look on her face. He didn’t want her worried but calm and relaxed, happy. But right now it wasn’t happening. It had only been a day since he spanked her for keeping it from him.
How long was she going to keep it from him? Was she ever going to tell him or would she have waited until it got really bad? Did she not feel comfortable talking to him about it?
“O-okay. Stay safe.”
“Always.”
Kirk left her room and made his way to the front desk. He knew the same person from the other day was on duty. The apartment building only had three people in rotation, but this guy was the main guy.
“Ah, Mr. Smith. What can I do for you?” the front desk man asked.
Smith wasn’t his last name. He didn’t want people to know it.
“You were here yesterday around three in the afternoon?” Kirk asked.
He knew the answer already, but he wanted to see if the guy would be honest or not.
“Yes, I was. What can I help you with?”
“Listen.”
“George.”
“Listen George, there was a note delivered to my apartment yesterday a little after three in the afternoon. You delivered it.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Kirk needed George to know that he already knew the answer.
“Yes, I did. What about it?”
“Do you know the man who gave you the note?”
“No, sir. I don’t.”
“Did he give you any instructions?”
“Just to take it up to your door immediately and leave it on the ground. Told me not to look at it.”
“And did you look at it?”
George shook his head. “I did not. I respect privacy. I wouldn’t want someone to go through my stuff. I figured it was a love letter. A secret admirer who didn’t want to be known yet.”
Of course he would.
“Did the guy seem off to you?”
He shrugged. “Just a little. He kept his head down and wore the hat inside. He made sure to walk with his head down whenever he came in and left.”
“And that didn’t seem like something you should say or tell anyone? Why didn’t you keep it at the front desk and wait for me to get home?”
“Well, he said it was for a girl that lived with you. Said you couldn’t see it.”
Kirk growled. How could this guy be so dense? Kirk had to remember that he was just a front desk man, that he didn’t work for the Ricci Crime Family where they had to pay attention to details.
He sighed. “Would you recognize him if you saw him?”
“I don’t think so. The man was wearing the hat but I also think he was wearing stuff on his face to mask what he really looked like. It wasn’t very well done, but you couldn’t make out what he looked like.”
Just Kirk’s luck. The guy was really smart.
“Did you get a name?” Kirk asked.
“No, I didn’t. He seemed to be in a rush. Told me he had to leave but needed to get this to her so I delivered it for him.”
Kirk sighed once again. Dead end after dead end. When was he going to catch a break?
“If the guy shows up again, you let me know right away. Understand?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“If anyone like that shows up to drop something off, you don’t let them. You either hold it until I come get it from you or you call me right away. You do not bring anything up to my door without me saying it is okay. Understood?”
“Of course, sir. Should I be on the lookout for anyone else?”
Kirk shook his head. “You can let any of the Ricci Crime Family members up without a problem but anyone else but me, Ricci Crime Family members, and Betsy, you will not let up without getting an okay from me. I don’t want anyone on that floor without my permission. Even you.”
The guy gulped as Kirk said the Ricci Crime Family. He didn’t like to flaunt it in everyone's face that he was part of the group, but he needed George to know he meant business. That he was dangerous.
“If anyone that is not permitted gets up, there will be consequences.”
“Understood, Sir.”