Chapter 49
Marco eventually calmed down, but as Sean questioned him, the man chose to remain silent. He wasn’t sure if Marco had been down here the whole time, but considering he had searched the hotel high and low, he was betting he had.
“Is there another way out of here?” Sean asked.
More silence.
“People will have heard the gunshots,” Sean said. “It’s only a matter of time before we get out of here.”
At this, Marco looked up at Sean, a shadow of a smile on his face, gesturing to the ceiling. “No one heard shit. You know it, and so do I.”
“Then who shut the door?” Sean asked. “Who is your partner helping you smuggle drugs?”
Marco shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the bar. “You don’t know shit, cop.”
Sean wasn’t in the mood to play games. “I know you’re running the drugs,” Sean said. “I found them, and it’s enough to put you away for the rest of your life. But if you give up your partner, then maybe I can get the DA to play nice with you.”
“You have no idea what’s about to come up on you, cop,” Marco said. “I like my chances.”
“That’s the second time someone’s threatened me with that same line today,” Sean said, losing patience.
“Then maybe you should listen,” Marco said.
“Your uncle going to send an army from Chicago?” Sean asked, but to this Marco said nothing.
Sean glanced around the room, searching for where the mobster might have been hiding, but as he pressed against the walls for any false paneling, he found nothing.
“There’s no way out, man,” Marco said.
“Well, the way I see it, one way or the other, that door is going to open again,” Sean answered. “From either the FBI, or your uncle and whatever thugs he sends, but I’m guessing my FBI friends will get here first.”
Marco sat up a little and looked at Sean. “You really don’t know what’s going on, do you?”
“I know that I have a missing girl, a dead woman, and a bunch of drugs being run by a Chicago mobster,” Sean said. “What else am I missing? Aside from the fact that you’re responsible for the abduction and the murder as well?”
“I didn’t kill anyone,” Marco answered. “At least, not here.” He cleared his throat and then grimaced. “And I sure as shit didn’t steal a kid.”
“And why should I believe you?” Sean asked. “You’re the only person who has something to lose in trying to hide all of this. Well, you and your partner.” He considered this and then decided to take a gamble. “It’s Roger, isn’t it?”
The mobster probably took a lot of pride in having a good poker face, but Sean could always spot a tell, and it was clear Sean had hit the nail on the head.
“I already know you two were chummy in prison,” Sean said. “He denied it, of course. But it would make sense for him to know about this place.” Sean now considered how a guy like Roger, with no real prospects or training, had managed to stumble into this place. “Your family sold it to him, right?”
“Not as dumb as you look, cop,” Marco answered.
“So, what is this?” Sean asked. “A way station to get the drugs between Chicago and the big eastern cities like Boston, New York?” Sean didn’t wait for an answer, and he nodded.
“Makes sense, considering the location. We’re close enough to the cities for convenience, but far enough away to stay off the radar of those big-city cops. ”
“If you know that, then you know we’re not getting out of here,” Marco said. “There’s no reason for Roger to come down here without a full army of backup from my people. And they’re going to tear this place apart.”
Sean paused. He thought about hitting Marco again, but he didn’t think it was worth the bruising on his hand. Instead, he looked above. He thought of Jennie. He thought of what Roger might do to her if he didn’t get out. And it terrified him.