The Joy of Revenge

CHAPTER 62 Laboratory
I usually s kip Saturday morning breakfast with my father to get more sleep, but there was something I had to do that couldn’t wait.
When I sat down beside my father at our dining table to have breakfast, even he couldn’t keep his surprise to himself.
“Whatever you have to do or whoever you have to see must be really important for you to be out of bed so early on a Saturday morning,” my father sald, looking away from his digital newspaper to gaze at me from over his eyeglasses.
“I need to speak to Dan,’ I said while pouring some vyrup on the plate of french toast Clair just placed in front of me
“I thought you were going to help out with your little girlfriends nonsense,” he scoffed while fixing his glasses and focusing his attention hack to whatever he was reading
allowing a slice of french toast Miss
“It’s actually not nonsense, Dad,” 1’argund after North Dakota hacked out of being this year’s Miss Honey Bee for our spring parade Vittur and Chip are at least helping our town find one from among ones to be the star of this year’s parade
immat
“I didn’t know Miss North Dakota wasn’t going to grace the year’s parade he mumbled, the usual disapproving to present whenever he w uninformed Well dont forget your other responsibilities. I want the delivery to arrive riche
“About the delivery tonight, Capo B astone wants hall, I mentioned casually
“Half? Why does that nitwit want half I knew my father wouldn’t like the ne
arrangement. I took a sip of my coffer and pond at him an | explained
“I agreed to let him have half of the money, so he could stop him abducting women in this
town,” I told my father. I think he doesn’t care he rainsy chances as a reelectionist
be ₫
I crossed my fingers and hoped my father would intervene on my behalf. To my utter relief, I saw my father shake his head with a scowl on his face.
“He promised the Sheriff he would refrain from any noticeable criminal activity after the Joan Summers fasca of last year until elections were over, he growled, placing his tablet on
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the table and taking out his smartphone. “I will call his mother and tell her to put a leash on that psychopath she calls a son. Excuse me.”

My father stood up from the table and went into our study to have some privacy. I smirked as I quietly sipped my coffee, grateful my father could still pull some strings. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a close working relationship with Cynthia McDowell, but my father did. If there was anyone who Pete would listen to, it was his mother.
I asked Claire for another cup and waited for my father to come out of our study. I was halfway done with my refill when my father finally appeared with a look of concern on his face.
What is it this time?
“I was told to dispense with the arrangement her son has asked of you and continue honoring the previous arrangement,” my father said, sitting down in his chair. “However, there is an issue that is troubling. The laboratory personnel could not get any DNA on the glasses, utensils and plates your guests used last Saturday when I was away.”
“What?!” I angrily glanced at Claire whose face had turned red from her evident betrayal. She coughed and quickly left the dining room, heading back to the kitchen.
The punishment for betrayal is death, Claire.
“You don’t think I wouldn’t know about your little dinner date with Virtue Sullivan and that insect everyone calls Chip?” My father’s gray eyes had a wicked glint in them.
“Dad, I don’t know what the problem is. She is a beautiful woman who I would like to date-“
“Yes, all of them are beautiful, until she has a knife at your throat. Theodore Cohen never minced words. He didn’t trust Virtue. “According to the laboratory specialist, all he found was
H202.”
“Maybe Claire accidentally placed the dirty dishes and utensils in the dishwasher,” I reasoned, hoping my simple explanation would remove any doubt my father had.
“Hydrogen peroxide, Liam. H2O2 is hydrogen peroxide, not water. According to the lab
specialist, hydrogen peroxide imposes oxidative stress on cells, leading to cell death,” my father explained. “I’m impressed someone as beautiful as Virtue Sullivan is careful, but it makes me wonder what she’s hiding.”
I tried to remember if I saw Virtue with anything in her hands. I did notice she used moist
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towelettes. Maybe it had hydrogen peroxide in them.
But that wasn’t the issue here…
“I recall Virtue used moist towelettes when she had dinner here, but Chip didnt, Dad,” I said, snarling as I said the word dad. ‘It seems strange that your laboratory specialist couldn’t find DNA from the both of them. Maybe you should ask Claire if she handled their used plates and utensils properly. Then again, that isn’t the issue here. What did Virtue Sullivan do to you that has made you so suspicious of her? I understand if you don’t like her, but you are putting way too much effort in discrediting her.” I looked at my watch. “I have to go.” I stood up from my chair and was about to leave when I remembered something. “Before I forget, Abigail’s parents have been asking for you. They’re wondering why you haven’t gone to visit their daughter who is currently in a coma at the hospital. Good day, Father.”
my disdain on the last word I uttered before turning to leave the mansion. I haven’t for an hour and already the day was turning into a horror movie.
deal with Claire later, right now I needed to negotiate terms regarding Dan’s smuggling
operation.
I drove out of the estate and headed towards Hillcrest. I didn’t mind if the day started crummy… All I cared is getting my delivery safely into Cohen mansion and delivering Capo
B astone’s cut without delay.
I parked in front of the clubhouse of the residential area and hurriedly walked inside. Outside, it looked like any clubhouse, but inside, it was guarded like a fort. It was through the basement of the clubhouse where you could find the entrance and passageway to the meth laboratory underneath the church.
After walking through a long tunnel towards the glass doors of the laboratory, the guards redirected me to Dan’s office. Through the clear glass walls, I saw numerous Hillcrest residents in hazmat suits, goggles, masks, and gloves cooking meth. I covered my nose and mouth with a handkerchief as I walked by, not wanting to inhale the rotten egg smell emanating through the glass walls.
As I approached, the frosted glass door of Dan’s office swung open. A guard appeared and
ushered me inside.
Dan was seated behind a large wooden desk covered with bricks and sachets of crystal
meth… all ready for distribution.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Mayor Cohen? Dan said as his eyes met mine,
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gesturing for me to take a seat in one the chairs in front of his desk. I usually didn’t visit the lab during the day, but it was the only place I knew where I could find him.
“I heard of your smuggling operation, Dan,” I said. “Does Capo B astone know about this?”
His smile quickly changed into a frown. “Nicole told you. I knew I couldn’t trust her to keep quiet. I bet you’re here for a piece of the pie. He opened a drawer, took out a couple of w ads of cash and threw it on the desk in front of me.
“No, I don’t want your money. What I want is your cooperation, Dan. Whatever Capo Bas tone wants done, any pertinent information, it goes through me first, I negotiated. He stared at me, shocked.