Page 49 of Rough
Felix pushed the power button on his laptop and typed in a website that I didn’t recognize.
“Is this some kind of access portal from the contacts you have?” I asked and pointed to the screen.
Felix nodded. “Yes. Look at all of this. These are news reports of various things where Nelson’s name just happens to pop up. Gang attacks, mysterious fires,” he emphasized and pointed to an article in particular that captured my attention.
“The Pilsen neighborhood is left scratching its head after a fire broke out in one of the commercial buildings late Wednesday,” I began to read the article aloud.
“It wasn’t that long ago, either,” Felix noted.
I looked at the date. Sure enough, it had only been about a year and a half since the fire.
“A witness in question believes to have seen this man nearby,” I read aloud further. There was a sketch of a suspect that dangerously resembled Nelson.
“A string of break-ins in the Milwaukee Commercial Complex has subsequently left at least half a dozen businesses in the marginalized red zone after their cash registers were broken into. The police have very few leads, aside from a surveillance tape that doesn’t show the suspects’ faces.”
“Faces?” I looked up at Felix. “Do you think that he has help executing his crimes?”
Felix nodded. “I’m certain of it.”
“That makes sense.” I stared off into space as my mind tried to make sense of all this information and digest it properly. “He couldn’t have pulled it off by himself. He’s too much of an idiot.”
“He’s dangerous, calculated, and he knows exactly what he is doing,” Felix countered cautiously. “There’s more.” He pulled up a different website.
“These people,” Felix began and pointed to the pictures on the screen, “all of them have stated that Nelson Sanderson has used manipulation tactics on them and idle threats in order to push them toward the sale of their businesses.”
I frowned and shook my head. I needed extra clarification.
“How can he get away with that when there is so much proof?”
“That’s just the thing.” Felix’s smile was sly. “He influenced them, but made it look like in the end, the victims, the said business owners, made the decision themselves. It was a fine line, a gray area. Nelson didn’t cross the boundary, but he sure did edge right up next to it.”
My blood was boiling. He couldn’t get away with doing this to another person, let alone me. I had to be proactive. I had to stop him before things spiraled even more out of control.
“I have to stop him,” I said.
Felix let out a sigh. “This thing… it’s bigger than all of us.”
“What are you saying?” I eyed him skeptically.
I knew he was treading lightly with me, trying to weave his way toward the best explanation possible. I knew I was treating him unfairly. I should have given him the benefit of the doubt, but I was too angry at Nelson and blind to anything other than seeking justice.
“I really think we should go to the police on this one,” Felix mentioned.
“Are you kidding?” My voice was shriller than I intended. “The police are probably involved.”
“I know that you feel like this is your debt to settle,” Felix said gently, “but I promise you, you don’t want to get involved with Nelson any more than you already are.”
“He’s a bully, and I have to take him down,” I reiterated.
I could tell by the look on Felix’s face that he already knew it was a hopeless cause to argue against me when I was riled up like this.
“I can see you are determined, so I’m going to drop the subject for now before we start fighting again,” Felix said.
I was relieved that he was willing to back off. “That’s probably for the best.”
Felix closed his laptop. There was an awkward energy between us that I needed to fizzle out.
I glanced over at him. He was looking at his lap, being quiet. I enjoyed his company, even in the silence.