Week 353 – This makes no sense

Natasha shook her head wildly as though that would take back Tony’s words.

Her brother didn’t run an underage prostitution ring.

This makes no sense.

Yet … Tony was here, and he said he was an undercover cop so … maybe it was true.

“Badge,” she murmured through the tightness in her throat. “I need to see your badge.” If he didn’t have one then he wasn’t a cop and none of what he’d said was true.

With a knowing smile he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a badge, handing it over to her. “I know this has to be a shock, but your brother is a dangerous man but you can help me stop him.”

Studying the badge for several minutes, running her fingertips across it, trying to process what she’d been told, Natasha finally looked back over at Tony. “Help you? How? I’m not a cop and I’m not very good at playing detective.”

“You knew the money was missing.”

“But you noticed it was missing.”

“Yeah but I wasn’t looking at my brother. I didn’t even know he was in town. We’ve never been close and even less since he was kicked out when I was eleven and he was sixteen.” Even as a young kid she’d known that there was something off with her brother. Brandon was … mean. There was no other way to describe him.

Tony closed the space between them, sat on the bed beside her. His large hand rested on her knee and he squeezed lightly. “He needs to be stopped, Natasha. And I’m desperate. Please help.”

Should she?

Could she?

While she didn’t think she had any skill she could bring to the table Tony obviously did. Remembering her trashed house and the blood smeared all over her walls. A horrible thought occurred to her and she clutched Tony’s hand, using it to anchor herself.

“I … think someone … Brandon I guess … knows I’ve been looking into the money.”