I sat in my office with the air conditioner on high, with my feet prompted on the desk, that's where my commanding chief found me.
"Another dead, found this one in a garbage bin of the Astro Casino." He tells me furiously as he throws the folders of the case on my desk.
"Did Detective Anderson contact the Casino owner, question the employees?" I ask and instantly knew I shouldn't have.
"Rathbone, do you think we are that incompetent? We contacted the whole damn casino. Nothing there, the body was found by one of the bell hops." He tells me sitting down in the unoccupied seat across from me.
"Outside job, mafia?" I asked throwing out random marks.
"Maybe, maybe not, all together we have found 10 bodies in the last two months, all seem to be connected. Missing followed by death certificates." He tells me.
I watch as his gray brows lowered in concentration, in his entire thirty years on the force I somehow knew this would be the case that may stick with him.
"Do we have any leads?" I ask hoping for a loophole.
"Do you remember the betting bust?" He asked.
"Well that was before I arrived in L.A, but I remember it, something about Underground Fighting." I tell him.
"Yea, we raided a fighting joint last April, owner named John Bellachii, arrested around thirty fighters, plus some mafia guys. Drug dealers, killers alike go to those fight joints, and I have a distinct feeling that this all connects." He says shuffling to his feet and taking off his tie.
"I'm giving you this case Rathbone. I want you to start by going out there and finding information. Come back to me, and I'll give you farther instructions. I have a gut feeling that those fight joints never really stopped running." He says going to the door and turning back when I called his name.
"What if this has nothing to do with the bodies?" I ask getting to my feet.
"Well then at least will be catching some bad guys." He says with a smirk and leaves my office.
Putting my gun in the holster and putting my holster on, I quickly put on my jacket and head out the door, hoping he was right.
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"Marie, you here?" I called out into the two-story house.
"What are you doing here Ryan?" My sister asked from behind me, I quickly turned around and faced her with a smile. I hadn't seen her in months and her once black hair was now a honey suckle brown. My smile turned to a frown as her gray eyes stared coldly at me.
"What I can't come see my big sister?" I ask watching as she silently rolled her eyes and folded her arms around her chest.
"Auntie Ry." My nephew yelled out to me as he ran into my waiting arms.
"Oh my god, you've grown, are those muscles?" I ask him as he raises his arms and tries to flex them.
"Yup, mommy says I'm the strongest seven year old in the world." He says his smile widening making me laugh as he continued to show me his "muscles".
"Jon, Lucy needs help unpacking the bags. Do mommy a favor and go help her." Marie says smiling at Jon.
"Auntie Ry are you staying for dinner? I need someone to eat the veggies mommy makes me eat." He says whispering into my ear.
"I'll try." I tell him giving him a wet kiss making him instantly wipe it away. He hugs me tightly then runs off to help Lucy.
"What do you want Ryan?" Marie asked me once Jon was nowhere near earshot.
"Nothing just thought I'd check up on you guys. How's Lucy?" I ask referring to her lover.
"Everything is fine." She says her eyes still staring coldly at me.
"It would be better if you'd leave." She says instantly.
"Well, here I know you need help and I've got too much to handle." I tell her handing her an envelope as I started to walk away.
"I don't want your money Ryan. I don't need your help." She says trying to contain her anger.
"You may not need it, but Jon may. I want him to have what we never did." I tell her.
"I am his mother and know what is in his best interest. I don't need someone else telling me what is right for my son." She tells me, her olive skin turning a dark red.
"Stop being stubborn Marie, take it." I tell her turning around once again to head to the door.
"I don't want this, this is blood money." She says.
I instantly stop and turn around.
"What, you didn't think I knew, I know what you do Ryan and its pathetic." Catching the envelope she roughly threw back at me, we stood in silence.
"I don't want to see you again, leave the extra key on the table and leave. I don't want you near my son." And with that the silence was interrupted.
I don't say a word just turn away and walk towards the door. I look back to see that she had left me to leave on my own. I quickly take the extra key out my pocket and place it on the small table, thinking for a few minutes I decided to leave the money as well. I could care less if she kept it or burned it to ashes.
Once I was out the house I took a deep breath and got in my black special edition Mercedes '65.
Taking another breath I turned the ignition on and left my only living family behind.
"Goodbye."