For Better And For Worse
Chapter 42

Fountain bar.

Throughout the day, Léon spent his time watching Jeff who was managing his convenience store. At 8 p.m., he closes his convenience store and goes to the fountain bar. Léon follows him discreetly. He had a plan that he worked out with Lt. John. Jeff went to take his share of drugs. His boss stops him to chat with him.

Corn: Hey Jeff, you’re still selling all your share of drugs, I hope you really cut ties with Leon?

Jeff: sure boss, what do you think? I’m a good dealer myself.

Corn: ok, I hope for you. I’m doing a little investigation on him at the moment so stay away from him.

Jeff: Understood boss.

Léon and John positioned themselves at each corner of the bar. John had a hood like for a vigilante. There comes Jeff coming out from behind and they see him. He goes to sell his drugs inside the bar and as he goes out to leave, John attacks him in the place where he often met Leon. They fought and John gained the upper hand. He questions her.

John: What’s your boss’s name?

Jeff: F**k you!

John: I ask my question again kindly. What is your boss’s name?

Jeff: I won’t tell you anything.

John: and I’m not kidding.

He punches him in the neck and he starts coughing while grabbing his neck.

John: tell me what I want to know otherwise I’ll start again more violently.

He wanted to hit him again.

Jeff: okay I will cooperate. I don’t know his name, we just call him Corn.

John: How can I replace it?

Jeff: I don’t know about that.

John: How did you end up working for him?

Jeff: This guy knows your life better than you do. I had just lost everything that gave meaning to my life. I had no parents and my girlfriend had just dumped me so I just wanted to disappear from the face of the earth. I went to this bar to drink like never before and I caused a fight where I wanted to lose my life without realizing it under the influence of alcohol then this man came and stopped the fight and recovered. I don’t remember what happened afterwards. I woke up later and this man had talked to me extensively and made me realize that I could make a lot of money and improve my life selling drugs and he was right. Today I have a better life.

John: I want this man’s contact.

Jeff: I don’t have it.

John: Last chance!

He wanted to hit him again so Jeff gave him Corn’s phone number.

John: Now tell me where do you get your stuff?

Jeff: Every day, I collect my share in the trash can near the bar.

John: Don’t take me for a fool. I’ve been watching you for several days and I know you enter the bar through the front door. You never come out but curiously, you enter again a little later so I said to myself that there is surely another discreet exit, am I wrong?

Jeff: No, it’s true.

John: Tell me everything.

Jeff: I’m a dead man if I do that.

John: And what man would you be if you don’t tell me what I want to know? I’m listening to you !

Jeff: There’s a basement at the bar. The entrance is inside the bar and the exit is behind it.

John: Is this where Gauthier stores his drugs?

Jeff: who is Gauthier?

John hits him in the neck again. He writhes in pain.

Jeff: I swear to you that I don’t know a Gauthier, the one who supplied us with the drugs is called Corn, I already told you that.

John: Are the drugs stored in the basement?

Jeff: I don’t know, I didn’t ask. I just grab my bag and leave.

John: How many are you?

Jeff: there are 20 of us.

John: thanks for the info.

He leaves him and takes his bag of drugs to leave.

Jeff: No, not my drug, I’ll be dead if I lose that.

John: May God forgive you your sins and may your soul rest in peace.

He leaves and that’s when Léon intervenes to attack him. They fought and John fled, leaving the bag behind. Léon takes it and joins Jeff.

Leon: Jeff, are you okay?

Jeff: thank you my friend, you saved me, you saved my life.

Leon: what happened?

Jeff: This vigilante attacked me and if you hadn’t intervened, he would have left with all my stuff.

Leon: are you okay?

Jeff: I’m sore everywhere but it’ll be fine, thanks again.

Leon: Please. What can I do for you?

Jeff: Nothing, thanks. Actually, what were you doing here?

Léon: I came in the hope of meeting you here and if possible that we continue to help each other as before.

Jeff: I’ll think about it. Thanks again.

Jeff takes his bag and leaves. Leon joins John.

John: I think now you have his full confidence.

ONE DAY RATHER.

Commander Léon replaces John at the anti-drug squad.

Leon: John, I need your help.

John: What should I do?

Léon: Since I have been collaborating with Jeff, I have noticed something. Around 9 p.m., he enters the bar through the door like everyone else and as if by magic, without coming out through the exit, he enters the bar again through the front door and starts selling his drugs.

John: Do you think there is another discreet exit?

Leon: exactly! And I think it’s behind the bar.

John: What do you want us to do?

Léon: Would you like to be a vigilante?

John: with pleasure, I’m a fan of vigilante series.

Leon: great! So you’re going to attack Jeff as a vigilante and you’re going to extract information from him like who his boss is, his phone number, where he stores his drugs, etc. You will get his bag of drugs and I will intervene to attack you and get his bag back. This is how I will gain his trust.

John: It works.

PRESENTLY.

John: I think now you have his full confidence.

Leon: I hope so. Do you have all the necessary information?

John: Yes. It seems he doesn’t know who Gauthier is but his boss is called Corn.

Léon: that’s not a name.

John: it must be the diminutive of Corneille. I have a friend called Corneille and I used to call him that even though he hated it.

Leon: ok. Corneille must be the one who directly manages Gauthier’s drugs. Did you get his number?

John: Yes. Here it is !

Léon: I hope that I won’t have to use it and that Jeff will succeed in integrating me. If not, what else do you know?

John: Jeff told me that he knows anyone’s life better than the person themselves.

Léon: that means he has a fairly qualified computer scientist and sophisticated machines.

John: Exactly and I believe this guy must even be hacking our services.

Léon: this is why the identity of the indicated had been compromised.

John: that means they also have all the information on you.

Leon: that’s for sure. And what I’m still certain of is that Gauthier’s drug stash is here. I think he’s hiding drugs among the drinks he’s importing.

John: You’re right. What do we have to do ?

Léon: we’re going to stop, but for that, I must first succeed in infiltrating him. I’m counting on Jeff for that.

In the basement of the bar.

Jeff arrives with bruises all over his face and body.

Corn: Hey, Jeff! What happened ?

Jeff: I was attacked, by a vigilante.

Corn: a vigilante? There’s never been any justification in this town.

Jeff: Guess he just arrived. If Leon wasn’t here, he would have left with my drugs.

Corn: Leon you say? So you didn’t cut ties with him, you lied to me.

Jeff: Of course I did but he’s desperate. He came to ask me to help me again but I refused. He was leaving when this vigilante arrived. If he wasn’t stronger than him…

Corn: that’s enough! You’re just an idiot! Did you check to see if he placed a tracker on the bag?

Jeff: No!

Corn: Give me that!

He takes the bag and searches but replaces nothing.

Corn: You’re lucky Jeffrey!

Jeff: I’m not in any shape to deal today so please give me my evening.

Corn: you can dispose of it. And I want to see Commander Léon tomorrow at the bar.

Jeff: Thanks.

Jeff leaves and goes home. Léon and John also return home. Once home, Jeff calls Léon to tell him that the boss wants to see him at the bar tomorrow evening. Léon was very happy about it.

Prison.

Early in the morning, after prayer as usual, Aristide decides to speak to Krist.

Aristide: Krist, I have something to tell you. It’s about your wife and your baby.

Krist: I can’t wait.