“I saw what you did last night. And I’ve told everyone.”

“And?” His tone was cool and confident. “You really think they didn’t know already?”

He plays with a deck of cards in his hands, his back facing me. The only light in the room came from the moon which shone from the window he looked out of.

I hated everything about him. I hated the way he proudly puffed smoke in the air after winning a game or the way he ordered around his employees. I hated the way he always straightened his posture, adjusting his shades, as if he was in control of everything. Even now, I hated his arrogance and how it made me regret ever confronting him. But I couldn’t back down. Not now.

“You’re such a dishonest man.” I scoff in disgust. I close the apartment door behind me and walk closer to him, my foot stamping a cigar lazily tossed on the floor. My nose wrinkles at the thick scent of dust and smoke.

“Dishonest how?”

He knows exactly what I meant, but it put a smile on my face to expose exactly how much I knew of his cunning ways.

“The tax evasions. The bribes and illegal contracts you’ve been constructing for months. Ha! Even your poker career is dishonest.”

I’ve investigated his every move since he got his big breakout in the poker scene. This man moved quickly up the ladders in ways unlike the others. He established a successful business in the shadows of our city, and gained power with the careful crafting of a perfect persona.

I stayed on his tails—to think his shady behavior went beyond cheating in a game of poker. I had him cornered tonight, and the thought of him going behind bars by my hands felt more poetic than ever.

“But last night, I saw your men assault that man. After everything you got away with, this is the one thing that will finally bring you down.”

“Are you really that naïve?” He says, his confidence still ever so high. He finally turns around to face me. A dark shadow cast on the halve of his face, covering the thin scar I knew travelled down his cheek. “Do you really think Officer Lee is going to find interest in your claims? Or what about Chief Stanley? Do you think he cares about what I do on a nightly basis?”

“Of course they do.” I knew Officer Lee and I knew Chief Stanley. They were both honorable men, and my leaders. No leader would ever associate with someone as low as he was.

Yet that dirty smirk sprawled on that stupid face of his gave me reason to doubt. It’s so unnerving that a chill runs up my spine.

“You see, Officer Lee and Chief Stanley know there are huge prices to pay for inserting themselves into my personal affairs. Just as others know there are certain benefits.” He says.

He’s moved on from playing with his deck of cards, and was now fiddling with a cigar. “That man you saw yesterday. He was a good man. Always timely and respectful to me. A rare businessman who had a strong sense of responsibility. So tell me then. Why do you think I had him dealt with?” He questions.

I wasn’t in the mood for his silly games. The man he killed was innocent, and that was all I needed to know.

“Even if what you say is true, that anyone I told won’t do a thing, I am a lot more resilient than you think. I will get justice for him and his family, even if I have to do it myself.”

“I wouldn’t worry so much about him, darling.” He inhales his lit cigar and exhales a bubble of smoke into the air. “It’s a fine and quiet night today. What do you think is going to happen to you?”