Fourth To Run. Carys Jones

what happened to him.” Aiden felt a fresh wave of guilt break across his back as he thought of all the years he’d lived under the illusion that Justin had died in an accident.

      “In America, the truth will set you free,” Javier nodded. “Here, the truth will get you killed.”

      “So there’s nothing you can tell me?” Aiden asked desperately.

      “Whoever this contact of yours is…” Javier once more plucked his cigarette from his lips and used it to point across the table at Aiden. “They are wrong. I don’t rat on the brothers, no one does.”

      “But you did once,” Aiden glanced briefly at the deep scar across Javier’s eye. It was then that he noticed how the policeman’s left eye had remained motionless throughout their conversation. Aiden had tried not to stare at the scar out of politeness but now he realized with a chill that whatever had happened had left Javier with more than an unsightly scar; it had robbed him of one of his eyes.

      Javier blinked and lowered his sunglasses, his mouth set in a tight line.

      “My friend was just a young man when he was killed,” Aiden continued. “He was the kindest, most outgoing person I knew.”

      “Yeah, well he wasn’t the smartest,” Javier stated, taking the last of his cigarette and stubbing it out in a nearby ash tray.

      “Smart guys don’t get involved with the brothers. You look like a smart guy. You want my advice, turn around and go back to America and don’t look back, you got it?”

      Javier tossed down a few dollars and began to leave the café. Hurriedly, Aiden dropped a few dollars from his own wallet and followed him.

      “Javier, please—” He reached out and touched the policeman’s shoulder. He could feel the tension building up within Javier as he spun around and exhaled sharply in annoyance.

      “You can’t bring your friend back,” Javier confirmed grimly. “Coming here, all you can hope to do is bring about your own death.”

      “Can you seriously not tell me anything?” In his mind Aiden was frantically replaying his conversation with Guy Chambers. Had he misunderstood something? He’d thought Guy was being perfectly clear when he said he had a lead which Aiden should follow. A lead which had taken Aiden to Mexico but now he felt like he was standing at a dead end.

      “Things don’t work here like they do for you back home,” Javier sighed. “You think I run things because I wear this badge?”