Number 06 │ A Leverage Fanfiction

The Ice Man Job | Part 1

McRory's Pub

The soft murmur of conversations filled the air as the dimly lit pub exhaled warmth, the clinking of glasses mixing with the low hum of the jukebox. Nate slid into the booth across from Joey Cospito, a man who looked every bit the part of a cop worn thin by life. His rough hands were wrapped around a glass of scotch, his eyes tired but sharp.

Cospito—Joey, as he preferred to be called—let out a sigh, the weight of his words heavy. "I've been a cop with Boston PD for over twenty years," he said, his voice low but thick with frustration. "My wife got laid off a couple of months ago. Had to pick up shifts with a security company just to keep us afloat."

Nate took a careful sip of his coffee, watching the man across from him. "You were doing a side job for Kerrity Diamonds?"

Joey's laugh was bitter. "Please, just call me Joey. Feels like I'm gettin' old, y'know?" He paused, letting the bitterness linger for a moment before continuing. "I was hauling about ten million in diamonds that day. Same route I'd done five, maybe six times before. No problem."

Nate didn't reply immediately, studying the man before speaking with a measured calm. "Armored car drivers are supposed to stay with the vehicle, right?"

Joey's shoulders slumped as he leaned back, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. "Yeah... instinct took over. I'm a cop first, y'know? Stopped a robbery in progress... Hell of a job I did, huh?" His bitter laugh returned, a sound more painful than humorous.

Nate's gaze remained unwavering. "One guard for a delivery that size?"

Joey's lips curled into a grimace. "With the way these companies are pinching pennies? Happens all the time."

The waitress came over to refill Nate's coffee, setting another glass on the table. She smiled politely, but Nate didn't return the gesture. His eyes remained fixed on the man in front of him.

"Sounds to me like an inside job," Nate said, cutting straight to the heart of it.

Joey's gaze hardened. "Except they thought I was the inside man. First guy you look at's the blue collar guy, right? Someone with money trouble. No witnesses, no prints, nothin'. They used fast-burn det cord, trace elements of it were left behind." He paused, letting the words hang in the air. "Medical bills are stacking up. Can't get work with a bum shoulder and an open investigation hanging over me. Suspended from the force without pay until it's closed."

Nate could hear the weight of despair in his voice. "Yeah, although the investigation doesn't seem like much of one," he muttered, but didn't push further.

Joey chuckled dryly, the sound hollow. "Ain't that the truth? Just trying to keep a roof over my family's head... Never thought it'd be this hard."

Nate's expression softened, but only slightly. He took another sip of his coffee. "Listen, Joey. We're gonna do everything we can to help you with that. Just give us the chance."

For a moment, Joey didn't respond, his eyes distant as if he were staring past Nate, lost in his own thoughts. The quiet tension was thick between them until he finally looked back up at Nate.

"Who's the other drink for?" Joey asked, his voice quieter now, though there was a hint of curiosity behind his words.

Nate looked down at the second glass sitting untouched on the table. He hesitated, the lie forming on his tongue before he shook his head. "Oh, this? She's... uh, nobody."

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Leverage HQ

The familiar hum of the office felt a bit emptier without Sophie's usual sharp wit cutting through the air. Parker shifted uneasily on the couch, her restless movements tugging at the edges of Eliot's patience.