Perceive

Why Are The Cops Always Late?

Goddammit!!!
Third time in the same freaking week! That's the longest record for passing out and not being punched out drunk while I'm at it. This is like college without Mary Jane.
"Cass......" , and I was engulfed in the smell of aftershave yum and yummier. It was Adri and as per my instructions, he hadn't alerted my mother yet. It was well known to him that my blood pressure was not to be discussed at home.
" Cass, why did you really go back to work?"
Now I know how that question came across. But if you knew me as well as Adri did, you'd know the context of it. I might as well explain it, for which I would have to rewind to the time I woke up.
So like I had told you earlier, I woke up in a cold sweat, screaming. Right after, before Adri woke up completely, I had an overwhelming feeling, I had to go the clinic. I couldn't even explain that to myself, much less justify, my need to go to the clinic. I infact had, had an argument with Adri first thing after waking up about going about my day as of nothing had happened.
The underlying reason was pretty simple, I needed my life to come back to me. Going back to work, and making some coin was the only way I knew how to move on.
"Sandra,..... ma'am....,Sandy..." came a new timid voice,"Oh, I'm fine, come in, please".
This new voice belonged to the dental assistant/receptionist, Ms. Charlotte Montgomery. Now you may want to ask, where was she all this while. She was on her honeymoon, with her husband, Joe Montgomery who happened to be a cop. Joe didn't work in the field, he was better with tech support.
Charlotte or Charlie as she liked to be called, was my handyman, assistant, receptionist, and the closest thing I had to a female friend. In my quest of keeping everyone and everything at an arms length, I never really made friends at all.
Turns out, my man(woman) Friday had, once again been my champion and as soon as she figured the situation, she had cancelled all of my appointments till further notice. I could only hope those people were all marginally alright.
Consumed by the thought of my patients, I lost track of everyone in the room again. I didn't even realise, when Adri had climbed into my bed and was cozily curled up against me. He was clearly very comfortable where he was, seeing as, he was about one inch away from taking a nap on my shoulder.
Time to wake up and poke the bear.
I finally got to blow air in his ear! His reaction to it was a million bucks. He woke up startled, ready to kill. And then his eyes zeroed in on my 32000 watt grin.
"I'm going to make you pay for that one, Cass! I was so comfy!"
"Yeah, and that is so gay".
" No it isn't...."
I almost forgot what put me here. Keyword being almost.
Suddenly it hit me. Black pouch, gold trimmings....my heart rate began to spike again.
"Cass, hey..come back Cassie...come on...if you're worried about your findings at the clinic, I got them here with me. Specially that thing you'd clutched so tightly. As far as the other things go, I know you don't want your place searched, but if only you could see it and not the clean up units, they'll probably look again. But o swear, I'll make em' keep everything back. Come on Cass...."
Wow, his voice was really a vocal anaesthetic to me. My breathing and heart rate began to slow and I was now able to clear my mind and think. I decided, it was high time, if those bastards could find me here, then Adri should probably know. Not the whole entire truth, he would probably hate me or worse pity me.
I spoke the first thought that came to my head, " Cianti family. Drugs, women, children you name it they traffick it. Look into Cianti", and the world faded around me for the fourth time this week.
When I finally did wake up to smell the metaphorical coffee , it was already next morning. I was honestly very interested in what was in that plastic bag, but Adri wouldn't budge saying my life was in enough danger already.
Also the little hint I gave him about the mafia family, turned out to be useless. They kept their hands in everything, and yet, nothing could be proven ever. They had a clever means of operation. But just in case they suspect someone of having seen too much or know too much, they would slowly drive that person insane. Since all the money that they had was perfectly legal in the eyes of the system, they would never exactly have a suspicious money trail. All their murders, deals everything was done so cleanly that they had now been evading the system for almost 28 years and counting.
Now revealing all this at this point with no evidence in the matter would be foolish. Not only would I look like a paranoid idiot, but I would also lose whatever trust I had built up with Adri. If I had to uncover this, I had to do it on my own, no support.
Keeping that in mind, my first line of operation would be getting better and getting out. After which I was going to use a certain friend to make a certain call.