Chapter 186

Brian read his email and cursed. ‘The deputy mayor, that weasel Jimmy Brogan, ordered the fire inspections. Conveniently, Brogan just received a rather sizeable donation for his upcoming mayoral campaign. Anonymous, of course.’ Dashiell snorted. ‘Anonymous. Sure, Brian. Anonymous like a neon sign reading “Ariel Moretti.”’ Brian raised an eyebrow. ‘You think it’s Moretti, sir?’ ‘Who else?’ Dashiell shot back, his voice tight. ‘He’s got the motive, the means, and a penchant for pulling petty stunts when he’s… displeased.’ He remembered one of their drunken conversations back when they were still friends, the fiery glint in Ari’s eyes as he spoke of ‘crushing the competition’ with similar tactics. Dashiell had raised his glass and praised Ari’s ingenuity. But then, he’d never think he’d one day be the one getting crushed. It wasn’t just the financial losses that had him at his wit’s end. He was trapped here, in this damn city, while Ari was probably laughing it up with Elodie in Los Monti