As for his testimony, I understand the police’s disbelief. I also have trouble deciding whether I believe him or not. I don’t see why he’d make that up, sure. But it’s entirely possible he hallucinated or misinterpreted what he saw.
Yeah, and what could he have seen that looked like two guys bagged Kash, threw him into a car and drove away?
That’s the thing with drugs, though. They alter the chemicals in your brain. Change your perception. The dickhead may believe what he told us really happened, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true.
We also tell the police about how apparently Kash is really Kasimir Vasiliev, but the policewoman isn’t impressed by our deduction skills.
“Do you have proof of that?” she asks. “Wait, let me repeat what you told me: the guy who tattooed your friend’s arms years ago remembers him and said he is the son of Andrei Vasiliev, the owner of Casino Blue?”
“No, the son of Mikhail Vasiliev. Andrei is his uncle.”
“Right. So this rich guy wants to harm his nephew and… kidnapped him?”
She makes it sound ridiculous. She clearly doesn’t believe a word we’re saying and can’t wait to get rid of us.
“Maybe. We don’t know who took him.”
“What would he kidnap him for?”
“Money? Kash—Kasimir—is nineteen now, and he’s about to inherit his parent’s assets.”
“But Andrei is a rich man. Would he kidnap his nephew and get into trouble with the law over more money? This makes no sense, guys, I’m sorry.”
“People do crazy things for money,” Sydney says. “Even when they’re rich.”
But the police aren’t convinced of our claims, and I don’t fucking blame them. We sound like a bunch of lunatics. There’s no evidence that Kash was kidnapped, or that he is Andrei’s nephew, and he’s an adult, therefore free to walk away if he wants.
The police are sorry, but they have real urgent cases to solve, and missing adults turn up in most cases on their own, having left of their own volition. Besides, did Andrei file a missing person report for his nephew? No? Strange. If Kash is Kasimir, then Andrei is his only living relative, right? So why would he pretend that his nephew is safe and sound, back home with him, if he isn’t?
“Because,” Sydney says, “Andrei killed Kash’s family, and Kash knows it. It’s not money Andrei is after. He wants to silence Kash.”
Goddammit. Why didn’t she tell me this?
“This is a serious accusation,” the policewoman says with a frown. “Any evidence for this one?”
“We have Kash’s journal. It says everything. Only he doesn’t use full names. Only initials.”
“Initials.” She sighs wearily. “Look, I’m sorry. We can’t accuse the man of murder just like that. Especially a man as influential as Vasiliev. He’s never been in trouble with the law, and you have nothing significant enough to warrant an investigation.”
“Come, Syd, let’s get outta here.” I take her hand and tug her away from the desk.
Fuck, I wish West was here. He’s at work, and I thought we could handle this on our own, but West is the calm and collected one, the rational one. He would have had arguments and answers when I only have anger and a bad attitude.
“Why didn’t you tell me what you read in the journal?” I sink on the sofa and turn the TV on out of habit, mute it and lean back on the cushions. “I felt like an idiot, finding things out at the same time as the police.”
She’s still standing by the door, and her face colors, golden lashes hiding her eyes. “I was going to. We rushed to the station, and I had no time—”
“Bullshit. Be straight with me.”
A small flinch. I hate myself for it, but I need her to tell me the truth. “Okay,” she whispers. “The truth is I didn’t think you’d believe me.”
“But you believe it?”
She nods.
“What else was in the journal? What did he say about his uncle?”
She wipes at her nose. “Lots of things. You should read it, Nate.”