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the look on his face
telling me to keep my eyes open.
    Emily's file reported that she had a younger brother who
hadn't been around for a while. When I saw his name, it made sense. Rayce
Dawson was a total piece of shit.
    The Ripley investigation had been straight forward since the
beginning, until Rayce and his employer decided to start some competition for
the man. Ever since, Lucien Ripley had gone underground and it was nearly
impossible to get an inside man, so we all had to sit on our hands and wait it
out. Didn't mean he stopped his ventures altogether. No, he was still very much
in business, just quieter about it.
    After his little brother murdered a cop and was being taken
to trial, he'd crawled out from under his rock and caused a shit ton of
problems. Stanton Ripley had shot down one of our own, an officer in my
department that had apparently been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Emily
Dawson was a witness to that murder. The only witness and the only one brave
enough to testify against him.
    Lucien didn't like that and had made several attempts on her
life. Being the leader of the biggest crime/drug organization in Colorado, he
had the resources. They did everything from selling pot on the street to making
certain people disappear. Every time we get close, we end up further away.
Something always goes wrong and the investigation pulls back. He's smart, he's
stealthy, he's incredibly dangerous, and he wants Emily dead before she can
testify. The man loves his family, especially his little brother, and is
willing to do anything to keep him out of prison. Something admirable depending
on how you look at it, but totally fucked up under the circumstances.
    Emily is the only lead the prosecution has and the only way they would have any chance of winning. Stanton had no priors, not even a
blip on the radar, and he has a family that Lucien has helped him provide for.
He has plead not guilty and by the look of him the last time I saw him, is not
doing well behind bars.
    Everyone is hoping he will give his brother up, but I can't
imagine he would. The only thing the guy had going against him in his life is
his relation to Lucien and the fact that he worked a job at a legitimate
company that just so happened to be one of Lucien's. He was loyal, yes, but I
had the feeling he really didn't get involved with his older brother's more
'questionable' businesses. He wouldn't know anything big enough for us to use.
    My opinion didn't really matter, though. My questions didn't
matter. The whole thing didn't sit right with me, but the evidence said
otherwise.
    Emily said otherwise.
    The conversation moved back and forth between her and Gus
while we ate. He asked the questions I already knew, what she did for a living,
where she used to live, but hearing her answer them was more informative
than a piece of paper. The way she lit up when she spoke about teaching was
beautiful. I genuinely hoped she would be able to go back to it after this was
all over.
    "Conall, why don't you show Emily to the room she will
be staying in," Dad suggested as he started cleaning up the food. He
turned to Emily and smiled warmly, "I'm sure you are worn out from your
trip. Make yourself at home."
    Emily smiled back shyly as she stood. "Thank you."
    I stood with her and turned to the doorway, anxious to get
some distance. Her voice, her eyes… all of it was making my head spin.
    Dad made his way to the table and started clearing the
dishes while Gus kept shoveling it all into his mouth, "No thanks necessary,
my dear. You're going to be family after all."
    I froze mid-step and Gus started coughing loudly, obviously
choking on the food he had been inhaling. Liam Brannock was my hero and I
respected the hell out of him, but what the hell?
    Emily didn't seem to be focusing on his comment and instead
was looking worriedly at Gus who was still coughing. "Are you okay?"
she asked and moved toward him quickly, ready to perform the Heimlich maneuver
if necessary,