Knowing by Laurel Dewey Page B

will personally make the phone call and get your little brother transferred to a prison that is closer to you and your mother. It sucks driving more than two hundred miles to see him, right? And your mom? Last I heard, she’s not doing well—”
    “You fuckin’ leave my mother out of this, Perry!”
    “All I’m saying is that it would be easier for her to know she was only forty-five minutes or less away from her youngest son. I can make that happen for you, Alex. But first, you’re going to do what I tell you to do. And you’re going to keep your fucking mouth shut about it.”
    He stood there with steam coming out of his nostrils. “I hate it when people put me over a barrel.”
    “Well, it beats getting bent over a barrel in Federal prison, which is exactly where you’d still be if it weren’t for me! So, let’s get started.” She crossed to the black velvet curtain and motioned toward Harlan to walk into the room. “This is my friend, Alex.”
    Alex’s mouth dropped open. “Holy fuck.” He swallowed hard.
    Harlan looked at Jane. “I never had anybody say that before when they met me.”
    “Shit, Perry!” Alex yelled, running his dirty fingers through his greasy crown. “What in the fuck are you doin’ with—”
    “This is Harlan Kipple—”
    “I know who the fuck he is!” Alex screamed, as his Boston accent bled through. “It’s all over the fuckin’ TV!”
    Harlan leaned closer to Jane. “He’s real tight with that word, isn’t he?”
    Jane shot Harlan a look. “So am I—”
    “Fuck yeah, asshole!” Alex bellowed across the room to Harlan. “There’s a bounty on your head! I got a gun and I can shoot your mother fuckin’ ass—” He turned to Jane. “You sure you’re not back on the bottle, Perry? ‘Cause these are the freaks you attract when you fall off the wagon!”
    “How much is the bounty?” Jane asked, attempting to halt the intimidation.
    “Twenty-five thousand bucks for information leading to the whereabouts of that fuckin’ killer!” Alex proudly stated.
    “That’s all?” She turned to Harlan. “Man, I’d be pissed if I were you. Don’t you think you’re worth more than twenty-five grand?” She spun back around to Alex. “Shit, Alex, twenty-five grand is nothing when you consider the priceless cost of being a stone’s throw from your little brother for the next fifteen years. What’s that come out to per year?” She turned to Harlan who looked stumped. Jane worked the numbers out in her head. “It’s around one thousand, six-hundred and seventy. That’s…” She quickly worked the numbers, “That’s a hundred and thirty or so a month.”
    “You’re confusing me, Perry!” Alex insisted.
    “It’s just basic math, Alex. You are actually willing to take a measly one hundred and thirty bucks a month and turn this man in when you could be putting that cash toward gas in that same month to go see your brother.” Jane moved closer to Alex. “Your mother doesn’t have fifteen good years left, Alex. She doesn’t have five and you know it. So why don’t you get off your fucking high horse and think about your poor mother and how important it would be for her to see her youngest felon more often. Think of the memories she’ll have, talking to him through the glass. Think about what that’ll mean to him when she dies and he can know that your actions made it possible for him to see his sick mother on a regular basis before she left this world. Are you thinking about that right now? Because I am! I’m getting a fucking chill just thinking about it.”
    Alex looked completely baffled. He was trying to link point A to point B and then point C and still coming up short. “I have your word on this, Perry?” His voice was shaking for the first time.
    “You have my word. The same word I gave you when I told you I’d talk to the judge on your behalf. That worked out pretty good for you. And this will too.”
    Alex threw Harlan a harsh glare. “I