Chapter 2

"Glad to meet you Detective Bladen," Jonas said as he opened the door and got out of the car. Jonas didn't like being at the disadvantage of sitting in a car while such a corrupted man was standing at the door. Once he was standing he stuck out his hand

"Glad to meet you too," Detective Bladen said. He looked at Cleves and said, "I didn't know you had friends from the other side of the tracks Cleves." He said it as a statement but he made it sound like a question.

Cleves looked uncomfortable for a moment before his resolve firmed. "I don't believe that Mr. Gianni is from the other side of the tracks," he said. "He helped me with an issue a few days ago and the way he did it convinced me that he is on our side."

Detective Bladen laughed and asked, "Cleves, how long have we been watching this, ah, Mr. Gianni?" He laughed again and said, "You know that he's not on our side."

"Well, watching your family get raped and killed and nearly dying yourself can change your outlook," Cleves said stubbornly. "That doesn't excuse anything he may have done before and if I get any proof on anything we suspect then I lock him up. He understands that."

"What?" Jonas lightly asked. "What have I done that you would want me to be locked up for?"

"Joe, how do I handle this? What should I do about this dirty cop?" Jonas thought.

"Don't do anything about him. He is a bad person but look deep. There is a chance that he can be recovered."

Jonas focused on the man's aura. It was difficult when standing so close because it was sickening the way the depravity and anger roiled through the cloud surrounding him. It was a nauseating yellow that faded to the empty black of the completely lost in places. Jonas looked harder the way Joe instructed and saw a filament of bright blue green. It was like a lifeline in that stomach twisting morass of corruption and Jonas clung to the hope of that strand. It was the man's young daughter.

Jim Bladen's wife had left him for another man and had taken his daughter when his daughter was seven. Detective Bladen was allowed to visit with his daughter every other weekend according to the court order. His wife had remarried when his daughter was almost nine and had moved to Colorado with her new husband. All of Jim Bladen's money was used for a once a month trip to Colorado to see his daughter. He couldn't afford the twice a month visits the courts allowed and he beat himself up for the pain he was causing his daughter at each missed visit. The divorce, child support and monthly trips had drained his savings and he was facing bankruptcy by the time his daughter was ten. Detective Bladen was offered a way to make some money on the side and had taken it without hesitation. He didn't go down that road for money or power or lust. He simply wanted to spend time with his daughter. His dedication to the law had become tainted because it was the law that had taken his girl from him even though he hadn't done anything wrong. The anger and disgust that Jonas saw in the Detective's aura was largely the result of self loathing for the path he had taken. He had done a lot of bad things to cause the disgust for himself. He had caused men's death. He had allowed innocents to be prostituted. He had allowed drugs into his city that he knew were destined for schools. Detective Bladen had embraced his new lifestyle as the only way to see his daughter and six years later his life was firmly entrenched with the Family. Once hooked by the mob there is no walking away. His nice clothes and car and apartment were only important to him on the surface. The information he was fed by the Mob about free lancers and people encroaching on Family territory established Jim Bladen as one of the best cops in the state. None of that was important though. Being able to see his daughter was the highest priority in his life. Nothing else even came close.

Jonas drew his attention back and forced himself not to see the roiling cloud of filth around Detective Bladen. It amazed Jonas that he could see so much in people's auras. It was as if every thought and action of a person was being written in a book that could be read by anyone with the ability. The scary part was, that book was all that a person took with them when they passed from this world and returned to Joe's garden.

Jonas shook his head to clear his thoughts. Only a heartbeat had passed since his question. Time didn't seem to exist when he focused like that. He was aware that Detective Bladen had snorted at his question and Jonas said, "OK Detective. I'll tell you the same thing I told Cleves, ah, Detective Jordan. Get a warrant if you have enough proof about anything I may have done, past or future. I won't resist arrest or even argue about it. I will simply get an attorney and fight it in court like anyone else would. For now, I have other responsibilities and tasks. Tomorrow I have a funeral and I have to bury my family. After that, well, we'll see what happens next."

Jonas hesitated a moment. He wasn't sure how far he could push with this man. Detective Bladen started to open his mouth to reply but Jonas spoke first. "Tell me Detective. How would your life change if you had to watch your daughter die like I did and you had to bury her?"

Detective Bladen paled at the thought. He started to reply but Jonas spoke first again.

"If you had the choice to live or die after watching your daughter get raped and killed, would you live? If you chose life, how would you use that life? Would you continue living life the way you did before the tragedy? Would you lash out at the world? Would your life only be dedicated to revenge? Would you try to make the world a place that was safer for the innocents?" Jonas's questions hammered at the Detective like physical body blows.

Cleves watched the conversation in amazement. He didn't know what was going on but he could see the impact on his partner. Jim was pale and somehow seemed shrunken. He had flinched at each question as if being struck.

"H, how did you know I have a daughter?" Detective Bladen asked weakly.

"Knowing things is kind of a part of my new job," Jonas replied with a shrug.

The radio Cleves wore on his belt crackled and said, "Detective Jordan. Would you please return to the ambulance when you have a moment?"

Cleves unclipped the radio and lifted it to his mouth. He looked at his partner and at Jonas for a moment before answering. "This is Detective Jordan. I'll be right there."

"I've, ah, got to go," Cleves said. He was still trying to figure out what was going on between his partner and Jonas. "Probably something to do with Joe," he muttered to himself as walked away.

Detective Bladen and Jonas watched him walk away with completely different emotions. Jonas was bemused at Cleves' comment. Detective Bladen was confused.

"Who's Joe?" Detective Bladen asked watching Cleves walk away.

"Just a mutual friend," Jonas replied.

Detective Bladen shook himself and faced Jonas. "Word on the street is that you are being looked for," the Detective said.

Jonas nodded and said, "Tell Big Tony that I'll see him after the funeral tomorrow. Until I bury my family I would appreciate being left alone. Please tell him that for me."

Detective Bladen paled again but for a completely different reason. "Do you know..." he started but stopped himself. James Bladen was very careful about his actions and who knew that he was connected with the Mob. His daughter's disappointment in him was only part of the reason for that caution. He knew what happened to dirty cops that were sent to prison. He hesitated before saying, "I, ah, I'll pass that back to the street but you never can tell what will happen."

"Tony knows that I'm a man of my word," Jonas replied. "Just tell him what I said. He can get a message to me tomorrow after the funeral if he wants me to meet him someplace other than his office." Jonas knew the Detective had a direct line to Tony Rizzo, AKA Big Tony to his friends and Tony the Knife to his enemies. Tony Rizzo was the boss of the Kansas City Family.

Detective Bladen nodded slowly and noncommittally said, "I'll pass it along."

"Would you let Cleves know that I had to leave?" Jonas asked as he opened his car door. "I heard about the girl and just came by to make sure everything was OK. Let him know that I'll talk to him later. Nice meeting you."

"Nice meeting you too," Detective Bladen mumbled as the car door closed. The Mercedes did a U-turn in the road and he stared after the retreating tail lights.

"Interesting person isn't he?" Cleves asked behind from him.

Jim jumped and spun around. "Shit Cleves," he yelled. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

Cleves chuckled and said, "I couldn't sneak up on you if you were paying attention. What happened there?"

"What do you mean?" Jim asked a little nervously. He took a deep breath to calm and steady his nerves. "What happened where?"

"Why did you react like that when Jonas was explaining why he is going straight?" Cleves asked.

"Oh, now its Jonas is it? Why are you on first name basis with a known Mob hit man?" Jim asked challengingly. He was franticly trying to think of something to explain his reaction. He knew that Cleves would pick up on his reaction because he knew just how good a cop Cleves was.

"Getting on a first name basis with someone that takes a bullet for you is kind of natural," Cleves said dryly.

"Oh yeah," Jim said a little calmer. "I heard about that. Sorry I wasn't there to help you."

Cleves waved the apology off and asked, "So why the reaction?"

"Well, he started asking me what I would do if something happened to Betty like what happened to his family. It was just, well; the thought of it terrified me."

"Yeah, I can understand that," Cleves said nodding but he wondered if that was all there was to it. He had wondered a few times about how Jim managed the nice clothes and car.

Jim looked in time to see the tail lights of the Mercedes disappear around a curve in the road after it weaved through a gaggle of civilian cars trying to investigate the flashing lights. "Do you really think he's going straight after what happened to his family?" he asked Cleves.

Cleves shrugged and said, "I don't know for sure but I think he is. I know that he's pretty smart and there is something about him that, well ... I don't know how to explain it exactly but he seems to know things."