Chapter Eighty-three

Chapter Eighty-three
Bryan
A few moments later, the bathroom's door opened, and the man stepped out wearing a bathrobe. We forgot he didn't have any clothes he could wear.
"Can you stay here with him for a while?" I asked Kacy. "I'll get him some clothes. Don't take your eyes off him."
Kacy nodded in response. I went to our room and took a pair of shirts and jeans from the closet before going back. I met Francis in the hallway. He had just gotten out of his office and was looking like a zombie. "What's that clothes for?" he asked.
"For the spy," I said.
"For what?" he exclaimed. "Have you lost your mind already?"
"I know you'd say that. But even though he's a spy, we can't just let him stink and die. We still need him. He agreed to cooperate with us, so there's nothing to worry about. You should come and see yourself," I said.
"I don't think that's necessary. I'm busy verifying the information he gave. I know you can handle it yourself. Just don't trust him yet. Even if he's a capture, we still need to be careful," Francis said.
"Yes, Father," I replied.
Francis just glared at me before going. He seemed busy and tired. I felt sorry for causing him so much inconvenience. But we can't solve this all by ourselves. We don't have money, men, and connections. I went back to the wringer and saw Kacy and the man sitting at both ends of the bench two meters away from each other.
I stopped in front of the man and handed him the clothes. "You can wear these for now."
"Um. Thank you." His hands were shaking as he took the clothes. Perhaps he's afraid or maybe cold.
"You okay?" I asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine." He stopped shaking, probably preventing himself.
"I'm glad to know that. You should wear that. Then let's talk outside," I said.
Kacy stood up and followed me outside the dim room. We waited for the man to finish changing, then we went to the lounge. He sat on the couch and behaved like a kitten while Kacy and I made some coffee and baked bread.
"What coffee do you like?" I half-shouted from the counter.
"Me?" The man asked. "I, um, cappuccino?"
"Got it. That tastes great with waffles." I made him a cup of cappuccino while Kacy baked the waffles.
A few moments later, Francis came and seemed surprised to find the three of us hanging around so casually. Well, there's nothing really to worry about. If this man wants to escape or do something, he already did it, but he's behaving well instead.
"Seems like you've gotten along already," Francis said, making his cup of coffee. "What's your name again?"
"Akira," he said.
Pfft. I couldn't help but laugh. Isn't that a Japanese name? But it suits him well; he's a spy, and that name resonates with him. He didn't seem to be lying. I stopped laughing as Francis glared at me. He's so serious.
"I don't know anything about you, Akira, but do something bad or suspicious and you'll die," Francis warned.
The man seemed to tremble in fear. "Come on, Francis. Don't be so hard on him," I said.
"What kind of gangster boss are you, Bryan?" Francis scolded. "You were always strict about everything, but now you're a—"
"I know, I know," I cut him off. "But don't you want to see me change? We're not kids anymore, Francis. People grow up and mature once they learn their lessons."
"Say whatever you want to say." Francis sipped his coffee like a grumpy old man.
I didn't want to argue with him, so I remained silent and drank my coffee instead. There's an awkward silence between the four of us, but Francis broke that silence by telling the man that he needed him to do something.
"With the limited information you gave us, it'll take us some time to find who your boss is. My employees have gathered images from different sources. I want you to check them," Francis said.
"Okay," Akira replied.
"Come to my office once you're done here," Francis said.
"How about us?" I asked.
"Don't get in the way, Bryan," Francis replied like a stoic.
I smiled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. He must be sulking towards me. We've not been in a good companionship recently. But still, no matter what happens, Francis will always be a friend. It's not the first time he's acting this way, though. He's just acting like an overprotective friend sometimes.
"Your friend is scary," Akira murmured.
"That's just the way he is. You'll get used to him soon. There are parts of him he doesn't show to other people. You'll get to know him better if you stay here longer," I said.
After having coffee, Kacy, Akira, and I went to Francis' office together. I knew Francis was just joking when he said he didn't want to see us, and of course, it's our right to know what's going on if there's progress about the case.
"Are you ready?" Francis asked, standing up from his swivel chair.
Akira nodded, and so did we.
Francis took a folder and handed it to him. "That's the list of people whose name is Palermo or something related to the mafia or gangsters and whatever shady organizations. I've asked my employees to filter them. Go see it yourself."
Akira took the folder and opened it. Interested, Kacy and I looked at it. It includes pictures and names of people.
"Just tell me if one of them resembles your boss," Francis said.
"The truth is, I've only seen him once or twice, and he's not someone who shows his face. Usually, we meet in his car, and he's speaking from the front seat without looking at me. He's always wearing a black hat and black jacket," Akira said.
"It's okay; just take your time. You might be able to remember something else. Just tell us if you have," Francis replied.
"I, um, about my wife," Akira started.
"Right. Bryan had told me about your request. Don't worry, I've sent some men to watch over her. They'll reach out to me once they find something suspicious," Francis said.
Akira didn't seem to be convinced about what Francis said, as he still looked worried.
"I assure you," Francis said. "Your wife is safe. We'll take her and your child once she gives birth and gets discharged from the hospital."
Now that seemed convincing enough. "Thanks," Akira replied.
"There's nothing else you should do aside from cooperating with us. It's for you and your family's safety too," Francis said.
"I got it."
Akira continued checking the pictures, while Kacy and I sat down on the couches. Francis is on his swivel chair, scrolling through the internet as if he doesn't like to play games and watch porn anymore. He has probably matured. We start to lose interest in some things as we grow up.
We spent almost an hour doing nothing, just letting the boring silence win, until Akira finally broke it. "I think I found him," he said.