I straighten up, and suddenly the carburetor doesn't seem so important.
"What the fuck for?"
"What he said, that he was 'overstepping boundaries' with South side reports."There's venom in Nick's voice, the kind that comes when someone's trying real hard not to put their fist through something."Bullshit bureaucrats speak for getting too close to the truth."
The wrench feels heavy in my hand.I set it down on the workbench, my fingers leaving dark smudges on the metal.
"Did he find something else out?"
"Danny's been trying to track digital footprints—bank transfers that don't match property values, shell companies buying up South side lots through automated bidding systems.Plus surveillance footage from before the fires that shows the same van at multiple sites."Nick pauses, and I can hear him moving around, probably pacing."Someone's using GPS coordinates to systematically target these families."
My chest tightens.The corruption runs deeper than we thought—deeper than just my father's dirty money and campaign promises.It's in the system, wrapped around the town like a disease.
"Danny thinks it goes higher than just Scott," Nick continues."It's a pretty fucked up web."
I lean against the workbench, my knuckles white where I'm gripping the edge.
"What's Danny going to do now?"
"He's going underground.I mean if they suspended him for asking questions, imagine what they'll do when we find actual answers that could put these guys away for good."
The garage suddenly feels smaller, the walls pressing in.
This isn't just about exposing Scott anymore.This is about something bigger, something that's been festering in this town for years.And now we're all caught in its fucked up web.
"There's more," Nick says, and somehow I know I don't want to hear it.
"Serious?"
"They're getting desperate, Nate.The extremes they're going to, to make things look like accidents, it's getting out of hand.People are going to get hurt or die if they’re not already."
"Adrian sent me files this morning," I tell him, running my free hand through my hair."I had a quick look, but I don't think it's enough."
"What kind of files?"
"Financial records, mostly.Some communication logs.It's damning, but..."I trail off, staring at the oil stains on the concrete floor.
"Nate, I know you don’t want to hear this but I think Jake's involvement is deeper than he knows and I hate to say it, but I think he’s the key to uncovering what all of this really is."
“Even if I wanted to get Jake involved, there’s no way he’d out Scott.Not after the spell he’s got him under.”
“Maybe if you showed him everything we have, he might?—”
“Nick, where I can, I really want to keep Jake out of this.At least until we have solid proof that can’t be overlooked.”
“Okay.”Nick’s voice is filled with understanding rather than disappointment.He’d probably do the same if it was his brother in this position.
Movement catches my eye through the open garage door.Nora's walking up the driveway, but something's off.Even from this distance, I can see it in the way she's hugging her arms to herself, and something cold settles in my gut.
"Hey, I have to go but I'll call you later."
I hang up before he can respond, shoving the phone into my back pocket.Nora reaches the garage entrance and leans against the Mustang's fender, but she doesn't look at me.The scent of her perfume mixes with motor oil and gasoline, and for a second I forget how to breathe properly.That's when I know something's really wrong.I grab a rag from the workbench and start wiping the oil off my hands, watching her face.
"You okay?"
She finally meets my eyes, and there's something raw there, something that makes my chest tighten.Her eyes are glassy, like she's been fighting back tears, and I want to put my fist through the fucking wall.
"I just saw Jake."
