“Because Eddie’s up to something,” Daire said, finally looking up from his paperwork. “I suspect he wants to get them out of his way. Tiernan’s ambitious and Eddie’s old. He has no intention of giving up his spot in Ireland, but Tiernan keeps pushing. He wants him gone.”
“You think Tiernan would’ve tried something?” I frowned.
“Maybe, maybe not.” Daire sighed and pressed his fingers into his temple. “Tiernan reminds me of Sloan in a lot of ways. He’s smart and sly, but now we know Eddie sent them here on purpose, so we can’t turn them away.”
“We can. We’re in charge here, not Eddie. Either way, they’re still not sleeping in my house.” I pressed my lips together. “I don’t trust them.”
“Good call.” Daire nodded down at the coffee table between us, and I glanced at the newspaper spread across it. I picked it up and grinned when I saw what he was pointing at. There was a photo of Sloan on page two.
CEO of the Killough Company Arrested with More Charges Pending – The End of a Criminal Era?
Op-Ed Written by Ballad Wilde
Sloan Killough is one of the richest men in the United States.
This is a fact.
With a reputation for being ruthless and cold, he is rumored to be unapproachable, a story confirmed by the multitude of bodyguards that surround him. Killough had his extravagant life handed to him on a silver platter by his deceased father, Niall Killough, at a young age. There have always been whispered reports that both Killough Senior and Junior had delved into the underworld of mob crime, but there was never any firm proof of the accusation, no matter how hard law enforcement tried to bring a case against them.
Suspicions about Sloan Killough’s side hustles have been subject to ongoing police investigation since he took over the business from his father, only for each case to be null and void of any evidence. Mr. Killough has stated numerous times that the police and DEA have a vendetta against his family, andthe allegations are nothing but fuel for a future defamation lawsuit.
Yet, years of taunting the law has come to a dramatic face-off, ending with a bar brawl that found Killough and his rival, rumored cartel boss, Thiago Reyes, awaiting processing for obstruction of justice. Killough’s attorney, Mr. Henderson Cashmore, states that Mr. Killough has been wrongfully arrested and will be released in no time, but District Attorney Barb Headby claims she will push for a prison sentence that exercises the full weight of the law when the case lands in front of a judge.
Furthermore, DA Headby stated more charges are forthcoming against forty-six-year-old Killough, as the investigation into the brawl, which resulted in the death of Carlos Carillo, intensifies. A tertiary investigation into the serious injuries to Killough’s nephew Fionn Killough is still ongoing. The DA’s office is also looking to file more charges against Reyes, hoping to put two alleged big players in the criminal world behind bars for years to come.
Mr. Cashmore calls for justice, stating DA Headby’s vendetta is unprofessional. Reyes’s counsel agrees. Both have demanded the case be put before a judge for arraignment immediately, but DA Headby is stalling, which has brought about demands for Killough’s release.
Killough’s partner, Conall Morrissey, went before journalists today to allege that DA Headby is taking away Mr. Killough’s right to due process, though hardly enough time has passed for these theatrics.
“Sloan should’ve seen a judge by now, but he’s been sitting in a jail cell for weeks, waiting to plead not guilty in front of a judge for an arraignment on a date that has not been set. It’s disgusting and inhumane, and we demand his release immediately. The charges are trumped up and ridiculous.Sloan has complied with the police’s investigation. He left the crime scene to rush his adopted son to the hospital after a life-threatening injury, and when the police questioned him at the ER, he offered everything he knew, only to be arrested. Release Sloan now!”
Mr. Cashmore further claims police arrived at Killough’s residence without a search warrant and ordered Morrissey, Killough’s longtime domestic partner, to let them into the house. According to Cashmore,“Conall was smart enough to say no, and as such, they weren’t able to enter, but this is a serious breach of protocol. They tried to manipulate a man whose partner was thrown in Rikers Island without a reason, and whose best friend, Fionn, was currently in the ICU with serious injuries. We’ve seen the NYPD go rogue too many times. We demand justice.”
When asked how Mr. Killough is doing, Mr. Morrissey stated,“Sloan is strong, and he knows he’s innocent. He has faith in me and his attorney to right this wrong.”
Will Sloan Killough be released? Only time will tell. With DA Headby determined to put him in prison for years over a somewhat incidental charge, it doesn’t take a legal expert to realize she’s trying to create tension in Killough’s organization. If the Killough Companyisa mob, as many previous district attorneys have insisted, this could be a nail in the coffin of a gang that has run New York City for over forty years.
A new era may be dawning for our city, and whether it will be better or worse for New Yorkers, who is to say?
I laughed. “You think this will piss Headby off?”
“Yes,” Daire drawled. “But you did well. It’ll put pressure on her and the police. There’s no proof they got those fingerprints from the gun. If they had, I’d be in jail with Sloan. They’re bluffing, but with the captain being useless, I’m in talks with an insider about removing the weapon from the equation completely. He’s asking for big numbers.”
“Pay him. If it’s less than a million, just do it. Anything over, we’ll discuss, but I don’t know that we have a choice.” I winced as my head gave another painful throb. “The most important thing is to get Sloan out of jail.”
“Yes, sir.” He bowed his head.
“It’s time we get rid of this captain, too. He’s become a liability and his balls have shriveled,” Fionn said as he looked at me. “What has Ronan told you about the situation with the men?”
I massaged my temple, ignoring the concerned look Fionn sent me. “It’s getting tense. The rats are getting louder. More confident. Even more so than the men who are loyal. I think we need to show our power, show them that their insolence won’t be accepted.”
“I agree. It’s time to put your foot down on any murmurings of betrayal.” Daire laid the folder of documents on the coffee table and dropped the foot he had over his knee to the floor. “You’ve let them test your boundaries, now it’s time to teach them consequences.”
“How?” Fionn glanced between me and Daire. “We can’t randomly kill someone.”
“No, but we can cut off a finger.” I placed the newspaper back on the table between us. I was going to cut out the article later and show Sloan when he got home. Maybe frame it, too. “You’ve shown force by killing the guys who shit-talked you. That should’ve shut down the rumblings, but it didn’t. We need something more public. Someone’s fueling them.”
“It can’t be the cousins. They haven’t been here long enough. Unless...they have been?” Fionn’s eyebrows furrowed.
