Alexander wants to know who my sources are. It's impossible. He can not know who my sources are. I need to give him something else that can take his mind off about knowing who my sources are. So I decided to step up the game.
"He owes more than money" I say, my voice low and steady, letting the implication hang heavy in the air. Alexander's eyebrows rise, a flicker of genuine surprise in his eyes, quickly masked by a carefully neutral expression. He leans forward, his gaze intense, piercing. The silence stretches, charged with unspoken questions. Alexia and Daniel exchange nervous glances, sensing the shift in the dynamic. The casual atmosphere of a simple negotiation has evaporated,
replaced by a palpable sense of danger.
Alexander takes another slow drag from his cigarette, the cherry glowing like a warning signal in the dim light.
"More than money?" he repeats, his voice a low purr, laced with a dangerous curiosity. "What kind of debts are we talking about, Daniella? My cousin...is involved....in certain... activities. But I assure you, his financial obligations are his biggest concern. What else could he possibly owe?".
I meet his gaze, my voice calm despite the unease creeping into my own heart.
"He owes favours" I say, the words precise and deliberate. "Favours to people who don't take kindly to being ignored. People who expects repayment and who have ways of ensuring that they get it". I leave the specifics vague, the implication chilling clear.
Alexander's expression changes subtly. The carefully constructed mask of indifference cracks, revealing something akin to fear. He subtly shifts in his seat. His gaze darting around the room, as if expecting someone to burst through the door. The ticking clock seems to amplify the tension, each tick a hammer blow against the fragile silence.
"And you...you know who these people are?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, laced with a mixture of fear and apprehension. He's no longer the confident, calculating pawnbroker. Rather he's a man facing a threat far more potent than a few unpaid debts. The weight of the situation settles heavily upon him, a stark contrast to the casual ease he displayed moments before.
He extinguishes his cigarette, the act unusually forceful. The air in the pawn shop hangs thick with unspoken threats and the chilling implications of what I have just revealed. The fate of the van and perhaps far more than that, hangs precariously in the balance. The game have escalated; the stakes are higher than ever before.