Forty-Six
Police Commissioner Mac Scorpio did not allow Detective Marcus Taggert to even pull his chair from beneath his desk. He met the tall detective at the door and gestured, “Let's talk.”
“What is this all about?”
Mac did not slow his stride. He continued on down the stairs on the way to the parking garage. “We'll talk when we get there,” he replied shortly. Mac did not need to look back to know that Marcus followed him reluctantly.
“Get in.” Mac did not wait to see if Marcus would comply. His tone left no doubt that the detective was being given an order, and no matter how unwilling, Mac knew that Marcus would cooperate.
As soon as the unmarked police car hit the highway, Mac reached under the dashboard and flipped a switch. A barely audible low-pitched hum filled the car's interior. “I'd like our conversation to be private,” Mac explained. “This is a little WSB (World Security Bureau) toy that will block out any curious ears.”
Marcus just shook his head and turned to watch the passing scenery. He had an idea that he knew where Mac's conversation was headed. If the Commissioner had been in contact with the WSB, then he'd been in contact with his old mentor, Sean Donnelly.
“Sean told me about Sonny being your brother,” Mac said, confirming Marcus' suspicions. “He did it because he was worried about how you were dealing with all this.”
“Corinthos is not my brother,” Marcus replied shortly. “And I am dealing with it fine.”
Under other circumstances, Mac would have smiled at the detective's reply. Marcus did not even realize how contradictory the two statements were. He could not claim to deal with the truth if he was unable to even acknowledge his familial connection with Mike Corbin's other son.
“I will take your word for it that you are okay.” Mac decided not to press Marcus on the issue. There was nothing he could do right then to ease the situation for his friend. Only time would help Marcus adjust to the idea that the man he hated most in the world was his brother. “I just don't want,” Mac cautioned, “for you to get caught in the middle of Sonny's war.”
“Why should I?” Marcus countered. For the first time since the ride began, he looked directly into Mac's face. “Sonny chose this life. Whatever happens to him, he deserves.” Marcus turned back to the scenery. “If he gets himself killed, it is nothing to me.”
