It was barely midnight when Larry, seated in Neil’s mansion, received the phone call from Marco on the yacht. The party had moved inside as it had gotten chilly at night. He was sitting at a table with Neil and his guests and having a great time toasting and talking business. Neil was making everyone laugh with a bankruptcy story. All of that was interrupted by the charmless, droning voice of Marco. He was asking for the whereabouts of Theo.

- Why are you asking me? Ask Marvin. His job is to keep an eye on him.

Larry had tasked Marco with due diligence on Theo the day after incident with the dead pit bull. Marco naturally contacted Darius, his cousin and Theo’s colleague. The very next day, Darius filled Marco in. He had good things to say about Theo; he told him that he was strong, smart, and desperate. He explained who he hangs out with. He comes from a decent family, he had gone to a nice local high school and most of his old friends are middle-class suburban types. He still hangs out them every once in a while at a Twins Coffee parking lot up on Rutherford Avenue. He even went to university for engineering, but dropped out mid-way through. His family went bankrupt when his father’s business went under during the recession. For whatever reason, the kid developed a wild streak, started boxing and hanging out with local trouble makers. He lived like a bum for a while, until finally he managed to take up this construction job a year ago and keep it. He’s broke as a joke; at work, people make fun of him for going to university and now working this shit job with the rest of us, and he says how the only thing he got out of university was a load of debt he’s still trying to shake off.  

Marco was intrigued and wanted to meet the kid. Darius told him that Theo likes to smoke a joint every once in a while, so they figured they’d pick him up and take him to Marco’s downtown apartment. Get on his good side, build some trust, and see if he can join the crew. Marco might even recommend him to the bikers if he’s really good.

After that weekend, Marco and Darius drove up to Twinnie’s parking lot to find Marvin. They found him standing by the entrance, smoking a cigarette and talking to a group friends. Darius had explained to Marco that that’s Marvin, he remembers him from way back in middle school. Theo and him hang out all the time, and it’s only because they are both equally broke. Marvin is a softie, a pushover. Unemployed, lives with his mom. Therefore, he would be great for spying on Theo for them.

Marco’s pulled up his black, tinted Mercedes some twenty yards away from Marvin. They rolled up the windows, played some music to attract attention. Darius lit up a cigarette and held it casually out of the window. In a moment of pause, Marvin looked the way of the car, and Darius waved his outdoor hand at him. Marvin walked over. 

- Darius, what’s up bro? Long time no see.

- I’m good man, how are you? Yeah, I haven’t seen you since we played baseball. Who are you with? This is my cousin Marco. This in the back is Nelly – from the back seat waved the woman we last saw walking out off Larry’s office, still scantily clad, but this time less aggressive and more sweet.

- Nice to meet you, Marvin – said Nelly.

- Bro, come in the car, let’s catch up. Don’t standing out there like some fucking pedestrian. Come in, hop in the back! 

They spent some time catching up and talking about baseball. Darius told everyone how Marvin had a mean arm. He could throw at pro-level speeds. They recalled a couple of big games. Marco seemed to know very little about baseball; it occurred to Marvin from a couple of things that he said that he may not even know the rules, but whatever, he knew the basics. Nelly knew the rules and she gave Marvin admiring sideway looks, hidden as a sweet secret in the back seat, and this gave Marvin butterflies and got him into an excited, almost celebratory mood. 

He refused the offer of weed from Marco and Darius, however, but anyhow, Marco turned on the ignition and announced that it’s too boring in that damn parking lot – they were going somewhere to have more fun. He’s treating everyone for a round. Marvin had no reason to desist and a whole lot of reasons to agree, not least of which were Nelly and free booze.

They drove about fifteen minutes to the edge of the industrial zone, around the highway, and pulled up to a parking lot of a concrete building with a large, pink billboard that announced to passing drivers that it housed a strip club. Inside it was mostly empty, given that it was not even four in the afternoon. They were led by a middle-aged owner to a glassed VIP section and seated at the biggest corner table. Marco was clearly an acquaintance of the host; Darius simply giggled whenever Marvin gave him an inquisitive look.

They got a round of beers and later they would get another, and another – all on Marco. Some of the dancing girls joined the table and greeted Marco, who got them to talk meet his friends Darius and Marvin. Marvin ended up with a stripper on his lap, and Nelly on his side. Later, Nelly also sat on his lap, in playful imitation of the stripper. Not an hour passed by before conversation came to Theo, when Marvin brought up the crazy pool party he went to on the weekend.

- Oh, no way, Theo? I work with Theo now – said Darius.

- I know, he told me – said Marvin – he’s a great guy but man, he gets difficult sometimes.

- Ha ha, tell me about it! – laughed Darius, as Marco turned his gaze at Marvin and actually waited to Marvin to tell him about Theo.

- Yes, tell us about it – said Marco.

As Marvin begun to speak, Nelly and the strippers left for a cigarette. Marvin told them how the two of them met Tammy and Lisa and went to their mansion. He explained how it was all very high-end. At some point though, Theo started acting erratic; Marvin didn’t know if he did some weird drugs or what, but the man started either hitting on all the guests or insulting them. At some point he started making out with Lisa, the girl that was all into him, but then he started making out with Tammy too, who turns out to be the wife of the host! Marvin tried to get him to his senses, but Theo wouldn’t listen. He started telling him to relax, started giving him advice on how to pick up girls. He told him that he’s being a prude, that they are surrounded by douchebags and degenerates and drug addicts, and he wasn’t quiet about it either, but sometimes almost pointing at individual guests. He told him he wished he had some drugs to sell to all those pricks, and later went and did a whole lot of coke with Lisa himself.  

- At some point he was as good as gone out of his mind, and Lisa was pretty gone with him too, and Tammy. I talked to the owner of the place, Neil, who was watching Theo getting all close and intimate with Lisa and his own wife!

- What did Neil do about it? – asked Marco.

- Nothing! He himself was surrounded by a bunch of Russian broads. I was getting all awkward and I wanted to apologize for Theo, but the guy told me something about how him and his wife are in an open marriage, and how he doesn’t really mind. But anyway, I figured I better get Theo out of there. I grabbed him by the arm and tried to get him to go home, but he got really pissed at me, man, he shoved me and called me a cock blocker so everyone around us could hear it. At that point I snapped. I couldn’t take it any more. I got out of there and called a cab and went off home.

- That not cool of him – said Darius – but maybe he just had a terrible trip.

- I don’t care what kind of trip he had, man. I’m not hanging out with that guy any more unless he apologizes or explains what happened.

- Look here – Darius leaned in confidentially – I am going to tell you something now about Theo. And you are to repeat this to no one, you understand that? This is serious street business.

- All right, you got nothing to worry about.

 - Last Friday Theo got into a fight at work. With a bodyguard of a guy that I can’t even tell you his name, but I am going to tell you that this guy is up there on the streets. He is not to be messed with. I had to back him up because he is my homie. Just like you are my homie. We grew up together right here and we go way back. We have to stick to each other. The thing is, Theo stood up for our guys, because this big shot tried to cheat us out of some money. He was too rash to act out the way he did, but I backed him up in the fight. Later, the big shot was going to get back at Theo, but my cousin Marco here knows people, and he intervened.

- That’s wild. He didn’t tell me anything about that – said Marvin and took a swig from the beer bottle.

- The story doesn’t end there. Whether it was the fight, or whatever, Theo has started to get involved into some deep stuff. What kind of stuff? He’s slinging dope.

- How do you know that?

- Marco knows that. Marco and I are bought cousins with Freemanl, and you know who Freeman works with right? Okay, right. So, here’s what you should do. It’s very simple, you are not doing anything really. You need to keep hanging out with Theo. You need to watch over him, and you need to meet us every once in a while, let’s say once a week, and tell us what you see.

- Whoa guys, I have nothing to do with this, and how can I … what, spy on my friend? Come on? What do I know?

- You don’t know anything, and you will not know anything, and this is exactly why this is good. You are going to do it for the old times sake, for your people. But we’ll sweeten the deal for you too. You don’t have a job right. Well, you seem to like the ladies, so, until you find something better, you work here as a bartender. You know how to DJ? If you know how to DJ or you learn how to do it, you can DJ too. What do you say? 

- You got me man. I really need a job. Look, I will keep an eye on Theo, okay. But I don’t want to know any names, and I don’t want to learn any names, and I don’t want to give any names. How’s that? No names.

- That’s exactly the attitude we need from you - said Marco.

* * *

The next week, Marco and Darius picked Marvin up form exactly the same spot in front of Twinnie’s. This time, they were not driving to the strip club again, but instead to Larry’s office.

 - You will tell my boss Larry the exact same thing you told us – explained Marco – about Theo’s sales activity, about what you saw with Neil and his friends, the Abhay guy… everything. This guy knows people that know Neil, and that guy is dealing in some shady investments. He thinks that Neil might set Theo up.

- What does Neil have against Theo? 

- What do you mean, what? Theo is banging his wife.  

Soon enough the three of them walked into the office with the venetian blinds, which this time provided no variation of shade as the sun had already set beyond the shopping mall opposite on the street. Larry was again dressed in another suit, again drinking a scotch, but this time he was more relaxed. Kick was sitting in the chair opposite him, squeezing a stress ball in the hand that was last week in a plastic cast, but now was freed of it. 

- Ah, gentlemen, good to see you! You must be Marvin. Have a seat Marvin. You want a scotch? A beer? 

- No thanks. Can I smoke here?

- Sure. You want a cigar? 

- Sure, why not!

Marvin had the cigar lit from a match in Larry’s hand. With that, he began to explain in broad strokes what happened at the second McCracken party he attended, the one with the wrestling match and salsa dancing. He explained how Theo and he were invited to spend a weekend with the host at their countryside mansion, together with dozens of other guests. When asked, he clarified that, from what he heard, the place was located in a place called Bayville, on Wolf Peninsula, but he doesn’t know where that is.

- Wolf Peninsula? Oh, I know the place, and do I! have a cottage myself near there, and I am going to spend the Labour Day weekend on my yacht on the lake.   

- Well, there you go! Ain’t that a coincidence – smiled Marvin.

- It’s a beautiful area, many people with means have a place up there, or know someone who does. Did I show you guys my yacht? No? 

Larry picked up a tablet from his desk, found a picture of his yacht and passed it around to Kick, who then passed it on to the rest of the crew.

- It’s going to be a sick party! I can’t wait to go – said Darius as he smiled at the photos.

- Oh, you are going? – asked Marvin.

- Of course they are going! – said Larry – they are my most loyal lieutenants! Well, Marco is, and Darius is his cousin, he he. Too bad you are going with your friend Theo, otherwise you could join us on the yacht. It’s going to be a hell of a party, we got music, food, drinks, girls… 

This gave Marvin pause.

- What you want to come with us – Darius teased with a glassy-eyed smile, that attempted to be warm but could not fail to look rather crazed.

- Man, it’s tempting – said Marvin – You know, I feel like I’m not even wanted at McCracken’s sometimes. Theo basically ignores me, hangs out and has fun with his new girlfriend and his new rich friends. These girls I’m working on, they are hot as hell, but given my low status there, they won’t look at me any way except down their nose.

- Ah man, screw that! – said Larry – You come with us, brother. And tell you what, we need more girls, invite the girls that snubbed you too. When they hear about the yacht, they might change their mind, you know what I mean? Hell, bring Abhay too, seems like an interesting person, and since he’s not invited, bring him with us! We got plenty of room.

One could see Marvin think, his eyeballs moving left and right along the desk in front of him. The other guys backed Larry’s invitation, and from thence it took little effort really to convince Marvin to agree – but under the condition that he can get the girls to come as well. They told him to let them know in two days, at the latest. He asked whose party he should say it is. Larry Victor, the CEO of Victory Properties.

That very evening, upon getting home, Marvin called Abhay and asked him if he would like to go with him on a yacht party, which happened to be in the same areas as McCracken’s mansions. He explained to him how a cousin of a childhood friend of his works for Victory Properties, and his boss, the CEO, is inviting them and just invited Marvin. Abhay knew about Victory Properties and said that that’s dope. 

- I’m inviting you – explained Marvin on the phone – because you and I can invite the model broads. You and them both got snubbed, so we bring them to an even better party, and we will make all those douchebags at McCracken’s jealous!

Abhay got the idea. He then texted with Maya. Not having her friends’ contacts, he wanted to get to them through Maya. To his surprise, he found out that Maya herself wasn’t invited. So, he invited her and all her friends to the party. He explained it’s some really rich real estate developer; he sent her yacht pictures he received from Marvin, who received them from Marco; he told them Marvin is coming too, and that his cousin works for the guy; he promised them safety and great fun. In the end, the girls agreed.