Lost Your Mind novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: The Green Tag

On Thursday morning, Nico and I stood at the gate of pier nine and watched a container truck back in.

Four of his men leaned on cars nearby, pretending to drink coffee.

Nico had told his father he was going to inspect the port.

He hadn't told him why.

"Third container from the gate," he said quietly.

"Yes."

"Machine parts."

"Yes."

He didn't say anything else.

He stood with both hands on the head of his cane and watched, and I tried not to look at the clock on my phone.

At ten past nine, a short man in a Yankees cap walked out of the office.

He had a scar across his left eyebrow.

My mouth went dry.

He glanced around, pulled a roll of green tape from his pocket, and stuck a long green tag on the side of the third crate.

Nico let out a breath through his nose.

It was almost a laugh, and it wasn't happy.

"Well," he said. "I'll be damned."

He lifted one finger, and his men stopped pretending.

They had the short man against the container before he finished turning around.

The dock foreman, an old man with grey hair, hurried over wiping his hands.

"Signor Nico," he said. "What's this?"

"Open the crate," said Nico.

"That's a customer's shipment, I can't."

"Open it. It's my father's pier."

The foreman called two workers with a crowbar.

The lid cracked.

Inside, packed in straw, were wooden boxes stamped with the name of a quarry supplier.

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