Summer, somewhere.

California Curtain Call

Scene 34 (continued): Not long ago

"Wait... are you telling me that...?" Jungkook bursts out.

Bewilderment is the only thing Silver is supposed to read from his eyes. But he spots panic between the lines. Jungkook is incapable of hiding how hard it hits him that Jimin is apparently not only Santos' husband but also his murderer. That's why Yoongi has to take it with twice the equanimity. If he doesn't manage to drag Jungkook out of Silver's crossfire then he won't stand tall for much longer. But how do you do that? What do you do with your face when someone reveals to you that your worst nightmare has long since become reality? Drops the news that you've tried to protect yourself from for two years like it was nothing more than a bubble gum wrapper. Yoongi starts laughing. Loud enough for everybody to immediately turn their attention to him. He presses two fingers to his forehead because he can't hold his head high and laughs while clenching a fist under the table. The longer he laughs, the more honest it gets. He's laughing at himself. For actually raising this pathetic hope - be it just for one second - that he could still turn this whole thing around. Yoongi believes in God. But God doesn't believe in Yoongi and that shows. Yoongi surely wouldn't be foolish enough to expect less of him than this turn of events.

"You serious, Silver? We're talking about a guy who used to lick my shoes for a couple of dollars. And he went off to marry one of the richest assholes in the Goddamn US of A only to then gun him down and now he's after me? Is that what you sayin'?"

"You know that I'm already havin' a hard time remembering you guys' names... but it definitely was something Asian. Something starting with a "J"... Now that I hear it... yeah... Jimin Santos... sounds about right."

"And he's on the run? His husband... Santos... was shot and ever since then he's been missing without a trace?"

"For all I know he is... at least it's the last thing I've heard. That reshuffles the pack. Looks like that lil bitch is on some sort of killing spree... or whatever that's supposed to be. Maybe some sort of spiritual self-discovery journey that requires him to liquidate every man he's ever been with. Long way to go, I guess..."

"That's nonsense!" Jungkook steps in. The traces of Yoongi's laughter are immediately wiped from his face.

"That so?" Silver challenges him with a sardonic smile. Yoongi observes Jin trying to bitchslap Jungkook with just a glance. But Jungkook can't contain himself. He got Yoongi into this mess and now he's trying to get him out again. He doesn't realize that his own words are quicksand.

"That just doesn't add up!" the boy talks himself into a rage. "Why would this Park guy shoot Santos? Then he wouldn't inherit a single dollar from the money he married him for. And wouldn't he try to disappear for some time and make a run for it instead of moving right on to the next kill here in LA?!"

"Ever heard of the term psychopath? Who knows what that guy went through in his life that broke him to a point where he would snap like this. And how come you know he married Santos for the money? Did he tell you?"

"No, but... I know nothing, but..."

Jungkook falls silent with a pitiable little shrug. Silver eyes him with a piercing glance. Yoongi starts going through the Lord's Prayer in his head.

"What I do know is that Santos was one of our best clients. One of the few that actually paid on time. And the fact that this little piece of shit is not only responsible for his death but apparently went straight on for the ass of my partner doesn't exactly sit right with me. It doesn't sit right with me when people don't know their place."

He takes a long break after the sentence to first look at Yoongi and then at Jungkook.

"Santos was one of our most valued regulars. Now that his purchases dropped out, we'll be losing a shit ton of money each month. He should know that you better not fuck with us that way. But right on to the next move which happens to be armed assault against one of my best men? I consider that a double hit against the Setting Sun. Regardless if the first one was aimed at us or not. And besides all that... this city's really dear to me. It's a beautiful city. LA is a beautiful city, ain't it Smiley?"