Scott could have sworn that the bar went quiet when he started speaking. Ignoring the feeling, he listened as Darnies spoke. He looked him in the eyes as he finished speaking. [i]He knows something.[/i] "Nobody said anything like that. I thought that maybe you might know if anyone wanted Eric dead. But I think you know more than that." He paused, letting that sink in. "Tell me, Darnies...who are they, and why are they killing people? Do you know who they are?"

He leaned across the table, getting closer to him. "Have they gone after you, too?" His voice went down to a whisper. "You can tell me. We can keep you safe. You can be a confidential informer, you'll never have to appear in court. You won't meet the same fate, I can promise you that." He leaned back. "These men are killing innocent people. But you could help us stop them. If you know anything, anything at all...tell us."

He spoke up a bit, not whispering but still talking in a low voice. "I'll give you some time to think about it." Flipping to the end of his little book, he ripped out a blank page. Taking out a pen, he wrote a number down, sliding it across the table. "If you don't want to tell me in person, call this number." He shut his book, looking up. "If you need to talk to me, I'll be there. We can work something out."