Joey Mancuso Mysteries Box Set

by Owen Parr

  My cell phone vibrated. It was brother Dominic. “What’s up Padre?”

  “Are you guys all right?”

  “You worry too much, brother.”

  “Really, Joey? I’ve been looking after you since you were sixteen. What’d you expect? What’s going on?”

  “You’re right, brother. Everything is under control. We have both Silver and Edwards, and we’re calling the local police in a few minutes to pick them up.”

  “I’ll come over with Joseph and pick you guys up. Maybe an hour, or less.”

  “No need for that. I’m sure we can get a ride back to shore with the local police.”

  “Joey, something tells me to pick you up myself. Don’t give me any shit with this. I’ll be over in less than an hour.”

  “Have it your way. We’ll be here. Have Joseph bring more cervesas and a couple of cigars. It’s really pleasant out here tonight.”

  “Great idea, Joey. A couple of beers and a good cigar to cap it off,” Patrick said.

  “We’re going to let you get dressed, Johnny. Then, we’re tying you back up. Try anything and my partner here is going to break both your arms. Understand?”

  Edwards glanced at Patrick. “No problem, man.”

  “Patrick, let him get dressed. When you tie him back up, come back in the bow cabin. It’s time for Mr. Ponytail to answer some questions.”

  28

  I walked in the bow cabin to deal with Rob Silver, who was tied spread eagle, naked, facing up, his arms over his pillow-cased head. “Now Robbie boy, time for you to answer some questions,” I said. I removed the pillow case from his head and the towel Patrick replaced in his mouth. I noticed his damaged left ear and the absence of his coral earring.

  His nose was swollen, and he tried to spit, but his mouth was dry. “Why you stick that dirty fucking towel in my mouth, asshole?”

  “Pay attention, or I’ll cut off your little dingy and stick it in your mouth,” I replied, glancing at his shriveled up little penis.

  “You’re a dead man, Mancuso. Both you and your bodyguard are dead, you hear me?”

  I ignored his threat. Calling me by my name confirmed my suspicion that they identified me at Miami Executive. “Robbie, the local police are on their way. You’re headed back to Miami, charged with the murder of Alexa Gould, Carlos Alvarez, and Troy Melnick, and the attempted murder of my body-guard and me,” I said.

  “Yeah? Don’t forget your wife. Is she here with you? Now, she looks like someone I could spend some time with.”

  Wrong answer prick. Using my open palm, I hit down on his nose. Blood spurted from both nostrils.

  “Motherfucker, look what you’ve done,” he said, tasting his blood. “Damn it, man.”

  I took the little towel and wiped his mouth with it. He turned his face from side-to-side. “Listen up. We have your murder weapon. We have your little coral earing with your blood on it at the scene of the murder. We know about Senturk. So, you’re history, my boy. The best you can do is cooperate and make it easy on yourself.”

  “I want a lawyer,” he said, as a trickle of his blood continued into his mouth.

  “Let me get my badge and read you your Miranda rights.” I paused. “Oh shit, I don’t have a badge, and Miranda is not here. Why did you kidnap Gavi Drucker?”

  “Mancuso, this is way bigger than the kidnapping. You’re out of your league on this one.”

  I knew that this was bigger than the kidnapping. As a matter of fact, I knew that from the moment I met with Aaron Drucker. “Yeah? And yet, here I am holding all the cards…and you butt naked. I just have a few questions, and then you can get dressed and head back to Miami. I’ll worry about the rest myself.” I paused again. “Why was the girl kidnapped?”

  “I wanted the ransom money,” he replied.

  “Robbie, that was not the original reason for the kidnapping. We already know that. We don’t have much time before the police come pick you up. Your buddy outside, Johnny, has already helped himself by answering our questions. As someone once said, help me, help you.”

  “Edwards is a dead man too. Little weak shithead,” he said as Patrick walked in the cabin.

  “Is he cooperating?” Patrick asked.

  “Nada, he’s playing clam,” I replied.

  Patrick unexpectedly swung his fist and punched a closet door. “Yeah? Well, get out of the cabin and leave me alone with him. I’ll show him what we used to do to the Viet Cong when we needed answers back in Nam.”

  “What the fuck you gonna do?” Silver asked, attempting to raise his head.

  “Go outside and bring me the tool box I saw on the counter. He’ll talk,” Patrick said.

  “We need him alive, so…” I didn’t finish the sentence.

  Somewhat frantic, Silver said, “Don’t leave me here with this crazy bastard. I don’t know anything.”

  “We’ll see about that, sport,” Patrick added.

  I turned to leave the cabin and smiled. I’d never seen this mean act of Mr. Pat’s. But, the good cop, bad cop routine was an old favorite of mine. Mr. Pat was playing his role quite well.

  “What are you doing?” I heard Silver say as I walked out.

  When I came back in the cabin, I saw a smiling Patrick and Silver, moving uncomfortably on the bed, head stuck inside a dirty light blue pillowcase. “What do you want from the tool box?” I asked.

  “Hand me the pliers, and bring me your torch cigar lighter.”

  Silver’s muffled shouts filled the cabin. “You can’t do this! There’re rules.”

  “I don’t see any rules posted, do you?” Patrick said to me, looking around.

  “Well, the only rule I see posted is by the head, and it says don’t flush it, if you didn’t eat it.”

  “Hold him down for me. After I pull his nails out, I’m going to roast his pecker.”

  “Wait, wait! They’re going to kill me, Mancuso.”

  Patrick pointed to Silver’s right hand, and I held it tight, while Patrick pinched the long nail of his little finger. “Is this the one you use for your cocaine?”

  Silver flinched. “Wait, damn it! Senturk gave the order to kidnap the Drucker girl.”

  “We already know that,” I said. “Why?”

  For the next twenty minutes, Silver answered most of our questions. What he didn’t answer, I felt sure he didn’t know. We had enough information, to move forward in our investigation, so I made a call to Detective A. Rod. He, in turn, was calling the local police to retrieve Silver and Edwards for express travel to Miami.

  After half an hour, the local police arrived on a patrol boat just about the same time brother Dom showed up with our trusted tour guide, Joseph. Both boats tied to the El Mar. We transferred Silver and Edwards over to them and made sure we handed them the murder weapon. During the time we waited, Patrick and I did a thorough check of the boat. Our search uncovered a large leather duffle bag, which we kept onboard.

  My cell phone vibrated. Marcy again. I’d avoided answering her calls all night. I didn’t want her worried about our little adventure, but this time I knew I needed to answer. “Hey Marcy, how are you?”

  Not replying to my question, she went ahead and gave me shit about not answering her calls. “I’ve been worried, Joey. What are you guys doing?”

  “It’s a beautiful night. We’re sitting here on a sailboat in Charlotte Amalie Harbor drinking a couple of beers and smoking a cigar. Everything is nice and quiet.”

  “When are you coming back?’ Marcy asked.

  “I think in a day or two we’ll wrap it up here. By the way, you’ll be happy to hear the local authorities arrested Alexa’s killer. It was one of the pilots. He’s on his way to Miami to stand trial for her murder.”

  She sighed. “Good, poor girl. I feel awful about that. What a waste.”

  “Are you doing okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about what you said—losing interest in my job and all that. We’ll talk when you come back. I love you. Be
safe.”

  “I love you too, Marcy. I’ll see you in a day or two.” Despite the fact she sounded in good spirits, I wasn’t sure what she meant by wanting to talk when I got back.

  We sat on the deck of the El Mar, and the red lights flashing on the patrol boat got smaller and smaller in the distance. It idled through the still harbor’s water on its way back to the marina, its gentle waves leaving a trifling wake, bobbling the masts of other sailboats.

  “Here you are boss,” said Joseph. He handed us two Kaliks and two Cohibas. I could see that he was full of questions but held back from asking.

  Dom asked, “What happened to your eye?”

  I touched the cut over my right eye and winced a little. “Just a small accident, no big deal.”

  “What’s in the duffle bag?” Dom asked. I guess he, too, was full of questions.

  I glanced at Joseph, then smiled as I looked at Father Dominic, “Oh that? It’s a little something that belongs to Aaron Drucker.”

  “Are you keeping it?” Dom’s voice was deeper, concerned.

  I thought for a moment. I wanted him to squirm with suspense a little. “We’ll see, brother. We’ll see.”

  The sound of loud fireworks interrupted us. All four of us turned our heads to the sky, only to see the stars.

  “Fireworks?” Dom asked.

  “Sounds more like AK-47’s,” Patrick said.

  The sound of the gunfire echoed throughout the harbor, breaking the tranquil silence that preceded the event. The muzzle flashes from a fast-boat adjacent to the patrol boat disrupted the otherwise dark and star-filled night.

  “Joseph, get your boat started. Let’s get the fuck out of here!”

  29

  Joseph disregarded the idle only rule of the harbor and quickly got the Lucky Strike planing. He kept the other moored boats in between us and the marina as cover. “What you want to do, boss?”

  “Is there another place in the harbor we can dock?” I asked, looking back at the commotion by the marina.

  He replied. “Sure, but, I’m going to have call my brother to pick us up. My van is back at the marina.”

  I didn’t want to get these two guys involved or put them in harm’s way.

  Father Dom asked, “You think they know we’re here?”

  “At this point, I don’t know who ‘they’ are, but it doesn’t seem like they came after us. I think their mission was to eliminate Rob and John. Cleaning up, if you will,” I replied. Tapping Joseph on the shoulder, I asked, “You have any binoculars?”

  “Yeah mon,” he replied, reaching above him. “Need them for fishing,” he added.

  I scoped the harbor trying to locate the El Mar. If they knew about the ransom money, I’m sure they’d be looking for it. And, if they’d known that we were there, they could have easily overtaken Joseph’s Mako in their fast boat. Finally, I found a boat tied to the El Mar and three figures boarding it.

  “Do you see anything?” Dom asked as Joseph was docking the boat.

  I put down the binoculars and lowered my voice. “I think those guys are looking for their payment aboard the sailboat.”

  “Shit, Joey. And we have it here,” Patrick said.

  “Nothing to worry about. We’re getting out of here tonight.”

  Shaking his head, Dom added, “Aren’t you glad I came to pick you guys up?” Dom added, shaking his head.

  “All I can say is, I’m glad you’re connected, brother.”

  “It may be too late to catch a flight out of here. We may have to wait until tomorrow.”

  “We’re leaving tonight brother. Have no fear, Joey is here.”

  Joseph came over after tying the boat to a dock. “Okay fellows, Emile is on his way. Where do you want to go?”

  I turned to Dom and Patrick. “Is there anything in our rooms that you absolutely, positively must have and can’t afford to leave behind?”

  Dom said, “Not really, just some clothes and a pair of loafers.”

  “Mr. Pat?” I asked.

  Patrick replied, “I just bought a brand-new Speedo that I was planning on using at the beach here. Other than that, no.” Patrick’s face fell, and his voice lowered a notch. “Lad, how do you plan to get out of here tonight?”

  I showed him my iPhone and a napkin I took out of my pocket. Dialing, I said, “Winston, good chap. I have an interesting proposition for you. Can you meet us at the airport?”

  I listened to Winston, who seemed to have continued with his adult beverages all afternoon and into the evening. He wasn’t too receptive to my offer. “The whole thing is maybe three hours, and we’re talking six figures. Cash.” That got his attention. “Good then, we’ll see you at the airport. Be sure to bring the keys to the Citation.”

  “That’s how we’re going to get back?” Dom asked.

  “By private plane, brother. Only the best for you.”

  “How much is that going to cost us?”

  “Us? Nada. We have an expense account—make that a petty cash account.”

  “Drucker is going to want his money back—all of it, no?”

  “I didn’t count how much is left in the bag. Who knows how much Rob and John spent already. Don’t worry about it.”

  I heard sirens in the distance and looked to the sailboat. Three men jumped aboard their fast-boat and quickly made their way into open seas. It was time for us to get out of Dodge.

  “Hey, Emile,” I said as he walked toward us. “We’re going back to the Charlotte Amalie airport.”

  “You’re leaving us already?” he asked in his Jamaican drawl.

  “Something came up and we have to get back to Atlanta,” I said.

  “Did Joseph take care of you guys to your satisfaction?” Emile inquired.

  “He most certainly did. We’ll come back and have you guys take care of us again.”

  Joseph handed Emile an itemized bill. Emile glanced at it, and said, “This is your bill. Please look it over and make sure it’s correct. We take credit cards and PayPal, if you wish.”

  “Keep the bill. Here, I’m sure this covers everything, plus a little extra for you guys.” I handed them ten one-hundred-dollar bills.

  Joseph eyes opened wide. “Yeah mon, this covers everything.” He grinned “Thank you, here’s our business card for next time.”

  I read the card. Concierge Services by Emile and Joseph. Anything, anytime, anywhere.

  30

  Winston Childs was waiting for us at the airport sporting the red cheeks and a silly smile brought about by too much booze. He greeted us. “So, old chap, what is it that you need from me? You did say six figures, correct?”

  He listened while I explained that we needed him to fly us back to Miami and that we wanted to stay under the radar. Minutes later, as Winston secured the Citation, we boarded without any interruptions from an obscured corner of the airport.

  Winston teetered while settling into the cockpit. “Are you in shape to fly this thing?” I asked.

  Winston smiled, his face flushed, and replied, “This plane can pretty much fly itself after we take off. Is the landing I’m worried about.”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Just kidding, chap. I’ll be fine. It’s a good three hours to Miami. Have a seat next to me.”

  I sat next to Winston as we took off, and he maneuvered the Citation on a course to Miami. As we leveled off, I wanted to get back to my guys and brainstorm our next move. “I’m going to sit in the back for a while. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  He lit a cigarette and turned to me. “Just check on me every once in a while. Make sure I don’t fall asleep.”

  Everybody wanted to be a comedian. But, I made a mental note to check on him every few minutes, just in case.

  I sat across from Dom and Patrick. “Okay guys, let’s review.”

  “Is this pilot in shape to fly, Joey?” Dom asked.

  I was tempted to repeat Winston’s joke about the landing, but I knew Dom would worry too much, and we had other
things to discuss. “He’s fine. Nothing to worry about.” I couldn’t resist adding, “But, maybe a little prayer wouldn’t hurt, brother.”

  Patrick smiled as Dom made the sign of the cross and whispered a few words.

  “So, what’s our next move, lad?”

  Before I could reply, Dom asked, “Was it a coincidence that these gunmen appeared after you called the detective in Miami?”

  “You think there’s a leak?”

  “Well, they were obviously here already. But, they took no action until you called. The moment we got the local police involved, they took action.”

  I reclined my seat and crossed my legs. “We’re back to the mysterious they. You may have a point, brother, but I hate to think A. Rod or his partners are leaking information.”

  “Aren’t there two other detectives in their team?”

  I thought for a second, “Huh… yeah. Let’s keep that in mind. What’s done is done. We know Silver killed Alexa, Melnick, and Carlos. Edwards wasn’t an innocent bystander. So, if they were both killed by the gunmen, I’m not going to cry about it. What pisses me off is that the three local cops onboard the patrol boat may have been killed too. Someone has to pay for that, right”

  “You think Ahmad Senturk is the key figure here?”

  I sighed. “I wish Agnes was here to help us put together our notes. Let’s summarize what we know. We know that Meso Trading, MarAir, and Solimark are all owned by some corporation, hiding behind several layers of dummy companies.”

  Patrick added, “And Mr. Aaron Drucker’s CPA firm happens to be the accounting firm that handles their books. That can’t be a coincidence.”

  “Right,” I offered, “Then, we know that Senturk was calling the shots, which led to Gavi Drucker’s kidnapping, the elimination of Alexa Gould, Troy Melnick, and likely the murder of Carlos Alvarez.”

  Dom added, “Don’t forget shooting your car.”

  “And the attempt to scare us away. What else do we know?”

  Father Dominic held out his index finger. “We also found out that both Drucker and Feinstein knew that Gavi was kidnapped on Friday, or at least Saturday morning and did nothing about it until Drucker called Goldstein to hire us. And lied that he knew beforehand when we both questioned him.”