by Caleb Borne
“I’ll go and pack.” Colin closed the door and retreated.
It was too early to celebrate, but if all went well, I could keep him tied up with planning and decision making for the foreseeable future. Throw in a few delays and I knew his attention span. He’d hear of some gold rush and then he’d be gone—and his friends with him.
XXX
I called Saul Bloomstein and gave him a quick rundown of my plan. He agreed to make a few calls to friends of his, mostly financial people who would play along for a price. At that point, I was willing to give away my entire fortune to rid Katie’s life of my brother. "Can you find someone down there to set him up a temporary office, get him an apartment and a car? You know, make him look like he's a big shot. The more of that he gets, the more cooperative he'll be."
"Not a problem. I have some retired buddies down there. They get a kick out of doing these things. Hell, they might even do it for free, just for the fun of it."
"Don't get hung up on money. He's in the mood right now."
"I get it. Let me go and make some calls. I'll be in contact." I hung up the phone from Saul and took a deep breath, feeling for the first time like there might be some light at the end of the tunnel.
I left my office, taking the staircase lightly in my anticipatory excitement. I found Katie in the living area and clapped my hands with a smile on my face as I walked in.
"So? Did he go for it?"
"Hook, line, and sinker," I gloated.
"Sounds like ye hooked a sucker," came a voice behind me. It was Colin. I had no idea he was in the kitchen and by the look on her face, Katie didn't either.
"You'll be sorry ye tried to trick me, Michael. I should have known, 'tis true. You are not to be trusted. It would appear your houseguest is permanent, me sweet sister-in-law. Now your clever husband can go back into his cave and call his friends to tell them, ‘Sorry, but me stupid little brother didn't fall for it.'"
It was like a punch in the stomach. If I'd had an axe, his head would've been on the floor. "I want you out of here, now!"
"Ye forget, me brother-o. There are those in dark places who will have me back. You cannot get to them, as you can your high-priced man of the law. These men are their own law."
"I'm tired of your threats, Colin. Prove it!" I heard Katie’s indrawn frightened breath.
Colin chuckled, but it wasn't a pleasant sound. "Oh, ye shall find out before the day is done, I promise ye." With that, Colin grabbed his jacket from the hook by the door and left.
"I am so, so sorry."
"You didn't know, and neither did I. I thought he was upstairs packing. Well, there went our only shot."
"You'll think of something, Michael. You always do."
"I wish I were as confident as you seem to be."
Kathleen
KENNEDY IS SHOT.
THEN KATIE DISCOVERS SHE IS PREGNANT.
* * *
Michael was white-faced after the showdown with Colin and his departure filled with threats. I'd never seen him like that. It made me feel insecure, as though I was dangling in a world where there were no rules to go by. It was making me feel anxious and that's when the dizziness came again. I climbed out of the chair and lay down on the sofa.
"Are you okay?" Michael stood before me, a concerned look on his face.
"Yes, I'm fine. It's that darn dizziness. I already saw Dr. Groot. He says it's nothing. Michael, what did Colin mean by his friends? Are we talking about some gang back in Ireland?"
"Hardly. This is far more than a gang and they come from Sicily."
I gasped. "Do you mean to tell me, the people like in the movies? Gangsters?"
Michael shook his head. "They've evolved, Katie. They’ve learn how to buy influence. Their threats are enough to sway most people's opinions. They’re in the unions, the government, certain businesses… They're everywhere. The only way Colin got involved was to borrow money and then not pay it back."
"It must be an awful lot of money for him to be this mean. Can we pay them what he owes? Wouldn't that break the tie?"
"I don't think it's that simple. I've steered clear of those people my entire life, because I knew what happened to the poor SOBs who didn't make good on their promises. Once they find a gold mine, they keep coming back and they don't need a reason."
"Are you saying he's made them a permanent fixture of our life?"
"I wish I could tell you no, but I've only rubbed shoulders with that kind rarely."
"Could you find someone in their organization who might be willing to bargain on your behalf?"
"I'm afraid it's not that easy, Katie. You don't put an ad in the wanted section of the paper."
"No, of course not. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, Michael. This is something I know nothing about."
"I need some fresh air. Colin is gone. Will you be okay here? Penny is around somewhere, watching but keeping out of the conversation. You also have Izzy and Shirley, and in a pinch you've got your Butch."
"He's not my Butch, Michael. He's just a friend I've had for many years. I don't think he'd cross you to save his life at this point. He’s scared to death, you know."
"Good. He should be."
"Michael, please, I've had enough for the day. Let me just take a nap?"
"No problem." He came to me and kissed me on the forehead. He pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa and covered me up.
"You rest well. I'm going out and find a solution if it's the last thing I do."
Michael
This time I drove straight to Bloomstein's office. I walked in and his secretary was gone, so I went through.
"You can forget about the calls. He knows."
Saul looked up from his phone call, hanging up without an explanation to whomever was on the other end. "How did he find out?"
"It was an accident. I came downstairs to talk to Katie and she asked how the conversation went. What we didn't know was that he was in the kitchen and heard every word we said."
"Bad luck. After we've talked, I'll call my guys back and let them know. They'll be disappointed. They were looking forward to a good squeeze."
"Squeeze?"
"That's when you set up some Schmuck up who has it coming, and everyone gets a piece of the action for taking part."
"Sorry to not be able to provide the entertainment. Send them each a little thank you from me, would you?"
"Sure, I'll take care of it. What now?"
"I don't know. It probably won't come as a surprise to you to know that I command a little respect here and there."
"I completely understand."
"This isn't doing my personal reputation any favors. Especially when it comes to my wife. So, cards on the table and the doors closed. Saul, what would you do?"
Saul was thoughtful, knowing that his answer could make or break lives. "Truth? If it were me, I'd no longer have a brother. When they came looking for their money, I'd pay them off and then disappear. They might hunt you a little but eventually, they move on, like vultures. You know, Michael, it's not just the Italians. The Irish have their own version."
I nodded. "I know that fact intimately. Killing my brother is not an option. Running, is not an option. Protection, is my only option."
"Michael, you're asking for too much. Your estate is huge. Securing it would become a full-time job for you and you'd probably have to hire a dozen other men. Even then, there's no sure thing and when the enemy breaks through, believe me they'll wipe you out just to prove a point."
“Then what are you recommending? I’m missing your point here.”
“Sell it. I’ll handle the sale for you. Become inconspicuous. You own Tipperary, too, am I right?”
I nodded.
“Liquidate it.”
“My in-laws live there. There’s stock there. Good stock.”
“That you can’t do anything with because your wife doesn’t know a thing, right?”
“So?”
“Get rid of it all. I’ll tak
e care of it. You just show up here and sign the papers when they’re ready. Take that pretty wife of yours and go somewhere else. Sell the place in California. You have, if you see what I’m saying, too much money. It’s bait. It’s what they’re after. Liquidate, invest the money overseas and live like normal, average people.”
“Katie won’t go for it.”
“Make her. Her life and yours is in danger. You can’t live like this. You’re actually to the point of making your home into a fort. The in-laws; get them an apartment in Miami and they’ll be off your back.”
“I don’t know. This doesn’t feel right. I need time to think.”
Saul waved his hand through the air. “Sure. Take all the time you need. In the meantime, remember it’s open season. There, you asked me for my opinion and I gave it.”
“Yeah. I’ll be in touch.”
Saul’s words echoed in my head on the drive home. What he was suggesting made sense. He was, in essence, telling us to be less conspicuous. Live quietly, invest where they couldn’t get their hands on my money, make our home unattractive to Colin and he’d leave. He’d have to be responsible for his own fate.
I had a beautiful wife and there were a million things we could do together. Why was I so set on making the grand appearance there in Kentucky? I knew why. Because my kind didn’t belong there. My kind belonged back in impoverished Ireland where I knew my place and ran in circles where I knew the rules and excelled at them. Here, the fix was in. Someone got there first. It made sense, but it still didn’t feel as fulfilling as my earlier plans.
No. I would not run. I’d hire my own army if I had to, but I would not run. I did belong here, as much as the others who had come before me. We were all immigrants. Katie had bloodlines enough for the both of us. I’d figure out how to deal with Colin. I always came up with solutions before. Katie was right; I’d done it before.
Feeling more confident, I pulled up the drive, stomped the snow off my boots on the porch and went inside. As I bent to slide off the boots, my sixth sense told me something was wrong. I should be smelling dinner. I should hear people moving around. Alarmed, I went straight to the living area and I saw everyone, from Katie to Izzy to Butch, the farm manager. Even Penny was there. They were all sobbing as they faced the television.
“What’s going on?” I barked.
Katie looked up at me. “President Kennedy is dead, Michael. They’ve shot our president.”
Kathleen
Everything in my life came to a standstill that afternoon. It felt as if every family had a death in the immediate family. We dispensed with normal schedules and ate whatever sandwiches Izzy put on the pass-through for us to grab. We napped, we cried, we shared stories and we felt the passing of the America we’d fought to make. It changed everything.
Everything, except Michael. He’d gone pale when I told him, and I knew it was more than the event itself. I’d heard Colin’s threat and his promise that we’d know before the day was out. It wasn’t possible that Colin was that involved in something this big. We all had our theories. Shirley claimed it was Vice-President Johnson since Texas was his state and President Kennedy was hated there. Butch said he believed it was a military conspiracy because the President was beginning to involve us in a war in one of those Asian countries. Penny was tight-lipped, but defensive when Butch aired his theory. Daddy claimed it was someone who hated the Irish Catholics, which was exactly what we were. Izzy was adamant. It was the Russians, still stinging after their attempt to bring missiles to Cuba and Kennedy had undermined Kruschev’s power. Michael said nothing but went upstairs and sat in the dark in his office. I knew because I went up to bring him hot soup, but there was no light beneath his door. I tapped and he didn’t answer. The soup and I went back downstairs, even though I badly needed to talk to him.
My eyes were swollen from crying and my nerves tattered from all the speculation. I could feel myself in Mrs. Kennedy’s position, standing witness to Mr. Johnson being sworn in while wearing a suit with her husband’s blood still upon it. I felt the fear of something happening to Michael. How would I deal with it? What would I do? Who could I trust? I needed Michael—badly.
When I went up to bed, his side was empty. I padded down the hallway and knocked before I let myself in. Michael was still sitting in the dark, a plume of smoke rising from the ashtray before him. I walked around behind him and laid my cheek on his shoulder while encircling him with my arms. “Will you come to bed?”
“Later,” was his monosyllabic response.
“Michael, I need to talk to you.”
“Talk.”
“Not here, not in this room. Please, Michael, for me… come to bed?”
He sighed, tamped out his cigarette and locked the door behind us. In our bedroom, he took a hot, hot shower. The steam poured out into the sleeping area and fogged the frigid windows, still coated with snow at the edges. I put on a flannel nightie for the warmth and comfort. It was hardly the night for romance.
He emerged, wrapped in his towel, picking up a brush and flattening his hair away from his forehead. I sat on the bed, legs crossed and admired his muscled physique. He was far taller than other Irish men I’d met. His body matched his temperament. He was a fighter. That night he was like all the rest of us; broken. We all felt it. It was the end of an era and we grieved for the man and for the innocence at the same time.
Michael pulled on pajama pants, telling me he wasn’t in the mood for romance, either. It was just as well.
“Who do you think did it?” I asked him.
He shrugged.
“Michael, I heard Colin’s threat. Could he possibly…?”
“No, he’s not important enough to be involved at that level. Which is not to say that he didn’t pick up on some conversation.”
“So, you think it was…Colin’s friends?”
“He and his brother, Bobby, have been actively breaking up families, making it harder for them to get away with what they’ve always run things. They have the contacts, the skill and the money. Why not them?”
“Because they could use all that against us, too.”
“I don’t think so, not now. If they’re behind this as I believe, they’ll lie low for a while. Bobby will be all over them and drag in every agency to go after them. It was a hit, pure and simple. Now they’ll let things quiet down and hope it blows over.”
“Good!” I exhaled a huge breath.
“Sweetheart, this has been worrying you, I know. I think that’s why you’ve had the dizzy spells.”
“Michael?”
“Yes?”
“Dr. Groot called right after you left.”
“Did he find something after all.”
“You might say that. I’m going to have a baby.”
He froze and I couldn’t even hear him breathing. Finally, “Is he sure?”
I laughed a little; a strange sound on such a sad day. “I killed the rabbit.”
Michael reached for me, pulling me onto his lap as he wrapped his long arms around me and wouldn’t let go. I squirmed a little, expecting him to kiss me, but he held on as though he felt he would drown if he let go. “Thank you, God,” he whispered. I turned my head and kissed him.
“I hope you’re happy.”
I saw then that there were tears in his eyes. “I can’t explain how happy.”
“Good, because we’ve got about seven months to get ready and I’m going to need you by my side. This is our child, Michael. We have to protect it, from the Colins of the world, especially the one who lives under our own roof. He’s dangerous, Michael. If he harms our child, I will kill him myself, I swear I will.”
“You’d have to get in line.” Michael was choked up and having trouble speaking. I gave him time to reclaim his wits. Finally, he set me beside himself and turned, taking both of my hands in his. “We have to talk.”
“Of course. This was why I wouldn’t say anything in your office.”
“No,” he shook his head, a droplet of
shower water was flung from his hair onto my nose. I giggled as I wiped it off. “This is much more than that. Just listen.
“It doesn’t matter who was behind President Kennedy’s assassination. The fact remains that Colin knew it would happen. He knew, Katie, and it wasn’t some psychic thing. I went to visit my attorney this afternoon. He thinks we’re too conspicuous. We’ve made ourselves a target. The estate, and the California house are making us targets.”
“What does he suggest?”
“He advises we sell everything, invest the money offshore and live modestly until all this blows over. Now, with the baby coming, I’m inclined to agree his might be the best plan.”
“But Michael, I love this house. I want to be near my parents with the baby coming. Won’t they still come after our money, no matter where it’s at?”
“We won’t make it easy. There’s legalese behind it, but we’ll form a corporation and have a board of directors. Funds have to be authorized for release. It will act like bug spray to keep the mob away from us.”
He’d used the word—mob. Who were we fooling? Between the two of us, we could speak freely, but in front of others, they would still be known as Colin’s friends.
“I don’t know, Michael. It seems so drastic.”
“I know. But now there’s more than the two of us to think of. So, this dizziness, is that from the baby?”
“Yes, that’s what Dr. Groot says. Something about my blood pressure dropping suddenly. He says I should rest a lot and avoid stress. Boy, if he only knew, huh?”
Michael was shaking his head. “All the more reason to act on the side of caution. All this around us won’t mean anything if it causes harm to you or the baby.”
“Or you,” I added.
“I admit I’ve been worried.”
“I could tell. All that smoking. I don’t like it around the baby.”
“I’ll keep it to my office or outdoors from now on. Tell me, how was it that Butch was here at the house?”