by Rusty Kontos
Nickole stepped out of the cabin and walked a few yards to where the lake was. She then took the gun and tossed in as far out in the lake as she could. It went in with a splash, and then quickly sank to the bottom of the lake. Nickole watched it sink, and then
returned to where she hid her bike. She got on it and started riding away, leaving the mutilated body of her stepfather far behind.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Nickole rode her bike to Evendale, the nearest little town. She went to the train depot; left the bike parked outside, went in and bought a ticket for Chicago. The train was not due for another six hours, so she curled herself up on a bench at the train stop and went to sleep. It was an exhausted sleep. She started dreaming first of Nick and Danny O’Shea. Nickole could see them floating in a pool of blood. Then she saw her mother, then the house burning. Then a replay killing Benny, repeatedly. Beads of sweat jumped on her forehead. Her head moved from side to side, and then she jumped up on the bench in a sitting position. Nickole sat there for a moment, wiping the sweat from her face. Drawing in a deep breath, she got up from the bench and started walking back and forth, on the platform. She still felt tired, but she knew she could sleep while on the train.
Nickole arrived in Chicago at three that afternoon. She went to a phone booth in the station as soon as
she got off the train. She called the numbers on the cards. There was no answer at either place, so Nickole just walked around town, taking in the sights. She had found that she walked so far, that she
was lost. She was on a street that had a row of tenement houses on it. “Got to find myself a place to
sleep.” Nickole though to herself. Then she saw an alley that led to a junkyard that was behind one of the tenements. Nickole turned into the alley. She stopped and looked at a huge wooden crate that stood in the back yard of the apartment house. Nickole noticed its little wooden door, held by two hinges. To Nickole, it looked like an inviting place to sleep for the night. Slowly she opened the door and went in. She stumbled over something in the dark. She felt it — it was a blanket. She wrapped up in it and fell fast asleep.
The next morning, Nickole heard voices coming from just outside the little door. The bright sunlight
hit her face, blinding her vision from seeing clearly who was standing outside the door. All she could make out were their silhouettes, which took the shape of two boys. She could not make out their faces from the blinding sun. She could clearly hear the one boy as he shouted out at her.
“Hey, kid! What the hell you think you’re doin’ in our hideout?”
Nickole did not say anything. She just sat there a little stunned. The boy came inside and took hold of
her blouse as he started to jerk Nickole up. He stopped, his hand fell to his side as he let go of the grasp he had on her. He stared at her for a moment with surprise written all over his face, as he said to the other boy, “Hey, Franky! You ain’t gonna believe this.”
“I ain’t gonna believe what?” The boy called Franky replied.
“It’s a dame in here.”
“A what! A dame? You’re right, I don’t believe it. This I gotta see!” Franky said as he came in and sat next to the other boy.
“Okay girly, what are you doin’ here?” The boy asked, trying to appear tough.
Nickole sat up very straight, looking him directly in the eyes as she smugly said, “I am sorry if I have intruded. Last night I was very tired and in need of a place to sleep, so I slept here when I saw it. I thought it was an old junk box that had been thrown away. I didn’t think that it belonged to anyone. By the way, my name is Nickole.”
The boy looked at Nickole for a moment, and then he spoke, his voice becoming more soft and friendly now as he introduced himself. “I’m Tony Geanelli, and this is my brother, Franky.” Franky wrinkled up his nose at her as he said in a tough, snotty tone of voice, “Hi.”
Tony was a quieter type of boy than his brother, Franky. He had soft, olive-colored skin and very black eyes. His hair was jet black and very straight, unlike his brother, Franky, who had very curly hair like a bush.
“Did you run away from home?” Tony asked her slowly.
“No, I came here on business.”
“Business, bullshit! I’ll bet you ran away from home.” Franky snarled at her.
Nickole gave him a cold, deadly stare, and then turned her head to Tony, saying, “Will you please tell
that stupid brother of yours to shut his damned big mouth up about what he knows nothing about?”
Tony burst out laughing as Franky yelled back at her, “Why, if you wasn’t a fuckin’ dame, I’d belt you one in the mouth.”
“Okay,” Tony spoke up, “Knock it off, both of you. Now you say your name is Nickole and you needed a place to sleep, and you found our hideout and stayed the night. That still doesn’t tell me why you had to sleep here. Maybe it’s none of my business, but I think you should tell us more than what you have.”
“Alright, I will tell you, but first you must swear to me on your mother’s life that I can trust that you will never tell anyone else what I am about to tell you.” The boys nodded their heads in agreement and Nickole continued, “Good, maybe you can be of some help to me, also.” Then she reached into her pocket, took out one of the cards, and handed it to Tony.
Tony took the card and held it up to the sunlight shining through a crack in the door. Just as he read the name on the card, Franky noticed something on Nickole’s blouse.
“Hey, Tony! Look, she looks like she got blood splattered on here.”
Tony looked at Nickole’s blouse. He opened the door to let in more light. “You’re right, Franky, it does look like blood.” Tony said as he looked at Nickole, then asked, “Is this why you must find Luchino, because you’re are in some kind of trouble?”
Nickole said, “Trouble? I am not in any trouble.”
Then Franky said, “Yeah? Well if you ain’t in no trouble, then how come you got blood all over your blouse and you’re lookin’ for a lawyer?”
Very coolly Nickole answered, “Well, the blood probably got on me yesterday morning when I killed
my stepfather.” As she said it, Nickole looked as innocent as a little baby. Tony and Franky sat there
shocked.
Finally, Franky broke the silence. “You mean you bumped off your stepfather? How?”
“I shot off his head with one of his twelve-gauge shotguns.” Nickole answered in a cool, natural voice, as if it were nothing.
“Damn! Either you’re the boldest or the craziest broad I ever met in my life!” Franky said excitedly.
Then Tony spoke up. “Why did you do it?”
Nickole started telling them everything from the beginning. Tony and Franky sat there, very quietly, listening to Nickole as she filled them in. After she had finished, Tony spoke first.
“Well if that don’t beat all! You, Nick Colletti’s kid.”
Nickole started to give him a cold stare.
“Hey! Don’t get mad. We knew your old man and we liked him very much. Didn’t we, Franky?” Tony
said to his brother.
Franky nodded his head in agreement as Nickole asked, “You two knew my father?”
“Yeah, sure we did,” Tony answered. “Me and Franky. We used to do small jobs for him, and he paid us good, too, not like that partner of his, Joe Torrio.”
“Yeah, I ain’t trusted him since he moved into your old man’s house after he got shot the first time.” Franky said as he interrupted Tony.
“You say he moved into my father’s house?” Nickole said.
“Yeah, and he still lives there.” Answered Franky.
A dark, clouded look came over Nickole’s face, as she said, “You take me to see this lawyer, and I guarantee you, Torrio won’t be living in that house for long. My father told me before he was killed, that it was to be mine if anything ever happened to him. He left everything to me — house money, business — everything. So, as you can see, I must see t
hat lawyer as soon as possible. “When can you take me
to see him?”
“Well, we can’t take you today, because our folks are having a birthday party for our grandmother, but we can the first thing in the morning. We would take you now, but you know how it is with family.” said Tony.
“Sure, I understand. Once I had a family that did nice things like that together, but that was a long time ago. Is it okay with you guys if I stay here for a while?”
“Sure you can. You can stay as long as you like.” answered Tony.
Franky sat there and nodded his head in agreement. Then he looked at Nickole and said, “Hey, I bet you must be starved by now. If you want, I can get you some food?”
“I sure am,” Nickole said, as she reached in her pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to
Franky.
“Here, get you and Tony something, too.”
Tony and Franky looked at the ten, as their eyes grew wide with surprise at the sight of money. Then Tony looked at her and said, “You don’t have to buy us nothin’, but thanks anyway for askin’.”
Franky got up and started for the door. He stopped at the doorway. Looking at Nickole, he gave her a big grin as he said, “You know, you’re okay for a dame.”
“You’re not so bad yourself, for being a guy.” Nickole answered back with a smile.
Then Franky let out a big horselaugh, as he went out the door, leaving Nickole and Tony alone. Tony began telling of the things he used to do for her father. Tony told her how Nick used to run things in
the organization, and how well he paid all of his men. He told her how badly things were run by Torrio and how he cheated everyone. Tony told Nickole everything there was to know about the way the organization of the Mafia was run, and that her father was one of the top-ranking men in it.
Nickole sat there taking everything in very quietly. Then she said to Tony when he had finished, “Tell
me something, aren’t there any women in the Mafia?”
Tony gave her a dumbfounded look, and then said, “Women? Hell no! There has never been a woman in the outfit, let alone a woman leader. Why did you ask a dumb thing like that for?”
Nickole looked at him very coldly, reminding Tony of Nick when he was angry — like a snake before it strikes. Nickole’s words came piercing through his brain like a needle, as she said to him, “I will have to be the first woman then, won’t I? Because I intend to take over where my father left off. I am going to carry on his name, just as he did, and I will make certain that everyone continues to fear his name. It will be just as if he never died.”
Tony sat there, staring at her for a moment. He cleared his throat before he spoke, “You can’t do that! They won’t let you. They will kill you first.”
“Well, if I am anything like my father, they will have one hell of a fight on their hands. Besides, they don’t have to know I’m a girl, now, do they?”
“How in the hell are you going to keep them from finding out?” Tony asked in a mocking tone of voice.
“By giving orders through someone else. You know, sort of like a front man. Let him do the talking for me and never let anyone see me, except for the ones that I choose to do so.”
Tony just sat there, looking at her for a moment, and then he said, “You know somethin’, you’re a lot like your old man in a lot of ways. You just might make it work.”
“Thank you, Tony,” Nickole replied.
“And one more thing, you can count on me and Franky for help. That is, if you want us.”
Nickole looked at him, giving Tony a sly sort of smile as she said, “Well, just who in the hell did you
think I was counting on for help, Torrio?”
Then Tony and Nickole shook hands on their new friendship and pact, as Franky came in the door with a loaf of bread and salami. After Nickole had eaten, she and the boys sat and talked long through the day, talking about the future and her plans for the next day.
It was almost seven o’clock in the evening when the boys left for home, leaving Nickole to get some sleep so they would be on time for their early morning appointment the next day. It took Nickole a long time to fall asleep. When she did, it was a restless sleep, full of dreams from the past and of the future.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
At 8:30 the next morning, the boys were there to get Nickole and take her to Luchino’s office. Franky had brought her a bucket of cold water and soap so she could take a bath. He also brought her a towel and washcloth. Nickole had insisted on this the night before. The boys waited outside for her to finish. After what seemed like hours, Nickole came out. As she walked out the door, the boys stood up from where they had been sitting on an old wooden crate. As they stared at Nickole, they gasped in amazement on the change in her. The black dress that she had brought with her fit a little tight, but it showed off her well-built body, revealing her well-shaped buttocks. Her waist curved perfectly, and her breasts stood out like two well-rounded grapefruits. The cleavage was very full, like a young virgin should be. Her long, dark brown wavy hair was no longer pulled back into a ponytail. Instead, it hung down her back and shoulders, flowing free in the slight wind, catching the radiant rays of sunlight that cast off little flecks of golden highlights as it softly moved with the breeze.
Franky gave out a wolf whistle, and then said with surprise still on his face, “Wow! What a knockout!”
Tony just stood there for a moment, then said to her as a little chill of excitement ran all through his body, “If I didn’t see you with my own two eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it possible.” Tony’s face reddened as he checked himself and became more serious. Then he said, “Look, if we don’t get going, we ain’t never gonna get to Luchino’s place.”
“You’re right, Tony,” Nickole said as she gave him a smile. Tony dropped his head and started walking toward the street. Franky and Nickole followed close behind.
During the subway ride to Luchino’s office, Tony tried to keep his eyes from looking at Nickole. When she wasn’t looking his way, he would just stare at her. His heart pounded, his blood surged, like a giant rushing wave of passion through his body. It pushed its way to his manhood, making him aware that he no longer was just a boy of eighteen. He now had the overpowering sexual urges of a man. His face felt flushed, his flesh on his entire body felt as hot as a burning fire to him. Tony felt he truly knew he was in love with this goddess of beauty, and he knew he would protect her with his life and do anything she would ask of him. He also knew that some day when the time was right, she would belong to him— and only him.
As for Franky, who was a year younger than Tony, he liked girls, but to him they were not that important. He wasn’t ready to be hooked on any one girl. He saw the way his brother was looking at Nickole, so he knew that it was hands off for this one, even though he was turned on by Nickole’s beauty. He loved and respected his brother. Franky could see that in Tony’s eyes this girl was something special to him. If she was to be his brother’s girl, that was okay with him, because he did not feel a desire for love — at least, not the marrying kind. It was nothing more than a sexual urge he had for her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
They arrived on Clark Street, in front of the building where Luchino had his office. It was getting close to ten a.m. Nickole told Tony and Franky to wait for her at the front entrance. Tony leaned against the front of the doorway to the building and lit a cigarette, as Nickole went in. Franky stood on the steps. He looked over to Tony, as he said to him in a nervous tone of voice, “You know, I got the craziest feeling about this place. Something ain’t right. I can feel it.”
“Like what?” Tony asked.
“I don’t know. It just gives me the creeps. I wish that she would just hurry up so we can get the hell out of here.”
Nickole got off the elevator and walked a few doors down. Then she saw his name printed in gold letters on a glass door: Tomas A. Luchino, Attorney at Law. She opened the door and went inside. Nickole
looked all around the office only to find it empty. Luchino’s secretary had gone out to get coffee for him. Nickole jumped to attention when she heard a man’s voice coming from the adjoining room. Its closed door had “private” printed on it. Nickole eased over to the door, opened it, and went inside. Very carefully, she let the door close quietly behind her. She saw a fat, pudgy man sitting at a huge desk. His chair was turned so that his back was to Nickole. He was talking on the phone to someone. A few seconds passed and then he turned his chair around to hang up the phone. As he did, with a start, he saw Nickole standing in front of his closed office door.
“Well now, who may I ask are you, and why did you just walk in to my office uninvited? What is the matter little girl, can’t you read? The sign on the doors says private. Well! Speak up!” Luchino demanded.
At first Nickole felt like running, but she got hold of herself and bravely said to Luchino, “I am sorry, sir, but there was no one outside. I heard your voice so I thought it would be all right for me to come in. I did not mean to interrupt anything. I only wanted to ask you where I could find Mr. Luchino.”
The man looked at her in an amused way, then gave her a big grin and said, “I am Mr. Luchino. Now sit down and tell me what a lovely young girl like you wants with an attorney. Now first tell me your name and how I can be of help to you.” Nickole sat down in a big brown leather chair facing him from in front of his desk. She felt a little nervous as she spoke. “I am Nickole Colletti. You were my father’s attorney. He told me I should come to you in the event of his death. He said that you have his will stating that everything was to go to me.”
Luchino’s heart almost stopped as he listened to Nickole’s words. Then as he spoke, the words came pouring out of his mouth before he had time to think.
“You’re supposed to be dead! Scallenie said he was sure!”