Lucy walked into the apartment, looked around, and nodded in approval.
Not a thing was out of place, and even though Levi was by nature a neat person, he wasn’t about to say that a maid came in daily to dust, vacuum and keep things spotless.
“You probably have a maid, anyway.” Lucy waved dismissively and plopped herself down in a leather armchair.
“Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
Lucy shook her head. “I already ate.” She looked around the apartment. “Where am I staying tonight?”
Levi motioned toward a door that stood ajar on the far end of the living room. “I have a guest bedroom. It’s all set up. It has its own bathroom, with fresh towels.” Levi picked up a candy from a crystal bowl on the coffee table. “I can even put a mint on your pillow.”
“No need.” Lucy shrugged her shoulders and sighed. “I probably won’t get much sleep anyway.” She motioned toward the windows. “I’ll be thinking about what’s happening out there.”
Levi took a seat across from her on the other armchair and asked, “Do you want to talk?”
She shrugged again. “What’s there to say? I’ve delivered enough evidence to wipe out most of what my husband did in the States. And with the evidence I gave Doug, the folks in Hong Kong probably won’t make it.”
“I thought that was your plan all along, wasn’t it?”
“It was.” Lucy pursed her lips and held a troubled expression. “It still is, but you have to understand, this is all I’ve known since I was ten.” She looked across the coffee table at Levi, and her eyes shined with unshed tears. “I need to get my mind off of this. How did you get on this path? Where’d the Amish kid go astray?”
Levi leaned back, kicked off his loafers, and began to talk about when he first came to the city.
###
Levi had talked nonstop for nearly an hour. He talked about the early years. How Vinnie’s dad, the former boss, broke all the rules to stand up for him and make him a made man. He covered his marriage, his wife’s death, his bout with cancer, and his unexpected recovery. He spoke of his wandering of the world and his eventual return to the family.
Lucy asked insightful questions and seemed thoroughly interested in every detail. She even noted when she suspected he left something out. And he did leave out a couple small details—things he’d sworn to never speak of again. And she let them go.
It was almost midnight, and when Levi yawned loudly, Lucy stood and said, “Go to bed. I’ll lie down and probably watch TV or something.”
Levi stood and motioned toward the kitchen. “If you’re hungry or thirsty, kitchen’s right there. Just make yourself at home. There’s nothing to worry about. Nobody’s coming, especially into this building.
###
Levi lurched up into a sitting position, feeling a sudden sense of panic. The apartment was deadly silent, but his heartbeat was like a pounding drum beat echoing in his head. He felt a chill race up his back.
He knew something was wrong.
He grabbed the .45 from his nightstand and padded slowly toward the living room, his senses tingling and alert.
And then he heard it.
Slowly, he approached the guest room. The door was slightly ajar. He tightened his grip on the gun, finger hovering over the trigger. He slowly opened the door and walked in.
There was a crumpled pile of clothes on the floor.
His tension evaporated when he spotted Lucy asleep on the bed, curled into a fetal position—and naked once again. The sound he’d heard was her snoring.
He slowly backed out of the room and closed the door behind him.
It was four a.m.—no point in trying to go back to sleep. He needed a shower.
A cold one.
###
Levi stood with Ryuki and Yoshi on the tarmac, waiting for Shinzo Tanaka’s plane to taxi in.
Ryuki wrapped his arm around Levi’s shoulder and squeezed. “I can’t believe you made this happen.”
Levi nodded and said nothing. He couldn’t tell the man that it was actually a guy who worked for some secret part of the US government that had pulled the strings to remove the visa restriction for the Tanaka syndicate’s boss.
“So,” said Yoshi, “are Helen and June really are coming out of protection today?”
Levi nodded. “Yes. I got word from my contact and they’re setting up a private meetup for the release. In fact, I think they’ve both already talked to Mister Tanaka while he was in the air.”
“Mister Tanaka speaks English?” Yoshi looked surprised.
Ryuki shrugged. “I’ve never heard him speak any other language, and I’ve known him for more than twenty years.”
Just then, an unmarked Gulfstream turned toward them. Its two massive engines whined as it taxied slowly forward. It stopped, the engine noise quickly subsided, and the door to the plane opened. Stairs unfolded, and customs and immigration officials boarded the plane for inspection.
Moments later, the officials departed and Levi smiled as he saw Shinzo Tanaka emerge from the plane—a legal visitor to a country that had banned his presence for almost three decades.
###
It was nearly an hour-long drive from Dulles to the high school gymnasium where the first meeting was going to be held. Levi had arranged for a neutral place to meet that also gave everyone some privacy. The two men who had come with Tanaka were in the front of the limo, while Levi, Yoshi, and Ryuki were in the back with Mister Tanaka.
Tanaka smiled wryly as he looked out the window of the speeding vehicle. “I still can’t believe I’m here. Levi, this is very important to me.”
Levi could hear the emotion in the man’s words. He could only begin to imagine what it must be like to meet your only living heir for the first time. That would pull at anyone’s heartstrings. “I’m just glad that this all worked out.”
Tanaka nodded and looked out the window.
Yoshi seemed tense. Probably nervous because he’d likely never met the mob boss before. Ryuki stared stoically at his own knees. The result was a weird and awkward silence that made Levi uncomfortable. Was it the normal Japanese stoicism or something else? Italians couldn’t resist cracking jokes or exchanging stories if left to their own devices. This quiet and somber feeling put him on edge.
“Tanaka-sama,” Levi said in carefully measured Japanese. “I heard you’ve spoken to June. Is that true?”
“Hai. But it’s difficult for an old man like me to learn a new language. I know only a few words.” Mister Tanaka’s smile broadened as the limo pulled into a large parking lot.
They’d arrived.
Levi hopped out of the limo, assisted Mister Tanaka out, and led the group toward the gymnasium. Several FBI agents waited at the entrance to the building. They’d probably been in charge of the Wilsons’ protective custody.
One of the agents held up his hand. “Mister Yoder?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Okay, you and Mister Shinzo Tanaka will be escorted in. Nobody else is cleared.”
Levi relayed the message to Mister Tanaka in Japanese. Tanaka nodded and motioned for the other men to hang back.
The agent opened the door, and Levi and Tanaka walked inside.
Levi followed the mob boss into the well-lit gymnasium. He heard the sound of a basketball bouncing and a soft chuckle escaped from the older man.
It was the first time he’d seen his granddaughter.
Helen waved in their direction, her red hair shining like a beacon against her drab outfit, then she grabbed June’s shoulder and pointed her toward them.
The girl’s face lit up and she raced toward them yelling, “Sofu! Sofu!”—the Japanese word for grandfather. She practically tackled Tanaka, and he lifted her up into a bear hug.
Seeing the two of them stirred emotions within Levi as he watched tears stream down the old man’s face.
June stuck out her lower lip and wiped at his tears. “Sofu, d
on’t cry. It’s okay. I can see you now.”
Helen walked over to the two of them, gave a slight bow, and said in not too horrible Japanese, “It’s nice so to meet. Spoke Jun very fondly you.”
Tanaka held out his arm, and the three of them hugged. Tanaka said in not too horrible English, “Sorry taking long me to come here.”
Levi felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, and for some reason, he wasn’t surprised to see Doug Mason standing there like a cat that had just eaten a canary.
“Really?” Levi said. “You pop up now?”
Mason put his index finger to his lips and whispered, “I’ve got two things for you. First, this.” He handed Levi a sheet of paper. It was a copy of a classified FBI report about the Anspach investigation.
Nicholas Anspach, whereabouts unknown.
The Anspach residence has been sealed since the initial report of malfeasance. A second round of evidence collection revealed very little that was new, with one exception: behind a hidden panel in the master bedroom closet were old newspaper clippings having to do with the killing of a Georgetown student named Jun Tanaka.
The hairs on the back of Levi’s neck stood on end. Helen’s words, even though it seemed like she said it ages ago, they rang out loudly as he replayed them in his head.
“June’s father died before she was born. He was a graduate student at Georgetown, and as he was walking to his car, he was killed in a drive-by shooting.”
Levi blinked as he realized what it all meant.
He looked over at Helen and Tanaka. They were both trying hard to communicate; both had a poor grasp of the other’s language, but somehow they managed. June rested her head on her grandfather’s shoulder and hugged him around his neck.
Levi turned back to the printout.
Anspach did it. That jealous bastard killed June’s father and … he tried taking out Yoshi too—likely because he’d learned that Yoshi and Helen were involved. All those pictures in Anspach’s house…
He whispered to Mason, “Be right back.”
Levi walked to the far end of the gym, pulled out his phone, and dialed Dino’s number. The mobster picked up on the first ring. “Ya, what’s up?”
“Is our friend still around?”
“Oh, yeah. No doubt about it. For some reason, he’s unhappy, that ungrateful asshole.”
“If you can do me a big favor, remember the plans we talked about for him?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“Let’s put the package in the mail.”
“No problem. It’s a done deal. When do you want the package to arrive?”
Tanaka only had a seven-day visa.
“Let’s say two weeks.”
“It’s done.”
“Thanks. I’ll be in touch.”
Levi felt a surge of satisfaction as he walked back to the Wilsons and Tanaka. He whispered in Tanaka’s ear in Japanese. “Can we talk in private for a second? I have three things to tell you. The first will definitely upset you, but the second I think will make up for the first. And the last, I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or not, but I’m honor-bound to tell you.”
Tanaka’s expression turned serious, as he nodded. To Helen, he said in halting English, “Excuse for me a second.”
June had fallen asleep on her grandfather’s shoulder, so he continued to hold her as Levi led him away from the others.
“What is it?” Tanaka asked.
Levi told the mob boss what he’d just learned about Anspach, Jun’s assassination, the pictures of Helen, and his theory that the little girl might have been kidnapped by Anspach in a sick attempt to curry favor with Helen when he “rescued” her.
Tanaka’s face turned red but he maintained control. “And the second thing?”
Levi grinned. “The man who had kidnapped your granddaughter? I told you that he would never bother anyone again, and this is true. But what I haven’t told you is that some friends of mine are holding him for me. I’ve arranged for him to arrive in Tokyo on a cargo ship in two weeks. I’ll get you the details. You’ll be able to do with him whatever you like.”
An icy smile bloomed on the man’s face, and he nodded his approval. “Very nice. Thank you for the gift. I owe you once again. And the third thing?”
Levi wrinkled his nose and hesitated. “This is complicated. First, let me explain that both people are innocent, and that nothing untoward has happened. But … I can tell Yoshi, Ryuki’s brother, he’s in love with Helen, your granddaughter’s mother. And I believe the feeling is mutual.”
Tanaka betrayed no reaction. “How do you know this?”
Levi shrugged. “Mostly, I can just tell. Several things tipped me off. And Yoshi was willing to sacrifice himself for June. He was there with me when I rescued her. When she saw him, she went running to him. Anyway, I just felt that you should know. And you should also know that Yoshi would never dishonor his brother by pursuing a relationship without approval or blessing. Nor would he ever ask for that blessing, for fear of you saying no.”
June stirred on the mob boss’s shoulder. “Sofu, down please.”
Tanaka set the little girl down, and she ran back to her basketball and started bouncing it.
The mob boss patted Levi’s shoulder. “Thank you for sharing this information. Can Yoshi be brought in?”
Levi smiled. “I’m sure he can.”
He spoke with Mason, and moments later Yoshi entered the gym, looking very nervous.
“Yoyo!” June screamed with delight. She raced over to Yoshi and threw her arms around his waist.
Levi noted that Tanaka was intently watching the interaction between the two.
When the little girl went back to playing with her ball, Yoshi approached Tanaka and gave a low bow. “You wished to speak with me?”
Tanaka put his arm over the nervous man’s shoulder. “Tell me what you think of my granddaughter and her mother.”
Yoshi suddenly took on a quintessential deer-in-the-headlights look as his eyes widened and he froze, uncertain how to respond.
Levi said softly in English, “Just tell the truth.”
Yoshi blinked rapidly, looking as if he was trying to will himself to disappear. But after a few seconds of silence, he barely whispered in Japanese, “I love them both very much.”
“And you’ve been keeping watch over them for years now, isn’t that true?”
Yoshi nodded vigorously.
“It must be difficult to do this, because I understand you live in a different place. It would be very hard to always watch over June or her mother.”
“Well, yes, but I tried to do both. I worked at night as a security guard to watch over them both at night, and then during the day, I volunteered at June’s school so I could be around her. And then I would go home to sleep.”
Levi strained to hear as the mob boss whispered to Yoshi, “Have you considered maybe it would be easier if you lived in the same place?”
Yoshi nodded. “I tried, but the apartment complex had a policy against people living on property also being in charge of security. It’s a ridiculous rule, but—”
Tanaka laughed. “No, I didn’t mean that. You love them, and June seems to like you a lot. Does her mother?”
“Does she … like me a lot?” Yoshi looked nervous again. “I think so, but I never—”
“Okay, let’s fix this.” Tanaka beckoned to Helen, who walked over.
“Yes?”
Tanaka looked at Levi and motioned for him to get closer. “Translate for me.” He then faced Helen. “I know Yoshi is in love with you. This I approve of, but only if you approve of it.”
Helen glanced back and forth between Levi and Tanaka as Levi translated. Her eyes widened as the message became clear, and she looked at Yoshi with surprise.
“So,” Tanaka said. “What are your feelings?”
Helen’s face turned red, Yoshi had long before turned all sorts of darker colors. “I care for him a lo
t.”
“Would you be willing to get married, and provide my granddaughter with a stable home?” Tanaka asked bluntly.
Yoshi looked like he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen.
Levi whispered to Tanaka, “This isn’t how such things are done in—”
Levi was cut off by the mob boss’s stern frown. Instead he translated the message for Helen.
Helen’s mouth dropped open for a moment and tears glistened in her eyes. “If he’s willing, I would be.”
Tanaka seemed to understand her response, because he turned to Yoshi and raised an eyebrow.
Yoshi cleared his throat and looked Helen in the eye. In English, he said, “I would love to ask for your hand in marriage.”
“And I say yes to your proposal.” Helen smiled, a bit wide-eyed.
Tanaka pulled a ring of keys from his pocket and held them out to Yoshi. “This is my wedding present.”
They all stared at the keys, unsure what to make of them.
The mob boss explained. “I have for a long time maintained a house in this area. In fact, it was intended to be a college graduation present for my son. I’ve decided to instead make it a wedding present.”
Levi translated and Helen gave the older man a hug and said “thank you” in Japanese.
Tanaka tapped on his watch. “I have six days left in the US this year. During that time, I would like to attend my daughter-in-law’s wedding. It can even be an American-style wedding, if you insist.”
Helen and Yoshi looked at each other and began to laugh.
June raced up to them, grabbed her mom’s waistband and dangled while she asked, “What’s so funny?”
Helen knelt in front of June and asked, “What do you think of Mommy and Yoyo getting married?”
June hopped up and down with excitement. “Can I help you be married?”
“How about being the flower girl?” Yoshi suggested.
Levi moved away from the family scene. He could see that things were going to be just fine with the Tanaka-Wilson-Watanabe clan.
Chapter Twenty-two
When Levi stepped out of the gymnasium, Doug Mason was waiting for him. The man motioned for them to take a little walk. “What’s up?”
The Inside Man Page 24