Martelli said nothing.
“What’s the matter, copper. Cat got your tongue?”
Lupinacci looked around, then turned his gaze back on Martelli. “I think you and I should take a walk. We’re too close to the road here, and frankly, I don’t want anyone to hear me shoot you, much less find your body before Vanni and I have a chance to drive to Pittsburgh, pick up some passports, and fly out of the country. Two days from now we’ll be sipping caipirinhas on the beach at Ipanema while rats pick the meat off your bones.”
He motioned with his weapon for Martelli to move forward. “Why don’t we just walk a little deeper into the woods?”
“boss, please get the key and open the cuffs,” pleaded Vanni. “I can’t walk with my hands cuffed like this.”
“Tag along, Vanni,” Lupinacci responded, “this won’t take long. I’ll remove the cuffs right after I take care of the cop.” He stooped and picked up Ragosta’s pistol, which he tucked into his own belt.
He’s going to kill Vanni, too, thought Martelli. Why leave a witness behind? Besides, he can stage the scene to make it look like Vanni and I killed each other in a struggle. But even if I say something now, Vanni couldn’t do anything, and Lupinacci will still shoot us both.
Lupinacci, preceded by Martelli and Ragosta, marched deeper into the forest’s heavy underbrush and dense stand of trees.
The dense forest will mask the sound of his pistol, thought Martelli, and he’ll be long gone in my car before they ever find our bodies. Dammit, Lou. Think!
Martelli started to limp, feigning problems with his left leg.
“What’s the matter, can’t keep up the pace?” taunted Lupinacci.
“Just an old war wound acting up,” muttered Martelli.
As they neared a shallow stream, Martelli made his move. Stepping across the stream bed, he purposely fell to his left as if he had tripped or had had a problem with his prosthetic leg. Falling to the ground on his left side, he began massaging his right leg with both hands.
Lupinacci crossed the stream at the point where Martelli’s feet lay. He immediately found a broad oak tree ten feet from the stream to lean against while he caught his breath. Placing his left foot behind him for additional support, he continued to hold his pistol on Martelli.
The exertion of walking through the underbrush was taking its toll on the mobster. His red complexion belied a man with serious health problems. Sweat poured from his forehead, which he wiped with his handkerchief.
“I think we’ve reached the end of the road, my friend,” said Lupinacci, pushing himself forward and taking aim at Martelli’s head. But then he wavered and fell backwards. Losing both his balance and his focus, the mobster’s eyes closed, and he shook his head violently, as if he were attempting to throw off whatever it was that had him in its grip.
Martelli did not hesitate. In the instant Lupinacci was attempting to regain his composure, Martelli reached down, grabbed his second service pistol from the holster strapped to his ankle, took aim, and fired two rounds in rapid succession at the mobster. Lupinacci, sensing Martelli’s motion through blurry eyes, fired blindly in return at point-blank range. Echoes of the shots reverberated throughout the forest. Then there was only the sound of silence.
Epilogue
Detective-Investigator Louis Martelli recovered rapidly from the flesh wound he received as a result of a bullet fired from Tommie Lupinacci’s weapon that grazed his upper-right arm. Despite the wound, he held Lupinacci and Vanni Ragosta until the Pennsylvania State Police arrived to take them into custody.
Tommie Lupinacci fared worse. The two hollow-point rounds Martelli fired into the mobster’s right shoulder totally disabled the man and caused him to suffer a massive loss of blood. It was only through the swift action of a local emergency medical team that his life was saved. Lupinacci is now in a federal prison hospital in New York City, awaiting arraignment on multiple charges. These include murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit arson, and racketeering, among many others. Both federal and state investigations continue into his ‘family’s’ operations in New York and Pennsylvania. As well, investigators are looking into ties between his companies and those of his father, mobster Jimmie Lupinacci, using evidence taken from Tommie Lupinacci’s offices and home.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Amanda Whitman was medevaced to New York City where she underwent seven hours of intensive surgery to reconstruct her left leg. Detective-Investigator Sean O’Keeffe rode with her on the helicopter, holding her hand during the entire flight. On a recent phone call to Martelli and O’Keeffe, she told the detectives her brothers now were allowing her to drive the tractor. “And,” she said excitedly, “my ex is bringing our son Conner to see me in a week. I can’t wait.”
Matt ‘Tiny’ Farmer and his accomplice were apprehended by the West Virginia State Police while attempting to rob a pharmacy. They were extradited to NY, where they are being held for arraignment on many of the same charges pending against Tommie Lupinacci. At this writing, neither has agreed to turn state’s evidence.
Larry Halstead was arrested and upon his release from the hospital, where he had been treated for burns over the lower part of his body, was extradited to NY, where he is being held for arraignment on charges of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and conspiracy to commit arson, among others. At this writing, he has not agreed to turn state’s evidence.
Enrico Bussato died instantly from massive wounds and blunt-force trauma received when he came under fire from Sean O’Keeffe in the parking lot of the Sunrise Motel. Following an autopsy by NYPD Deputy Coroner Michael Antonetti, his body was turned over to his sister, Maria Bussato Torchiano, of Chicago, IL, for burial.
Vanni Ragosta is in discussions with federal authorities to turn state’s evidence in exchange for being admitted to the federal Witness Security Program. He has yet to accept the government’s offer, and prosecutors are proceeding apace to charge him with numerous federal offenses. Several states are standing in line behind the federal government to charge him as well, some on capital offenses.
Within a few days of Martelli’s return to New York City, he and Sean O’Keeffe met with Ron Bishop for lunch. Following an intensive debrief by Bishop, during which time the agent took copious notes, the federal agent asked, “I suppose you’re wondering what was in that letter you so graciously gave me unopened.” Martelli nodded. “It had crossed my mind, Ron.” The agent said it was note from Lundquist, handwritten two months before her death, in which she confessed to poisoning Lupinacci by administering high doses of vitamin E to him in his food and drink over a long period of time. “This most likely accounted for his strange behavior during your encounter with him in the woods. He could have been suffering from nausea, severe fatigue, muscle weakness, and double vision. It also fits with what my sources are telling me. He bruises and bleeds easily, his wounds are not healing well, and they’re having trouble controlling his blood pressure. These are all symptoms of vitamin E poisoning.” “But why would Lundquist do that?” O’Keeffe asked. “Because,” responded Bishop, “she was in love with Sandy Belmont, the young man Lupinacci’s people killed . . . the man who was in the trash business with his father. She did it out of revenge. Every move was planned. She shared her life with Lupinacci, she made love to him, and then she betrayed him, personally and to us. In the end, she died for it. And for Tommie Lupinacci, it was all for nothing.”
Special Agents Bill Landau and Ron Bishop were called to Washington, DC to receive the FBI’s Medal for Meritorious Achievement, which is awarded for extraordinary and exceptional meritorious service. Agent Amanda Whitman, who also received this award, participated in the ceremony by telephone. In addition, Agent Whitman received the FBI Star, awarded ‘for serious injury sustained in the direct line of duty from physical confrontation with criminal adversaries’.10
Detective-Investigator Louis Martelli, Detective-Investigator Sean O’Keeffe, a
nd Principal IT Specialist Missy Dugan were honored at a special awards dinner hosted by His Honor the Mayor of New York. At that dinner, NYPD Police Commissioner Eugene Fields, flanked by the mayor and First Precinct Captain Timothy Hanlon, awarded the two detectives the Police Combat Cross ‘for extraordinary heroism’ and the Medal for Valor ‘for Acts of outstanding personal bravery’. Ms. Dugan was awarded a Medal for Valor, Exceptional Merit, ‘for an act of bravery intelligently performed involving personal risk to life’.11 Martelli later quipped it was nice to see she finally ‘got what she deserved.’
US Trash and Recycling’s assets were liquidated at public auction through an FBI front organization. The company that purchased the assets, which did not include the Mack MR600 with a 17-yard Leach rear loader leased from the trash company operator in Bucks Country, rapidly expanded the operation as it took over the client base left stranded when Lupinacci’s businesses in Lancaster and York, PA, were shut down by the Federal government.
The body of Katlyn Lundquist, aka Nicole Davis, was returned to Columbia, PA, where she was buried in the small cemetery behind Mt. Bethel Church next to her parents, Nels and Didrika Lundquist. Only a few former friends and neighbors attended the memorial service preceding her interment. Special Agent Ron Bishop also attended. He spoke eloquently of her spirit, zest for life, and love for Ryan Belmont’s son, Sandy. “It was because of her dedication to seeing justice done, to seeing his murderers stand trial, that I am standing before you today to sing her praises,” said Bishop, holding the lectern with both hands. “To her, the path she took was not one of choice but of necessity. And for that she paid the ultimate price. Certainly she will be remembered all the days of our lives as someone truly special. And so I say to her, rest in peace, dear Katlyn. And may the Lord bless and keep you, forever and ever.”
Theodore J. Cohen, PhD, holds three degrees in the physical sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and has been an engineer and scientist for more than forty-five years. He has been an investor for more than fifty years and most recently, has focused on investigating and reporting on corruption in US financial institutions and agencies of the US government. His last novel, Eighth Circle: A Special Place in Hell, was inspired by incidents of major political corruption in New York City. A previous novel, Night Shadows, dealt with the subjects of child abuse, teenage rape, and teen suicide. Prior to this he wrote the novels Lilith: Demon of the Night, based on a story about a New York vampire cult and House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales, a book inspired by real events related to the 2008 financial crisis precipitated by the housing bubble. An earlier novel of the same genre, Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls, focused on corruption within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the incompetence of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). From December 1961 through early March 1962, Dr. Cohen participated in the 16th Chilean Expedition to the Antarctic. The US Board of Geographic Names in October, 1964, named the geographical feature Cohen Islands, located at 63° 18’ S. latitude, 57° 53’ W. longitude in the Cape Legoupil area, Antarctica, in his honor. Dr. Cohen’s Antarctic Murders Trilogy describes what happened following a robbery of the Banco Central de Chile in Talcahuano in May, 1960. The robbery and the events that took place primarily between May 1960 and March 1962, are described in Frozen in Time: Murder at the Bottom of the World (Book I). Unfinished Business: Pursuit of an Antarctic Killer (Book II) reveals the events that unfolded between March 1962 and March 1965. End Game: Irrational Acts, Tragic Consequences (Book III) takes place in 1965 and resolves most, but not all, of the issues raised in the series. The Trilogy has been published in a single (Kindle) volume, Cold Blood. Dr. Cohen’s first novel, Full Circle: A Dream Denied, A Vision Fulfilled, which is based on his life as a violinist, was published in 2009. Dr. Cohen at one time was a violinist with the Bryn Athyn (PA) Orchestra and particularly enjoys the music of Gustav Mahler. Finally, Dr. Cohen has published more than 400 papers, articles, columns, essays, and interviews, and is a co-author of The NEW Shortwave Propagation Handbook (from CQ Communications). For more information on Dr. Cohen and his novels, the interested reader is invited to view the book descriptions, photographs, and videos that can be found at
Other Novels by
Theodore Jerome Cohen
* * *
Death by Wall Street:
Rampage of the Bulls
Praise for Death by Wall Street
“From the first chilling moments, Death by Wall Street takes the reader inside the seamy nexus of Wall Street and Washington. Theodore Cohen has written the sad and tragic tale of how US financial markets and the pharmaceutical industry have ‘captured’ their regulators at the SEC and the FDA. Citizens beware!! Is this fiction? Sadly, it doesn’t feel like it.”
Mike Krauss, author of the forthcoming novel Pursuits of Happiness, is a columnist and commentator with a long career in US government and politics, and international business.
“Death by Wall Street may be a novel, but beneath its surface lies a terrible truth: the US financial markets, together with a sleeping US government, have caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of citizens by denying them life-saving treatments.”
Kerry M. Donahue, Esq., Chief Counsel, Care To Live
“Death by Wall Street is a ‘must read’ for anyone who has ever wondered why investing in biotech stocks is not for the faint-hearted. What Cohen reveals about stock manipulation, the SEC, and the FDA, will shock you.”
Ed Silverman, Editor and Publisher, Pharmalot
“Theodore Cohen, an experienced investor and respected scientist, takes us on an adventure in which he exposes the malfeasance of many on Wall Street, the ugly underbelly of hedge funds, the captured financial media, and the emasculated SEC. Strap in for a fascinating ride!”
Gregory B. Purchase, MD
“Cutting edge reporting, important insight, timely, and relevant . . . Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls is destined to firmly establish Theodore Jerome Cohen as a fresh voice in literary journalism. This is a book that should be added to the reading list of college and university classes in ethics, political science, finance, business, law, science, and medicine.”
Richard Blake for Readers Views
“Similar to the writing style of Michael Crichton and Tom Clancy, Theodore Cohen adheres to short chapters laying out a mental storyboard in the reader’s mind. He possesses a writing style ideal for screenplay adaptation with visuals that can make for a good movie. Why wait for Hollywood – Death by Wall Street: Rampage of the Bulls is currently playing in a theater near you, the theater of your mind.”
Gary Sorkin for Pacific Book Review
For more information, visit:
www.theodore-cohen-novels.com
or your preferred on-line retailer
House of Cards:
Dead Men Tell No Tales
Praise for House of Cards
“Gore Vidal once observed that historians are now writing fiction and novelists are writing history. In House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Theodore Jerome Cohen has written the story of the monumental greed and fraud of the banksters who have subverted the American democracy. Maybe someday, the historians will catch up to him.”
Mike Krauss is a director of the Public Banking Institute and is the author of the forthcoming novel Pursuits of Happiness
“Cohen brings Detective Louis Martelli to a new level of shady integrity, having him become a self-appointed judge and jury of right and wrong, good and bad.”
Gary Sorkin for Pacific Book Review
“If you enjoy the ‘ripped-from-the-headline’ stories of shows like Law & Order, then you should definitely take a ride with [Cohen’s] Lou Martelli and Missy Dugan.”
Marty Shaw for Reader Views
“A real page turner! Beware. The next terrorist attack may be on our financial systems, if it hasn’t happened already!”
Kerry M. Donahue, Esq., Attorney at Law
For
more information, visit:
www.theodore-cohen-novels.com
or www.amazon.com
Lilith:
Demon of the Night
Praise for Lilith
“Fast paced with snappy dialogue, likeable characters, and a touch of Middle Eastern mythology, this is a book that I could really sink my teeth into.”
Paige Lovitt for Reader Views
“With more twists and turns than a Boa constrictor, the venomous plot unfolds and transports the reader from a modern-day, high-tech crime fighting novel into the dark side of cult practices within the mind of a serial murderer fixated on revenge. Lilith is a trophy on any shelf.”
Gary Sorkin for Pacific Book Review
“Given the real-life vampire cases cited in the novel, one has to wonder if this isn’t another of Cohen’s ‘ripped-from-the-headline’ stories. Why aren’t Hollywood producers calling about this gem?”
Irene Watson, Author of The Sitting Swing
and Rewriting Life Scripts
“I’ve had a fascination with vampires since Italian researchers believe they found the remains of a female vampire from 16th-century Venice, buried with a brick in her mouth to prevent her feasting on plague victims. This macabre thriller will keep you on the edge of your chair to the very end.”
Susan Violante, Author of Innocent War: Behind An Immigrant’s Past
italianaustinite.com, blogtalkradio.com/vioradio
For more information, visit:
www.theodore-cohen-novels.com
Wheel of Fortune (Detective Louis Martelli, NYPD, Mystery/Thriller Series Book 6) Page 19