Cory's Flight

by Dan Petrosini

  “You told him you hired Mr. Black?”

  “No, no. I just told him there were a couple of personal things I had to tend to. He had the balls to ask me what they were.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “He’s a frigging control freak.”

  “But you said he didn’t tell you what to say.”

  “I think it must have something to do with his liability or legal stuff, ’cause lawyers are like officers of the court or something.”

  “Probably. You know I still can’t believe he won’t give us any money back. It’s not right. Can we sue him?”

  “Maybe, but not until this is over.”

  “It shouldn’t be more than a month, right?”

  “Probably longer.”

  “Why? The trial is three weeks away. It can’t take that long.”

  “You never know with these things. It may not go like we’re hoping.”

  “Don’t tell me Tower said you might get a sentence.”

  “It’s not that.”

  “Then what is it? Tell me what’s going on?”

  “I really don’t know. If Mr. Black gets something, I may have to go underground for a while.”

  “Underground? What does that mean?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Cory, if you’re planning something, you better be straight with me.”

  “Take it easy, Linda. I’m just trying to say we got to be ready for anything.”

  “You’d tell me if you’re going to run, right?”

  “Don’t worry.”

  “You just said you might have to go into hiding. That’s nothing to worry about? What would I tell the kids?”

  “If it comes down to that, I’ll handle it. Did you cash that royalty check?”

  “Yesterday.”

  “You put the money in the safe deposit?”

  “Yes. You’re scaring me. Something is going on.”

  “Everything is good. I just want to be sure you guys will have as much as possible if this blows up.”

  “Blows up? What the hell does that mean?”

  “Nothing. It was the wrong word. I was just saying that if something comes up, we got to be flexible, that’s all.”

  “You better not be hiding something from me.”

  Cory put his arms around his wife. “You’re worrying too much. It might take some time, but I didn’t kill Stein, and I’m going to make sure I clear my name.”

  “Just get this over with. I know you don’t want to admit to something you didn’t do, but going back to clear your name just prolongs everything. Can’t we just get it behind us?”

  “Let’s see what surfaces.”

  Cory’s phone pinged with a text. He dug it out. It was from Mr. Black.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Cory dodged traffic crossing the Avenue of the Americas and headed into Bryant Park. He recalled taking Ava to the library that anchored the east end of the park. He smiled, remembering how mad Linda got when he perched Ava on one of the lion statues that guard its entrance.

  A handful of accomplished skaters were taking advantage of the midmorning lull at the popular ice rink. Cory watched an older man who might have been a hockey player decades ago. The old man was graceful. He was carving a tight turn when Cory felt the presence of someone.

  It was Mr. Black. Cory said, “This old-timer must have been something years ago.”

  Black nodded. He was wearing leather gloves and his jacket was open. “He still has it.”

  “No doubt. Did you find out anything?”

  “Whoever’s behind this is good. Neither of them cracked, no matter how hard I pressed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “They’re either too scared to talk, or a ton of dough is gluing their mouths shut.”

  “But can’t you do something?”

  “What else you got? You have another lead?”

  “I don’t know. I mean, there was the blood. They said it’s mine, but it’s not. I wasn’t there.”

  Black squinted. “That won’t help. You’d have to know who placed it there.”

  “What else can we do?”

  “You want me to look at Bonner and O’Rourke?”

  “Yeah, definitely.”

  “You got the money for this last one?”

  Cory dug into his coat and handed an envelope over.

  Black stuffed it inside his jeans and dug into his breast pocket. He pulled out an envelope. “These are yours.”

  “What is it?”

  “Proof I did the job.”

  “Hey man, I trust you.”

  “Take ’em. They’re surveillance photos of the witnesses. I got no use for ’em.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  Cory watched Black exit the park. He opened the envelope Black had given him. There were three photos of each man. Both the men looked ordinary. Cory thumbed through the images. Black had photographed them coming out of their apartments and on the city’s streets.

  He stared at them. They appeared harmless. The saying that appearances and reality are polar opposites couldn’t be truer, he thought, and put the pictures away.

  He was running out of time and options. If Black couldn’t get overwhelming evidence, and the self-defense didn’t work out, he’d be convicted. Wiping his runny nose with a sleeve, Cory wondered whether he could handle being behind bars while waging a campaign to exonerate himself.

  It’d be tougher working from jail. On the bright side, the public liked getting behind a story to free someone wrongly imprisoned.

  How long would it take Black to develop evidence he’d been framed? He tried recalling the documentaries he’d watched that followed these types of cases. He was sure it was ten to twenty years. He’d be an old man by then and a stranger to his kids.

  * * *

  “What time is your meeting with Tower?”

  “Two. I screwed up the times. I have a session at Silvertone Studios. The downbeat is three, and it’s all the way downtown.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “We need the money, so, I can’t be late. Especially since Red’s producing, and he’s not my biggest fan.”

  “But you’ve worked with him on a bunch of projects.”

  “Yeah, but he was close with Stein.”

  “See, it’s not your playing. You’re just worried what he might think about the case.”

  “I guess.”

  “Can’t you get in to see Tower earlier?”

  “I tried moving it, but they said he’s preparing for some deposition and that was the only slot he had.”

  “Go earlier anyway.”

  “That’s what I was going to do. I’ll tell them some BS that I got to take Tommy to the doctor or something.”

  “Don’t get used to lying.”

  “What am I supposed to do?”

  “Just be careful.”

  “I will. I’m going to get going. The session will be a couple of hours, so don’t wait on dinner for me.”

  Pulling on his wool cap, Cory tried to figure out why Linda was upset at the lie he was going to tell Tower. It’s just a little fib, especially compared to the stuff Tower is going to have me say on the stand.

  The rocking of the subway car made Cory sleepy. He closed his eyes and nodded out. He bolted upright. Cory erased the vision of Tower’s hand smacking him down and stood the rest of the way.

  Cory emerged from the subway station. He adjusted his scarf, wondering how it could be below twenty if the planet was warming. He checked the time. It was a quarter to one. Nice and early.

  The elevator dinged, and Cory stepped into Tower’s office. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a familiar face get on the next elevator. He did a double take but couldn’t place the face as the doors closed.

  The receptionist was frosty, and Cory took a seat. It was one o’clock. Cory picked up National Geographic magazine thinking Tommy would love the penguins on the cover. He fo
und the article on Antarctica, but before he read a word it hit him.

  He sat back. Could it be? His heart raced. Cory put the magazine down. He stood up. “Hey, I’m sorry. tell Mr. Tower I had to go.”

  Pushing the elevator button, the receptionist said, “His secretary said he could see you now.”

  “No, I’m sorry, family emergency.”

  Blood pounding in his ears, Cory stepped into the elevator and jabbed the lobby button. Cory pushed through the doors and stepped onto the sidewalk.

  He looked around and pulled his phone out. He called Mr. Black. It went to voice mail. “Call me. It’s super important. Please hurry.”

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Cory took the steps two at a time. He burst into his apartment and went straight to his study.

  “Cory? Is that you?”

  Cory pulled the envelope Mr. Black had given him out of a drawer. “Yeah.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  Cory stared at a photo.

  “Cory! What’s going on?”

  “This guy was just at Tower’s office.”

  “What guy?”

  He stabbed the picture. “Him. One of the witnesses putting me at the scene.”

  Linda grabbed the picture. “Oh my God. What was he doing at your lawyer’s office?”

  “Tower is the one framing me.”

  “Are you sure? The guy could have been up there for a reason. Maybe a deposition or something.”

  Cory jumped out of his seat. “Bullshit! It’s him. He’s getting revenge on me.”

  “Take it easy, Cory. You can’t say something like that without proof.”

  “Oh, I got more than I need.”

  “You have nothing. All you did is maybe see one of the witnesses at Tower’s office. You don’t even know if it was him for sure, and if it was, he could have a valid reason for being there. It could be Tower who asked him to come up.”

  “Yeah, he probably did, to pay him.”

  “Why don’t you just ask Mr. Tower why he was there?”

  “He’ll give me some bullshit answer.”

  “I know Tower is not your ordinary lawyer, but we got to be sure. You can’t be making accusations until you’re certain. If it turns out to be nothing, he’ll get mad, and it might affect your case.”

  “You don’t know him.”

  “And you don’t know how attorneys and the law work. It could just be a normal thing.”

  “I don’t know . . .”

  “Why don’t you just ask Tower what he was doing there?”

  “No way. He’d know I was onto him.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “First off, I’m calling Mr. Black, and I’m thinking maybe I can ask my old lawyer Worth why this guy would go see Tower.”

  Cory left a message for Mr. Black and punched in his ex-lawyer. It was the second time he’d had to call him, but Cory didn’t care what anyone thought anymore. His life was on the line.

  He stared at the image of Tom Rizer as he waited for Worth to get on the line. Cory typed the witness’s name in the search bar. The ten results on the first page were all social media accounts. From Facebook to Pinterest, there were several links.

  Cory exhaled. The name was a common one. He clicked the first Facebook link and a guy in a tuxedo kissing his bride came up. This Tom Rizer lived in Connecticut.

  “Hello, Mr. Lupinski.”

  “Hi, Mr. Worth.”

  “What can I do for you, sir?”

  “I know we’re not working together anymore, but I need to know something, and you can send me a bill, it’s okay.”

  “I’ll do my best to answer your questions.”

  “And anything I tell you, it’s protected by the attorney-client thing, right?”

  “If this concerns the case we were engaged on, you have nothing to be concerned about.”

  “You remember the police said they had two witnesses who said they saw me by Stein’s house?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, one of them, Tom Rizer, I saw him at my new lawyer’s office today.”

  “Are you certain it was him?”

  “Yeah, it definitely was him.”

  “That is unusual.”

  “My wife said he could have been there giving a deposition or something.”

  “That’s highly unlikely.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Depositions are rare in criminal cases, Mr. Lupinski. They are used only if the witness is out of state for a prolonged period or is incapacitated.”

  “Why would he be there?”

  “It’s impossible for me to speculate.”

  “I think Tower is the one framing me.”

  “That’s a serious charge, Mr. Lupinski.”

  “You’re not kidding. Thanks, I really appreciate your help.

  Linda!”

  His wife ran in. “What’s going on?”

  “Worth said it would be super unusual to do a deposition on a witness.”

  “Could there be another reason?”

  “I asked, and Worth said he had no idea.”

  “Oh my God. I can’t believe Tower is behind this.”

  “There’s just no other answer.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know, my head’s spinning. I want to go to this bastard’s house and ask him why he’s trying to ruin my life.”

  “Don’t you dare, Cory. Maybe we should rehire Mr. Worth. He might have a way to deal with all this.”

  “I don’t know. He’s a good guy, maybe too good to go up against Tower. I want to see what Black has to say.”

  “You got to talk to Tower. This could be one big mistake.”

  “I don’t think it is. Confronting Tower could be a huge mistake. He’d know we were onto him. I don’t know how he’d react, but it won’t be good.”

  “Promise me you won’t do something stupid, Cory.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do, huh? I couldn’t kill that bastard Tower if I wanted to; it wouldn’t change a damn thing.”

  “I know, just stay away from him and the witnesses.”

  “That means the other guy is lying too.” Cory reached for the pictures Mr. Black gave him.

  “How can these people live with themselves? And what would make them do something like this?”

  “Money, or Tower has something on them.”

  Cory’s phone pinged. It was a text from Mr. Black. He told Cory to meet him in Washington Square Park at 6 p.m.

  Chapter Forty

  The park was shrouded in darkness. Cory crossed Waverly Place and looked around before entering. He was glad Black set the meeting spot at the Washington Square Arch. The marble structure was bathed in white light.

  Just off to the left, standing next to a leafless tree, was Mr. Black. He caught Cory’s eye and pointed with a finger. Black took a step into the park. Cory hustled over. Cory’s eyes adjusted to the dark.

  “Thanks, man.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “You’re not going to believe it, but Tower is the one framing me.”

  “What told you that?”

  “I saw a witness, Tom Rizer, leaving Tower’s office. There’s no reason for him to be there.”

  “Interesting, if true.”

  “It is. I checked the photos you gave me. It’s him.”

  “How did I miss that connection?”

  “That’s okay, man. Forget it. I want to know what to do.”

  Black shifted his weight. “I still have more checking, but I found out Tower represented Billy O’Rourke on an assault and weapons charge about two years ago.”

  “You think O’Rourke killed Stein?”

  “It’s early, but he could have or maybe one of his goons. Then he goes to Tower for help, and Tower decides to pin it on you.”

  “I still can’t believe it.”

  “It’s a clever ploy and vintage Tower.”

  “What do you think we should do?�
��

  “We? Going up against Tower is something I don’t do.”

  “Aw, come on, man. The guy is screwing me. I got kids, a wife—”

  “It’s bad for business.”

  “Nobody would know. Besides, somebody has to hold Tower accountable, otherwise he’ll keep doing shit like this. He’ll come after you one day.”

  “I don’t like it. Tower finds out before we out him, and we’re done.”

  “Oh, please, man. I got no one to go to. Can’t you help me?”

  “This is extremely delicate. You’d have to keep your mouth shut and do everything I say.”

  “No problem. Whatever you say, man.”

  “And I mean everything. There’s not much time. Your trial is around the corner.”

  “Tower’s trying to trap me with the self-defense plea. He knows it’s not going to work, and I’ll go to jail.”

  “I’m not a lawyer, but overturning a conviction, even with solid proof, would take years.”

  “I can’t do that kind of time behind bars. I’ll go on the run.”

  “I told you, running isn’t easy.”

  “What choice do I have?”

  Black pursed his lips. “I need to think this through.”

  “But you’re going to help me, right?”

  Black smiled. “Yeah, I’m in. Taking down Tower is dangerous, but it’s got to be done.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “Meet me by the Lightship Ambrose on Pier Sixteen. Tomorrow, two p.m.”

  * * *

  Cory kept his coat on as he headed into the kitchen. “Man, it’s freezing out there.”

  Mug of coffee in hand, Linda was sitting at the table. She put her iPad down. “What did Mr. Black say?”

  “He didn’t want to get involved. But I convinced him.”

  “Why wouldn’t he help?”

  “Because it’s Tower. He knows how dangerous he is.”

  “What’s he’s going to do?”

  “He already discovered that Tower represented O’Rourke in the past on a weapons and assault charge. He’s going to look deeper into that connection for sure.”

  “Makes sense. Anything else?”

  “He wants to meet tomorrow.”

  “How long will it take him to unwrap all this?”

  “Who knows? But Black is worried we’re not going to have enough time before the trial date.”

  “What can we do?”