Sotello: Detective, ex-FBI, ex-Secret Service (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 1)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

Gina blushed, and shook her head negatively. “Not now, Mr. Sotello, I just can’t talk to him yet. I would rather talk to him when I see him.”

  “I understand,” Sotello agreed. “I will let him know we’ll be coming back with you. Now, why don’t we have something to eat, and then go get you packed up?”

  Chapter 22

  Candidate Sotello

  Sotello looked back at the three young people, still laughing over Craig’s antics on the flight. Craig had endeared himself to Gina by doing a perfect Darren Sanders during the last part of the flight. Sanders’ man with the blonde hair, who accompanied them back, had looked on in wonder as Craig performed. He had actually laughed the hardest, as Craig scolded Gina for her short sightedness in love. Gina could not get enough of him, and Ellen had made him do everyone. Phillips walked along quietly at Sotello’s side. He had been very quiet on the way back, sleeping through almost the entire flight.

  Phillips glanced back in the direction Sotello was looking, and smiled tiredly. “Your son is very talented. I have not seen Gina laugh like that in a very long time.”

  “He can be very entertaining,” Sotello agreed. “I hope he has sense enough not to perform his Sanders’ impersonation very much longer. Darren will be waiting for us.”

  “Christ,” Phillips exclaimed in sudden panic. “I had hoped to avoid any confrontations right away.”

  “Relax,” Sotello told him. “He came here to meet his daughter, not you. You take off for wherever you want after we get through customs, which may be hours from now, with the Terrorist precautions. Meet me at the bank around 2:00 PM. I will see how the reunion goes, and then we’ll talk at the bank. I don’t have to warn you about not doing anything stupid, do I?”

  “No, Jim, I will meet you at the bank, and you can tell me how you wish to proceed from there. I want to thank you for running interference for me. I deserved a lot less,” Phillips concluded.

  “You are not out of the woods yet pal,” Sotello warned. “Stay quiet, and do what I tell you for the time being. More importantly, stay out of sight unless I phone you. I don’t want any more people dying over this blunder.”

  “You have my cell phone number,” Phillips replied. “After we get through at the bank, I will wait until you contact me before I show my face.”

  “A wise course of action,” Sotello agreed. “You may yet live to do something useful.”

  __

  Customs did not take as long as Sotello had feared. Sotello had counseled Phillips to stay in customs until everyone else passed through. Sanders’ reunion with his daughter Gina made Sotello feel something rare had gone right for a change. He watched Sanders hug his sobbing daughter to his chest, knowing the tears streaming down Sanders’ cheeks were genuine. The relief in Sanders’ face as he reached out to Gina, convinced Sotello, if Sanders’ still wanted to back his run for Governor, Sotello would give it a shot.

  “Well, you always say a broken clock will be right twice a day,” Ellen quipped, as she watched the reunion, while standing next to Craig and her Father. “I guess our time finally came around.”

  “And Gina’s,” Sotello replied.

  “I hope she settles down now,” Craig added. “She told us she had been doing real well in college at the time she decided to jump into this mess.”

  “Let me say hello, and goodbye to Darren, before we head on out of here,” Sotello said. “I didn’t think it was possible to feel worse than I did getting off the plane in Switzerland. I was wrong.”

  Ellen and Craig laughed, and agreed to meet their Father in the baggage claim area. Sotello approached Sanders, just as he and Gina finished their initial greeting. Sanders brushed his face with the back of his hand. He kept his left arm around Gina’s shoulders, and faced Sotello. Sotello grasped Sanders’ proffered right hand warmly in his own.

  “I don’t know how to thank you, Jim,” Sanders said simply.

  “It was a piece of cake,” Sotello said. “Gina wanted to come home and set things right again. She only needed a ride, right Gina?”

  “I have been a first class idiot, Dad,” Gina said, looking up into Sanders’ face. “Meeting Mr. Sotello’s daughter, and son, made me realize just how stupid I’ve been.”

  “Forget it Honey,” Sanders said quietly. “I just didn’t want you to pay for this mistake with your life.”

  “The kids and I are heading out,” Sotello said. “Phillips will not be showing his face until I tell him to.”

  Sotello saw the shadow pass across Sanders’ face. His mouth tightened, as if he had bit into something sour. “That would be a very good idea for Mr. Phillips.”

  “I meet up with him tomorrow at the bank,” Sotello continued. “I will bring the contents of the box to you then. Would five tomorrow evening work for you? I can drop the stuff off at your place. I know where you live.” “Have you given any thought to what we talked about?” Sanders asked, smiling again.

  “Yes, but I will discuss that subject with you tomorrow. You take care Gina,” Sotello said, squeezing the young woman’s shoulder gently.

  “You’ll ask Ellen and Craig to stay in touch with me, won’t you Mr. Sotello?” Gina asked. She looked up quickly at her Father, laughing. “Dad, you have got to see Craig imitate…”

  “Ah Gina,” Sotello interrupted. “I don’t think your Father needs to hear about that.”

  Sotello’s interruption caused Gina to laugh even more, as Sanders looked on in happy confusion. “Don’t worry Mr. Sotello, my Dad would love to see Craig perform.”

  “Maybe some other time,” Sotello said doubtfully. “I will tell my two troublemakers to stay in touch. Goodbye for now.”

  Sotello reached the baggage claim area, just as Craig pulled the last of their bags off the conveyer. “Gina wants you two to stay in touch.”

  “That should be easy if you run for Governor,” Craig said.

  “Yea, what about it Dad?” Ellen asked. “You said if things went well, you would make the decision when we returned home. Here we are, so are you running?”

  “Did you two goofballs think about the reservations I had concerning our private life?” Sotello asked.

  “We don’t care about any of that,” Craig said. “Ellen and I want a part in the campaign.”

  “Oh, how I will feed your words back to you later,” Sotello said smugly. “You will whine for mercy then.

  “Then you’ll do it?” Ellen asked excitedly.

  “I think I am going to do something very stupid here, but yes, I’m going to go for it. It will probably only turn our lives inside out for a couple of months, because the Devil will be serving ice cream cones in hell, before I ever win the Governorship of California.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Craig said, instantly mimicking both Sanders’ countenance and voice. “We will win this thing, Jim.”

  Ellen laughed, as she watched her Father whip around to make sure Sanders was not within range of Craig’s act. He looked back at Craig, and then gave him a slap to the back of his head. “You keep this up Number One, and you’ll be at the bottom of the estuary, wearing cement overshoes. Ellen will be driving the van of revenge to Sanders’ house, with me and the lead pipe in the back.”

  “Dad, I think Mr. Sanders can take a joke,” Craig said, straightening up again. “You worry too much.”

  “Maybe, but unless the guy asks for a command performance on his hands and knees, please don’t do anymore Darren Sanders mimicry,” Sotello pleaded. “Didn’t they ever tell you what they did with Court Jesters back in medieval times, you lunk-head?”

  “Okay,” Craig agreed, “but I am hurt you think I do not know when to perform and when not to.”

  “Oh yeah,” Sotello countered. “The blonde haired guy, splitting a gut laughing, as he watched your performance on the plane, works for Sanders. Didn’t you notice him intercept those mooks of Phillips in the hotel restaurant?”

  “Uh oh,” Craig grinned.

  “You grin now,” Sotello shook a finger at him
. “We don’t even know if Sanders has a sense of humor.”

  “You worry too much old man,” Craig countered.

  “Did it ever dawn on you that might be the reason I can be called old?”

  “Well, I am glad you will be the next Governor, Dad,” Ellen said, changing the subject. “This will be a real kick. Craig and I can write some speeches for you.”

  Sotello nodded. “I will definitely need the help, because I will not be letting some stranger, who doesn’t know me from Adam, write a speech for me as if he understood what I believe in.”

  “See, you’re in trouble already,” Ellen laughed.

  “I didn’t come up with this goofy plan to run me in the race,” Sotello shrugged. “Darren doesn’t seem to mind the fact I will be alienating a large portion of the state on a daily basis. He will flip out when I bring up the other suggestion I have for the campaign.”

  “I’m afraid to ask,” Craig said, placing his hands over his eyes and cringing comically. “Okay, I’m ready, what?”

  “I was going to ask him if I can bring Phillips in as my campaign manager,” Sotello replied, waiting for their reaction.

  Stunned silence reigned. Finally, Sotello picked up his bags smiling, and walked towards the parking lot. A few minutes later, Ellen and Craig caught up to him.

  “You can’t walk away after dropping a bomb like that,” Ellen said.

  “Yea Dad, you talk about me,” Craig said. “You must have a death wish, to even contemplate something like that.”

  “Phillips has run numerous campaigns, and…” Sotello began.

  “He was a liberal Democrat,” Ellen cut in. “I read some of his speeches. He makes Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy look like conservatives.”

  “I didn’t say I was going to ask him to write my speeches for me,” Sotello replied, setting his bags down while he unlocked the Dodge trunk. “He knows politics, and I own him in a way. I know he will not double cross me, because his life would be forfeit. Besides, I think he has changed. By the time he clears a few hurdles with Sanders, Phillips will be lucky if he has two dimes to rub together.”

  “I do not like the sound of this, Ancient One,” Craig added. “Phillips could just as easily use you to get information to sell.”

  “Phillips will not be selling information or anything else,” Sotello said. He threw the kid’s bags into the huge trunk with his, and unlocked the car for all of them. Sotello slipped in behind the wheel and started the Dodge, while Craig called shotgun, just as when he and Ellen fought for the front seat as children. Ellen laughed, and entered the back seat.

  “Sanders better be sitting down when you tell him your idea, Dad,” Ellen advised, “and you had better be wearing Kevlar.”

  “I think once he sees the practicality of it,” Sotello added, pulling up to the parking lot attendant’s window, and handing the man his ticket. “Darren will jump right on board.”

  Craig waited until Sotello paid the man, and pulled away, before continuing his argument. “What about Gina? Phillips will be hanging around, and I know Mr. Sanders would not be doing the happy dance, seeing Phillips even in the same hemisphere as Gina, let alone the same house occasionally.”

  “If he really does want me to win,” Sotello pointed out, “then he can’t help but think Phillips can make a difference for us in a state wide campaign. He and I will talk it out though. I think I can make him see the value in my idea.”

  “Maybe,” Ellen said, “but my moneys on him throwing you out of his house.”

  “How much, little missy?” Sotello said immediately, “and don’t start backing down with some fifty cent insult bet.”

  “Five bucks,” Ellen said.

  “What’s the matter?” Sotello asked. “Your sportin’ blood turn to water?”

  “Twenty bucks then.”

  “I want twenty on that sure thing too,” Craig added.

  “Easy money,” Sotello quipped. “Darren will love this idea.”

  __

  “You want to what?” Sanders asked, in stunned dismay. He had welcomed Sotello into his home, and had received the contents of the safety deposit box Sotello and Phillips had emptied out earlier in the afternoon. The two men sat together in Sanders’ plush barroom. Sanders had taken a seat behind the bar, which looked like it had been plucked out of a 19th century saloon, complete with full wall mirror and shelves behind it.

  “Uh… now calm down Darren,” Sotello said. “Phillips never lost an election, in spite of the fact he espoused every liberal whacko cause under the sun. He has been elected to every kind of office in the state, except Governor. He assisted the present meathead, I’ll be running against, to get elected. If you’re serious about me winning, I will need a guy we own, who knows politics inside and out.”

  “You want to what?” Sanders repeated, shaking his head now in disbelief. “C’mon Jim, it’s all I can do to keep from having that schmuck wasted, and you want him as your campaign manager?”

  Suddenly, Sanders burst into laughter, which Sotello could not help but join. After a few minutes, Sanders calmed down enough to wipe his eyes, and take a sip of the iced tea he had poured for both of them. Sotello drank some of his, suddenly uneasy with his sure fire plan. He watched Sanders closely, as Sanders stood up from his seat behind the bar, and walked out from behind it to sit next to Sotello. Sanders folded his arms, and stared at the floor with a smile on his face, as if contemplating an amusing memory. He finally looked up sideways at Sotello.

  “I do not get surprised much anymore,” Sanders admitted. “You have managed to figure out a way to stand me on my ear twice: once, when you figured Lynn out, and now this.”

  Sanders paused, still smiling. He unfolded his arms and stuck out his hand, which Sotello grasped. “You have a deal Jim. You tell that prick Phillips if he so much as sneezes without my permission, I will bury him alive myself.”

  “You just made me forty dollars richer,” Sotello grinned. “Those two know-it-all-kids of mine bet me forty dollars you would throw me out of your house when I presented my little plan.”

  “If I had known that,” Sanders said, “I would have thrown you out. Tell them it was close, and they really shouldn’t have to pay.”

  “Paying off builds character,” Sotello countered. “They were mad because they thought I would crab their campaign plans, trying to push the Phillips as campaign manager idea.”

  “They’re pretty excited about it, huh?”

  “They’re already writing speeches for me,” Sotello quipped. “How has Gina taken to being home again?”

  “Well, her mother called about the same time we walked in the door,” Sanders answered. “I gave the call to Gina, and she told Susan she did not want to talk to her for at least a few months. I get the impression my lovely ex-wife had more to do with this than I knew. Anyway, Gina lost the pinched, hunted look she carried off the plane by the time her and I had some breakfast this morning. She wants to work at a clothing store I own, starting at the bottom, until she can get back into school next semester.”

  “That does sound promising,” Sotello said. “Second chances are hard to come by.”

  “I’ll get to work on your coming nomination,” Sanders said.

  “Well, don’t worry about it if things do not work out,” Sotello replied. He handed Sanders a presentation notebook with twenty-five typed pages.

  “What’s this,” Sanders asked, opening it.

  “My resume for office, including my service record, and time in the FBI, and Secret Service. I also included a bio on my degree in law, the languages I speak, and the beliefs I hold. I think it would be a good idea, for you, and the people you think you can get to run me for Governor, to read it over,” Sotello answered calmly. “You, or they may have second thoughts.”

  “You know what they say about politics,” Sanders said smiling. “It’s all about compromise.”

  “Then you have the wrong man,” Sotello stated. “Compromise brought us our present Governor. H
e wrote the book on do nothing your way right to the top.”

  Sanders laughed. “I’m glad to hear you say that Jim. Just once, I want to see what happens when someone acts on what he believes, and deals with special interest groups in relation to what it will mean for the people, rather than their own personal gain. I know lobbyists play a part in the process, by introducing issues not in plain sight, but we have slid way down the mountain from that.”

  “I agree,” Sotello added. “I wrote this up for you, so no one can say I held anything back on them. It details a couple of the more controversial cases I worked on, including this guy up in Placerville, who wound up with his legs and arms busted up, and the guys he mistakenly sent after me. It could work against us.”

  “You said it best before,” Sanders counseled him. “You went up to Placerville because your daughter Ellen was mugged and in the emergency room. You took her home, and took care of her. A guy, who turned out to be a suspect in the mugging, winds up with an attitude adjustment. He sends a couple of guys to kill you, and they get apprehended with your help. I see no downside here. People will read between the lines every time you claim to have taken care of your daughter that night. They will be sitting in front of the TV, pumping their fists, and high fiving each other.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about,” Sotello deadpanned. “I never knew the guy.”

  “Perfect,” Sanders remarked. “It will be good for at least an extra fifty thousand votes if it ever gets on TV.”

  “You know of course,” Sotello said, “if I ever do get elected, the liberals in this state will have me assassinated.”

  “They didn’t assassinate Ronald Regan,” Sanders countered.

  “They did eventually try,” Sotello pointed out.

  “One step at a time Jim, one step at a time.”

  “I am even a bigger target than he was,” Sotello reminded Sanders.

  “Yea Jim, but you were a Secret Service agent. You have experience with security.”

  “It won’t do me much good to take a bullet for myself,” Sotello joked.

  “Good point,” Sanders laughed. “No one lives forever, my friend. We may as well get a few laughs while we’re here.”