by Peter Ralph
“Todd, it’s Tony Lombardi, I’m getting out in two weeks.”
“That’s great news, Tony. Do you want me to grab a cab and pick you up?”
“Nah.” Lombardi laughed. “That’s all arranged. I wanted to let you know that Mr. Arturo is very disappointed. He hasn’t said anything, but I know. He misses the chess. You’ve been out for nearly four weeks and haven’t visited. He likes you, Todd and let me tell you, he’s the best friend you’ve got in New York.”
“I-I’m working six nights a week, Tony. Jeez, I never thought he’d want to see me. It never entered my mind.”
“If I were you, I’d make some time this Sunday. You know how it works. Phone administration and let ‘em know what time you’ll be there.”
“Sure, sure, Tony, I’ll do that but you know I won’t be able to play chess or cards. We’ll just be able to stare at each other through the glass and talk on the phone. And you know Frank’s not very talkative.”
“Didn’t you learn anything in here? Those rules don’t apply to Frank Arturo. You make the call, and they’ll set up a private room, chess board and all. Make the call, Todd.”
“Thanks, Tony. I will. If there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.”
Lombardi laughed. “It’s a nice thought, kid, but there’s nothing you can do for me. Oh, don’t tell Mr. Arturo I called. He never would’ve asked.”
Chapter 37
Castlebrough separated visitors from inmates by unbreakable glass and communication was by phone. On the Sunday that Todd visited he was scanned and patted down before being led to a compact room. Frank Arturo was sitting next to a heater and behind a table with a chess board set up on it. He was sipping a cup of coffee. “It’s good to see you, Todd. Would you like coffee or a soda?”
Todd knew that he was powerful but was still taken aback by the privileges he received. No other prisoner in Castlebrough got the kid gloves treatment reserved for Frank Arturo. “No, thanks, Frank. I’m fine.”
“Let’s play then.”
Arturo was no more talkative than he’d been when they had been inmates together. His concentration on the game was intense, and they played in near silence. After three hours and four games, scores were even, and Todd was preparing to lose the last game when Arturo said, “We’ll have to play the deciding game when you next visit. I need to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“I know you’ve done a deal with the government to get your sentence remitted. You’re going to try and infiltrate the gang who put you in here and feed them to the FBI. That’s right, isn’t it?”
Todd was surprised by how much the mob boss knew and wondered whether Elliot knew too. “I’m sorry, Frank, I can’t say anything.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game. If you get caught, they’ll kill you. Have you memorized the phone number I gave you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. It’s a pity you have to work in that restaurant while you wait for them to make a move. I could’ve given you a job in one of my enterprises that would’ve made use of your brains.”
There was an abrupt knock on the door.
“Give me another five minutes.”
“Yes, Mr. Arturo,” a voice replied.
Everything Lombardi had said was true. Frank Arturo did run Castlebrough.
“I know you can’t work for me because you’ve got your deal with the government,” Arturo said, “but I’d hate to lose my chess playing partner. Now listen to me. They’re going to try and get you to wear a wire. They’re gonna say it’s for your safety. You wear it, and you’re dead. So when the Fibbies put the pressure on you, tell ‘em to go to hell. Capiche?”
Todd was amazed. Arturo seemed to know everything. “Yes,” Todd replied. “Do you know who set me up?”
Arturo stood up. His face was expressionless, and his lips drawn in a thin line. “I’m ready,” he shouted. “When will I see you again, Todd?”
“Is two weeks from today, okay?”
“I’ll see you then,” the mob boss replied.
The coffee shop on Jane Street, West Village was only a few minutes’ walk from Vanessa’s apartment, and she got there a few minutes early. She was wearing a stylish padded black coat with a faux fur collar and light blue designer jeans. In the cab ride from Castlebrough Todd wondered whether Vanessa would be cold toward him. She certainly had good reason to be. He need not have worried. When he entered the coffee shop, she stood up and gave him a radiant smile. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. “Given the circumstances, you’re looking very well,” she said.
“Yes, someone paid to have me protected. I don’t know who, but I guess it was that low-life, Jack Elliot, the guy who set me up. It’s strange. He called me and when I thanked him he didn’t say anything. I don’t understand why he’d want to look after me though.”
“It wasn’t him. I thought you’d know. Doug asked Max Lustig to use his connections to make sure that you came to no harm. Didn’t anyone tell you? Todd, if Elliot contacts you again, you should stick to the same story. If he believes that you think he looked after you, he’s more likely to give you a job. He might even presume that you harbor feelings of loyalty.”
“Good idea. God, Max Lustig. I should have guessed. He’s the only man I know who knows those type of people. That was good of Doug. I’ll have to pay him back when I get some money.”
“Max wouldn’t take any money. He said that he liked you and that the crooks had led you astray. I wouldn’t be surprised if he offers you a job after this is all over. You have more friends than you think.”
A waiter took their order − a latte for Vanessa and a cappuccino for Todd.
“Vanessa, I want to apologize to you again. I’m so sorry I put you through that. I should have owned up. I feel terrible,” Todd said.
“Don’t think I didn’t hate you when I found out what you did. It was after Doug told me that they’d threatened to kill your parents if you said anything that I softened. I still think losing all that money gambling and putting yourself in that position was stupid. What were you thinking? My mom and dad haven’t forgiven you. I doubt they ever will.”
Todd hung his head. “I’m so, so sorry. Did Grinich and Lord tell you the risks you’re going to be taking by acting as my intermediary? You’ll be risking your life. Why did you say you would?”
Vanessa took a long sip of her latte. “I think I’ll be all right. You’ll be the one dealing with the gangsters. I’m doing it because I like you, and it will reduce your sentence. I’m also doing it for Doug. Montgomery Hastings & Pierce are about to admit three new partners all sponsored by Cromwell. According to Doug, Cromwell will then have numbers to remove him.”
“From the partnership? I can’t believe it. Doug’s the rainmaker. They’ll lose too many clients if they remove him. What will happen to you if he’s not there?”
“Cromwell hates me. If Doug hadn’t supported me, I would’ve been sacked a long time ago,” Vanessa said, taking a napkin and wiping the froth from the corners of Todd’s mouth.
Her gesture was totally unexpected, and Todd felt himself turning red.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to embarrass you. Todd, there is one thing we have to discuss. Our cover is going to be that we’re an item and in public that’s what we’ll be, but I want to let you know that’s as far as it goes. You’re a nice guy, but I don’t have time for a relationship. It’s just a façade and once the reason for it’s over we’ll go back to our normal lives.”
Todd tried to pick up some nonexistent froth from the bottom of his cup. He looked up. Vanessa’s hair hung loosely on her shoulders, and her big brown eyes seemed to say do you understand? “Wow! That’s pretty definitive.” Todd grinned. “Don’t worry. I owe you so much. I’d never do anything to upset you.”
“I know,” Vanessa said, putting her hand over Todd’s. “I just thought we should sort the rules out from the start.”
“You know nothing may come of this. The
re’s only a small chance that Elliot will offer me a job. I think I know how to play him, but I might be wrong. I’m going to hang around the betting parlor and keep asking Ronny for a job. I’m sure he’s in cahoots with Elliot.”
“I understand but if he does offer you something, it will look better if we’re in a relationship now rather than after. You can start by walking me home.”
As they left the coffee shop, Vanessa took Todd’s hand. Five minutes later at the entrance to her apartment building she said, “Kiss me.”
Todd had been wanting to kiss those voluptuous lips since the first time he had laid eyes on Vanessa but had lacked the courage to ask her out, and now he was nervous about kissing her. He put his arms around her bulky coat and gently kissed her but she leaned forward, and he felt the warmth and savored the fullness of her lips. It was everything he had imagined it would be. After about a minute, she drew away from him and said, “Goodnight, Todd. Let’s have dinner on Friday night. We’re going to have to do some serious dating to ensure our relationship is seen as genuine.”
As Todd walked along the street, he was still breathing heavily.
It was midday on Wednesday when Todd entered the betting parlor. It was quiet, and only ten or so patrons were looking at the monitors and betting boards. Todd was disappointed. He had hoped that Elliot might be there. Perhaps he wasn’t going to take the bait. Perhaps Ronny hadn’t even contacted him. There were only two tellers operating and Todd placed a hundred dollars for the win on The Phantom in the first at Hialeah Park. He ordered a mineral water and took a chair at one of the vacant tables.
The Phantom ran into interference at the top of the stretch and then flashed home to finish third. “A good thing beaten,” the race caller screamed. Todd tore up his ticket and buried his head in the form guide.
“You were unlucky then,” Ronny said, taking a chair opposite Todd.
“I’ll get it back.” Todd smiled, pleased that Ronny was taking such an interest in his small bets.
“Sure you will. How come you’re not working?”
“I work at nights. It’s good. I can spend more time here.”
“Oh yeah, you’re in restaurant administration, aren’t you?” Ronny laughed derisively.
“Yes, that’s right. What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I just wondered, if it’s such a good job, why do you want to work for me?”
“I never said it was a good job. I’d far prefer to work in a place like this where I can use my numerical skills.”
“Yeah, I thought about it but I’d have to be a fool to employ you. I’ll teach you the business and in six months’ time you’ll be back in Castlebrough. How sure are you that your appeal’s going to be successful?”
“I’ll level with you, Ronny. I’m not. My lawyers say I’ve got a twenty percent chance, and I think they're optimistic. I’m going to make the most of the time I’ve got. Sorry, I have another bet I want to put on.”
“How come you’re not using your system?”
“There’s a lot of work in it. If I knew I wasn’t going back in, I would be,” Todd said as he stood up.
By the time Todd left the betting parlor, he had lost three hundred dollars.
Chapter 38
It had been almost a year since Karen Deacon received the call offering to sell the CDs for ten million and in the meantime she hadn’t heard a word. Despite this, she had never relaxed, knowing it was only a matter of time before the blackmailers approached her again. After returning home from dropping the kids off at school, she checked her mailbox. She sorted through the envelopes knowing that they were either bills or junk mail until she came to a slightly larger plain envelope. Details of the sender were blank and as she tore it open, a photo fell out. She picked it up and a wave of nausea almost overcame her. It was a disgusting pic and the date in the right-hand corner was the day that she had spent the afternoon at the Astor Motel with Devlin.
The call from Dermott Becker was opportune, and Elliot said, “The easiest way to keep an eye on the kid is to give him a job in the club. Besides, I could use some help keeping the books. He might even be able to help with collections.”
“How do you know you can trust him,” Becker asked.
“I don’t, but he didn’t breathe a word at his trial because he’s in fear of what we might do to his folks. He tried to get a job with his old firm and got shut down. He’s tried employment agencies and got nowhere. He’s washing dishes and sweeping floors in some fast food joint in Chinatown. He’s desperate for a half decent job. And get this, he thinks that I arranged to have him protected in Castlebrough.”
“Jack, I’m not worried about him. He knows you, Ferguson and Fraser, and he thinks he saw a murder that never happened. He doesn’t know much at all. Employing him might be a risk because he’ll see and learn things that he might use as leverage to get his sentence reduced.”
Elliot paused. “I can keep an eye on him. He’s desperate and thinks he’s going back inside. If he snaps, there’s a bigger risk of him cutting a deal with the FBI and giving them identikits of Ferguson, Fraser and me. Ferguson’s weak, and it wouldn’t take long for the Fibbies to break him down. He’d give me up in the blink of an eye and might even blab about Giovani. Besides, do you want that nutcase, Borchard, knowing you didn’t get rid of him?”
“He didn’t talk at his trial and if he’s as scared as what you say he is he’s not going to go snap.”
“I don’t understand your concern, Dermott. Nearly everyone who works for you is an ex-con. What makes the kid different?”
“He was in prison, but he’s not a criminal. We set him up. The others all committed crimes of their own volition. There’s a big difference,” Becker said. “Look, if you think you can control him by giving him a job, then do it. But, Jack, I want you to watch him like a hawk. If anything goes wrong, it’ll be on your head.”
Sammy’s was packed, and Sammy was screaming. He ran the restaurant on a very simple philosophy that so long as customers were spending, they could stay all night. It could be food, booze or coffee so long as it is involved dollars coming out their pockets and into his. He loved nights like tonight when customers were lined up waiting for tables. However, he hated what he called the nuff nuffs who’d finished their meals, weren’t spending and were just sitting at their tables talking.
“Did you enjoy your meals?” he’d shout. “Can I get you anything else? No? Well, I’ll just get your coats so you can be on your way.” There was nothing subtle about Sammy.
Todd’s proficiency as a waiter improved every day and besides carrying five plates he could now memorize the meals for all of the tables that he was waiting on. He was friendly, efficient, and the customers liked him. The previous week he had earned nearly seven hundred dollars with tips, making him Sammy’s highest paid waiter. Todd hadn’t noticed the two men in the line until one of them said, “Hello, Todd, how about getting us a table? I’m a generous tipper.”
“What do you want? What are you doing here?”
“I thought your manners might have improved after your stint in the joint,” Ferguson said.
“Todd, Todd,” Sammy shouted while he wiped down a table. “Bring ‘em over here.”
As Todd showed them to their table, Fraser smirked and said, “So this is restaurant administration, is it? Looks like you’ve got plenty of room to climb the ladder.”
Ferguson guffawed loudly. “What part’s administration? The writing down of the orders.”
“What do you want?” Todd asked.
“Two T-bones, well done, with fries, and a Jim Beam Black for me and a Budweiser for my friend,” Ferguson said. “Oh, and the boss wants to see you at midday on Saturday.”
“Well, I don’t want to see him.”
“Kid, we know you asked Ronny for a job, and he said no. The boss said he might have something for you,” Fraser said.
“That’s if you can drag yourself away from restaurant administration,” Ferguson said, and
both men roared with laughter.
“He might even pay you enough so that you can afford to leave those palatial digs you’re staying in.” Fraser grinned.
“Yeah, you could hardly take that hot little girlfriend back to that dive,” Ferguson added.
“I’ll get your meals underway,” Todd said, hurrying back to the kitchen. Elliot had taken the bait.
Hillary Rodham High School had just finished for the day and Sally Deacon stood at the entrance waiting for her mom to pick her up. A woman got out of her SUV and walked over to the front gates saying, “Hello, Sally, can you give this to your mom?”
Sally didn’t recognize the woman but guessed she was one of her mom’s many friends. “Sure,” she said, taking the small, plain envelope.
There were always circulars and notices coming from the school, and Karen gave no thought to the envelope as she threw it into her bag. It was only as she was going to bed that she remembered it. As she tore the envelope open, she fought back a gasp when she saw Devlin Cooper’s photo bearing his signature and the message, good luck. There was no note, just the photo, but its intent was clear. Karen knew that the next envelope might be for Sally.
Karen had been steeling herself for when the blackmailers would raise their ugly heads again and had been firm in her resolve to resist them. As she looked at the photo of Devlin, she knew that she was helpless. The thought of her kids ever seeing pics of she and Devlin was too much. She glanced in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, and she had lines that hadn’t been there a year ago. She slipped between the sheets and turned the lights off knowing that there was no way she would be able to sleep.
Chapter 39
Todd was purposely late for his appointment with Elliot and did not arrive at the betting parlor until 12:30. A smoky haze permeated the crowded room, and Elliot was standing in front of a monitor talking to two swarthy looking goons wearing ill-fitting suits. All the tellers were working, and Todd got in line and placed a bet on the first at Aqueduct. When he turned around from the window, Elliot said, “Where’s the iPad? Don’t tell me you’re betting without your system?”