Return To Forever

by James Frishkey

  Sathish was silent for what seemed like an eternity. “I will say nothing if you promise this is the last time any call is made to this number.” Before Joe could answer the phone went dead. He could only hope the clerk was sincere. He was betting his life on it.

  —

  “Two more fucking locations to check out…this is getting to be a pain in the ass.” Pauly always bitched when he had to go a couple of hours without food. “Why don’t we each take one and get this shit over with.”

  “Shut the fuck up you fat bastard.” Sonny answered. Pauly did make sense, though and Silvio wouldn’t care as long as they found the car. “OK, you take the one in Scottsdale and I’ll hit the Glendale address. Call me when you’re done.” Sonny dropped Pauly off at his car and headed to Glendale.

  “Hey Donna,” Pauly yelled as he entered his house. “Make me a sandwich. I’m fucking famished.” Pauly’s wife was surprised to see her husband home this early but jumped to the task and had his lunch on the table in minutes. Pauly was in no big hurry. He lived in Awatukee and could get to his target objective in less than an hour. He would even have time for a short nap.

  While Pauly was enjoying his pastrami sandwich, Mary was pulling in to the Circle K to retrieve the message that would change her life. Earlier that morning, she had taken a cash advance against their credit line for almost $5,000 dollars. The cash and what few items she had in the suitcase in the trunk was everything left from her old life. Hopefully it will be enough to gain her freedom.

  CHAPTER 29

  Sonny arrived at the Glendale address and saw a young teenage boy washing his pickup in the drive way. It was a dull gray primer and close enough to warrant a visit. “Hey kid, is that your truck?” Sonny looked out of place in his black suit and Wayfarer sun glasses standing in front of a cheap track home in a lower class neighborhood.

  The boy dropped his sponge in the bucket of water and stuttered a little as he answered. “Yeah, it’s mine. Just saving up money to finally get it painted. I had to do a lot of body work to get it ready for priming. Why do you ask?”

  Sonny used the line he had perfected making his rounds of potential targets. “I’m investigating a hit and run. The driver was in a gray pickup like yours.” The kid went on to explain that the original color was blue and he never had an accident. Without another word the mobster returned to his car and drove away.

  Sonny headed back to Garcia’s to wait for Pauly’s call. The Scottsdale address had to be the one as all the others came up empty. Silvio was playing cards in the backroom when Sonny came in. “So, you got good news for me?” Silvio asked between bites of his cannoli which was brought in from a nearby Italian bakery.

  Sonny took a seat. “Not yet boss. Pauly is checking out the last address right now. He should be calling in a minute.”

  Silvio threw down his cards. “I told you stupid fucks to hit these places together, didn’t I?”

  Sonny expected this. “Boss, the last two were on opposite ends of the city so we thought we could save time by each taking one. We know how much you want this done quickly.” This seemed to placate Silvio who went back to his cards.

  As Pauly was approaching Mary’s stucco ranch home, she entered the Circle K. “Excuse me”, she said to the young girl behind the counter. “I believe you have a phone message that was left for me.” She had a folded twenty dollar bill in her hand and waited while the girl went to the cash register to retrieve the note.

  “Here is your note. Please never come here again. Bad people are looking for you here.” She took the twenty and retreated to the back stock room while Mary returned to her car in shock over the words she had just heard. Mary gripped the steering wheel to keep her hands from shaking…a million thoughts flashing through her brain. If there was a God, why did he put her on this path of despair? She realized that time was a commodity she dare not waste and pulled away, trying to decide where to place her call to Joe.

  There was a Denny’s across the street from a Mervyns’ store that she decided would give her enough privacy to make her call. She pulled the crumpled note from her pocket and carefully dialed the number it contained. After several rings she heard a voice from her past that made her start to cry.

  “Hello….Mary?” Joe only heard the soft whimpers and waited for her to gain her composure. “It’s me…Joe.”

  “Joey, I can’t believe it’s you. It’s been so long and so much has happened. Will you let me meet you?”

  Joe answered without hesitation. “Of course. I am staying at the Motel 6 off of Camelback in downtown Scottsdale, room 456. Hurry.”

  —

  Pauly parked his Town Car across the street from Mary’s house, noticing the garage door was down and no vehicles parked in the driveway. He knew he couldn’t go back empty handed to Silvio but had no interest in sitting in the 103 degree heat for hours waiting for someone to show up. He decided to knock on the door and see if he could stir anyone. None of the neighbors were outside in the heat and he walked unnoticed up the walk and pressed the doorbell. There was no answer and he didn’t hear any dog barking so he guessed he could get inside with little trouble if he wanted to. Instead, he went to the mailbox and found several pieces of mail that must have been dropped off earlier in the day.

  Pauly took the mail and returned to the comfort of his car’s air conditioning. He flipped through the envelopes, all addressed to Donald Robertson. Only bills and trash mail were in the stack along with one magazine that looked like a company newsletter…”Siemen’s Insider”. Maybe this is where the guy works, Pauly thought. Maybe he should call Silvio and see what the boss wanted him to do next.

  “Bring me the fucking phone, asshole.” Silvio treated the Mexican help like shit but they jumped when he barked, happy to have a steady source of income off the books.

  “Boss, its Pauly. I got a line on our mark, I think. I’ve been watching the house but no one is home and no cars are around. I took the mail and found some stuff that may be helpful.”

  Silvio listened as Pauly rambled about what he found in the mail…then exploded. “You dumb fuck…did you or did you not find the truck? All this other shit means nothing without the truck. Get your fat ass back to the house and sit and wait until someone comes home…in that grey pickup.” He slammed down the phone before Pauly could answer.

  Pauly got back in the car and headed back to the house. He was getting too old for this shit, he thought to himself. This time when he pulled up, the garage was open and a grey pickup was sitting inside…bingo!

  CHAPTER 30

  Hearing Mary’s voice after all these years had a profound effect on Joe and he sat in the darkness of his motel room remembering all the little things about her that made him love her in spite of all the shit she put him through. Was she worth it? He had no idea but he was here and she was on her way and the rest was in God’s hands.

  While he waited, Joe went to his car and retrieved the rest of his gear. If things worked out, he would just leave the old Torino parked where it was and move on in Mary’s car. He wished he would have thought to pick up a bottle of wine or champagne for the occasion but there was no time for that now. He loaded the 12 gauge and sat, peeking through the closed curtains…waiting.

  Within half an hour a bronze Buick Regal pulled in to a parking spot in front of his room. The driver sat for a moment before getting out. Joe was certain it was a woman but was it her? A moment later the door opened and a platinum blonde stepped out and walked to Joe’s door and knocked gently. Her hair was a different color but it was definitely Mary.

  Joe opened the door and before he could say a word she ran into his arms, tears streaming from her swollen eyes. “Joey, Joey what have I done? I am so sorry for everything.” Joe held her tightly, but said nothing. They just stood there in a silent embrace, one that had been in the making for many long years.

  Joe could see that life had been kind to Mary. In spite of everything she had been through, she was still a stunningly attractive w
oman. Her hair was longer and, obviously a different color, but she hadn’t lost her figure and would still turn heads in the right outfit. They sat next to each other on Joe’s bed and Joe was the first to speak.

  “Mary, your sister has filled me in on everything and I understand now, for the first time, why you broke off all contact with me. I’ve been through hell but you’ve never left my thoughts and I always hoped we would see each other again. I don’t know if we can get back what we once felt for each other but I wouldn’t be here if I thought that couldn’t happen.”

  Mary began to cry again and Joe cradled her in his arms wanting to kiss her but he needed to be sure she felt the same way. “Joe, I don’t know if I can ever make it up to you but you need to know now and forever, I never stopped loving you.” She looked up at him and the longing in her eyes drew him to her and their lips met…first gently, before the pent up lust broke through and their naked bodies shared a reunion one only reads about in romance novels.

  While Joe and Mary were consummating a love long dormant, Pauly was racing to a pay phone to let Silvio know he found the mark. “We got him boss.” Pauly roared into the phone, beside himself with excitement. “The grey truck is in the garage and the guy is in the house. What comes next?”

  Silvio was indeed pleased and anxious to call his friend in Detroit with the good news. “Get the license number and bring it to me with the mail you grabbed.” He hung up without another comment, frustrating Pauly who never got an “Atta boy” from the old man.

  Silvio placed the call to Detroit and waited for Jackie to come to the phone. “So, you got good news for me?” Jackie said as he took the call. It was two hours later in Detroit and Silvio had interrupted Jackie’s dinner.

  “We found the little weasel. He’s using the name of Donald Robertson. You said you wanted to pull the trigger yourself so we ain’t made a move on him yet. Just give me the word and we’ll clock the mother fucker.”

  Jackie thought for a minute before answering. “I’ll be on the next plane with a couple of my boys. Just keep an eye on him until we get there. I want the wife too. Got it?”

  Silvio assured his friend he understood the plan then let Jackie get back to his ossobuco.

  —

  Mary slept quietly in Joe’s arms but his mind was racing as he knew every minute they lingered could bring the mob closer to their door. Carefully he moved Mary out of his arms and he left the bed, gathering his clothes and checking out the window for any new visitors. Joe found Mary’s purse and removed her car keys and went outside into the darkness to confirm they had enough gas to get out of the city. While he was outside he decided to remove the license plates from the Torino. No point making it easy for them to locate the owner.

  When he returned to the room Mary was up and dressed and had freshened up her makeup. Their eyes met and Joe could sense a change in Mary, she looked again like the high school girl he had pined over as a smitten teenager. She seemed genuinely happy and eager to charge into the future with a man she knew would take a bullet for her. Unfortunately there was a good possibility that just may happen.

  “God you’re beautiful”, Joe said with pride to his new travelling companion. “We need to get moving right away. We know the bad guys are closing in and I don’t want to have to fight our way to Mexico if it can be avoided.” Mary helped Joe load his gear in to the trunk of her car and then he walked to the office to pay for his room in cash. The clerk would have no idea that he had a friend and would not recognize the Regal as they pulled out.

  “I’ve laid out a route to Mexico through Nogales. It’s the most direct route I could come up with. When we get to the border we will abandon the car and hop on a bus.”

  “I need to call my sister to let her know I am safe and with you.” Mary answered.

  “Bad idea. We need to wait until we get to the border. This was your sister’s instructions and I think she is right.” Joe knew how anxious Mary must be to communicate with Allison but other priorities needed to be addressed. Joe fired up the Regal and headed to I-10 for the drive south. At night with little traffic they should reach the border in less than three hours.

  CHAPTER 31

  While Joe and Mary were making love, Jackie and two lieutenants were landing in Phoenix. Silvio and Sonny met them in baggage claim and they jumped in the Lincoln. “I got you a suite at the Camelback Inn. Has a great golf course you’ll enjoy playing.” Silvio knew Jackie would love the resort and had his suite comped with liquor and extra towels.

  “Find me a sporting goods store that’s still open. I want a baseball bat.” Jackie answered, staring at the strange desert landscape as they drove. Silvio knew what the bat was for and they found a small but well stocked store not far from the airport. “Get me a wooden bat and a metal bat like they use to play softball.”

  Sonny returned to the car with the two bats. “Put them in the trunk with the other stuff we brought for Jackie,” Silvio instructed. Sonny popped open the Lincoln’s trunk and laid the bats next to a large nylon bag that contained several hand guns, shot guns and even an AK-47 that was fully automatic…all standard tools of the trade.

  “OK, now let’s pay the little prick and his wife a visit.” Jackie wanted blood and had no plans to put this off til the morning in spite of Silvio’s protests that it was too late in the day. The drive to the Scottsdale home would take no more than twenty minutes.

  —

  “Slow down, Don,” Deputy Marshall Kent Wells said to the nervous caller that woke him up. “When did you last see her”?

  “This morning at breakfast before I left for work,” he replied, taking a sip of his Cutty Sark. “She was gone when I got home and she hasn’t called like she normally does when she’s working late with a client. If they got her they will find me. You gotta do something!”

  “Get a hold of yourself. It’s late and there isn’t anything I can do at this hour. If she comes home call me back. If not I’ll be at your house first thing in the morning.” The Marshall’s instruction made sense but it wasn’t his wife’s safety he was concerned about.

  As Don was hanging up with the Marshall, the black Town Car parked quietly on a cul-de-sac at the end of Don’s street and not visible from his house. Sonny and Jackie’s two soldiers stayed in the shadows and approached the house unseen. In this heat and at this hour no one would be up, let alone outside. The plan was for the three mobsters to get into the house and subdue the mark then signal Jackie and Silvio to pull up in the driveway.

  Don was sitting in front of the TV watching without the sound turned up. He heard the patio door being juggled and took hold of the 12 gauge lying across his lap. The double barrel shotgun was loaded but his hands were shaking so bad it was doubtful he would be able to hit anything. The garage door remained closed so he knew it couldn’t be Mary.

  Don stood up and moved slowly towards the family room off the kitchen, gun at the ready. The sliding patio door came into view and it was still closed. The light of the full moon was illuminating the area and he saw nothing out of place. Maybe he was just hearing things, he thought and relaxed, setting the shotgun on the kitchen counter. Time for another Cutty.

  He went to the freezer and grabbed a couple of ice cubes to freshen up his drink. “Hey punk, you should never drink alone.” The whispered words were followed by a blow to the head that dropped Don to his knees. He looked up to see Jackie Torelli’s grinning face as he blacked out.

  When Don regained consciousness he found himself tied to a kitchen chair with an extension cord. The floor was lined with newspaper and a butcher knife was on the counter. Jackie and Silvio had raided the refrigerator and were feasting on left over chicken when they noticed the guest of honor was awake.

  “Where’s the little woman Robert, or should we call you Don? Hate to start this party without her.” Jackie’s boys had gone through the house and saw no sign of Mary. They noticed some empty hangers in the closet that Don had missed. They told Jackie who was just starting to e
njoy his conversation. “My boys tell me it looks like the wifey did some packing. Is she taking a little vacation without her loving husband?”

  “You guys better get out of here. The Marshalls are on their way and will take you apart.” Don’s bravado was pretty pathetic and made no impression at all on the Family Heads about to end his life.

  Jackie stood up and started to put on some dark leather gloves. “You don’t say? Well seeing how fucked up their protection security has been we’ll take our chances.” He motioned for one of his guys to get the butcher knife who handed it to Jackie.

  “Ok, in case you haven’t figured things out, I’m going to start hurting you Robert. The longer it takes to find out where your wife is, the more pain I will inflict. Now is the time to start talking.” Jackie was in his element and was an artist at slicing someone up without killing them… until he was ready. Since he took over running the family he hadn’t had many opportunities to show off this skill.

  Don/Robert was crying like a baby. “I have no idea where she went…honest. I swear to God I don’t know”.

  “Tape his mouth,” Jackie ordered and they tore off a piece of duct tape they found in the garage and sealed Don’s mouth. “Grab his hand.” With two guys steadying their grip on Don’s wrist, Jackie carefully cut off his pinky in one clean stroke. Blood squirted on to the newspaper until they handed Don a dish towel to cover the hand. “I bet that hurt like a mother fucker” Jackie said laughing to his audience. They tore off the duct tape as Don screamed in agony. “Are you ready to tell me what I need?” Jackie asked again.