“I’m telling you the truth. I don’t know where she’s at.” Don knew his death was only minutes away. “Ask her sister. If anyone knows she will.” Don was a coward to the end and now gave a death sentence to his innocent sister-in-law.
“OK…we will. What’s her name?” Jackie smiled watching as a false glimmer of hope appeared on Don’s face. Jackie already knew about the sister but wanted to fuck with him a little.
“Her name is Allison and she was living in her parent’s old house in Lansdale.” Don responded, the fear less consuming as he spoke.
Jackie put down the knife and picked up the wooden baseball bat. “Thanks Robert.” He said as he walked behind the bleeding informant who had cost him so much money and grief. “We’ll be sure to pay a visit to Miss Allison.” Those were the last words that Robert De Laudanum would ever hear. His skull exploded like a piñata as the bat found its mark, brain matter spattering across the kitchen floor.
Jackie noticed through the sliding door that they had a nice pool surrounded by rose bushes. “Leave him tied to the chair and carry him out to the pool.” His henchmen did as instructed and stood at the pools edge holding the chair with Robert’s lifeless corpse. “Throw him in,” Jackie ordered, “and try not to make a big splash that could wake the neighbors.” Carefully they lowered the chair and body into the deep end of the pool with hardly a sound.
It was getting close to sunrise and Jackie wanted to be gone before the morning papers were delivered. “All right, wipe everything down that may have finger prints. I want the bat as a trophy for my den.” Jackie and Silvio were laughing as they left through the back yard and drove off to the Camelback Inn.
After checking in, Jackie made a call back to Detroit which was just waking up. “Bobby, it’s me. We took care of our little canary but his old lady disappeared before we got there. I want you to get a couple of guys and pick up her sister in Lansdale, then call me back at the Camelback Inn in Phoenix.”
CHAPTER 32
As Marshall Wells pulled up in Don’s driveway he noticed the front door slightly cracked open which seemed unusual knowing how paranoid Don was about his safety. It was already over 90 and the sun was just beginning to rise. Another hot day in paradise, Kent thought to himself as he approached the front door. “Don, you up yet?” he called into the front room. He nudged the door open and entered, calling out again but getting no reply.
The dining room was on the right of the entrance with a hallway that led to the back bedrooms. He walked slowly down the hallway, peering in to each bedroom, all being unoccupied. In the master bedroom he noticed clothes strewn about and empty hangers lying in the closet. It sure looked as though someone made a hasty exist.
He returned to the front entrance and into the living room which had a large beehive fire place in one corner. Nothing appeared out of place. Turning the corner, he entered the kitchen and saw the remnants of the carnage that had taken place the previous evening. This was clearly a crime scene requiring all the assets available to his department. He ran back to his car and called in for assistance, grabbing some plastic gloves before returning to the house. He also pulled his new Glock from its holster and did a room by room search for evidence or victims.
He saw the blood trail leading through the family room and out on to the carpeted patio. The rose bushes were blocking his view of the pool area requiring him to walk down a short path to the right. As the pool came into view, Kent saw the floating body of the person he was assigned to protect. This was not going to be a good day.
While the Marshall Service was going over the crime scene in Scottsdale, a black Sedan Deville was pulling into the driveway of Allison’s home in Lansdale. Bobby Bastardi and Corky “Blue Balls” Romano were responding to Jackie’s instructions, hoping they would catch the young girl before she awoke. Bobby was Jackie’s number one Lieutenant and had clarity of thought that was needed to control Corky’s insatiable appetite for sex and violence…hence the nickname of “Blue Balls”.
Bobby knocked gently on the door, covering the peep hole with his hand. After several attempts he heard someone shuffling to the door. Just as Allison was cracking open the door, the two thugs pushed it open, throwing the young girl to the floor in horror. Corky quickly closed the door so the neighbors could not hear the screaming. Bobby kneeled over her and held his finger to her lips in a gesture of silence. She immediately became quiet and still. Bobby reached down, offering his hand to help her get to her feet.
“A smart girl like you has probably figured out who we are and why we are here, yes?” Bobby’s voice was soft and gentle, giving the girl a false sense of security.
“If you are looking for my brother in law you’re wasting your time. They have been in Witness Protection for several years. No one knows where they are at.” Allison had regained some confidence and her reply was authoritative and convincing…but not to Bobby.
“Don’t fucking insult my intelligence.” Bobby’s tone was becoming more severe. “We know you’ve been leaving messages for your sister in Phoenix. That’s how we found them and it did not go well for your brother in law.” Allison’s eyes began to fill with tears as she listened to his words. Was Mary still alive? Did she and Joe get out of town in time?
“I will ask you just once where your sister is. If you lie, my friend here will eat you alive and he is very good at what he does.” Allison saw the other one undressing her with his eyes since the moment they crashed through the door.
Allison accepted she was not going to walk out of this alive. Still, she would try to save Mary if she could. “Will you promise not hurt my sister? She had nothing to do with what Bob did. She hated him as much as you do.”
Bobby sensed an opening he could pursue. “Look kid, I can’t promise you anything. When we find her, if what you say is true, she will have nothing to worry about. It’s all on you.”
“There was a guy she dated in High School.” Allison prayed she was not throwing Joe to the wolves. “My sister cut off all contact when she got pregnant but he never stopped loving her and recently came to me for information on where she was. I tried to keep him in the dark but he somehow found a way to track my phone records and here we are.”
Bobby failed to make the connection. “So what does this have to do with now?”
Allison had to add the final piece. “He went to Arizona to rescue her from Bob and you guys. They are probably in Mexico by now and, with luck, you’ll never find them.”
The boss will not be happy with this news, Bobby thought. “Keep an eye on her. I need to make a call…and don’t lay a hand on her.” Corky smiled and watched as Bobby picked up the wall phone in the kitchen.
Bobby made the call to the Camelback Inn and was put through to Jackie’s suite. “Boss, its Bobby. We got the sister like you wanted. She said an old boyfriend drove out to get the wife and they are headed to Mexico.”
Jackie exploded. “How did this mother fucker find her when we had to spend a fucking small fortune to get a lead? Get her to give you his name and when he left.”
Bobby hung up but before he returned to Allison he wiped off the phone and put on some latex gloves he had in his pocket. “What the fuck are you doing?” Bobby screamed when he saw that Corky had removed Allison’s slippers and was fondling her feet.
“Just getting warmed up for the main event,” was Corky’s answer. Allison could see the erection bulging in Corky’s pants and so did Bobby, who pulled his Browning from its holster and stuck it between Corky’s eyes.
“Get the fuck away from her…now!” Corky knew he had crossed the line and wanted no part of Bobby when he lost his temper. He dropped her feet to the ground and walked back to the front entrance without a word.
“Sorry honey. I guess seeing you in your robe is getting Corky all hot and bothered. We’re almost done here. Just a couple more questions and, like I said before, no lies. What is this old boyfriends name and when did he leave for Arizona? Did he drive or fly or whatever?”
Bobby smiled. “Of course. Just tell me the truth and we’re gone. We have no beef with you.”
Allison rose to her feet and smiled back. “Go fuck yourself.”
Bobby reached in to his pocket, removing the silencer and carefully screwed it into the barrel of the nine millimeter. “You’re a good kid. Sorry.” The pop of the two rounds was barely heard as the bullets entered her forehead and exploded out the back of her skull.
“Fuck, Bobby! You could have given me a little play time first.” Corky’s erection was long gone.
CHAPTER 33
“Joe, please. I can’t wait until we get to Nogales. I have to call my sister now and let her know we are OK. Please.” Joe was happy with the time they were making and was satisfied they got out before the mob could figure things out.
“OK, we’ll spend the night in Tucson and you can call your sister from a payphone”, he answered as they passed the air plane desert museum. He found a Best Western off the freeway at the city limits and paid for one night with cash while Mary found a pay phone in the attached restaurant.
Mary had enough coins to place the long distance call and waited patiently while Allison’s phone rang and rang. Just as she was ready to hang up, a strange male voice answered. “Who is this?” Mary asked, hoping she had dialed the wrong number.
“Well well, let me guess…is this Mary De Laudanum?” Jackie’s crew was heading out the door when the phone rang and Bobby had a hunch it might be Allison’s sister.
Mary froze in fear. “Put my sister on the phone whoever you are.”
“Sorry Mary your sister can’t come to the phone right now but sends her love.” Bobby was enjoying this a little too much. “She has a gift for you and wants to know where to send it? Oh yeah, how was the reunion with your old boyfriend?”
Mary knew the only way this person could know about Joe was from Allison. Her sister would never betray her unless she was physically forced to. As she hung up the phone, she prayed that Allison was all right but also knew they had little time to get comfortable if they wanted to survive. She walked to the front check-in desk where Joe was waiting.
“They have my sister, Joe. A strange man answered her phone and somehow knew it was me. They know we are together.” Mary was gasping for air as she spoke, on the verge of hyperventilating. “They must have hurt her to get her to say anything, Joe.”
Joe feared the worst. “Do you remember Phil Sherman? He’s a cop in Lansdale. I’ll call him and have him get to Allison’s house and make sure she is all right.” Joe only had Phil’s home phone number but knew his wife Melissa would get his message to him right away.
Melissa was tending to the baby when Joe called. Phil was due home for lunch, she told him, and she would pass on Joe’s message. “Take care of yourself, Joe,” she said as she hung up the phone. Joe had left the number at the Best Western for Phil to call when he knew something about Allison.
Joe led Mary to their room and they were surprised to find that room service was available and they were starving. Joe brought in their luggage while Mary ordered a couple of burgers. “Phil is a good cop, Mary. He’ll jump on this and I know he will call as soon as he can.”
The Lansdale patrol car pulled in to the Sherman driveway precisely at noon as always when Phil was on the day shift. Melissa ran out to meet him as he was getting out of the car and he could tell something was wrong. “Honey, your friend Joe called from Arizona. He says he thinks something may have happened to a girl named Allison and wants you to check out her house to see if she’s OK. Do you know who he is talking about?” Phil explained who Allison was then jumped back in his car with a note with Joe’s number and headed to Allison’s.
As Phil was driving to Allison’s, Joe thought he should contact Rick and let him know what had happened on all fronts. “Joe, where the hell are you?” Rick asked as he picked up the phone. “Did you find Mary?”
“She’s with me right now. We are in Tucson, heading to Nogales where we will cross the border and hopefully disappear,” Joe answered his old friend. “I just left a message for Phil. We think the mob has gotten to Mary’s sister and she may be hurt or even dead. Hopefully he got the message and is investigating. He’s supposed to call me when he finds out anything.”
Rick listened intently. “What about Mary’s husband? Did they get to him yet?”
“We don’t know.” Joe said. “If they took him out there should be something in the Arizona papers at some point.”
“OK, can I help in anyway?” Rick was the kind of friend you trusted with your life.
Joe knew he had to cut this call short. “No, buddy. If you have a chance, get ahold of Phil and get an update. I’ll call if things turn to shit.”
—
Jackie was pacing nervously in his suite, waiting for another call from Bobby after they dealt with the sister. Silvio was with him in the suite to see if his crew was still needed. When the phone finally rang, Jackie leaped across the room to answer. “Boss, she wouldn’t tell us anything else. She was a tough broad, I gotta say. We got outta there clean; no one heard or saw anything.”
“Son of a bitch!” Jackie screamed. “They got a head start on us and we got nothing to identify the car or the fucking boyfriend!”
Silvio listened to the exchange and then made a suggestion. “Jackie, I have an idea. We know they are heading to Mexico, probably using the wife’s car which we can easily get the info on. If they take the most direct route they will cross the border at Nogales. We can use my private plane and get down there right now and wait for them to show. Then bada bing, its over.”
Jackie was relieved that someone had a decent idea to bring this matter to an end. “Thank you my friend. At last someone shows a little fucking creativity.” Silvio made a call to have the plane fueled and ready for the short flight to Nogales. They would be there in less than an hour and in position to ID the Regal when it hit town.
—
Phil could see from the street that Allison’s front door was damaged, probably by force. Seeing no cars in the driveway or nearby on the street, he figured none of the bad guys were still around and did not call for back up. He pushed open the door with his foot and drew his weapon before entering. He found a light switch and immediately saw Allison’s body, two bullet holes in the head. He did a quick sweep of the small house then went back to his car to call in to get a crime scene team on the way.
Phil dreaded making the call back to Joe and Mary. A sweet young girl, loyal to her older sister had been brutally murdered. She had paid for her brother-in-laws sins with her life and who would seek retribution…no one.
“What did he say, Joe? Is Allison OK?” Mary had been in the bathroom when Phil’s call came in. Joe had hung up without saying a word but the look on his face told everything. Mary dropped to her knees and began crying hysterically.
Joe knelt beside her and took her in his arms. “I am so sorry Mary. If I had never reached out to Allison she might still be alive. I will never forgive myself.” They held each other, weeping softly now for their loss, but Joe had decided he was done running.
CHAPTER 34
Kent Wells knew his career with the Marshall Service was over. You don’t lose a WITSEC asset without paying the ultimate price. Don De Laudanum was a disgusting person and Kent personally felt no remorse for his death. Professionally, he had been responsible for his safety and Kent failed…miserably. He felt differently about Don’s wife. She was a sweet gal who went through hell living with Don but she stayed loyal a lot longer than Kent would have guessed… and now she was gone and, hopefully, still alive.
The following day, the Marshall’s in Arizona got word of the killing in Lansdale and knew instantly that the two events were linked. In a way, Kent
was relieved because they wouldn’t have killed Mary’s sister unless she was still on the run. The bad news…Torelli wanted her head as final payment. Killing Don was not enough.
Kent knew from the Lansdale PD report that a former boyfriend had rescued Mary and they were on their way to Mexico with the mob right behind them. Kent was responsible for two people and one was still alive but in danger. He still had a job to do and he was going to find Mary and her friend and protect them….once and for all. He had the number of the hotel that the Lansdale cop had called in Tucson. With a little luck they would still be there.
“I’ll get it” Joe yelled to Mary as the phone rang unexpectedly. “Hello?” Joe said with trepidation.
“My name is Kent Wells with the US Marshall Service. Is this Joe?” How did these people find us, Joe thought as he sat down to continue the conversation.
“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” Joe asked…a logical question that needed to be answered before this discussion went any further.
“Put Mary on” Kent answered. “She knows me. I was responsible for them in WITSEC”. Joe called Mary to the phone and she instantly recognized Kent’s voice. “Mary, thank God you are OK. We found Don’s body in your home. Clearly an execution by the Torelli family. You must have gotten out hours before they showed up. I am so sorry for allowing this to happen.”
Mary just listened but she had expected this result once she knew the mob was on to their location. Kent was right. Joe had plucked her out of the oven with little time to spare. “I guess I always knew in my heart this would not end well for Donald and me, but losing my sister is too much for me to handle…too steep a price to pay. When will it end?” Mary thought she had no more tears left but they began pouring out once again.
Joe picked up the phone. “Listen Marshall, I have decided to fight these fuckers until one of us is dead. If you want to play, now is the time to ante up. My guess is they are laying for us at the border so that’s where I’m heading…alone.”
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