The Mangled Mobster (A Nick Williams Mystery Book 7)

by Frank W. Butterfield

  I nodded. "Yeah. I hope it turns out OK for him." That reminded me of Jeffery. I wondered what he was doing right then.

  But, before I could think too much about him, Mike said, "Also wanted to let you know that the Keller brothers have been transported here. You, Carter, and me will probably have to be interviewed by the new man in charge of the case at Central. Straight arrow by the name of Lieutenant George Bruhn."

  I smiled. "Straight arrow?"

  Ben nodded. "Oh, yeah. By the books. Hard nose."

  Mike smiled at me. "I met with him this morning. His blue tie had a dried mustard stain on it."

  I laughed. "So, he's not one of us?"

  Ben looked confused. "He's married. Got two daughters."

  Mike turned to the kid and said, "I'll explain later."

  I looked at Ben. "What about Vernon Keller? You ever remember what that was?"

  He nodded. "Yeah. It was the last name."

  Mike said, "His brother, Randolph Keller, your safe guy. He'd been up at Folsom for insurance fraud."

  "Fraud?" I asked. "Why Folsom?"

  "He made out with a hundred thousand. Back in '42." That was impressive.

  "How much time did he do?"

  "Eight years."

  Ben said, "I knew the name because when I did a stint in the probation office, he was on my roster."

  I nodded. "So, he'd just been released a year when I hired him."

  Marnie piped up. "I hired him, Nick. Remember? He was a friend of my cousin, Charlene."

  I looked around Mike at Marnie who was standing in the doorway. "Have you told your cousin yet?"

  "Yeah. She don't believe me. That's my pop's side of the family. They're all a little crazy."

  . . .

  On Thursday night, Carter and I stood in front of our old house and looked at it for a long moment. During the daytime, a crew was at work clearing out the debris. It was hard to watch it slowly disappearing, but it was.

  I said, "I'll come over tomorrow and start looking through the pile of what they've set aside." The crew was pulling out things they thought might be salvageable. The one problem was that we had to go through them. Since Carter had done a lot of that already, I'd volunteered to do the next round. It was hard work. And that had nothing to do with any sort of manual labor.

  I heard the door open at Pam and Diane's house. "Yoo hoo!" That was Diane.

  We crossed over to their house and walked up the front steps. Diane gave me a big hug and said, "It's good to see you both."

  I replied, "Good to see you, too."

  Carter leaned down and gave Diane a kiss on the cheek. She smiled and led us inside.

  Evelyn, our friend who lived on the other side of Pam and Diane, was in their sitting room along with her girlfriend, Mary. We said hello and exchanged hugs and handshakes.

  Evelyn asked, "Isn't your mother in town?"

  Carter nodded.

  By way of explanation to Mary, I said, "Mrs. Jones is here with Carter's Aunt Velma. They went on a sightseeing tour today with Marnie and her squeeze Alex. They're taking in a movie tonight."

  "What are they seeing?" asked Mary.

  I smiled. "They wanted to see the Fox Theater. So, it's whatever's playing there."

  "How's the visit been?" asked Evelyn.

  Carter answered before I could say anything. "Fine." His voice was short and curt. I couldn't blame him. It hadn't been an easy time either of them. I had forgotten how stubborn they both could be.

  I added, "I asked Aunt Velma to help get the new staff settled in. She's also been working with the interior decorator to update some of the rooms. I think she and Mrs. Kopek have become fast friends..." I felt like I was talking about a country house in England. It was odd. Then I remembered the most important thing. "We also got a new box of red plum jam."

  "What's that?" asked Mary.

  Evelyn said, "It's the best jam you'll ever taste. Carter's mother makes some every year. Aren't the trees in her own backyard?"

  Carter nodded but didn't say anything. I reached over and took his hand. He squeezed it.

  I asked, "Where's Pam?"

  Diane replied, "She's still upstairs. She only got home about twenty minutes ago." Crossing her arms, she asked, "What is this all about?"

  I said, "It's a secret. It'll have to wait until Pam gets down here."

  Diane looked at me sideways for a moment and then smiled. "Who wants deviled eggs?"

  . . .

  Once we were all seated at the dining room table and tucked in with dinner, I asked, "Pam?"

  She looked up from her chicken divan. "What?"

  "I'm gonna ask you something but you have to promise not to get upset."

  She put down her fork and looked at Diane, who smiled. "What?"

  "Promise not to get upset?"

  "What, Nick?"

  "Promise?"

  "Damn it! I promise. Now, what the hell is it?"

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mary look over at Evelyn with a worried expression. I tried very hard not to smile.

  "I need you to do me a favor."

  Pam rolled her eyes. "For chrissakes, what is it?"

  "I'm gonna buy Universal Construction and I want you to run it."

  Pam sat back in her chair. "What?"

  Diane looked at me. "Are you serious, Nick?"

  I nodded.

  Carter said, "That's not all."

  Evelyn asked, "What else?"

  I looked at Pam. "I want to give you a forty-nine percent stake." Diane gasped. Pam just sat there, looking at her plate.

  I sat there and let it sink in. After a moment, I added, "And then, when you have the cash, you can buy me out. If you want."

  Mary's eyes were wide. "A woman running a construction company?" She put her hand to her mouth and looked around the table.

  This seemed to get to Pam. She sat up and looked right at me. "Damn straight. Men are idiots. Everybody knows that."

  We all laughed.

  . . .

  After dinner, we gathered in their sitting room. It was stuffed with all sorts of furniture and none of it matched. The one thing it all had in common, however, was that every piece was comfortable. I liked that.

  Pam asked, "What happened to all that money of yours?"

  Diane was scandalized. "Pam!"

  I smiled. "We got it back. Minus about a hundred bucks. It was in their car."

  "Did you ever figure out who was leaning on Rutledge to do the stop-work?" asked Pam.

  "It was Vernon Keller. It was part of his plan to be a mobster. I don't know why Rutledge fell for it. Keller's brother was the real brains but everything Vernon did was sloppy."

  Carter added, "Fortunately for us, neither of them could shoot a gun."

  I grinned. "Yeah."

  Evelyn said, "What I want to know is what's gonna happen with Vivienne Blythe."

  I asked, "Have any of you talked to her since her husband was murdered?"

  Diane nodded. "I saw her this morning when I was on my way home from shopping. She invited me in for a cup of tea."

  "How's she doing?" asked Mary.

  "Well, you can imagine." She leaned against Pam who put her arm around her shoulder. "She's taking it hard but putting on a brave face. She told me she's going to sell and move back east."

  Evelyn asked me, "And you're certain who the killer was?"

  I nodded. "Yeah. The cops down in Carmel got his brother's full confession. Once the brother told all, Vernon broke down and admitted everything. There's not going to be a trial. The sentencing hearing should be in a couple of weeks, from what I heard."

  Mary asked, "What's the punishment?"

  I smiled grimly. "Vernon Keller will get the gas chamber in San Quentin. No question. Murder, arson, conspiracy, theft. His brother might get life since he confessed and cooperated."

  The room went quiet for a while. Finally, Evelyn asked Diane, "Did Mrs. Blythe say anything about the play her husband was writing about Nick?"


  Diane nodded. "She said she threw the thing in the fire."

  . . .

  That Sunday was the fourth of July. We went out on The Flirtatious Captain to celebrate. My father and Lettie were back and came out with us. Aunt Velma and Carter's mother were in the lounge with them along with Marnie and her boyfriend, Alex. Mrs. Kopek and Mrs. Strakova, who had brought several trays of sandwiches for lunch along with cases of beer and soda pop, were in there as well.

  Carter and I were sitting on the forward-facing bench on the top deck.

  Ike and Sam were sitting to my right. Gustav, Ferdinand, Ida, and Nora were all squeezed onto the bench facing us. From what I could tell, the four kids were trying to bring Sam up to date on the latest Czech slang. And he was trying to teach it to Ike. Apparently Ike was mangling his Czech and the kids thought this was hilarious.

  Dawson and Andy were sitting on the bench on Carter's left. They weren't saying a lot. Andy had his arm around Dawson and they were having fun listening to the Czech antics while taking in the view.

  Henry and Robert couldn't come because they had decided to take a long weekend trip to L.A. That was also where Ben and Martinelli were. They had made friends with a guy couple in Beverly Hills when we were in Mexico and went down there for long weekends as often as they could.

  Pam and Diane were on a road trip with Evelyn and Mary. After hearing us talk about it, they had decided to go to Carmel for the weekend.

  The last I'd seen them, Mike and Greg were sitting on the aft bench holding hands and looking a lot like two teenagers on a date.

  Carter had his arm around me. We were making for the ocean past the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a very warm day and, even on the bay, the wind wasn't very chilly. The weather was clear and the water was calm.

  Because of the holiday and the good weather, the bay was full of sailboats. It was relaxing to watch them move across the blue water and under the wide orange span of the bridge.

  I sighed happily.

  "What?" whispered Carter.

  "Just loving life."

  "It's pretty damn sweet, ain't it?"

  I nodded. "It is, at that."

  "What do you like best?"

  "That's easy," I said. "You."

  He squeezed me in close. It felt good.

  Author's Note

  Thank you for buying and reading this book!

  The plot and flow of this story came out of thin air, as with all the Nick & Carter books.

  Many thanks, as always, to everyone who has read, reviewed, and emailed me about the Nick & Carter books. It is deeply gratifying in ways that words will never do justice to. Thank you.

  Acknowledgments

  This is another Nick & Carter story that only briefly leaves the City & County of San Francisco. In order to be able to keep that City of 1954 alive, I've come to rely on the many amazing members of the Facebook group "San Francisco Remembered," for sharing a number of interesting memories and facts that get pulled into these stories, particularly this one. Many thanks for your generosity.

  Historical Notes

  The events in this book take place between Wednesday, June 16, 1954, and Sunday, July 4, 1954.

  The primary characters are all fictional. There are, however, several historical persons and locales portrayed in a fictional manner.

  Nick's new office building at 600 Market Street is right in the middle of what is now McKesson Plaza at 1 Post Street. In 1954, the Crocker Building stood at that location. It was an eleven-story building in a flatiron design that was completed in 1891. It was demolished in the late 60s to make way for McKesson Plaza.

  On May 9, 1947, the body of Nicholas "Nick" DeJohn, a Chicago mobster who was trying to muscle in on local racketeering and narcotics activity, was found stuffed in the trunk of his car parked at Laguna and Greenwich. Anthony Lima, the head of the San Francisco mob at the time, and his underboss, Michael Abati, along with three other men, were arrested for the murder. The charges were dropped when San Francisco District Attorney Edmund G. "Pat" Brown (who would be elected governor in 1958 and whose son, Jerry Brown, is currently in his fourth term as governor) dismissed the jury and called a mistrial. Brown stated at the time that he didn't believe the primary witness, one Anita Venza. Michael Abati replaced Lima as the head of the crime family in 1953. Abati was deported to Italy in 1961 for being involved in criminal activity and died of natural causes on September 5, 1962.

  Johnny DiLuca, Joseph Abati, and "Junior" Abati are completely fictitious persons.

  Engraved and custom-designed Peacemaker revolvers (also known as Colt Single Action Army or, simply, Colt .45) were available by special order from Colt's Manufacturing Company. The company employed a number of designers, mostly European immigrants, who became known for their intricate engravings and use of silver, gold, and precious stones in their work.

  Silver bullets are pretty but, apparently, lead is more useful (except for werewolves, or so I'm told).

  The Old Poodle Dog restaurant has a very long and interesting history. It first opened in 1849. It may not have been the first, but it was certainly the most famous French restaurant in the City. There are several stories about the origin of the name. The first name of the restaurant was Le Poulet d'Or. The owner had a pet poodle, considered quite an unusual thing at the time, that was as much of an attraction as the excellent food. Perhaps that, combined with the difficulty of pronouncing the French name, led to the common phrase, "Let's go eat at the Poodle Dog." Whatever the case, this is the name by which the restaurant eventually became known.

  The official name changed to "The Old Poodle Dog" when the restaurant moved to Bush Street in 1868 and then to Eddy Street in 1906. During that time, the restaurant changed owners, expanded its location, and became known as a spot for intimate and discrete trysts in the private dining rooms of its upper floors. It was, in many ways, the epitome of the Gay Nineties. The cuisine was said to be equal to that found in Paris at the turn of the century. Although the business survived the 1906 earthquake and fire, it did not survive Prohibition. The Eddy Street location closed in 1922.

  After repeal, Calixte Lalanne, one of the previous owners, opened "Ritz French Restaurant" at 65 Post Street. After he died in 1942, his son, Louis, renamed the spot "Ritz Old Poodle Dog." That location survived until 1980.

  "The Old Poodle Dog" was last open briefly in 1984 for about 18 months across the street and inside the Crocker Galleria.

  More Information

  Nick Williams Mysteries

  The Unexpected Heiress

  The Amorous Attorney

  The Sartorial Senator

  The Laconic Lumberjack

  The Perplexed Pumpkin

  The Savage Son

  The Mangled Mobster

  The Iniquitous Investigator

  The Voluptuous Vixen

  The Timid Traitor

  The Sodden Sailor

  The Excluded Exile

  The Paradoxical Parent

  The Pitiful Player

  Nick & Carter Stories

  An Enchanted Beginning

  Golden Gate Love Stories

  The One He Waited For

  Their Own Hidden Island

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