The Mike Black Saga; Payback

by Glenn, Roy

  "How you doing, Glynnis, this is Wanda."

  "Tired and ready to go home. How about you?"

  "I’m fine. I was calling to see if you had any plans for this evening?"

  "Not a thing. What did you have in mind?"

  "Dinner. I got some things that I wanted to run by you."

  "Okay, you convinced me."

  "Where do you want meet?" Wanda asked.

  "I don’t know; what do you have a taste for?"

  "I don’t know, Italian maybe, seafood is always good for me," Wanda said. "But let’s go some place that we haven’t been before, cause you know that I’ll go to McCormick & Schmick’s and order calamari like I always do. So what new and hot?"

  "There’s a place called Alto on Madison and 53rd Street. They claim that they take Italian food to a new level."

  "Have you eaten there?"

  "Yes, a couple of weeks ago. It’s a nice place, very plush, tall-backed chairs, you’ll like it. And the Chef comes around and talks with the guests."

  "What about Asian food?"

  "I heard of this place called Koi, it’s on 40th and 6th Avenue. It’s in the Bryant Park Hotel. I hear that there’s a nice bar there called Cellar Bar."

  "Not in the mood for bar hopping, but thanks for the tip." Wanda twirled her pen and thought about it. She always considered every decision carefully. "I think I am feeling Italian."

  "Well how about Bellavitae it’s on Minetta Lane between 6th Avenue and MacDougal Street. I’ve never been there, but I hear the food is excellent."

  "That’s fine, I’ll make reservations. Say seven o’clock?"

  "Seven is fine with me."

  "Oh and Glynnis, there’ll be someone joining us for dinner. His name is Nick Simmons, he’s an old friend of mine."

  "Is he fine as hell and available?"

  Knowing what a man-eater Glynnis could be at times, Wanda considered her answer. "Yes, on both counts," she told Glynnis, "But—never mind. I’ll see you at seven."

  As promised, Nick picked up Wanda at her office. She explained to Nick that they were going to dinner with Glynnis Presley. "I take it that this isn’t a date either," Nick said.

  "No this is a business meeting. But are you are more than welcome to pay," Wanda replied.

  On the way to the restaurant Wanda explained that Glynnis would be able to fill in some of the holes before they talked to Mike. When they arrived at Bellavitae’s, Glynnis was already there and had been seated. Wanda introduced Nick to Glynnis and they exchanged pleasantries. Shortly thereafter the waiter arrived. "Good evening, my name is Kelly, I’ll be your waiter tonight. Our flexible menu allows for light bites or a multi-course feast. I’ll give you some time to look over the menu. Can I bring you something from the bar?"

  "I’ll have a Mojito," Glynnis said.

  "Apple martini for me," Wanda said.

  "Johnny Walker Black, straight with a water back," Nick ordered and sent the waiter on his way.

  When the waiter returned, he took their orders, Wanda had Fritto Misto. "That sounds good, Wanda, what is it?" Glynnis asked.

  "It’s Calamari with celery, lemon, and Caper Berries from Salina," the waiter chimed in.

  "You always order calamari, Wanda," Glynnis said.

  "I love it, what can I say?" Wanda replied and handed the waiter her menu. Glynnis ordered Pollo alla Cacciatora, which is chicken with Black Ligurian Olives , while Nick had the grilled pork loin.

  During the meal there was the usual amount of getting to know you small talk between Nick and Glynnis and plenty of what’s going on in the city gossip, supplied by Glynnis. After dinner, an uncomfortable silence fell over the table. "So, we’ve shared a good meal, we’ve talked a lot of this and that, had some laughs. We’ve gossiped so much I think we’ve bored poor Nick to death. And you’ve plied me with sufficient quantities of alcohol," Glynnis said as she raised her glass "And I’ve had such a good time. But you still haven’t asked me whatever it is that you invited me here to ask me," she said and signaled for a waiter.

  "Maybe we just invited you out to enjoy your company, Glynnis, you know cause we’re friends," Wanda said.

  "I thought that it was your pretty smile, Glynnis," Nick said and Wanda rolled her eyes.

  "You keep talking, honey, I like you," Glynnis flirted. "I imagine that it’s you that has the questions."

  "What makes you say that?" Nick asked.

  "`Cause when Wanda wants to know something she gets to it over drinks. But you were too polite to even bring it up over dinner."

  "All right then, what can you tell me about Martin Marshall?"

  "The Justice Department has been investigating Martin Marshall for years."

  "For what?" Wanda asked.

  "To be honest with you Wanda, there’ve been rumors about Marshall and corruption for years. There’s even been some talk about him being involved in drug trafficking. Justice even had bribery a case against him three years ago, but the case was dropped."

  "What happened?" Nick asked.

  "Witness committed suicide."

  "How?"

  "Sleeping pills. After that, the evidence that they had disappeared."

  "What was the case about?" she asked.

  Glynnis paused and thought for a moment. "That case involved drug money."

  "How so?" Wanda asked.

  "The developer who was alleged," Glynnis was careful to say. "To have offered Marshall the bribe, his partners were drug dealers, from Argentina or Brazil or someplace like that."

  "Or Peru, maybe?" Nick suggested.

  "Could be, but I can’t be sure."

  "Is there anybody at justice we can talk to about Marshall?"

  "I think I know somebody that could help you," Glynnis said.

  "If Justice was investigating him and it involved drugs, then the DEA would have been involved."

  "That would only make sense," Glynnis said.

  "That would mean that the DEA would have to have at least some knowledge of or be heavily involved in this investigation," Wanda said more to Nick than Glynnis.

  "That’s a logical conclusion," Glynnis said.

  "You have to be pretty powerful to make evidence disappear. Marshall have that kind of power?" Nick asked.

  "Marshall has that kind of power. He has a very strong and committed organization. Ruthless, when you get right down to it."

  "How does a guy like that continue to get elected?" Wanda asked.

  "The thing he’s best at is playing the race card. The man is hassling me again while I’m out here doing your business, making sure your tax dollars are spent wisely, kinda crap. People buy into it."

  "Have you ever heard of a reporter named Tavia Hawkins, Glynnis?"

  "Sure I have, she’s a reporter for the Post. Tavia Hawkins has practically made a career out of writing articles about Marshall."

  "So I noticed," Nick said. "I read at least a dozen of them and there were plenty more. What’s up with that? She got it in for this guy?"

  "The gossip is that he had an affair with her, this was years ago. She got serious, wanted him to leave his wife, he dumped her, you know how you men are," Glynnis mused.

  "Sounds like she would be a great person to talk to," Nick said.

  "If you wanna know about Marshall she’s the one you need to talk to," Glynnis said

  "I wanna go," Wanda said meekly.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  Martin Marshall sat alone at Ben & Jack’s Steak-house on East 44th street in one of the six private rooms behind etched glass windows off the main dining room. He tapped his fingers on the table and waited impatiently for DeFrancisco to arrive. He hated waited for him because he was never on time.

  There were times when Marshall wished that he’d never gotten involved with DeFrancisco, If I had to be honest about it, I don’t like him. Aside from being always late, DeFrancisco was arrogant and rude, had the worst table manners of anyone he’d ever known, and to top it off, his breath stank. But he had to admit th
at with all of his shortcomings, he had come in very handy over the years. However, lately, DeFrancisco was getting shaky. Always worried about things that didn’t concern him. He was even reluctant about setting up the sting on Mike Black. Wanted to know why, but who could blame him? Marshall had asked DeFrancisco to commit a considerable amount of resources solely on his assurance that it was important. But he wasn’t about to tell him that it was necessary to cover for somebody’s fuck up.

  Finally DeFrancisco arrived at the restaurant without any sign of an apology for being late.

  "Have you ordered yet?" DeFrancisco asked.

  "No, I hadn’t planned on eating. I asked you here because I needed to talk to you," Marshall replied.

  "Well, you don’t mind if I do? I haven’t had a thing all day and I’m starved." DeFrancisco motioned for the waiter and told him to bring the biggest steak they had, medium well. "And a gin and tonic."

  "Anything for you, sir?" the waiter asked Marshall.

  "Dewar’s on the rocks," Marshall said, knowing that he was going to say what he had to say and be gone before the steak arrived.

  Once the waiter was gone DeFrancisco asked. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

  "I need an update on the Black operation."

  "What do you wanna know? The operation is just getting started. The cop, Kirk reported to them, he seems to be cooperating. By the end of the week they should be up and running with wire taps on all of his operations, they’re working on picking up cell phone frequencies now and around the clock surveillance on the major players. All that based on the briefing they got from Kirk."

  "Make sure they pay close attention to Wanda Moore."

  "Who is she?" DeFrancisco asked as the drinks arrived.

  "She’s their lawyer. Wanda has her hands in everything, both their legal and illegal businesses."

  "All that is fine, Martin, but you still haven’t told me what this is all about."

  "I’ve told you all I can tell you and that is as much for your protection as it is for ours. But I will tell you this, the success of that operation may weigh heavily on your future."

  "What’s that supposed to mean?" DeFrancisco asked, pressing for information.

  "Look, I’ve told you all I’m going to tell you. You know damn well what I’m saying to you, both your bank account and your freedom are at stake here. If you can’t handle it, I’ll get somebody who can."

  "Right. You know there ain’t nobody gonna do the things I do for you, so let’s cut the crap. You need me."

  "You’re right. We need you to do this and do it right," Marshall said as DeFrancisco’s steak arrived. Marshall finished his drink and started to get up.

  "There is one more thing I been meaning to tell you," DeFrancisco said as he prepared to dig into his steak.

  "What’s that?"

  "That pain in the ass reporter called me again last week."

  "What did she want?"

  "If DEA had any knowledge of drug money being involved in your latest investigation."

  "What did you tell her?"

  "Same thing I always tell her, I told her to go fuck herself," DeFrancisco said with his mouth full of steak.

  "That’s one pain in the ass that neither one of us will have to be bothered with." Marshall stood up, straightened his tie and left the room.

  Chapter Thirty

  It didn’t matter what the captain said, Kirk just couldn’t sit on his hands and do nothing. He had to do something, so he decided that the best use of his time was to look into Martin Marshall and his involvement with DeFrancisco.

  Kirk had heard that the city’s Department of Investigation was looking into a case that involved Marshall, so earlier that day he paid them a visit.

  When he arrived at the Department of Investigation, he flashed his badge and was taken to speak with Diane Smith the head of the department. "DOI is one of the oldest law-enforcement agencies in the country and an international leader in the effort to combat corruption in public institutions," Diane Smith explained. "It serves the Mayor and the people of New York City by acting as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for New York City government." She was an attractive woman in her early forties and just a bit of a flirt.

  "What type of cases do you investigate?" Kirk asked.

  "DOI’s major functions include investigating and referring for prosecution cases of fraud, corruption, and unethical conduct by City employees, contractors and others who receive City money. We also study agency procedures to identify corruption and recommend improvements in order to reduce the City’s vulnerability. We investigate backgrounds of persons selected to work in decision-making or sensitive City jobs, and those who do business with the City, to determine if they are suited to serve the public trust.

  "Sounds pretty interesting," Kirk said.

  "Oh, please Detective," Diane flirted. "Probably pretty boring compared to the type of cases you get to work on."

  "Maybe, but interesting all the same," Kirk flirted back. "All that work must keep you very busy."

  "DOI handles at any one time hundreds of complaints." Diane continued. "But in a time of diminishing resources, we continue to find new ways to address the problems challenging the City. But enough about that, tell me how I can help you, detective?"

  "I understand that your department is investigating Martin Marshall. Can you tell me anything about that?"

  "Our case doesn’t involve the Senator directly. It’s a complaint against a City Councilman who is accused of extortion."

  "What was the case about?" Kirk asked.

  "Allegedly the councilman and a still un-named co-conspirator had demanded $1.5 million dollars worth of property and $50,000 cash from a real estate developer who wanted the councilman’s vote in favor of a development slated for Brooklyn. We believe that Marshall is his co-conspirator," Diane told him. When Kirk pressed her for more details, Diane told him that she couldn’t give him any more information because the case was still pending. She did however, refer Kirk to a reporter named Tavia Hawkins who had written a number of articles on the subject.

  Kirk had spent the evening in his new DEA office reading all of the articles that Tavia Hawkins had written on Marshall and was on his way home when a call came over the radio about a suicide victim. The woman had taken an over dose of sleeping pills. When they said that the victim’s name was Tavia Hawkins, Kirk just had to drop by and stick his hand in.

  When Kirk arrived at her apartment building, most of the other officers and emergency personnel were gone. He was met by an officer who told Kirk that Tavia Hawkins was reported missing by her editor. It was ruled a suicide when the body was found on the floor in the bedroom, with an empty bottle of sleeping pills by the bed. "Mind if I have a look around?"

  The officer allowed Kirk in the apartment, but stayed with him to make sure no evidence was removed. Kirk searched the apartment, but spent most of his time going through her files and looking at her computer. There was nothing that he could find that led him to believe that it was anything other than what it appeared to be, the suicidal death of a woman. Tragic, of course it was, but there was nothing that led Kirk to believe that Tavia Hawkins was murdered.

  Tavia Hawkins was very organized, all of her files, both computer and hard copy, were filed along with her notes in chronological order according to the story she was working on. She even kept a journal which she made entries in everyday. Kirk found volumes of them dating back ten years. What Kirk did find a little strange was that for the last month there was nothing. No files, no notes on what she was working on currently on and the journal was gone.

  Maybe she ran out of journals, or just stopped making entries, or maybe she took it to her office? Kirk doubted it, but that by itself wasn’t enough to prove that she was murdered.

  Kirk left the apartment and had started for his car when he saw Nick and Wanda coming toward him.

  "What are you doin’ here Simmons?" Kirk asked.

  "I was just about to ask you t
he same question, Kirk." But Nick knew that if Kirk was here that somebody was dead.

  "And in such beautiful company," Kirk added.

  "Hello Kirk," Wanda smiled. She knew Kirk had a thing for her. She had fenced with Kirk many times during his attempts to make a case against Mike Black.

  "How are you, Wanda?"

  "I’m fine, Kirk and to answer your question, we’re here doing the same thing you are. We came to talk to Tavia Hawkins." Wanda said and Nick gave her a look.

  "That’s not gonna happen."

  "Why not?" Wanda asked.

  "Cause she’s dead."

  "Murdered?" Wanda asked.

  "Suicide."

  Nick and Wanda looked at one another. Wanda started to say something but Nick cut her off. "That’s too bad, Kirk," he said and grabbed Wanda by the hand. "Good night, Kirk." Nick and Wanda started walking back to his car, with Kirk following behind them.

  "What did you want to ask her about?"

  "Doesn’t matter now, does it Kirk?" Nick said.

  "No it doesn’t, but I’m just curious."

  When they got to his car, Nick got in quickly while Wanda played off Kirk. "Have you any reason to detain us, detective?"

  "No, just curious."

  Wanda smiled. "Then I’ll say good night."

  Kirk opened her car door and Wanda got in. "Good night, Wanda," he said and closed her door.

  Chapter Thirty-one

  "What the fuck are you talkin’ about?"

  "You know what I’m talkin’ about, Bobby. I’m tired of that bitch callin’ my house talkin’ stupid. Make the bitch stop, Bobby or I’ll stop her," Pam said and hung up the phone.