by Simon Swift
I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I dressed myself in a brand new pair of pants and shirt and tie that had been so neatly laid out for me by the young, black maid and went down to breakfast.
The food was marvelous, just like my mother used to make for me when I was a boy. Unfortunately, I dined alone with only the maids for company attending to my every need. There were several vases of fresh flowers on the huge table but one stood out in particular. I had seen it before, not the vase, but the arrangement. The exact arrangement.
I mulled it over with another slice of buttered toast swilled down with strong, fresh coffee. To my surprise, I was then given a free rein around the house. Bernice, a short, plump lady who appeared to be in charge of the maids informed me that I would be left to my own devices. Mr. Cortene would be pleased if I would take lunch with him before I made my way back to the City. Of course I agreed. Well you don't refuse the Mr. Cortenes of this world do you?
After a walk through the grounds, I relaxed on my King-size bed and started to go over things in my mind. This was certainly an unexpected twist. Once I had climbed over the fence I had run like the wind without looking over my shoulder. There was absolutely no way that I could tell how far or for how long I had run but I didn't think it was far. That being the case then it was a hell of a coincidence that Cortene happened to be hurtling along in his Sedan at exactly the same time, in exactly the same place. There had to be more to it than that - I was sure of it - but then what solution could there possibly be? I had saved Cortene's life and I'm sure he was grateful but that was no reason for him to take any more notice of me than I had of him. Considering who he was there was less reason. No, it had to be a coincidence.
I thought back to the questions he had asked me on the drive over here. At first, he came across as highly curious but as I fed him the mundane tale of a PI on an upstate missing persons wild goose chase his interest faded. I wasn't sure if he believed what I had told him, to be honest I very much doubted it, but he didn't seem to mind and so we left it at that.
The preoccupation of all the Cortene's once we arrived back also puzzled me. Where was this traditional Italian hospitality? This wasn't how Jimmy Cagney did it. I suppose it was very early in the morning - five thirty when we had walked through the door - I had found this out the moment I walked through the door and the great old grandfather clock was chiming away. That said there seemed to be a lot of activity without me being involved. The maids were rushing around, the front door was never still and I could hear vehicles arriving and departing all morning. They were probably all going about their business like most mafia families did.
I was surprised to be left on my own and took advantage by snooping around the various corridors of the house. Every now and then I would bump into what looked like an extra from Scarface and they would merely tip their fedoras and pat me on the back. I was a regular hero although I was not sure just how long it was going to last.
Upstairs everything seemed silent. I don't know what I was looking for but for some reason I couldn't stop myself. There was something not quite right about all of this and my curiosity was growing. Checking each room as quietly and inconspicuously as possible, I searched for any sign or clue but as I have learnt many times when you don't know what you are looking for it is a lot harder to find it.
I came across a room with the door slightly ajar. Like all the others, I poked my head in and took a good look around. Shrugging to myself I thought just how silly I was being. What on earth was I hoping to achieve?
Just as I was about to turn around and head back downstairs I felt the hammer blow of recognition. Suddenly I remembered and when I thought about what it meant I wished that I hadn't. The feeling that comes across you when your mind suddenly locates that missing piece of jigsaw can either send a chill down your spine or a tingle of excitement. This was a mixture of the two but the chill was a great bucket of ice and the excitement was the kind of thrill a crazy would get before furthering his death wish on a treacherous ski slope.
I didn't really get time to cogitate my discovery. It was like one of those moments in your life that appears to be in slow motion, that later seems like hours and is in fact less than a second. I was still in the process of closing the door back to its original position when I froze. She was suddenly stood there right in front of me.
There was another door from inside the bedroom - I guess it was an en-suite - and she had just wandered right through it. The second hammer blow in a minute hit me like a thunderbolt. I must have looked like one of those far-eastern fish that constantly swim around the tanks in the downtown aquarium with their huge mouths wide open and their ugly faces blank of any expression.
And she was smiling.
Without realizing it so was I.
And she was in my arms, all curves, scent and giggles.
Was nothing ever as it seems? I tried to think about what to do next but this embrace was taking all my energy. What did break it up was the appearance of the maid, Bernice, who looked shocked and frightened at the sight of me.
"Oh I'm sorry, Mr. Black, I'm under strict instructions not to let anyone in here. Mr. Cortene would not be very happy."
Before I could attempt to charm the maid into letting me stay, Claudia said, "Oh Bernice, you must let me talk to Errol. He's a very good friend of mine. We won't be long."
The maid stood up defiantly. "But Miss Cortene, I don't want to get into trouble. You need to get some rest and I am under strict instructions. Mr. Cortene was most clear."
I smiled at Bernice and put on my most charming voice, "Come on Bernice. Stan wouldn't mind if we have ten minutes. I saved his life for Christ sakes, I'm a regular hero."
That made her smile, but it didn't last.
A deep sigh and a look of worry still filled Bernice's face as she vacated the room. She shut the door behind her and I sat down next to Claudia.
"Oh Errol, it's so good to see you."
"I know baby. It's great to see you."
She held out her hand and I grasped it tightly.
I frowned. "So your secret's out. That's a big one Miss Cortene, a real big one," I said it a little curtly.
Claudia looked worried. "Oh Errol, please don't get annoyed with me. I thought you'd be really happy to see me again. You like the flowers I just know you do."
"I do like the flowers and yes I am pleased to see you darling, I am," I added, more warmly. "There's just a lot of things I think we need to talk about."
"You're right. There are so many things I must tell you, Errol. You're the only one, you know, the only one."
Claudia coughed a nasty, chesty cough and so I got her a drink of water.
"So where do we start?" I asked.
"I'm going to tell you everything right from the beginning. Hopefully, when I've told you, you can take me away from all this." She looked at me desperately and I smile reassuringly at her but my heart sank.
"Okay baby. Away we go, take your time."
"I am the niece of Stanley Cortene of the Cortene Organization. You must have heard of them in your line of business."
"Oh yes, I know the Cortenes."
"Several years ago I was romantically involved with Liam Tighe..."
As soon as she mentioned Liam Tighe my heart sank. There was that name again. Things were starting to come together. There may have been a thousand different strands at the moment but they were coming together. Before long they would be one tight knot.
"We were never accepted as a couple. Mixed-family relationships never are. And if you know the Tighes you will know that their reputation is far from being a good one. I kept getting told never to see him again, but we were close, you know?"
I nodded, not quite understanding where this was all leading.
"Anyway, it was a relationship doomed to failure. Both families did as much as they could to split us up and keep us apart and eventually they succeeded. Liam told me that we had to break it off. He said he was sorry and he loved me...but...we
had to finish."
I squeezed Claudia's hand gently as she paused, obviously going over some pretty heavy feelings. She blew her nose, took a deep breath and continued…
"To start with, I thought my family interfered so much because it was Liam. I didn't really understand, but I managed to get over it the best I could. When Liam was accused of doing such a terrible thing to that young girl I thought maybe they had been right all along. I'm well aware what our families are like, don't for one minute think I'm not, but Liam was different he was never really involved with the family organization. Well, that is what I thought.
"From then on every time I got remotely close to a guy my family intervened. He was never good enough for me, he was a scum bag or a waster, never good enough. My brother Mikey once killed a guy who was coming onto me," She shook her head at the thought, "stuck a knife into him nineteen times, one for every year of his life. It was awful..."
What a nice guy.
Tears formed in the corners of Claudia's eyes. I gave her an encouraging hug, but as I glanced at the clock on the wall she realized time was passing on...
"You must understand, Errol, I'm not like them. I'm a normal romantic, fun-loving girl who's just unfortunate to have drug dealers and pimps and god knows what else tucking me in at night instead of a normal family. I tried so many times to get away. So many times.
"Every time, I was brought back by Uncle Stanley or Mikey or Mario or whoever. They kept on telling me I was in danger if I was to leave, that I was the jewel in the family crown, much too delicate to be let out. They said that the rival families would be out to get me. I wasn't allowed to go to college alone, I was escorted there and back everyday, or dancing classes or anything. Whatever I wanted to do must be done here, at the family home." She looked deep into my eyes. "It was a nightmare, Errol, it really was."
I nodded, as compassionately as I could manage, and then she continued further...
"I have run away many times but this time I really thought I had got away. I managed to evade them for six months making a home for myself in Greenwich and finally made a few friends of my own."
"Friends like Marlow," I said.
"Oh my dear Marlow she will wonder where the goodness I have got to. I first met her whilst I was working in the Library. She was studying and asked for my help in locating a whole pile of study books."
She smiled and looked distant as if remembering a fond moment.
"I found the books, we got talking and then we went for some coffee. We must have spent most of the next week in each other's pockets, you know talking and dressing up and going out. Girly things. Sisterly things. She is the best friend I have ever had it was amazing how we just clicked..."
Amazing.
"It was Marlow that introduced me to George.” She shuddered at the mention of his name. "It's kind of strange really that it was Marlow that got us together and in the end it was Marlow that so desperately wanted us to part. I guess she saw through him a lot sooner than I did and felt guilty that she had got us together."
She looked at me and smiled, taking my hands in her own and kissing them softly. "I'm glad she did it. If I hadn't been with George then I would never have met you, Errol, so it was worth it."
I pulled my hands away and lit up a cigarette. I had to do something; she was nearly making me blush.
She sighed deeply and continued…
"I should have known it was too good to last. Just when I was worrying about George coming back and for the first time in my life I had other things to worry about than my family, they appeared. I went to sleep last night dreaming happy positive thoughts and woke up a few hours later back here. A prisoner once again."
I looked at Claudia. She was radiant in spite of her distress. The tatty pair of old Levis and a huge, woolly sweater she was wearing did not detract from her beauty one jot. If anything, they enhanced her vulnerability, which made her all the more delicious. She noticed me watching and smiled what she probably took to be a seductive smile but came out more like a shy schoolgirl smiling at her older suitor.
"Errol, do you believe in fate?" she asked me.
"I guess so," I replied, not really thinking about the question.
"I most certainly do. I am sure that it is Fate that has brought us together. It was my destiny to walk into your office that night and for our lives to cross like they did. Maybe we are fated to..."
Her sentence trailed off and she was now lost in her thoughts.
For the next few moments, we sat in silence. It was hard to take it all in and I was sure Claudia was finding it equally confusing my being here. A few things added up: the secretive house lease, Claudia's wealth in spite of a poorly paid job and the whole veil of secrecy she had surrounded herself with. Other things were not so clear; just how Marlow came into all of this and whether there was a connection between my case and the Cortene Organization. I hoped to hell there was not but all of this would have been a hell of a coincidence if that was the case.
My thoughts were broken by the door opening. It was Bernice with an anxious look on her face. "Quick, he's here," is all she said before closing the door again.
I opened the door and found Bernice outside looking red-eyed. Stan Cortene was facing her, his face like thunder. It was clear that he'd just finished giving Bernice a good telling off, catching me coming out of his niece’s room in the process.
"Get back in there Bernice and do what I pay you for! Remember, last chance!"
Bernice nodded dutifully, clearly upset and re-entered Claudia's bedroom. Cortene's glance then passed to me.
"I'm afraid that's my fault," I offered. "I just wanted to see Claudia."
"That much is clear," he said, and waited for an explanation. I gave him a quick one about how I had met her in the Manhattan Library where she had been working. How we had immediately struck up a rapport, sharing a love for poetry and classical music and became friends. It was all lies of course, apart from the poetry.
"I hope you don't mind," I said to Stan with an innocent look on my face.
Stan smiled, to my relief and patted me on the shoulder. "Of course I don't mind, Errol. Claudia will do well to have a few more friends like you. People like you, good people who care about others are very valuable. Very valuable indeed. It is the scum that has seeped into every walk of life that we must worry about, the evil that is strangling our great country and bleeding the great men and women dry. It is these evil fuckin' putos that I must protect my niece from. If anyone, anyone at all hurts my little girl in any way then I will kill them. I don't mind telling you that."
He stopped and stared right into my eyes. I said nothing but felt terrible, like I was being studied under the microscope. It should have felt better when he smiled but it only felt worse.
"You're a good man, Errol. I know you wouldn't ever hurt her, but from now on she needs rest and a lot of it. She's been through a hell of lot and she's going to have to recover."
Stan began to walk along the corridor. I assumed I was meant to follow him and so obliged.
"Errol, I would like you to take lunch with me. It is the least I can do. If you want to make a telephone call or twenty telephone calls, feel free and please accept my offer of a lift back into the City whenever you feel like it. Come on!"
He patted me on the shoulder again and headed down the corridor. On the way he carried on talking.
"I am pleased that you and my niece are friends. Very pleased. I hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of checking you out a little after our first meeting. I was intrigued. Hell you saved my life without a second thought when it would have been a good deal easier to just get the hell out of there. That is a pretty special person in my book."
"What did you find?" I asked obviously with a little too much trepidation in my voice because Stan laughed and said, "don't worry I didn't find any of your dirty secrets. No I was just curious you understand. I found out where you were staying in Woodstock, I paid your tab and left a good tip. I also foun
d out a little about your case."
Bang!
"You did?"
Stan nodded and rubbed his lips with thumb and forefinger. His ice cool eyes bored holes right through to my soul and I just stood there with a silly grin on my face.
"Look, Errol I don't really want to pry into your business and I wouldn't expect you to tell me all about it when it's got nothing to do with me. Don't look so worried, okay. If you are going around telling people it is a missing person’s racket that is fine by me."
"But. There sounds like there is a ‘but’ coming up somewhere."
"Isn't there always? No, this isn't really a but more of an if," he looked me straight in the eyes, his little pools of ice boring right through me. He sure was a class act exuding a malevolence that was unattainable with simple violence or threat, a malevolence that was entirely his own.
"The ‘if’ in question regards the Tighe Organization. I very much doubt that this will happen, but if on your investigations you come across the runt of the litter. If, he is back on American soil contaminating us all with his filth and depravity. If, he has dreams of coming upstate. Or even if he simply wants to come back to visit his mother's grave. If. Yes such a lot of ifs, but Errol, if any of these ifs come about," he paused, "I would appreciate it if you would pass it on, do you understand?"
I nodded. "I understand."
"Good," he flashed me a handsome smile and once again patted me on the shoulder. "Come on lets go get some lunch."
We ate lunch. It was fantastic; a real Italian banquet like you get in only the finest establishments in Little Italy only better. The long table was full. All male, all with hearty appetites and most likely all made men. I ate plenty, drank plenty, laughed at their anecdotes funny or not, told a few of my own, strictly not funny and as soon as it was over I was ready to be on my way. Stan had arranged for one of his drivers to take me back to the City. I had talked him out of it telling him it would make more sense for me to take a hire car and drop it off when I got there. The car was waiting outside the house.