Rough Diamond (A Mafia Romance)

by Knight, Leslie

  He got to the boat and moved fast, untying the mooring line and jumping aboard. It had been kept in amongst the overhanging trees and there was nobody to witness his departure. He got the motor running and was soon travelling rapidly towards the center of the lake, away from the burning wreck and Dimitri’s bloody corpse.

  He knew he was vulnerable, he still had the jewels and the trail was hot. If the cops had the forethought to send out their boat or have a helicopter do a sweep he could be discovered.

  He couldn’t take the getaway car that had been meant for the others because it would be too suspicious to take it back to town. Instead he’d transfer to his own small boat that was moored on the other side of the lake and then scuttle the first one. Then he needed a hiding place for the jewels. If the cops asked any questions, he’d spent the morning fishing. He just had to hope Chloe would hold her tongue, if she didn’t he was screwed.

  Once he was far enough away from the shore he began to breathe more easily. He’d run through all his reserves of adrenalin and was feeling shaky. He still had to transfer to the other boat which would be risky but the chances of being caught were reducing by the minute. His eyes fell on the bag at his feet. He’d been so occupied he hadn’t even had time to inspect what they’d pulled from the store.

  Crouching down he got the bag open and what he found stunned him like smack to the face. He’d been expecting some rings, bracelets and some loose stones but the first thing he saw was an incredibly lavish necklace with what looked like hundreds of diamonds and dozens of large sapphires. He searched further in the bag and found half a dozen other pieces that didn’t belong in a small-town jeweler’s.

  Not counting the larger pieces maybe it was worth a million but with the half dozen others, which also included a dazzling tiara and other assorted necklaces and bracelets the value could easily come close to ten million.

  He let the jewels fall through his fingers and back in the bag. Holy fuck, he thought. No wonder the Russian mafia had taken an interest in raiding the jeweler’s in Ithaca. He knew Appleby’s had a chain of stores so maybe the Bratva somehow knew they were moving those jewels through Ithaca. He remembered hearing about a lavish celebrity wedding taking place at Crystal Lakes Lodge the week before, maybe that was the reason.

  Suddenly the stakes were higher. People were dead, the cops were on his tail and he had millions of dollars of jewels that belonged to the Russian mafia. He increased the throttle and sped faster across the water, his senses tuned to fever pitch for any sign of chase.

  Ten minutes later he was approaching the other side where he kept his own small fishing boat. He pulled up close and leapt aboard to hide the bag. He went back quickly to the other boat and pulled away again, relieved there was nobody nearby to notice his strange behavior.

  He reduced the throttle and went below deck, grabbing a hatchet and viciously attacking the hull just below the water line. It was tough going but after a couple of minutes he’d made a hole about the size of two fingers and the water sprayed in. Going back up top he tied the wheel and set the prow on course for the center of the lake.

  Acting as quickly as possible while there was nobody around to observe him, he then slipped over the side to swim back to his own boat. He didn’t know if what he’d done would work. It was a huge gamble that the boat would sink far enough away from where he kept his own and that nobody would see but it was the best he could manage in the circumstances.

  A few minutes of strenuous swimming and he’d reached his own boat again, flopping over the side in exhaustion. He’d made it, and put another obstacle between himself and his pursuers.

  He thought again of Chloe and the hell she’d gone through in that bloody, violent half hour of abduction and chase. Maybe his efforts were futile and right then she was telling some mealy mouthed detective all she knew about him and what happened. He just hoped she decided to show him some mercy.

  He’d left his fishing gear and spare clothes in the boat the night before in case he’d needed it for his escape or an alibi. At least sometimes he wasn’t totally impulsive and stupid and could display some forethought.

  But he still needed to get rid of the diamonds. He hadn’t expected to be landed with them and couldn’t think of any safe place. He considered one of the new renovation projects he’d been working on with Mirko. Nobody was living there and the house would be empty for months to come. It was tempting but in the end he dismissed the idea. If he did come under suspicion by the cops they’d surely look every place he worked or spent his time.

  He cast his eyes to the woods behind him and then out over the great expanse of the lake and a new plan began to form his mind. A sudden feeling of optimism washed over him, the plan was good and if he acted quickly then maybe he had a chance.

  - 7 -

  Chloe

  Chloe felt vacant and when her dad came to collect her from the station she collapsed into his arms. Her dad looked exhausted as well, as he often did in the last years. But his face was even greyer than usual and Chloe felt awful that he’d had to answer the call from the police and come to pick her up.

  She was very protective of him and felt guilty for putting him under any kind of stress. But it was good to have him there and feel his tight embrace. For a moment it was just like when she was a little girl and she’d been the one that needed looking after.

  It had been different in the last few years since her mum had died so tragically. She’d been the one looking after him, but it was good to know she could still rely on him as well.

  He didn’t bombard her with questions and she was grateful. He just took her firmly by the shoulders and asked if she was ok. Once she nodded in reply he brought her outside into the afternoon sun. “Come on, let’s get out of here and get something to eat.”

  “Thanks dad, yeah, that would be good. I haven’t eaten all day.” They drove to a quiet coffee shop and ordered a couple of grilled chicken sandwiches and cokes. Chloe’s mind was like a blank page and she didn’t know what to say but her dad seemed to understand.

  “It’s ok Chloe, we don’t have to talk about it, I’m just glad you’re safe. From what the police told me it must have been traumatic.” His voice was weary, but that was just the way he mostly was. He’d aged so much since that day the truck came out of nowhere and smashed Chloe’s mother into oblivion.

  Even though he was doing much better lately the hard years had left their mark. His hair was almost white and the lines on his face were deeply etched crevices of sadness and grief.

  “When we experience trauma,” he continued gently, “sometimes there are no words. People even say it, you know, like ‘I was lost for words.’ When something like that happens sometimes we’re just not able to talk about it. It’s something I’ve had to learn with the help of Dr. Adams. Sometimes it’s just a black hole, a space, and there’s just nothing to talk about, nothing to work with. It gets better though, easier. I just want you to know that I understand. You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.”

  He reached across the table and put his hand over hers and gave her a squeeze of reassurance. She could feel the tears well up. She should be the one looking after him, not the other way round. But at the same time she was so grateful for his understanding and that he wasn’t demanding to know all the details of her ordeal.

  “I hope you were able to help the police a little though, so they can catch these scumbags. I can’t believe something like that could happen around here. I never would have expected it.”

  Chloe sucked in air between her teeth. She had spoken to the police but she hadn’t told them everything. She carried a secret now and she was bound to him, to Vladek. She could have given him up, it would have been easy.

  She could have just said it. ‘His name is Vladek, I met him before. He works here in Ithaca, in construction. I saw him last night in McBride’s with two other guys in suits. They robbed Appleby’s together. He didn’t want to take me as a hostage. He was sorry and he aske
d me not to talk to the police. He let me go anyway. He probably should have killed me but he didn’t.’

  Those were all the things she could have said, but she didn’t. She didn’t say any of those things. Instead she told them what she saw and heard on the street and how she’d been thrown in the car. She told them of the screaming and the blood, how when they knew they weren’t been followed the driver had told her to get out and go.

  She even gave a description. The driver was a tall, well-built Caucasian and wore dark glasses and a black cap. His face was almost fully covered, she didn’t know if she’d recognize him again.

  She’d been questioned by two detectives, a man and woman, Rogers and Gallagher. Rogers was young and eager, with a crew cut and a bulging neck. Gallagher was older, a bit jaded and unkempt looking with messy greying hair but her questions were razor sharp and almost made Chloe stumble.

  She managed to hide her guilt and discomfort and act like she was still in shock but she couldn’t escape the impression that Gallagher knew she was hiding something.

  During the questioning they’d been called out and Chloe could overhear them talking about finding the burnt out car. The mood was tense and she heard Rogers curse loudly. Now the driver had switched vehicles he’d be even harder to catch. He might even be on lake Cayuga and heading to anywhere on its hundred mile shoreline. They’d let her leave soon afterwards, a final piercing look from Gallagher and her card pressed into her hand as a parting gift.

  She managed to nibble through half her sandwich, she was too uptight to have much of an appetite. What she really wanted to do was just get home and crawl into bed and play a little with Jackson. He’d probably be wondering why she’d been gone so long.

  Her dad seemed to read her mind. “Come on, you’re probably just exhausted, let’s get you home.” She nodded gratefully.

  She promised her dad she’d call him again that evening as he dropped her off and then hurried quickly inside. Once she’d entered she leaned back heavily on the closed door and took a few deep breaths. What had she done? She must be crazy. Now she was an accessory to a crime where three people had died. But if she hadn’t met him in McBride’s he never would have recognized her and called her name. And she never would have turned and seen him.

  Just then, Jackson padded out of the living room with a meow of greeting. She was so glad to see his friendly face that she almost burst into tears. He had no great concerns about the confusing life of humans. He had a simple, independent life and now he wanted to be fed and played with, in that order.

  She picked him up and held him close, immediately feeling better to have his warm, lithe body in her hands. He batted her softly on the cheek with a perfectly formed white paw and it made her laugh with happiness.

  “Ok killer, I know you’ve been waiting far too long for your dinner, let’s go find you something.” He concurred with another meow and she set him back down on the floor and followed him towards the kitchen.

  After she fed Jackson she poured herself a large glass of wine despite the early hour and wrapped herself up in a blanket on the sofa. It all seemed so unreal. She’d been so happy with her encounter the night before, talking to him and feeling so clear headed. He’d been so straightforward and looked so good and seemed interested in her. It had been almost perfect, as if everything was just falling into place.

  Then that illusion had been cruelly shattered right before her eyes in maelstrom of violence and blood. He’d been so anguished there on the dirt track, his friend dead, the whole plan gone to shit. She’d believed him. He’d gotten in way over his head. Maybe she was foolish, maybe that was just the way he manipulated stupid, desperate girls, flashing them a smile, making them feel needed, and important.

  But she didn’t think he was like that. Maybe it was foolish but she just had a feeling. She wondered if he’d run, worried she’d already given him away. He might already be half way across the country or over the border in Canada. He was out there somewhere and whether he was near or far one thing was for sure, they would always be inextricably linked by the terrible events of that day.

  - 8 -

  Vladek

  Vladek was as satisfied as he could be with his response to the botched raid. He’d done about all he could to save his skin and just hoped Chloe would hold her tongue. Once he’d hidden the jewels he let the boat drift further towards town where others were on the water.

  He wanted to look as conspicuous as possible and made an effort to get close and exchange greetings with some others out fishing. He needed to copper fasten his alibi. He’d been out fishing on the lake all morning and didn’t know anything about a robbery.

  He turned his phone back on and called Hank, a plumber they often called in to help on builds and with whom he sometimes had beers. He made small talk and they arranged to watch the game together the following week.

  If the cops did end up suspecting him the call would help support his alibi. They could confirm his location when the call was made. All he needed now was to catch a couple of bloody fish and hope the getaway boat was already sinking to the murky depths five miles north.

  He spent almost two hours on the lake before heading back in. He’d caught one average sized trout so at least had something to show for his endeavors. He motored back to his spot and where his car had been waiting since early that morning. There was nothing else to do but head home and face the music.

  Maybe he should’ve just left town as fast as possible. But he had no desire to run and didn’t want to have to start over somewhere else. Ithaca was his home, he was building a life and wasn’t prepared to just throw it all away.

  Even if Chloe did rat him out to the cops it was still her word against his. He’d deny everything. He’d only ever met her once, she’d been drinking and must be mistaken. He just hoped he’d done enough to cover his tracks in every other way and hadn’t left behind any clues.

  He drove back to town carefully, constantly expecting the sound of siren to suddenly ring in his ears or see the flashing red and whites in the mirror. But none of that happened and when he pulled into the small parking lot of his apartment building everything was eerily quiet. Nobody was waiting for him. Chloe, what a fucking star, she hadn’t ratted him out!

  Relief washed over him in an awesome wave. What a girl, he thought. He owed her big time. He hurried inside and grabbed the vodka bottle from the freezer and poured himself a shot. He knocked back two and leaned back in his chair.

  He’d spent the whole day in a heightened state of tension and excitement and it had left him drained. The last of his adrenalin was finally leaking away and it felt like he’d run a marathon.

  He could finally relax and think a little more clearly about what to do next. He needed help and advice and there was only one person his thoughts returned to again and again that he might be able to confide in.

  He always suspected his boss Mirko had a dark past. There was something chilling in his eyes, like he’d seen death up close. Vladek had never seen him lose his composure. He’d been working with Mirko for a couple of years and become a welcome guest in his and Karin’s home.

  Mirko had always been there for him, had helped him find his feet and hadn’t been fazed by his criminal past. If anything, it seemed to have made him more willing to help, as if he understood just what it took to start over.

  He took a breath and called him, it rang three times before he picked up.

  “Vlad, what’s happening?”

  “Hey Mirko, I really need some advice man. Something happened, I’m in trouble.”

  “What kind of trouble?”

  “It was on the news earlier, maybe you heard already?”

  “The raid on Appleby’s? Fuck Vlad! You were involved?”

  “They were a man short, needed somebody and called in an old favor. They asked me to drive. Fuck, I’m so fucking dumb! The plan seemed good, but I don’t know what I was thinking. Easy money maybe, I should’ve fucking known better. What should I do
Mirko?”

  “Who planned it, Bratva? What about the cops, are you still in town or on the run?”

  “Yeah, some of the crew outta New York. I’m still in town, I think I’ve covered my tracks. The girl, the hostage, she ID’d me but don’t think she ratted me out, not yet anyway. I think maybe I can trust her to stay quiet.”

  “What about the haul, how much?”

  “Shit man, it’s a lot. A lot more than I was expecting from a store in Ithaca, millions maybe. Now I know why they planned it so well, so professional. I’ve got it well hidden but they’re gonna be looking for it. Everyone’s gonna be fucking looking for it.”

  “You gotta just sit tight Vlad, but they’ll come for it, and with that kinda haul they won’t have much patience. The Bratva could be your biggest problem right now, they’ll squash a punk like you without a second thought to claim what’s theirs. They’ll have that girl in their sights as well, she’s involved now. You’ve got a responsibility there Vlad.”

  “What if I just wait until things cool down and then hand it all over?”

  “For a haul that size these guys won’t wait. Maybe you already guessed, but I have a bit of history with the Bratva. I know what they’re like and who’s in charge. They won’t wait around to take what’s theirs and they don’t like loose ends, like you, like the girl.

  “Fuck man, what the fuck do I do, can you do anything to help me?”

  “For the time being just sit tight. I can’t be involved in this shit. They can’t know about me or Karin. I gotta get my family safe first, then maybe I can help. But this is your fucking mess Vlad. You fucked up big and now you gotta own it and clean this shit up. Get a burner phone, don’t use this number again. Sit tight and keep your eyes open, prepare for everything. And the girl, sounds like you owe her, and she’s in danger now too so you gotta decide what to do about that.”

  “Shit, you’re right, I know it. They’ll definitely come looking for what I’m holding and the cops might be the least of my worries. Thanks man, I owe you. It’s a fucked up situation but I gotta ride it out. I’m sorry for any heat this brings on you. I owe you so much, I’ll make it right.”