by Ali Vali
“I don’t know. According to Simon, we may have you fitted for a tux before too long,” Juno said.
“I just want to have dinner with her to discuss her upcoming project without that asshole around.”
“You’re not talking about the girl who made her completely forget her date last night, are you?” Cain asked Juno.
“If it is, I can’t blame you for wanting to spend time alone with her, Remi, but I’m partial to blondes myself.”
“Who in their right mind isn’t, but this is just business,” Remi said. “Speaking of, did you set up extra security for today, Cain?”
“Katlin left earlier this morning with Mano and a group from both families. With the guys we have with us now, we should have it covered.”
“Nunzio would have to be stupid to try anything now,” Remi said.
“True, but sometimes stupid is a way of life for these guys,” Cain said. The van that pulled up alongside them on the main drag in Biloxi made her sigh. Shelby and her friends had made the trip just fine.
“Once this is done I want to move some of our security to the casino. I want the grounds cleared of any evidence of the Bracatos and the Lucas as soon as possible. Guido’s moving on after today, but there’s something about him I don’t trust,” Remi told Cain.
“Please don’t call him Guido. His name is Richard, and he’s an American,” Juno said.
“I was just kidding. But this guy looks like he’s seen one gangster movie too many. He should know we have a much better sense of style,” Remi told her, making Cain and Muriel laugh. “It’s the bad-girl image that drives the women wild.”
The car pulled to the front of the Capri Casino, and Mano opened the car door. Remi pulled his goatee as a greeting and waited for everyone to get out.
“Did everyone make it?” he asked Remi.
“At least from our end. Is Richard up there?”
“Yes, and already in a pissy mood.” He pointed to the trucks in the far section of the front parking lot, ready to start taking the Capri signs down.
“I could give a rat’s ass about what kind of mood Richard’s in,” Cain said. “I’m sure he’ll cheer up as soon as he gets the check.”
“I left some of Muriel’s staff with him in case he had any questions,” Mano told them as he pressed the up button on the bank of elevators. “Think of how surprised Guido will be when we shut the place down for a couple of weeks once the sale goes through. There’s no way I’m putting any of our people in there until we inspect the facility and check personnel backgrounds.”
“Good, since Richard was running more smack here than dice,” Cain said. “We don’t need that kind of heat. The less often we have to go before the gaming commission, or give the feds any more ammunition to make our lives miserable, the better.”
Their group moved toward a private elevator that went to the third floor where the management offices were located. Once they boarded, three of Cain’s men stayed by the doors to deter anyone else from going up.
Chapter Eleven
“Cain.” Richard Bowen stood and extended his hand when she entered the conference room first. “And Remi, you look good enough to eat.”
Ramon puffed his chest out, ready to call the man down for his obvious sexual comment when Remi beat him to it.
“Hello, Richard, you’re looking good yourself. Love the suit. It’s so shiny. You rented Good Fellas again last night, didn’t you?” She slid into the chair to the right of the head of the table, which she waved Cain into.
“I’m sure we all have better things to do than discuss how great everyone looks,” Cain said and smiled broadly. “How about you sign the papers so we can give you the check?”
“I find the changes to this contract totally unacceptable. My firm was supposed to provide security for the hotel and casino for five years, with an option to renew,” Richard said, slamming the papers down on his end of the polished table. “Muriel and Mano agreed when we did the initial sit-down.”
“The hell we did,” Mano said.
“That’s not going to happen, and I’d appreciate it if you kept your delusions to a minimum,” Muriel said. “You and everyone down to the guy who cleans the ashtrays are out as soon as we hand over the check.”
“I repeat, that’s unacceptable. I have friends in this town who you don’t want to piss off. It could be bad for business.”
“Is that a threat?” Remi countered. “Because if it is, Slick, you’ve just rolled snake eyes coming out of the box.”
“No threat, and you don’t have the balls to keep that promise. You and Cain don’t want to take me on, so tell your peons to put that into the agreement,” Richard told her as he slid the contract back to them.
“This is a waste of time,” Cain said as she stood up, followed by everyone at the table but Richard. “Our offer’s off the table.”
With that Remi picked up both copies of the contract and tore them in half, letting them fall to the floor.
“Sit the fuck back down,” Richard said, pointing at Cain.
“And I suggest you lower your voice and your finger before I have Simon snap it off for you,” Remi said. “We want what we want, and you do as well.” She kicked the torn papers in his direction. “This proves there’s no middle ground.”
“There’s nothing else for sale around here,” Richard said in a softer tone.
Everyone on the other side of the table laughed. “Everything’s for sale, Richard,” Cain said. “If you think otherwise, then Muriel’s right—you are delusional.”
“Walk out and you’ll regret it,” Richard screamed.
“You need better lines than that if you want me to take you seriously, Richard, because you sound more pathetic than threatening,” Cain said.
“I mean it.” Richard put his hands on the table and leaned forward in what Cain took as a more menacing stance.
“You had an offer and now you don’t,” Remi said, mirroring him. “Make sure you get that part of the story right when you report in. We weren’t the ones who backed away from the table first.”
“Sounds like you might be the one who lives to regret something today,” Cain said seriously, before she walked out. “Or if I know your boss, you might not live long enough to regret anything.”
“That went well, don’t you think?” Ramon asked, making everyone laugh as they got in the elevator. “Mano, call our friend with the DEA. It’s time to play our part as good citizens and give our government friends some hints as to what’s going on at the Capri.”
“Anonymous calls are one of my specialties.”
Ramon put his hands on Remi and Cain’s shoulders. “We haven’t heard the last of this.”
“You’re a gambling man, Ramon,” Cain said. “I say we’re back here in a couple of days and someone else is sitting next to Richard’s chair with a gun pointed at his balls. Remi was right to call him on it. There’s no way Nunzio gave him the okay to walk away from this deal.”
“If that’s the case, then the guy’s got cojones,” Mano said. “The Luca family isn’t known for their forgiving nature.”
“It’s the only thing we all have in common,” Ramon said, the three of them smiling at the truth of his observation. “But only when it’s truly deserved. None of us would’ve let someone else talk for us today, no matter whose name’s on the deed.”
“Like I said, stupid is a way of life for some people,” Cain reasserted. “Our problem is that Nunzio’s not only stupid, he’s also cruel. We just have to wait to see how he entices us back to the table and what the fallout is if we don’t agree.”
*
“Our guys on the street say the storekeeps in the ninth ward want to know when we’ll be back online,” Muriel said. They’d arrived back in town early enough to go to Cain’s office. “They’re having to deal with one of the local suppliers and they’re getting squeezed.”
“Sure, now they see the benefits of working with me.”
“You know all those g
uys love you, so cut the shit.”
Cain put her feet up on her desk and folded her hands over her stomach. “They’re going to have to hang on. We’ll get back to business as soon as I shake your girlfriend off my ass, and since she’s keeping us both in the dark as to when that might be, I have no choice but to lay low for now.”
The sound of Muriel’s pen on the page stopped and she looked up. “Not funny.”
“You’re not kidding.” Cain threw a paperclip at her and laughed to bleed all the sarcasm from her statement. “But we both know it’s true. Unless I want to do some jail time, and I don’t, there isn’t a whole lot I can do about it right now.”
The fact that Shelby and her partners were listening to “Can’t Get No Satisfaction” over and over again made Cain smile.
“I know how you feel about this, and I’m going to take care of it.”
Cain dropped her feet and moved around her desk to sit next to Muriel. “Let’s forget for a minute how I feel about the situation and tell me how you see it.”
“Shelby’s someone I enjoy spending time with, but I’m not stupid enough to forget the fact that it’s like a guilty pleasure. Sort of like too much whiskey—tastes good, but overdoing it isn’t a great idea.”
“Don’t think I’m not taking all that into account. I happen to like Shelby.” The cotton of Muriel’s shirt felt stiff under her fingers when she placed her hand on her forearm. “She’s a good match for you.”
“Is that an endorsement, because my father hasn’t been so kind. If I get the Casey Clan rah-rah speech one more time about how I’m betraying my bloodline, I’m going to strangle him.”
She squeezed Muriel’s arm before leaning back in her chair. “If this is the life you really want, then I’ll talk Uncle Jarvis off the ledge. But if you choose this, you know I’ll have to change your role in the family business, and it’ll have nothing to do with trust. You’re my family and I love you, and I want you to be happy.”
Muriel nodded. “I know that, but I also know that family or not, you can’t take the chance, and I can’t blame you. Shelby’s a beautiful woman, but she’s as driven as we are. She’s not going to give up her job for me.”
“Does she expect you to?” Cain was incredulous, thinking maybe Shelby had changed from the eager but earnest agent she’d met.
“No, and it’s not something I’m going to do either, so don’t go looking for my replacement yet. Like I said, I’ll take care of it.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Positive.” Muriel tapped her finger on her notebook. “Back to our problem.”
“It’s time to break out your Robin Hood tights, cousin.”
“I look horrible in green.”
“Then take the drab blue pants you’ve got on and tell the guys to make the rounds. Give our regulars something to help out with the added expense and tell them to be patient. It might take me awhile, but I’ll think of something to get us back to a more normal schedule.
“I’ll send a couple of the guys to pay a discreet visit to the suppliers our shopkeeps are being forced to use. I don’t mind a little friendly competition, but I’m not going to tolerate anyone trying to squeeze blood from these folks just because they choose to do business with me. The guys can pick one supplier and make enough of an impression that the rest of them should back down.”
“I’ll take care of it.” Muriel finished taking notes. “This did bring more heat than I thought.”
“I expected it, but Annabel has to either produce something or ease off eventually. We’re going to win when it comes to this waiting game. All that matters is that our debts are paid,” Cain said, meaning the Bracatos.
Muriel nodded. “Uncle Dalton would be proud.”
“Hopefully, but I still have some atoning to do.” Cain stood and escorted Muriel to the door. “Remember to do what’s best for you, and I’ll accept your decision. If it’s Shelby, I love you enough to dance at your wedding.”
*
Merrick was waiting outside the door. She had been guarding Emma, whose day usually wasn’t as exciting as Cain’s and didn’t require much “muscle.” However, Cain knew Merrick hadn’t forgotten her dark side, and Cain planned to indulge it soon.
“Give me some good news, Merrick,” she said, dropping back into her chair.
“Your pal Barney Kyle’s attorney managed to schedule a court date to get most of the charges against him dropped. But his row got harder to hoe after a recent FBI investigation. They discovered evidence of his fat bank accounts and haven’t allowed him bail.”
“Is he going to attend this procedure in person?”
Merrick took the seat Muriel had vacated and crossed her legs. “The federal prosecutor’s office wants to use a video link, but Barney wants to go. That’s the story they’re putting out.”
Cain cocked her head back and laughed. “When you say it like that I have to guess there’s an unofficial story.”
“You remember Shakes Curole?”
“Don’t you mean bad-luck Curole? He’s the only guy I know who has worse luck at the track and the tables than our old friend Blue. What about him?”
“His son works at the Federal Building in the jail ward as a guard. Since they don’t hold a lot of people down there, the kid’s got plenty of time to keep an eye on Kyle.” Merrick took a roll of mints out of her pocket, peeled the foil off the end, and laughed when Cain knocked on the desk to get her talking again. “More importantly, he’s been able to keep an eye on Kyle’s visitors.”
“Who are?” Cain asked, trying to get Merrick to step up the pace.
“Agents who have offices in the Hoover Building, along with the federal prosecuting team assigned to the case.”
Cain slammed her hand down and everything sitting on the desk rattled. “The guys trying to put him away are on his visitors’ log? The bastards are going to cut a deal with this scumbag?”
“Shakes’s kid said, from the size of Kyle’s smile these days, they’re willing to not just cut a deal. They’re going to cut him loose.”
“How reliable is this guy?”
Merrick shrugged. “Hard to say, but he is Shakes’s kid, and he didn’t cough all this up for free.”
“What’d he want?”
The deep breath Merrick had to take made Cain figure she wasn’t going to like the answer. “Shakes is into Ramon for ten grand.”
“Tell me you didn’t give that idiot ten large of my money?” Cain pinched the bridge of her nose. “Well?” she asked when Merrick didn’t answer quick enough again.
“I paid the debt,” she said succinctly, then stopped. When Cain only stared at her, she finished. “He came to me and volunteered it in exchange for Shakes’s debt. I believed him because I figure he knows not only Kyle’s upcoming schedule, but what’ll happen to him if he lied.”
“Anything else?”
“Kyle might not have a court date with the feds, but there’s still the matter of the state charges against him. He’ll have to keep that court date until the feds talk the DA’s office into playing along.”
“When is this happening?”
“Tomorrow morning at nine.”
Cain locked eyes with her and it had nothing to do with a power play. “Then I expect you there before nine. Is that good for you?”
The question made Merrick exhale as if she was exasperated. “You asked me that why?”
“Because I just finished talking about how my business is shit, and because you’re getting used to making big decisions without me. This has to get done, but it has to be done without a glitch.”
“It will be, no matter what time it is, and I’m up for it. You might want Katlin for this, but I’m just as good.”
Cain walked around the desk, stood behind Merrick, and rested her hands on her shoulders. “Actually, I want you for this. It’s the reason I sent Katlin to Biloxi. I love Katlin, but between us, she isn’t at your level yet. I might not have explained this to you before, but t
hat’s why you’re with Emma.”
“Nothing’s going to go wrong, but I want you to reconsider visiting Barney later today.” Merrick put both feet on the ground and turned around. “Why turn up the heat if you don’t have to?”
“My father always said that sometimes the safest place is in the middle of the fire. It burns off all the shit that would otherwise drown you.” Cain returned to her office chair and laughed. “And I’m going to visit Barney today so I can start the flames that will change the landscape the FBI has drawn up for us. It’s time to give the bloodhounds a new scent.”
“I don’t doubt you, but considering how relentless they’ve been lately, I don’t know how you can pull that off.”
“Merrick,” Cain came forward and rested her elbows on her desk, “I didn’t need somebody’s kid to tell me that the FBI would be willing to cut Kyle loose. Barney wasn’t going away, because he did something very few of them have been able to achieve.”
“Infiltrate?”
“Giovanni gave Kyle a free pass because he knew Kyle didn’t represent his badge when he showed up. Kyle wanted to bring me down, and he wanted more than a ribbon and a gold watch as pay. Now the feds are going to give him a free pass if he teaches them how to do it.”
“If you know all that, then why risk going to see him?”
“To make sure. I’m not questioning myself, at least I try not to very often, but I’m willing to be proven wrong when it comes to something like this. I realize my actions may cause some fallout, but I can’t take a chance on being wrong one way or the other.”
“I’ll get back to work, then, and leave you and Lou to it.”
Once Cain was alone, she fit her steepled fingers under her chin. The planning that it took to make her life work was tiring at times, but it was as necessary as what had happened to Giovanni. She took a deep breath and felt like life always put her in situations where she had to climb out of ruts that others dug.
“Da, I hope Emma’s right and you’re looking out for us. Every so often it’s hard to gauge how the bear will react when you shove the stick up its ass.”