Once a Crooked Man

by David McCallum

  “An IRS agent came to the apartment to ask me about the Gazelle. Name of Luigi Rienzi. I told him I kept all my files at the office. I said I’d get back to him tomorrow. He gave me his card and left. As he was getting in the elevator he asked me if I knew anyone called ‘Bruschetti.’ I’m pretty sure he did it to see my reaction. I tried to keep calm. I told him no, but if he’s any good, he knows I’m lying.”

  “What did you do then?” asked Enzo.

  “I went to the office…” He paused.

  “And?” said the other pointedly.

  “We made a mistake.”

  “We?”

  “My assistant registered the boat to one of our dummy companies but made the mistake of putting down my firm as the contact address. When the boat sank, the Feds checked the registration. I still have no idea how or where they came up with ‘Bruschetti.’”

  There was a long and very pregnant pause.

  Harry watched in fascination as each of this strange cast of characters tried to figure out how this news would affect their lives. By the expressions on their faces none envisioned a rosy future.

  Max spoke first. “Son of a bitch…” he said quietly.

  Carter wheeled around and stared at him. It was clear to Harry that Gray Suit was now well out of his depth. His forehead had developed a wet shine and his hands were beginning to tremble. “So what do we do, Max?” he was asking pointedly.

  “Give it a rest, Carter,” said Sal.

  “Are you all aware,” Carter spoke with a great deal of irony, “I have a wife and kids? What you don’t know is that I’ve lied to them for years. Can you believe it? I’ve lied to my kids! Ever since they were old enough to hear my voice.”

  “You know your problem, Carter?” said Furella. “You’re hung up on good and bad. Right and wrong. You always have been. You should face the fact that you’re human like the rest of us.”

  Carter said vehemently, “Are you telling me I deserve what I got?”

  “Furella’s right,” said Sal. “You got problems just like us. You gotta learn to take it easy, give it time—”

  “Take it easy, Sal?” The decibel level was rising. “I am about to lose everything I’ve worked for. I am no doubt going to prison. For how long, I wonder? Ten, fifteen, twenty years?”

  “Hey Carter,” said Enzo, “get yourself a drink. This is no time to lose it.”

  “If I remember right,” said Sal, trying to use reason, “you brought all this on yourself.”

  Carter banged on a table. “That was way back in college for God’s sake!”

  “You supplied half the fucking campus!”

  “You’re right, Sal, when I was going through some of the happiest times of my life! But then I had to go and get myself involved with you. Wasn’t so great after that.”

  “Ma che cazzo, e falla finita!” said Max. “Give it a break.”

  “I admit I was stupid back then,” Carter persisted. “But shouldn’t the punishment fit the crime?”

  “You came to us,” Max said patiently. “I made you an offer and you accepted.”

  “You threatened to feed me to a pack of dogs!”

  “You gave up real easy. And you got plenty of perks working with us.”

  “I never worked with you! What I did I did under duress! I have never at any time collaborated…”

  “Oh grow up why don’t you!” retorted Max. “Stop thinking only about yourself. You’re acting like a spoiled brat.”

  Harry thought he almost heard something tangible snap inside the tall man.

  “Brat?” he echoed. “Yes I’m behaving like a brat. A stupid, idiotic brat! Do you think a sane man would have gone out and bought this?”

  A small automatic appeared in Carter’s hand. The room froze. Harry felt it an extremely bad time for him to be tied to a chair.

  “What about you, Max?” Carter was yelling. “You’re not so smart!”

  The little gun began to wave around for emphasis.

  “All your clever talk about all the little people that work for you? How none of them knows what the others do? Well, someone’s talked. Someone’s caused a pretty big chink in your goddam armor!”

  The gun became a pointing device.

  “And now the water is seeping in. Once it becomes a torrent you’ll sink just like the goddam boat. Trouble is you are going to take us all down with you. Well, I for one do not intend—”

  Harry was shocked as an explosion blasted close to his ear. Carter dropped to the floor with a thud and blood started to flow fast out of his cranium. The bullet had gone through the center of one of his intense blue eyes.

  Silence and smoke hung in the air.

  “What the hell did you do that for, Benny?” said Max.

  “Couldn’t take the chance, Max,” the driver said in the doorway. “Right now we need you a hell of a lot more than we need him.”

  “Rocco!” Sal was on his knees by the body. “Get something from the kitchen, some plastic garbage bags, anything; we don’t want the bastard pumping blood all over the carpet. Why didn’t you shoot him in the heart, for fuck’s sake?!”

  He picked up Carter’s weapon and said, “Benny, go wash your hands real good. Then come back and give us your coat and shirt.” When Benny hesitated Sal yelled, “Move it!”

  Rocco almost collided with Benny as he came back from the kitchen with a roll of black garbage bags. Sal took one out and dragged it over Carter’s feet while Rocco covered the head with another.

  Benny came back wearing only his undershirt and carrying his coat and shirt. Sal stuffed them into the plastic.

  “Nino!” he called. “Back the car up to the door. Take a bunch of those bags and line the trunk. Benny! Stay here and take care of the floor. Be sure to use OxiClean.”

  “On it!” said Nino and Benny in unison.

  Everywhere in the room was action. Sal and Rocco carried the wrapped body into the hallway and up the stairs. Furella went ahead of them to open doors. Benny came from the kitchen with a big saucepan of soapy water and set it down on the floor. He got down on his hands and knees beside it and began to scrub.

  Harry’s heart hadn’t stopped pounding since the gun went off. He’d survived Villiers’s attempt to kill him, but this was different. By now they must have figured Harry had murdered one of them. At least when death came it would be quick. Max would shoot him in the heart, being careful to first lay out the plastic on the floor.

  But when he had finished, Benny stood up and took the pan with the brush and dirty cloth into the kitchen. After a moment he came back out and headed up the stairs.

  Harry was suddenly quite alone. All around him the restaurant was empty and eerily silent. He could turn his head and waggle his fingers but otherwise was totally immobilized.

  And then he realized that in all the panic, Max had quietly slipped away.

  68

  Still bound by her ankles and wrists, Lizzie lay on the soft rubber trying desperately to stop her mind from racing into absurdity. But as much as she tried, she found it impossible to rationalize anything that was happening to her. For the first time in her life a man had forced her into submission and dominated her as no other had ever done, and she had found the whole experience exhilarating. She had also discovered that she was not the woman she thought she was. All those years of schooling and training were gone in a flash. She had failed, both as a woman and as a police operative. She had no idea who she was anymore.

  Her thoughts were jolted back to reality when the door to the little room opened and Max came in. Closing it behind him he turned the key in the lock and came over to her side.

  “You okay?” he asked quietly. “Sorry I had to leave you so abruptly.”

  He reached down and quickly untied the four restraints.

  “Here,” he said, picking up her skirt and panties. “Put these on.”

  Lizzie sat up on the edge of the bed. As she dressed, Max pulled over a chair and sat down.

  “A little whi
le back I had a slight problem in here.” He tapped his chest. “And I passed out. Emergency room doctor told me to take it easy. Change my day-to-day habits.”

  He paused and then continued. “Just now downstairs…”

  “I heard a shot,” Lizzie said.

  “Right.”

  “Anyone I’d know?”

  “No.”

  “Dead?”

  “Yes.”

  “I take it there’s more good news?”

  “Yes, there is. This morning I had a call from someone in the UK. He gave me an ultimatum and demanded a lot of money.”

  Lizzie was beginning to catch up. Could this have been Villiers? Might the Colonel have been released? She had to go carefully. A slip of her tongue could be disastrous.

  “Why are you telling me all this?” she asked.

  “I’m determined not just to stay alive but to get some pleasure from whatever time I have left. Enjoy myself. Relax. I’ve had enough of this business. I have to get the hell away from here. Away from everyone. From everything. I have a rough idea of how I’m going to do it, but it won’t work if I’m alone. I need someone to help me. I want that someone to be you.”

  Lizzie was dumbfounded. “Me?”

  “Disappearing will take cash. I’m going to tell everyone I’m sending money to London to pay off this bastard. They’ll accept that.”

  “But at the same time you’ll make other arrangements,” said Lizzie.

  “Yes. Clever girl.”

  “How will you get the money to the UK?”

  “I haven’t figured that out yet. But I have a number of reliable people I can contact.”

  Lizzie gave him an ironic smile. “It’s a pity Harry jumped off your boat. He could have done it. Seems he was quite good at it.”

  Max stared at her for five seconds and then said abruptly, “Take off your clothes.”

  “What!?” she answered. “I just put them on!”

  He stood up. “Take them all off and lie down on the bed.”

  Lizzie was very confused.

  “Do it!” Max said vehemently. “Take off your fucking clothes!”

  69

  Harry was no longer alone. Benny had come back and was pouring himself a gin behind the counter as Max came fast down the stairs.

  “Where is everyone?”

  Benny emptied the glass in one swallow and wiped his mouth. “Sal and Furella have gone to New Jersey. Nino’s driving them over to Rutherford. Then he’s going to take them home.”

  “And Enzo?” Max asked.

  “He’s up in your office with Rocco. Cora’s up there too.”

  “Good. Go tell them to wait. And stay there. Cora can find you a shirt and jacket.”

  Benny nodded and hurried up the stairs.

  Max came over and looked at him. Harry felt as if he were about to throw up. From fear, the blow to his head and the shattering blast of the shot.

  Max spoke. “Nothing but the truth,” he said. “Okay?”

  Harry nodded bleakly. The smell of cordite still filled his nostrils.

  “You sink Enzo’s boat?”

  Harry nodded again.

  “How?” asked Max.

  “I drilled holes in the hull,” said Harry.

  “You cause the explosion at the warehouse?”

  “All I did was cut a cable,” he said weakly. “I never expected anyone to get killed. It was a dumb thing to do.”

  “That’s interesting,” said Max.

  “How come?”

  “Your girlfriend said you were just a dumb actor. Is that a good description?”

  “Could be. What else she tell you?”

  “Like most actors, you don’t make much money, so when you were handed the suitcase you decided to keep it.”

  “What else?”

  “You got scared. Changed your mind and decided to return it.”

  Lizzie had stuck to the arranged cover story. “All true,” he said.

  “She also told me that you found an ingenious way to bring the cash with you on the plane without being caught.”

  Harry shrugged.

  “Not so dumb,” said Max. “Do you think you could do it again?”

  Harry swallowed. Apparently he wasn’t about to die. For some godforsaken reason Max needed cash smuggled and he believed Harry could do it. That was the good news. There had to be bad.

  “What’s the catch?” he asked.

  Max slapped him hard across the face, spun the chair around and untied his hands. With fingers of steel pressing into his arms, Harry was marched across the room and up the stairs. Halfway up he stumbled and fell. Max picked him up bodily. The man might have had a heart condition, but he was still physically powerful. They stopped at the end of the corridor before a door marked Berlin. Max turned the handle, kicked it wide open and shoved Harry inside.

  A thin woman lay on a raised platform that was covered in black rubber. She was naked and tied down at all four corners. Max pushed him over to the side of the platform. The girl turned her head and their eyes met.

  “Oh my God!” said Lizzie. “Harry!”

  “That’s the catch, Mr. Murphy,” said Max, and pushing him back out into the corridor he slammed the door shut and bustled him down the two flights of stairs into the basement. At a black metal door set in the far wall Max spun a dial back and forward five times. As he heaved it open, the light inside went on. Harry was shoved inside.

  The vault was lined with shelves. Each shelf was piled with bundles of notes. Most of what Harry could see were hundreds.

  “Figure a way to get three million of that to London,” said Max, “and you get your girlfriend back.”

  “You sadistic bastard…,” said Harry.

  “Well? What do you say?”

  “Three million!?” replied Harry. “There’s no way…”

  “You did it before.”

  Harry hesitated. Lizzie was in deep trouble. Max had a problem. If he could come up with a solution, maybe he could save her. He took a deep breath. “How much time have I got?”

  “You don’t. It needs to happen right away.”

  “What if I can’t do it?”

  Max looked hard at Harry. “I’ll just have to find a way without you.”

  “How do I know you’ll…?”

  “You have my word,” said Max.

  “Your word!” scoffed Harry. “That’s reassuring.”

  “My word that you’ll both be dead meat if you fail. Do I make myself clear?”

  “As crystal,” replied Harry.

  Max stepped back and closed the door behind him. Automatically the light above Harry’s head went out and left him totally in the dark.

  70

  Max ran up the last flight of stairs, paused to catch his breath before opening the door. Enzo was seated on the sofa next to Cora, Rocco was at the dining table and Benny was in the kitchen.

  “Right,” said Max. “This is what needs to be done and this is how we’re going to do it.” He closed the door and moved to the center of the room. “Cora, we have to close this place tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” said Cora. “Why the rush?”

  Max spoke deliberately. “Need I remind you all, an IRS agent just went to Carter’s apartment and asked about the Bruschettis. Now Carter has disappeared. Trust me, two days and the Feds will come knocking. It’s not likely Carter told his wife about us, so she’ll have no idea where he’s gone. And if he did tell her anything she’ll keep quiet to avoid any kind of a scandal. At the very least that gives Sal a few hours to get rid of him good.”

  “So?” Cora persisted.

  “So you will call everyone that works at Mazaras. Tell them Sanitation has cited us for violations and we have to shut down for a month. Call Maurizio and Nando and tell them the same. Tell them they’ll all be getting a month’s wages.”

  “And then what?”

  “Take a vacation. Lie low, but let me know where you are. I’ll be in touch.”

  “Just like th
at.”

  “Yes, just like that. And before you leave, bring me up some fresh clothes for Murphy’s girl.”

  Enzo smirked. “Yes, I saw how her others got messed up.”

  Max ignored the taunt. “Enzo, you go over to Macy’s, and get a bunch of cases. Get ready to move the cash out of the vault. When you’ve done that, go home and make sure there is nothing anywhere the Feds could use against us. Destroy everything. Understood?”

  “Where I should take it?”

  “We still have those apartments?”

  “The stash house? One of them, yes.”

  “Be ready to take the money there.”

  “When? Why the delay?”

  “We have a slight complication. I had a call from Colonel Villiers asking for over a million dollars to keep his mouth shut. I’ve decided to give him what he wants.”

  “You got to be joking!” exclaimed Enzo.

  “No, I’m not, little brother. What’s more, I’m going to use Harry Murphy to make the transfer. He’s done it before. Given the right provocation, he can do it again.”

  Enzo gave an exasperated sigh. “Why send the fucking money? Just send Rocco. He can take care of it.”

  Max shook his head. “I don’t agree. Rocco will go with Murphy. When the Colonel sees the cash, he’ll believe everything is going along the way he planned. With Murphy there as an added distraction, Rocco should have no trouble in dealing with Villiers.”

  “He’s right, Enzo,” said Rocco. “Villiers will have figured we tried to knock him off once. He’ll be on his guard. This way he’ll be less suspicious.”

  The room became very quiet.

  Enzo was still skeptical. “What makes you think Murphy will go along with such a crazy idea? What’s in it for him?”

  “He has no choice. I’ve told him I’m using his girlfriend as collateral.”

  “I like it,” said Rocco.

  “You going to keep her with you?” asked Enzo.

  “Yes.”

  “Where?”

  “Out of sight and out of mind,” replied Max. “I haven’t quite figured that out yet. As soon as I do I’ll call you.”