“Not yet. You have to meet your new boss first,” Jerry said, leading Ray between the circular tables toward an office door to the left of the bar.
Jerry opened the door and Ray followed him up a steep stairwell to the second level. They entered a lavish waiting room furnished with leather couches and chairs. A young, attractive, female secretary sat at an impressive mahogany desk at the far end of the room. There was an open office door behind her. Ray admired the faux Classical paintings on the faux wood-paneled walls as Jerry led him toward the secretary’s desk.
“Can I help you?” the secretary asked, sweetly, as she offered them a saccharine smile.
Ray thought she was trying to hard with her platinum blonde hair and overdone makeup. Ray placed his heavy suitcase on the floor to give his arm a rest.
“Ray Burnside is here to see Mr. Salducci,” Jerry said.
The fake blonde pressed a button on a small desk intercom and spoke into it, “Mr. Salducci, I have a Ray Burnside here to meet you.”
“Very good, send him in,” a deep voice with a strong New York accent replied from the speaker.
“You can see Mr. Salducci now,” the blonde said, repeating a more forced version of her previous pseudo-smile.
“Okay, pal, you’re on your own from here,” Jerry said. “Good luck. I’ll talk to you later. I’m sure we’ll meet up again.” Jerry smiled and winked at Ray before he walked away. Ray carried his suitcase through the open office door.
Ray was impressed. The office was large, well-furnished, and overlooked the dance floor and restaurant through a wall-length picture window. Salducci sat in a high-backed leather office chair behind a mahogany desk. Two comfortable leather chairs faced the desk and Salducci gestured for Ray to sit in one of them. Ray placed his suitcase beside a chair and sat down.
Salducci retrieved a pack of cigarettes from a desk drawer, took one out, and lit it up. He sucked in a lungful and blew it out. He couldn’t have been more different from Ray’s previous LA Boss, Jimmy Michaelitsi. Instead of being easygoing and overweight, Salducci had a lean, hungry look that reminded Ray of a ravenous wolf. Salducci wore a black, custom-tailored suit, and instead of wearing a tie, his dress shirt collar was open to reveal multiple rings of gleaming gold chains. He was thin, but wiry, with a clean-shaven face and thick black hair slicked back with gel.
“What’s in the suitcase?” Salducci asked, flashing Ray a grin that looked more like a leer.
“Money,” Ray said.
“I like the way you pack,” Salducci said, blowing out a thin stream of smoke across the table. “Was your flight okay?”
“Sure.”
“How did you like working in LA?”
“I liked it,” Burnside said, keeping his expression impassive.
“I heard you requested a transfer to NYC,” the boss said.
“That’s true.”
“Do you have friends around here?”
“Something like that.”
“Just remember that your personal business always comes second to company business,” Salducci said, narrowing his eyes.
Ray thought he looked like a lean gray wolf sizing up its prey.
“I don’t have a problem with that,” Ray said.
“Good. Then you should work out fine here.”
Chapter 50
Jet Lag
“Jimmy told me about some of the tough jobs you did for him in LA,” Salducci said, taking a drag from his cigarette and blowing out a thin stream of smoke. “A guy with your talents could make it real big here in NYC. If you do what you’re told, your opportunities will be unlimited.” Salducci paused to await a response from Burnside.
“I appreciate that,” Ray said, remaining expressionless.
“Jimmy told me you’re low maintenance, which is good. We don’t have time to mess around with prima donnas or cowboys. We work as a team here.”
“That’s the way it was in LA. They partnered me up with some good guys,” Ray said.
“Me and Michaelitsi go way back,” Salducci said, blowing out another thin stream of smoke. “If he says you’re a good guy, that’s good enough for me. We’re going to set you up with a legitimate job at the club. Have you ever done any bartending?”
“Never.”
“Then, we’re going to train you to be one. You have to work a legitimate job to justify the money you’re making. Bartenders at this club can make big bucks in tips. When you do a job, you have to declare some of that money in tips. Our accountant will help you with the paperwork. Do you have a problem with any of that?”
“Not at all.”
“You can work as a bouncer at the club until you’re fully trained. You’ll be paying taxes just like any good citizen. That’s how we keep the law off our backs.”
“I understand.”
“Good, then we can move forward,” Salducci said, reaching into a drawer. He pulled out a piece of paper and a set of keys and handed them to Burnside. “Here are the keys and address for your temporary apartment. It’s not the greatest, but it will do until you set yourself up in the city.”
“Thanks,” Ray said, taking the keys and address.
“No problem. Your car should arrive by train tomorrow. Until then, the cabs or the subway can get you anywhere you want to go. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good, now why don’t you head downstairs and meet with Alicia at the bar. She will start your training as a bartender. She will also give you your work schedule. Sound good?”
“Sounds good.”
“This meeting is concluded,” Salducci said, snuffing out his cigarette in a gold ashtray. “Good luck with your endeavors.”
“Thank you,” Ray said, standing from the chair and picking up his suitcase. Salducci leaned back in his chair, studying Burnside intently. Ray pretended not to notice as he nodded at the mob boss and exited the office.
“Good night,” Ray said to the secretary.
“You too, Mr. Burnside,” the secretary replied with a ridiculously exaggerated New York accent.
Burnside grinned and continued across the lobby to the stairs. He descended and approached the bar. He hoped that the Alicia, who the boss had referred to, was the gorgeous brunette bartender working the end of the bar. There was also a slightly overweight, middle-aged brunette working the middle of the bar, but she didn’t possess the first bartender’s charms. Ray hoped his luck would hold.
Ray walked over to the bar, placed his suitcase on the floor and introduced himself to the attractive brunette, “Hi, I’m Ray Campion. I’m supposed to meet with Alicia.”
The tanned brunette was wearing a white dress shirt with two open buttons at the top, exposing her formidable cleavage. Ray tried to focus on her eyes. They were large and gray.
“I’m Alicia,” the brunette said, looking Ray up and down. She raised her left eyebrow as she appraised his muscular shoulders, arms, and chest.
“I’m here for training,” Ray added, feeling awkward.
“Okay, Ray, it’s too busy to train you now, but I can give you a training schedule.”
“That’s fine.”
“I’ll be right back, “Alicia said, turning and walking through an open doorway behind the bar. Ray checked her out as she walked away. She was wearing tight black dress pants, which showed off the perfect contours of her lower body.
So far, my luck is holding, Ray thought.
The brunette returned with a schedule in hand and scrutinized it. “Let’s see, tomorrow is Thursday: a fairly busy night here. Why don’t you come in when we open at noon and I’ll train you at the bar while there are not too many customers around. Then, after taking a break, you can work the night shift as a bouncer. Does that sound good?”
“Very good. What’s the dress code?”
“Black dress pants, white shirt for bartending,” Alicia said, smiling as she gestured to her fellow bartenders who were all wearing the same thing.
Burnside felt chagrined and he would have flush
ed if he wasn’t so used to remaining expressionless in prison and giving nothing away.
“I guess that’s obvious,” Ray said, flashing Alicia his most charming grin.
“For your job as a bouncer, you can wear the same uniform, but you have to add a black suit jacket and black tie.”
Burnside raised his left eyebrow at the mention of a tie – an ideal strangulation weapon.
“Don’t worry, the tie is clip-on to avoid injury,” Alicia added, raising her left eyebrow as she smiled, mischievously, as if reading his mind. “We’ll provide you with it.”
“Good, we wouldn’t want any injuries this early on the job,” Ray said, smiling back.
“No, we wouldn’t,” Alicia said, dropping her eyes to his chest muscles. “I’ll see you tomorrow at noon and give you a full week’s schedule. Okay?”
“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow,” Ray said, picking up his suitcase from the floor. He flashed her a genuine smile, nodded his head, and walked away.
This just keeps getting better.
Ray realized he was still grinning like a fool as he passed through the restaurant area and exited the front doors. He felt like a geeky high school student with a crush on the prom queen.
Ray flagged down a cab and gave the driver the address of his temporary apartment. He was pleased to find that it was only a ten-minute drive from the club. The apartment wasn’t as bad as he expected. He was picturing something like the sleazy motel room he rented in Hollywood, and he was pleasantly surprised when he found it clean and tidy. The apartment was significantly smaller than his condo in LA, but it had everything he needed; a bed, a stove, a microwave, a recliner, a television. He figured that was all he needed for now until he looked for his own place. Salducci said his Camry would arrive tomorrow morning by train.
Ray took half a stack of hundred-dollar bills from his suitcase and placed it in his wallet. He locked the suitcase and slid it under the bed. He went outside, flagged down another cab, and asked the driver to bring him to the closest store that sold suits. The cabbie took him to a nearby Men’s Wearhouse.
With traffic, the ride was still less than fifteen minutes, and Ray gave the cabbie a hundred-dollar bill to wait for him. Ray had no problem finding a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt that fit. Unfortunately, the suit jackets were either too tight in the shoulders and arms or too loose in the stomach area. He didn’t want to look like a fool for his first day on the job, so he gave the salesman two hundreds and asked him to perform a quick tailoring job. The salesman took his measurements and gave the jacket to a technician in the back room. He told Burnside to come back in an hour and it would be ready.
Burnside returned to the cab and gave the driver another hundred. He asked the cabbie to take him to the nearest pharmacy and the driver was happy to oblige. Ray picked up some snacks and toiletry items and returned to the cab. He asked the driver to bring him to the closest grocery store. Once there, he stocked up on enough groceries to last several days.
After shopping, the cabbie brought Ray back to the Men’s Warehouse and Ray spent the next half-hour smoking and shooting the shit with the cabbie. The cabbie told him about all the hot clubs and restaurants he knew about in the city and Ray was happy to discover that the club he was working at was at the top of the list. The cabbie was impressed when Ray told him he would be working there as a bartender.
After smoking a few cigarettes with the cabbie, Ray returned to the sales floor. The salesman told him his suit jacket was almost ready. While he was waiting, Ray bought some t-shirts, several pairs of underwear, a belt, two pairs of shiny black shoes, and ten pairs of black socks. Then, he picked out a warm black topcoat that he could wear over a suit.
Ray thought he probably looked ridiculous trying on the topcoat over his shorts and t-shirt, but he didn’t care. The cool March weather demanded that he cover up. He rang up the order at the register and browsed around the store wearing his new topcoat with his bare legs sticking out until the salesman told him his suit jacket was ready. He tried it on and it fit perfectly.
Ray returned to the register and purchased the suit coat and several extra white shirts and dark pairs of pants. He carried his new clothing to the cab, handed the cabbie another hundred, and asked the driver to return him to his address. The driver complimented his new topcoat as he pulled away from the curb. Upon arrival, Ray gave the driver another hundred and asked him if he could pick him up tomorrow at eleven-thirty and drive him to the Palladin Club. The driver enthusiastically assented.
Ray carried the clothing and groceries to the lobby elevator and rode it up to his apartment on the third floor. He unlocked the door, carried in the supplies, and re-secured the deadbolt. He placed the perishables in the fridge, the non-perishables in the cabinets, and the clothes in the closet. He checked the clock radio on the bed table and saw it was 8:18 PM. He had plenty of time to relax. He had felt jet-lagged when he got off the plane, but the excitement of being back in NYC had canceled it out. Now that his initial excitement was fading, he was feeling jet-lagged again.
Ray nuked a microwave dinner and brought it to the living room. He sat in the recliner, used the remote to switch on the wide-screen television, and watched some quality programming while he ate Weight-watchers Chicken Chow Mein. Ray wasn’t trying to lose weight. He bought this particular meal because he enjoyed the taste. Compared to prison food, it was gourmet cuisine.
After dinner, Ray tossed the empty dinner package on the floor and lit a cigarette. He spent the rest of the evening smoking and watching TV until he felt himself drifting off to sleep at about 10:30 PM. He went to the bedroom and set the alarm on the clock radio for 10:30 AM. The last thing he remembered before drifting to sleep was an image of his hands wrapped around his old tactical team supervisor’s throat as he choked the life out of him.
Chapter 51
Job Training
Burnside woke up the next morning, looked at the clock, and saw it was 8:26 AM. He was shocked because it meant he had slept for almost ten hours straight! It was the first time he slept for more than two hours at a time since he assassinated the cell phone dealer in the Valley almost a year ago.
Maybe the idea of a new start has let my subconscious off the hook, he thought.
Whatever the reason was, he viewed it as a miracle. Last night, after imagining that he strangled his old tactical team leader, Pierce, he dreamed he was working alongside Alicia at the club bar. The dream turned risqué as she led him into the back office to take a break.
Ray had never been in the back office, but he imagined it was typical with an ordinary desk, chairs, and filing cabinets. In the dream, they ripped off each other’s clothes and systematically made love on all the office furniture. It was the first good dream he had since he started doing violent jobs in LA. He couldn’t believe that he actually felt wide-awake and refreshed.
Ray did some push-ups and sit-ups before eating breakfast. After that, he took his time getting ready for work. He showered, shaved, and dressed in one of his new pairs of black dress pants, white shirts, and black shoes. He placed a notepad and pen in his right pants pocket and his wallet in the left. He smoked a cigarette while he flipped through the channels in search of interesting programming. When he couldn’t find any, he switched off the TV and did some more push-ups and sit-ups. Then, he lit a cigarette, lay back in the recliner, and closed his eyes.
Images from the erotic dream filled his head. The dream had been so vivid that he almost believed it had really happened. Ray half expected to arrive at the club and be greeted by a kiss from Alicia. The thought made him smile. His first night back in NYC had turned out to be truly extraordinary. It was a night of firsts - his first time without nightmares, his first good dream, and his first full night of sleep since he started doing jobs in LA. It was nothing less than a miracle.
As he lay back on the recliner, Ray tried to analyze the reasons for the abrupt change in his subconscious. How could he leave his nightmares b
ehind him so completely and replace them with an enjoyable dream and a full night’s sleep?
After speaking with Salducci and Alicia yesterday, Ray felt like he had been on a normal job interview similar to the ones he had been on prior to his incarceration. Then, when he was buying supplies and purchasing clothing, he felt like he was preparing for an ordinary day of work for the following day. Yesterday, he was excited about working as a bouncer and a bartender rather than a killer for hire. Violent jobs never entered his mind.
I’ll be in for a rude shock when I’m assigned my first dirty job, Ray thought. Then, everything will go back to the way it was and I’ll be sleeping in two-hour increments of nightmare-filled terror.
Ray didn’t want to go back to the way it was. In fact, he was terrified of returning to his old routine. His life in LA was endurable compared to living in prison. However, compared to having a real night’s sleep and pleasant dreams, it was a living nightmare. Sweat began to form on his palms as he thought about returning to nightmares and interrupted sleep. Ray’s hands trembled as he searched for his cigarette pack in his pocket, took one out, and lit up.
What’s happening to me? I have to get it together.
Ray closed his eyes, took a deep drag from the cigarette, and blew out a stream of smoke. He got up and started pacing with cigarette in hand. He smoked it down to the filter and snuffed it out in an ashtray on the coffee table. Thoughts of Alicia and the bartending job helped to calm him down.
I’ll be all right. Maybe they won’t make me kill anyone. Maybe I’ll just have to rough up some deadbeats. I can handle that.
Ray paced to the window with a view of the city. He could see the main avenue, the apartment buildings across the street, and other buildings farther in the distance. The sky was bright blue and there were no clouds. It looked like the perfect day. Everything was going to work out.
Ray checked his clock radio and saw it was already after eleven o’clock. He put on his suit jacket and checked himself in the mirror. It fit perfectly. He couldn’t remember the last time he saw himself in a suit. Despite the muscles bulging beneath the fabric, he thought he looked sophisticated.
American Criminal Page 31