Mrs Jones

by William Cain

  Juvieux answers the call from his regional director in Atlanta, and they’re both pretty excited about the future. Knowing what they know, and being able to control what happens next, makes this the biggest chess game they’ve ever played. Planning the next five or ten moves takes a lot of good guessing, and the FBI is fully in charge. They want to do this right. It could mean the biggest net win in decades.

  “John, good to hear from you. You read over my report?” David asks, with the natural high in his voice a man can’t hide when he’s brimming with self-satisfaction and high hopes for the future.

  “Read it? I framed it!” the director answers enthusiastically. “David, this is going to be big, real big!” He takes a deep breath, “I sent this to the highest levels, strictly confidential. We’ll meet when you return, but for now, tell me your next move, let’s make sure we’re on the same page.”

  Speaking from his secure cell, David replies, “I’ll need to hold the arrest of Battaglia until Asheville PD completes their investigation. The Elsie Battaglia murder. I see that as almost immediate. Biggie conducted his own investigation and saved Asheville PD the work. They’ll close the case, and then WHAM!, we arrest those losers and bring down the entire Chicago syndicate with what they know.”

  “What did you do with Riggoti’s bodyguard? You leave him with MPD?”

  “No way. That’s like giving out a map to all the Hollywood stars’ homes. We can’t let this get out. If it does, Biggie will go deep under and we’ll never find him. Don’t worry, John, I’m not asleep.”

  “Didn’t mean to say you were David,” the director replies.

  “The only problem we had with the bodyguard was finding one of our own that would transport him. He really stank. He was so scared when the agent found him, and he had crapped his pants more than once.” David is laughing out loud, so hard he can hardly get this next part out. “So, no one wanted him in their car. And I couldn’t really order anyone to take him. That would be so wrong!”

  The director is laughing along, it’s contagious. “So what did you do?” he asks between gulps for air.

  David is finding it hard to tell him this next part, he’s laughing so much, but he finally settles down and says, “We found a blanket and had the guy take his clothes off, and then Agent Sinclair hosed him down right there, outside the safehouse. He was freezing! You should have seen the size of his junk! He claimed it was shrinkage!” They both start laughing maniacally.

  After a while they calm down. This is going to be a great story and they’ll tell it until the day they die. But it’s business first, and they both know how important the weeks ahead will be.

  “David, you make me miss the fieldwork. I envy you. You’re going to be famous,” the director tells him. And, David can tell his director is envious, and smiling. He’s usually glum and mean, and not too well liked. So, this is a nice change. He ends the call with the usual formalities and they agree to meet up in a few days, along with some key figures, to draft their plans.

  They’re on the precipice of history, and they are going to make it as tall as possible before they push Biggie and his buddies over into the abyss.

  ◆◆◆

  Even Miami’s temperate weather couldn’t make the man pulling up to Miami Beach Marina look better than the sickly, thin, pale corpse-like figure that he is. He’s Riggoti’s number two, and as he steps from his cream-colored Bentley, he throws the keys to the valet, not bothering to take a stub, and barks an order, “Keep it up front.”

  Inside Riggoti’s office, Vincent watches as Jimmy Sclafani departs his car and walks towards him, towards the building, and towards a meeting that will change his life. He’s already met with this guy a few times, worked with him even, and he knows from their first encounter why he’s called Jimmy “Dead Eyes.” It’s a little sad, Jimmy’s looks, Vincent thinks. Because he’s really not a bad guy, considering he’s a criminal. He just looks the part.

  Once Jimmy throws open the door to the office, he’s ushered upstairs. There he finds Vincent and the two men embrace, the sounds of the Marina and dockworks playing in the background, wafting through the open windows, accompanied by warm breezes. They’re both dressed casually, in light summer-like attire, befitting the nature of their business.

  “Jimmy,” Vincent says, looking him over, “good to see you again. It’s been a while.”

  Reflecting thoughtfully, he answers, “I think it was your uncle’s retirement party, over a year ago. Am I right?”

  “You are. Time passes quickly these days. I think the older you get, the faster it flies. Soon, we’ll be retiring!”

  “Bite your tongue, Vincent!” and they both share in the moment. They know it’s coming, retirement, faster than they like. But, they both also know that if they do make it to retirement, it’ll take a little luck to not be serving time. It’s the life they chose, or was chosen for them, and there’s no sense in moaning about it.

  They sit, go over some other formalities, and then begin to discuss why Vincent is here. He leads in, “You see Joey is not here. There’s a reason for that.” Jimmy is listening. In this business, you keep a tight lip and measure your reactions. One slip means the difference between success or failure, and failure is not good.

  Jimmy is looking expectantly, and he’s not sure if this is going to be bad or good. However, Vincent appears pretty calm and exudes good spirits, so Jimmy is leaning toward hearing positive news, and he isn’t brooding.

  A maid makes her appearance and the men place an order for drinks and small plates, tapas. She makes her exit and once gone, Vincent continues, “Joey has been asked to do something special for the Family. In return, he’ll get the business he’s been asking for.” Vincent tries to gauge Jimmy’s reaction, but the guy’s got his “dead eyes” out, which could be a sign of mistrust, or it could just be “dead eyes.” So, he doesn’t try to read anything into it.

  “Joey’s been pretty patient about the business, so it’s good to hear it’s moving in our direction Vincent, thank you. Can you tell me what he’s been asked to do?”

  “That I cannot do. For now, think of Joey as ‘reassigned,’ and that will go on for around six months.”

  At this, Jimmy is clearly skeptical, “That sounds a lot like administrative leave, like he’s been fired or something. I’ll need to speak with him.”

  Vincent doesn’t become angry, but he lets Jimmy calm down a little, and, after a moment or two passes, he tells him, “He’s already accepted our offer. He’s in a better place. I’m here to tell you myself. And I’m here to tell you our plans for the Miami operation.”

  Jimmy stands pat and waits for his new orders. Vincent is in charge and he knows it. He’s not liking all this mystery and mumbo-jumbo, but it’s not his place to question Vincent.

  “Jimmy, you are now in charge here.” Vincent sees an actual smile crack Jimmy’s face, imperceptible, but it’s there. At this, the two men discuss the operations at length, the new business, and the memory of Joey Riggoti is compartmentalized, just one piece of a larger plan.

  Their meal arrives, and they break bread, poring over their plans for the future. After the long day is over and they’ve completed all the new arrangements, Jimmy stands to leave. Vincent also stands and walks over to his briefcase, taking an envelope out.

  He turns toward Jimmy, holding out the envelope, “Joey asked me to give you this. It’s about his family.”

  Jimmy looks inside and reads what appears to be instructions from his former boss. Vincent knows the orders come from Gen, but he’s not telling Jimmy.

  When Jimmy’s done reading, he looks at Vincent, “He tells me to have his family relocated, tonight, late, secretly. To take them to a private airstrip west of here, where a jet will be waiting with flight plans filed for Saint Lucia. There they’ll be reunited with Joey in a couple of months.”

  “That’s what I thought he might do. We’re not against it,” Vincent lies. “The kids are older now, adults really, and the
y know what kind of business they’re dad is in. So, they might not like it, but they’ll adjust.”

  Vincent knows Gen set this up to make it look like Riggoti has left Miami to avoid arrest in the murder of Gen’s wife. His children aren’t going to the Caribbean, either, but rather being flown to South America, where he has arranged for their lives to continue in opulence. He’s not a heartless man, and it’s the least he can do after having killed their father. In any case, it makes him feel better about the whole affair and brings just one more closure to bear.

  ◆◆◆

  Addie hangs up the phone and leans back into her chair at Asheville 100 Court. Miami Police just called. Joseph Riggoti has left Miami. His family, too. Vanished. The cops there said they believe they piled into a private jet with flight plans filed for Saint Lucia. But they never arrived there.

  Isn’t that convenient. Addie is humorless. This really makes Riggoti look guilty. She wonders where he could be, and she dejectedly decides it’s a big world out there. Depending on the distance a small private jet can make with a full tank, they could be almost anywhere. Money can buy freedom and new identities, places to hide in plain sight.

  This is a problem.

  She needs to speak with his button man, he’ll know what’s going on. She liked Joey and got a clear indication that in no way would he do this. He wouldn’t kill Elsie. He almost revered her. She opens the file on Joseph Riggoti and leafs through her records until she finds the papers on his “cleaner.”

  She almost can’t believe what she’s reading. Joey’s hired killer is a woman. Her name is Daisy Fuendes. She is military trained, special forces, green beret. As Addie is scanning the paperwork on her she finds a segment and she reads it with an intensity:

  Subject Fuendes instructed to recover espionage matter stolen from isolated military base in Amazonian rain forest. Given 48 hours and dropped into unfamiliar, hostile jungle territory. Subject returned twelve hours later, on foot, having recorded twelve eliminations, three manually, two snake bites, one broken finger. And stolen materials.

  She instructs MPD to find her.

  Addie looks in the file again and finds she’s a Cuban immigrant/import, attractive. Addie can’t help thinking, really? Another woman? I guess that’s all the rage. But it makes sense,

  who’s going to see that coming?

  ◆◆◆

  Addie wants to show Daisy’s picture to Reggi to see if that’s the woman she saw on that day, Helen too. But after meeting with Captain Leary, and making her report, she can see he has other ideas.

  “We’ll need to put out the arrest warrant for Joseph Riggoti, right now,” he tells her.

  “That’s first, I agree,” she replies.

  Before she can go further and tell him about Fuendes, he picks up the phone, “Commissioner? Leary. We have important details on the Elsie Battaglia case. Right now? Ok, we’re coming up,” and he ends the call. “Let’s go,” he says, looking in Addie’s direction and motioning up with his index finger, “Off we go.”

  Addie’s not too keen on where this is headed. And when they arrive at Commissioner Bill Evans’s office, she finds out she’s right. After laying out all the details about the case so far, and ending with Riggoti’s disappearance and the ensuing warrant, the commissioner states bluntly, “That ends the case. Close it.”

  Addie objects, “No way this is over. We don’t know everything. We can’t close this case until he is in custody.”

  Captain Leary looks at the commissioner, and he looks back. Addie sees this and thinks she’s being set up. The commissioner returns her stare and tells her, “I am the commissioner, and I serve at the pleasure of the mayor. You work for me, and this case is closed.”

  Addie is steaming, and rather than lose her head, she sternly tells the both of them, “And I am a cop, and this case is not solved. We need to speak to his people. There’s more to this. It’s just too convenient.”

  The commissioner looks at her captain again, and the captain answers back with a slight look of despair and says, “We wanted her on the case because she’s the best we have, the best I’ve ever met. We get what we deserve, Bill.”

  And now it’s the commissioner’s turn to be steamed, “I need the mayor off my ass, because she needs the Chicago mayor off her ass, because that mayor needs the Griffith family, Elsie’s family, off his ass.”

  And the commissioner declares, “You have enough to conclude the case.”

  “Close it!”

  To which Addie shoots them both a nasty look and, frankly, they look a little scared, her stare boring into them with those green, unblinking eyes. This is one woman who has no problem with eye contact.

  Her mind starts working. She has some vacation time coming. She’ll take it in two days, make it a long weekend. And she knows where it’s going to be, where she’ll be flying to.

  Miami.

  She’s thinking a lot about Daisy Fuendes.

  Epilogue

  February

  Frank continues his pursuit of Adelaide; he’s not giving up, and he doesn’t agree with her reasoning, that he might take Frédérica back. He also is incredulous that his mother will marry this guy named Ken Jones, who he hasn’t even met yet. And he thinks her behavior is weird, talking to herself, acting things out, marrying Jones at her age. What the hell is going on!?

  His thoughts always return to Adelaide. Boy gets girl. Boy loses girl. He misses her, that pigheaded cop that can hum the tune to every sit-com, that can’t cook, who gets cuter when she’s tipsy. She’s on his mind almost every waking moment, and in his dreams, too.

  No…boy will get girl. Boy will get girl back.

  ◆◆◆

  Reggi knows she’s fallen in love with Ken, and she thinks about their wedding, about all the parties they’ve been to together, the yacht, the mansion, the ranch, the horse he gave her, all the money he has, his rehabilitation. She knows she was a big part of that and feels that Ken owes her for helping him change his life. He showers her with gifts, and she refuses them all, and she’ll continue to do so until they tie the knot. Reggi has her values and she knows Ken admires her selflessness, strength and core ethics.

  She never once in a million years dreamed she’d be this happy again.

  ◆◆◆

  Sniveling, money-hungry Edwin and Charlotte dream of the day when they’ll have access to Ken’s money. It doesn’t bother them that they haven’t met Reggi’s soon-to-be husband. They wake up every day hoping today will be the day Ken asks her to marry him. And the sooner the better, because what will happen if he dies before they’re married? Then Charlotte and her husband lose everything. They throw negative thoughts like that out of their minds and focus on planning for a bright, wealthy future.

  They’ll be billionaires soon!

  ◆◆◆

  Juvieux wouldn’t arrest Battaglia because Addie's case is still underway. But with Riggoti gone, and the commissioner closing the case, it’s time. He liked working with her, after getting over his first impression of Detective Henson as a stuck up, snotty witch. He wants to help her, and he wants to arrest Biggie. So things are falling into place, and the next months and years will bring huge changes.

  He’s looking forward to it.

  ◆◆◆

  Biggie’s doubts fill him, did Riggoti not do it? Not kill his wife Elsie? He knows he’s out of control. He’s ready to kill anybody to find out, mete out justice, DiCaprio style.

  He thinks back to that night they tortured Riggoti to make him confess. And he thinks about Junior and shudders treble up and down his spine.

  His thoughts turn to Gangi, when he met him, and when he met his father with the house burning in the background, Benito DiCaprio’s house. He remembers he was given control of the Family when he was in his forties. Gangi was 31, he was 46. It was destiny. All the people he had to have killed. Elsie never really asked about that side of the business.

  His mind keeps running, replaying the trip to the Everglades
and Riggoti. Michael chopped him up pretty good. It was Gangi’s plan.

  He’s done with Heritage Hills and he doesn’t care if he ever sells the place. He’s moving into Gangi’s complex, leaving all the bad memories.

  He misses Elsie. He remembers meeting her in elementary school, the cute girl with the pigtails. He can’t remember exactly when he fell in love with her. Maybe he always was. And a tear makes its way down his cheek, like it always does when thinking about Elsie. He leaves it there.

  It’s all he has left of her.

  ◆◆◆

  Gangi sees Gen spiraling out of control. He worries about him. He reflects on growing up with Gen, meeting him in 1962. It changed both of their lives forever.

  Gangi thinks about his dad, the guy with the mean face. He really wasn’t like that. Hell, he could have been an actor with the part that he played so well.

  His dad introduced him to Gen, he was only five. That one friendship made a huge impact on both their lives. They’ve been like brothers since.

  He’s anxious about Gen, probably always will be.

  ◆◆◆

  Helen knows she’s got to get out of here before she gets killed. She won’t tell Addie that Gen killed Riggoti because this whole business should just go away. She thinks it’s convenient, and it’s time to let this episode die with Addie closing the case.

  She’s heading to Australia as soon as she can. She’s tired of this life and wants to meet someone, go dancing, and stop killing people. It’s gotten old, and she knows she’s got a big job on her hands to get into heaven when the time comes.

  On the other hand, she made friends with Addie. Who’d have thought?

  It’s all about chemistry.

  ◆◆◆

  To Addie, Riggoti running away was too convenient. She’s heading to Miami to find out from Daisy Fuendes what really happened to him. She’ll know, the cleaners always do.