Blood Street

by Alves, Carl

  They kept in contact after graduation. She never thought Enzo would ask her to be his closest advisor and confidant in his organized crime family. It was a bold move that raised eyebrows in families across the country. But times had changed, and Enzo was a different kind of mob boss, determined to take organized crime to new heights.

  Sophie cared deeply for her boss. Her range of emotions toward him drifted from like to lust to love to everything in between. Not that she would admit any of this to him. She would never damage their relationship or hurt his family.

  Since she could not have the one man she cared for, she had many others. She did not care how others viewed her conquests. Men had been doing this forever. If they could do it, she could too. She exercised wealth and power like any man would.

  She scrawled through the morning edition of the Wall Street Journal, waiting for Jimmy Two Tone. Just as she finished her bagel, Jimmy Two Tone walked through the entrance. His dark eyes glanced around nervously. He found a waitress and ordered scrambled eggs and hash browns, before sitting at Sophie’s table. “It’s been too long since I last saw you. How have you been keeping yourself?”

  Sophie did not look at him. “I’ve been waiting eight minutes. That’s eight minutes less that you have with me, so cut the chit-chat and tell me what you need to say.”

  “Sure, sure. No problem there. Don’t want to keep the lady waiting any longer.”

  Sophie glared at him.

  Jimmy diverted his gaze. “Right, right. As you may know, I work for a certain benefactor. I’m not mentioning any names, but you know who I’m talking about.”

  Sophie nodded. He was talking about his connections with the FBI, specifically Special Agent Mark Andrews. Jimmy had sold out a few years back, and it was no longer safe for him to operate as a street hustler.

  “You see my benefactor has information your boss might find interesting. If the conditions are right, he would like to meet your boss. Friendly terms, nothing official. Just an exchange of information between two interested parties.”

  Sophie raised her brows. Why would Andrews want to meet with Enzo? If he had something on Enzo, then he would issue a subpoena or an arrest warrant. Andrews was a straight shooter. “What for?”

  “A friend of yours met an untimely demise. My benefactor has information that could help your boss. Surely he’s interested in knowing who clipped your friend.”

  Strangely enough, Enzo had not mentioned Johnny Gunns since the funeral. It had to eat away at him to see one of his associates go down like that, just like it ate away at her. She could not be emotionally detached when one of her people got killed. She had learned to be cold, but not that cold.

  Enzo’s tension had visibly increased since Johnny’s death. She hadn’t pressed him on the issue. If he wanted to say something, he would do so in his own time frame.

  “There is a possibility that something could be arranged,” Sophie said. If Andrews had information related to Johnny, Enzo would want to hear it.

  “Good, good. I hope so.” Jimmy Two Tone handed her a slip of paper. “He can dial this phone number at the specified time. My benefactor will answer the phone during that fifteen minute interval. If he doesn’t call, then no further contact will be made. Got it?”

  “He’ll get the message.”

  “Great.” Jimmy softened his tone. “You know, you’re looking mighty fine. That sweater that you’re wearing…whew, it’s working for you. I’ve turned to the more artistic side of life these days, making film, and I think you would be a great actress. We could do a dress rehearsal at my place.”

  Sophie rose from the table after finishing her coffee. “Look down at my shoes.”

  “Sure, baby.”

  “You see these heels. If you ever approach me with that kind of suggestion again, I’ll bury them into your throat and crush your larynx. Got it?”

  She could feel Jimmy stare at her as she walked away.

  Fat Paulie eyed The Goat’s Italian hoagie. “You gonna finish that?”

  The Goat snatched up the hoagie. He put it down for half a minute and already the vulture was circling. “Yeah I’m gonna finish it. Man, you just ate one.”

  Fat Paulie shrugged. “Still hungry.”

  “Maybe you oughta think about going on that South Park diet.” The Goat quickly ate the rest of his hoagie before Fat Paulie could get his hands on it.

  “Hey watch it, you smart ass punk. You remember who you’re talkin’ to.”

  The Goat felt like saying, Yeah, I’m talking to a fat, fucking slob who has four chins and his head stuck squarely up his ass. Instead he said, “Whatever.”

  Fat Paulie scowled. “I’m feeling a lack of respect. I suggest you think about where I stand in this organization and where you’re at. From my spot, I look down at your worthless ass. So you best not be mouthing off.”

  “Fuck off,” The Goat mumbled under his breath.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  They finished eating lunch at Tony Luke’s in South Philly, each opting for an Italian hoagie. Fat Paulie washed his down with a soda and an extra large order of cheese fries.

  The Goat threw his wrapper in the trash. He brought the remainder of his soda with him as they got back into his BMW.

  Fat Paulie pissed him off all the time. The Goat did not say anything to Tony Scrambolgni because he didn’t want to seem like an ingrate, since this was an increase in his territory and responsibilities. He didn’t know how much longer he could work with Fat Paulie, though. The man was an antagonistic, arrogant bastard. One of these days he was going to slug him in the mouth.

  The Goat had been on edge since his meeting with Salerno. He thought he would be more relaxed after talking to the boss. After all, Salerno indicated he was inclined to believe his story might be true. He stuck his neck on the line because he knew the boss had the smarts and the means to handle the situation.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about the night Johnny died. That son of a bitch with the blond hair was inhumanly strong. He could have snapped The Goat’s neck. Although the vampire had scared him shitless, he wanted to redeem himself and avenge Johnny.

  With Salerno asking questions about the killer, that meant he was going after him, and that meant people would die. People who were like brothers to him. If Salerno thought he was dealing with a man pretending to be a vampire, then he was making a big-time mistake.

  “Let’s make this quick,” Fat Paulie said. “I want to get another bite to eat.”

  “Ain’t your old lady making dinner tonight?”

  “So what?”

  The Goat frowned. “Don’t you want to save your appetite?”

  “I got plenty of appetite. Don’t you fucking worry.”

  The Goat turned onto Market Street. “Well I don’t want to rush this and fuck it up. You know how the boss gets when you don’t do things the right way.”

  “Don’t you worry about that either. You answer to me, and I answer to the boss. Just do what I tell you.”

  “Why the fuck does everything have to be an argument with you?” The Goat asked. “Can’t we ever do something without a hassle? Man, you’re worse than a woman.”

  “Quit your yappin’ and drive.”

  “What does it look like I’m doing? Picking my ass?”

  As The Goat passed City Hall, neither spoke. Eventually Fat Paulie broke the silence. “So what happened when you met with Vladie?”

  “He’s almost set up now. He’s going to be hacking four sites at the same time. This way, if whoever regulates that shit catches onto him, he can dump one site and move on to another. He’s a strange cat, but he’s got his shit together.”

  “I wouldn’t mind hitting that broad of his.”

  The Goat grunted.

  “What, she ain’t good enough for you?”

  “I don’t know. She’s freaky.” Almost like a vampire.

  “I’d do her,” Fat Paulie said.

  “I ain’t sayin’ I wouldn’
t. All I’m sayin’ is that she’s a little freaky. Not my type.”

  “Hey, as long as she makes our pal Vladie happy, then she’s all right.”

  “I thought you didn’t like Vladie. Didn’t you call the Ukraine a big cesspool?”

  “I’m sure it is. As long as Vladie makes big bucks for us, who gives a shit.”

  The Goat smiled. “Amen to that.”

  “So when can we expect some return on our investment?”

  “He said maybe a few weeks before he can go operational. And then just keep collecting for as long as he can run this scam.”

  Fat Paulie grinned. “Scam is such a harsh word. I prefer business endeavor.”

  The Goat pulled up to an electronics store on Cambria Street. He eyeballed the iPads on display. He would take one and consider it as interest on the money owed.

  The owner of the store was a Korean named Yeo See Choy. Coming up short on his mortgage payments, Choy was desperate for cash. A supplier turned him to Fat Paulie, who lent him cash.

  For the first month, Choy made his payments. He had not made a payment since. Fat Paulie sent his people to give Choy a “friendly” reminder that the money was due. Choy still neglected his payments, so it was time to pay a not so friendly visit.

  Years ago, they might have chopped off a finger to send a message, but Enzo Salerno was fostering a kinder and gentler regime.

  They entered the store. Choy was in the back trying to sell a laptop computer to a customer.

  “Hey, Choy, we need to talk,” Fat Paulie yelled from across the store.

  Choy’s smile dissipated and his face became pale. “I be there. Just a minute.”

  “Sorry, Choy,” The Goat said. “We need to talk to you now.”

  Sweat formed on Choy’s brow. He scanned the store, but didn’t move.

  They moved quickly through the store, went on either side of him, grabbed an arm, lifted him off his feet, and carried him to the back office.

  “Why you do that?” Choy asked. “Can’t you see I with customer?”

  “Shut the fuck up, Choy,” Fat Paulie said.

  “You can’t do that.”

  “I said shut your filthy, fucking gook mouth before I put my fist down it.”

  They threw him onto a swivel chair. The Goat cracked his knuckles.

  “My boss has been patient with you, but your time’s running out,” Fat Paulie said.

  “I need more time.” Tears formed in Choy’s eyes as sweat streamed down his face.

  The Goat gave him a back hand slap. He could not stand seeing a grown man cry. This gook was pathetic.

  “I come up with money.” Blood seeped down from Choy’s lip.

  “You don’t want to disappoint my boss,” Fat Paulie said. “It would be bad for you and your family. I would hate for something to happen to your two young sons. So if you care about your family, you’ll come up with the cash.”

  “You leave my family alone.”

  “They’ll be fine if you pay back what you owe. You see my associate here.” Fat Paulie pointed his thumb at The Goat. “He ain’t as nice as me. Sometimes I can’t control him. You don’t want to see him again.”

  The Goat punched Choy in the jaw, causing him to give out a sharp cry. He took out a knife from his back pocket and brought it perilously close to Choy’s face.

  “Now I can tell him to put that knife away, but I’m not sure he’ll listen.” Fat Paulie shook his head. “These kids today.”

  The Goat pressed his knife against the back of Choy’s ear. Choy screamed as he sliced the surface of the skin. Slowly he circled the knife around the perimeter of his ear, not enough to do any real damage.

  Choy shrieked.

  “Put the knife away,” Fat Paulie said.

  “Come on, Paulie, let me hurt him.” He waited briefly before putting it away.

  Choy cowered in his swivel chair.

  “Next time, I don’t know if he’ll listen to me. Don’t make him come here again.”

  Fat Paulie and The Goat exited the front of the store leaving a sobbing Choy in the back. They had no intention of hurting the man or his family just yet, but try convincing Choy of that. If he did not pay, they would give him an alternative to violence. They would swallow up his store and take control of his assets.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Enzo glanced at his watch. He had fifteen minutes to decide whether or not he would take Special Agent Andrews’ offer. He had been pondering this since he spoke with Sophie, hating his indecisiveness. He would rather act quickly, even if it meant making the wrong decision, then hesitate.

  Yesterday morning Sophie relayed the information from her meeting with Jimmy Two Tone. When she finished, she looked at him expectantly. He still had not said anything about The Goat’s story or Tony Scrambolgni’s investigation.

  “This is about Johnny’s murder,” Enzo said.

  “I figured as much.” Sophie smiled. “What’s Andrews’ angle?”

  Enzo folded his hands. “The nature of Johnny and Tina’s murder was unusual. Most of their blood was drained from their bodies and their organs were partially consumed.”

  Sophie dropped her smile. “The vampire killer.”

  Enzo nodded.

  “My God.”

  “There’s more. The Goat arrived at the house shortly after the murders and before the police arrived. He went face to face with the killer.”

  Sophie’s eyes went wide. “What happened?”

  “The Goat said the murderer nearly choked him out. He heard sirens and disappeared.”

  “Disappeared?”

  “Yeah, vanished. The Goat said that the man is a vampire.”

  “What the hell’s going on here?” Sophie asked.

  “That’s what I want to find out. Tony’s investigating.”

  “This is crazy.”

  Enzo nodded. “One of Jim Debenedetto’s neighbors provided a description of the killer. The woman said he looked like a vampire. Tony also spoke to the Vietnamese woman’s sister. She described her sister meeting a man earlier that week who was a demon.”

  “A demon?”

  “That’s how Tony said the woman characterized him. He couldn’t get out of her why she thought that, only that he looked inhuman. Anyway, this ‘demon’ also matched the description of the killer. She warned her sister to stay away from the man, but she wouldn’t listen and wound up dead. Also, Tony talked to a bouncer at the club the Staretz girl was at the night before she was murdered. He said she had been talking to a man. After Staretz left, the bouncer said the man disappeared.”

  “So what are you telling me? You think this killer really is a vampire like the newspapers are saying?”

  “Of course not.” Enzo hesitated. “There’s no such thing as the undead.”

  “Then how do you explain it?”

  Enzo put his hands in the air. “The fuck if I know.”

  “You think Andrews knows something?” Sophie searched her purse for a cigarette but came up empty. She was always trying to quit. At first, she smoked casually when she was out with friends. By the time she graduated law school, she became a pack a day smoker.

  Enzo stroked his chin. “This is out of his league. I can’t imagine he’s knows anything.”

  “He must have something, or he wouldn’t contact you.”

  “He must have an agenda. I don’t know his game, but I don’t like it.”

  “Maybe he’s trying to figure this out just like you.”

  “Then why would he want to talk to me?” Enzo pulled out a pack of cigarettes and offered one to Sophie.

  Sophie took the cigarette and allowed Enzo to light it for her. “He knows you want to find out who killed Johnny so you can exact revenge. Maybe he thinks you have information he could use.”

  “Or maybe he’s using this opportunity to get something on me.”

  “I don’t think so,” Sophie said. “So what are you going to do?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  Sin
ce their conversation, he had ample time to think about the offer. He looked at his watch. Nine minutes until the window expired.

  Growing up in South Philadelphia, he had an inherent distrust of cops. Tales of law enforcement corruption were common. For the past five years, Andrews had been investigating him, but Enzo always stayed one step ahead of him.

  Three minutes left. Enzo scolded himself for procrastinating. He was the leader of an empire. It was about time he acted like one.

  He picked up his secure cell phone.

  Andrews answered on the third ring. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t call.”

  Mark’s stomach had been acting up all day and was getting worse. He chewed on a couple of Tums and wrote a note to remind himself to make an appointment with his doctor.

  His actions of late were unconventional, and his peers would frown upon them. Not that he cared. He was after results, not career advancement.

  He consulted Rick Carroll, not wanting to have this decision backfire, and Rick find out afterward. Not only was it professional courtesy, but he wanted Rick’s advice.

  Rick was reviewing Thuy Pham’s file in his office. Mark was not the only one who couldn’t get this case off his mind. Officially, two agents in homicide in the Philadelphia Police Department were in charge, but Mark was not ready to give up on the case and neither was Rick.

  Rick laughed when he told him he was planning on talking to Salerno. “So you’re considering sleeping with the enemy?”

  Mark folded his arms. “I have to do something about this vampire killer. People are dying, and we’re not getting far on our own. Neither are Robinson and Price. So, I can sit back and wait for more people to die, or I can do something. If I know Salerno, he won’t rest until he gets vengeance for Johnny Gunns. If I can get him to share info, then we’ll be one step closer.”

  “What makes you think Salerno will talk to you?”

  “If he doesn’t want to talk, I can’t make him. If he does, I might have something.”

  “I’m not going to stop you. I trust your judgment, but you need to watch your step. You’re going to be walking a tightrope if you’re dealing with Salerno. Certain people in the Bureau would frown upon your collaboration with a reputed mob boss.”