“Dunno. Two, three years. I don‘t know why you‘re treating me this way. I‘ve always delivered on my numbers.”
“This isn‘t about money.”
Coby stared right though Bobby, trying to figure out what gives. He looked askance at Naldo and then he noticed Mary Lou. Neither gave anything away and both turned their heads toward Bobby. Coby refocused on the man sat opposite.
“What is it about?”
“You, Coby. This is about you.”
“Huh?”
“Let‘s start with the basics, shall we? Are you a cop?”
“No.”
“Are you a member of any law enforcement agency?”
“No.”
“Are you working with any law enforcement agency, local federal or national?”
“No. Look, whatever you think I‘ve done, you‘re wrong. I wake up, I check the girls are fucking the johns, I sort out any problems. I go to sleep. That‘s my life. Period.”
“Coby, you are too generous. You must spend some time outside your rat hole. I mean, how‘d you eat? Do you have a girlfriend? You must go to the movies occasionally.”
“Of course I eat. And I‘ve got a steady.”
“Right. So don‘t tell me all you do is work because that’s a lie.”
Beat. A stone cold stare boring into Coby‘s soul.
“Do not lie to me. Only speak the truth in this room, understand? You lie, you die.”
Coby‘s eyes widened. If the circumstances of his arrival hadn‘t rattled him then Bobby‘s words sure did the trick.
THREE HOURS LATER and Coby was singing like there was no tomorrow. Bobby accused him of skimming the proceeds of the block. He admitted to it. Was he feeding information to the cops? Yep. To the Feds? Sure. The fact he had electrodes attached to his balls might count as coercion in a court of law, but the shack was not a duly constituted venue exactly.
All the while, Mary Lou sat impassively watching Coby while Naldo earned his bonus. Red trickled out of Coby’s right cheek where Naldo had made an early incision. His wailing was too loud and Naldo moved on to a different body part. No-one wanted a headache from all that noise. A fingertip lay on the floor in a large pool of blood. Naldo had strapped each wrist to the armrests of the chair before he got the shears out.
When Coby regained consciousness, they gave him a glass of water and took out the electrical equipment. At this point, he admitted everything: the Feds, the skimming. Everything. Bobby reckoned he‘d have sung to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln if he was given the chance but Mary Lou interceded.
“Let‘s finish up, gentlemen.”
Coby dribbled toward Bobby, who thought he discerned a smile of sheer relief. Unfortunately he misunderstood Mary Lou‘s instructions. Naldo kicked the chair over, whipped out a pistol and shot him once in the head and once in the heart.
“Now we know.”
Bobby wasn‘t so sure. He felt Coby was hiding something but by the end the guy was singing to every suggestion put in front of him. Naldo and he were an excellent team at extracting information from people but this didn‘t sit right. As a mark of respect to Naldo, Bobby helped him destroy the body and clean up the shack ready for their next visit - whenever that would be.
15
COBY WEIGHED ON Bobby‘s mind. Not so much his death - that had been almost inevitable the moment Naldo dragged his sorry ass into their desert hideaway. Bobby kept playing back the confession in his head. Over the years many men had admitted all sorts of misdeeds to him. Mainly they told the truth and occasionally they would lie. Or rather, they might utter an untruth at the start, but Naldo‘s persuasive techniques encouraged them to change their story - at least by the time a pair of pliers or a scalpel had been applied.
A few brave men lasted a little longer but not much more. Coby had been different. He‘d fixed on claiming his innocence and only broke down just before his end. His behavior wasn‘t consistent with his words. Bobby feared they had made a mistake although Mary Lou was satisfied: she‘d found her canary.
The guy had something to hide but maybe it had nothing to do with Feds. What if his only sin had been to schtupp the odd girl in his block? Or even every one of them. Might he have held back that information thinking that it would be better to admit to that than have his dragon-wife find out.
The only promise Bobby had made was that lying would get him killed. If Coby thought he was giving up a story Bobby wanted to believe then it wouldn‘t have appeared as a lie and Coby‘d have survived. Only Bobby didn‘t tell him the truth. A tangled web.
WHEN HE NEXT met up with Alice in her Malibu apartment, Bobby voiced his concerns.
“You got to be kidding, right?”
“No.”
“You reckon you coerced a confession out this guy.”
“I‘m saying I’m not sure if we did. Mary Lou called a halt to the proceedings a little early for my taste.”
“And despite that, you sat there and did nothing.”
“Hey wait a second. Mary Lou issued an order and Naldo executed it immediately after. There was no time to think and intervene.”
Alice remained silent, ruminating on Bobby‘s response. She respected that he was an arch interrogator, but her mother wasn‘t prone to errors of judgment. She‘d never seen Mama do that.
“When was the last time you can remember Mama making this kind of mistake?”
“Never. That‘s why we are having this conversation.“
“Have you asked Naldo?”
“No way. He‘s loyal to both Mary Lou and I. So he‘d just be hopelessly conflicted.”
“He‘s never expressed an opinion to me.”
“The man watches and waits. He follows orders. It‘s what he does. But he has his own mind and expresses his views when he thinks it appropriate.”
“Old school.”
“All the way back to the Sicilian hilltop village where he was born.”
“And such a charmer.”
“Yeah, he doesn‘t believe in getting too close to a woman in case he has to bury her in the desert.”
Alice‘s jaw dropped.
“Joke. He‘s been married, but she died. Long time ago and, let‘s face it, in his line of work it‘s hard to find the right person.”
Alice laughed and they both turned their heads to the sound of the front door opening.
“Talking of which, let me introduce you to Sam.”
“Hi.”
Bobby put his poker face on and they shook hands.
“Hi. Pleased to meet you. I‘ll be back in a moment.”
Sam kept the shopping bags in her hand and scooted off to the bedroom. Bobby‘s head followed her as she departed the living room. Once she‘d gone, he allowed a smirk to take over his expression.
“What?”
“Sam?”
“Yes. That‘s Sam.”
“Samantha.”
“That‘s what I‘m telling you. For a smart man, you can be quite dense sometimes.”
“And you can be quite misleading. You never mentioned Sam was...”
“... someone I really care about? Oh yes I did.”
“Don‘t be coy. We didn‘t you tell us about your... lifestyle?”
“Because I didn‘t want to have this conversation. And it‘s not a lifestyle choice: it‘s who I am.”
Sam was as good as her word and came back into the living room.
“Shall I open a bottle of wine or do you have more business to discuss?”
“Business? I‘m family.”
“A family business.”
She wandered off into the kitchen to grab something red and Alice joined her to help with glasses. Upon their return, Bobby had moved himself from the breakfast table onto a couch.
“To the two of you.”
Raised glasses all round, a clink and finally a sip of a Californian grape.
“What line of work are you in?”
“Marketing. I‘m at a large agency in Boston. We handle lots of the hou
sehold brands.”
“And you do...?”
“I‘m an account director.”
“Not being funny but I have no idea what that means.”
Sam spent ten minutes explaining the difference between sales and marketing. Then another five describing the structure of agencies.
All the while, Alice looked on, enjoying the view as her favorite people talked to each other, nodding and laughing along the way. Sam sat next to Alice on a two-seater opposite Bobby. As their chatting continued, Bobby noticed the tension in Alice‘s shoulders subside and by the time the corporate lecture was over, Alice had placed a palm on Sam‘s lap. Sweet.
“Enough about me. Alice runs the family show. What do you do?”
“Does she?”
Beat.
“I just help if I‘m needed.”
“Oh gosh. I never said I was in charge, Sam.”
She squeezed Alice‘s hand.
“No honey, but you must be fairly important to spend so much time on it.”
“Alice is being modest: she‘s up there. We don‘t know what we‘d do without her.”
“Yeah? Did Mama say that?”
“Sure did.”
Alice glowed and Sam gave her a showy kiss on the lips.
“My businesswoman of the year.”
“You two hungry because I‘m starved. Choose somewhere nice to eat round here. My treat.”
That night in bed, Alice pondered over Bobby‘s reaction to Sam. He was probably out of his comfort zone hanging with a couple of lesbians, but he‘d handled himself well and appeared happy that she was happy. Bobby was a cool dude.
“I'VE HEARD OF this guy in Silicon Valley.”
“Great. Why don‘t we invite him over for dinner?”
Mary Lou and Bobby lay by the pool next to the summerhouse. He‘d been back from Malibu about a week but had decided not to voice his concerns about Coby. Alice was right. They both had a good nose for trouble and he had confessed. Let that be an end to it. Wrapped up in his own thoughts as he had been these past seven days, Bobby forgot to tell Mary Lou about Sam. She knew Alice had met someone - but was unaware of the precise details.
He had known his wife over twenty years but, even if he‘d had a clear head, Bobby wouldn‘t have an idea how to explain her daughter was a dyke. He wasn‘t especially prejudiced himself but Mary Lou came from the deep South and they have different rules down there. Like hanging blacks and burning crosses.
Mary Lou sighed, dragging Bobby‘s attention back to reality.
“This is serious. I‘ve got an idea to make some serious money.”
“Does it involve narcotics?”
“Not at all.”
“Talk to me, babe.”
Mary Lou outlined the scheme she had in mind. The guy she‘d been introduced to, while Bobby was lying by the beach, had access to high-tech equipment - computers, circuit boards and so on. They had contracts to make precision instruments for the Pentagon. This is when the dude should have kept his mouth shut but Mary Lou used her powers of persuasion to keep him blabbing away.
Two options opened up to them. One: they could invest in the stock and use their insider knowledge to know when to sell - or buy a bigger stake. Two: they supply the instruments under George‘s supervision and get a direct line into the US government.
Bobby loved the vision and making a dollar out of insider trading sounded fun, but he knew from her tone that Mary Lou was interested in fighter jet instrumentation. He was far from convinced. The idea a company controlled by a Lagotti would win and keep a defense contract. Absurd, crazy even.
“Give me his details and Naldo and I can have a sniff around. See if he‘s legit.”
“Feels right.”
“Yeah, but to be honest I‘m not too sure. Doesn‘t sit right in my gut.”
“It‘s the future, Bobby.”
GEORGE LIM APPEARED to be a stand up fella. A house out in the valley and recently married to a local girl. He was a natural born American and his parents had emigrated from Taiwan before he was even a twinkle in his father‘s eye.
Neither Bobby nor Naldo could unearth any vices to slow the dude down. Didn‘t gamble. Didn‘t smoke. Didn‘t drink. And didn‘t fool around with other women. From what they could tell, he lived to work and was one hundred per cent dedicated to the business. The company specialized in jet fighter kit. Details of what the place did went way over their heads, but George had told Mary Lou the truth.
“If he‘s got such a straight back, why is he prepared to play such a curve ball?”
“Dunno boss. At least, not yet.”
They expanded their search to find his angle but there was nothing on him. Naldo focused on the wife while Bobby worked on the rest of the family. Then everything became crystal clear. Mrs. Lim was a bookkeeper and beyond reproach. She serviced several local small firms and that was all. And she wasn‘t pregnant even though they were trying.
Papa Lim told a different story - he was the cause of George‘s desire to walk on the wild side. The man was ill. His pancreas was failing him. Kidneys too. With no intervention, he‘d be dead in three months, six if he was lucky. He came from the old country and hadn‘t invested in medical insurance and was up shit creek without a paddle - to coin a surgical phrase. So George wanted cash - and fast.
The scale of the medical intervention was way beyond anything a personal loan might deliver. He was smart enough to realize he needed access to dirty money. At heart, the guy was square which was why Bobby didn‘t trust him.
“Once his dad is all fixed up, he‘ll have no use for us and no need to keep playing our game.”
“Perhaps, but when he’s swum with the sharks long enough, he’ll need to meet any obligations he has to us.”
“You‘re relying on his good nature to ensure he stays on the wrong side of the tracks.”
“These kinds of opportunity come along once in a lifetime.”
“Not sure about that. This gift horse relies on a straight fella. I don‘t think we should hang our colors to this mast.”
“I disagree. There‘s a ton of money for very little effort. What‘s not to like?”
“Do me a favor. If you have to see this thing through, do everything through intermediaries. Never meet him. Never let him hear your name. I‘ve got a bad vibe - really do.”
“Promise.”
“For real?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
THE FIRST OCCASION internal compliance checked on George, he folded faster than someone holding a pair of twos. Mary Lou hadn‘t even had time to release any funds to him. So there was no crime to confess apart from conspiracy and the guilt was too much for his carcass to bear. Word reached Bobby that George was discussing their plans to the local cops but because the Pentagon was indirectly involved, the whole operation was about to go sky high.
A single call to Naldo nullified their risk and George met with an auto accident that night. The boys in blue had sent him home and arranged another interview the following day when the Feds would swing by. He never made it - nor did his dad who died two months later, around the same time Mrs. Lim found out she was pregnant.
16
“WELL, IT‘S A pleasure to meet you.”
“And for me too. Alice has told me so much about you.”
Mary Lou and Sam shook hands and everyone moved into the living room to sit down, leaving overnight bags in the hall. Drinks were offered and dispensed. Then that small awkward pause when no-one quite knows which topic of conversation to kick off.
“This looks a lovely place you guys have got here.”
“Thank you. Bobby: why don‘t you give Samantha a tour?”
He stood up, grabbed his whiskey and the two headed to the conservatory and then the pool. Alice and Mary Lou stayed where they sat. In silence.
“What have I done wrong?”
“You‘ve disappointed me, darling. Why didn‘t you mention Sam was...”
“... a woman?”<
br />
“Yes, was it so hard for you to tell me you‘re gay?”
“I was scared of what you might think of me.”
Mary Lou laughed. She was a child before the Sixties. Why would she be that prejudiced?
“Provided you‘re happy, that‘s all I care about.”
“So how have I disappointed?”
“You should have just said. Passive aggressive doesn‘t suit you and it‘s not how I brought you up to be.”
A tear rolled down Alice‘s cheek which she quickly smeared away. How could she have misjudged Mama so badly? And now she hurt inside and had the childish impulse to run over to get a hug, so everything would be okay. Only it wasn‘t.
“I didn‘t know how you‘d react. It‘s not something we‘ve ever talked about. I‘m sorry but I could not conceive of the right words. Showing you seemed the only way.”
“It must have been difficult living that lie - I get it but I‘m your mama and you can always rely on me. You don’t hold onto my apron strings but you can still receive help from me. It‘s not a sign of weakness.”
Bobby and Sam sauntered through the living room and into the kitchen before heading upstairs.
“I just want to stand on my own two feet and be the best person I can be.”
“You are a Californian, I‘ll give you that. Your mother is always here for you in rain or shine. You shoulda said, is all.”
“I‘m sorry. Forgive me?”
“Of course darling. I love you.”
Sam sat back next to Alice, who kept her hands to herself and looked as though she wanted to curl into a tiny ball. Sam dangled an arm on Alice‘s leg as she leaned forward to grab her drink. Bobby watched Mary Lou as she saw the hand rest on her daughter‘s body. He noticed his wife‘s spine stiffen momentarily and he wondered what had been said between them to make Alice‘s eyes red. Sam must have spotted this too because she maintained her hand on the thigh after she‘d returned with her vodka tonic.
THE TENSION IN the room dissipated once everybody sat down to eat. Irma had cooked up a storm and by the time she‘d served coffees, everyone was full. Alice and Sam cleared the plates after each course as dutiful children do.
Mama’s Gone Page 9