Эд Макбейн - Criminal Conversation

“Which is why we’re here,” Angelli said. “To make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“Anybody else, it’d already be too late for talk. The man would be gone.”

“I know that.”

“We go back a long way, Jim...”

“I know that, too. That’s why I’m here today, Frank. To ask that we don’t let this thing get out of hand. We don’t do anything foolish could cause trouble between the families. We don’t want that, and we’re sure you don’t want that, either.”

“Who is this asshole, anyway, the fuckin’ Pope you’re defendin’ him this way?”

“My cousin’s in love with him, what the fuck can I do?” Angelli said.

“Does she know he’s married?”

“She knows. But he’s gettin’ a divorce.”

“Yeah, divorce my ass.”

“That’s what he told her.”

“How we gonna make this right, Jimmy?”

“How do you want it to go, Frank? You’re the one got hurt here, you tell me.”

“I’m glad to hear you talking this way.”

“What’s right is right,” Angelli said.

“I don’t know what to tell you. This is money that was stolen , you understand? I go higher with this, I know just what I’m gonna hear. Stolen money ? Hey, come on. You know what to do, why you even bothering me with this? That’s what I’ll hear.”

“I thought,” Angelli said, and sighed heavily. “I thought... we all go back a long way. You, me... Rudy. Other families, there’s been trouble, but us, never. That’s ’cause there’s always been the proper respect, am I right, Frank?”

“Till now.”

“No. No, Frankie, don’t say that, please. This isn’t a matter of disrespect Colotti to Faviola, it ain’t that at all. This is a jerk we’re dealin’ with here, a man with no sense. Di Nobili’s a fuckin’ jerk, I admit it, I told my cousin what she sees in this jerk is beyond me. Women, what can I tell you? He’s a jerk, he’s a loser, he’s a fuckin’ thief, he’s all these things, I agree with you. But he’s also somebody not worth botherin’ with, you follow me, Frank? We can settle this without goin’ the whole nine yards. It don’t have to be that drastic , you understand what I’m sayin’? It ain’t even worth Rudy’s time to be thinkin’ of something so drastic. What I thought is if you talked to him, he might find it in his heart to give this jerk a break. That’s all I’m askin’. Figure out a way for this jackass to work it off. The fifteen, the additional five, take it out of his fuckin’ ass, work his ass off till he pays it all back.”

“You gonna guarantee it, Jimmy?”

“That’s askin’ a lot, Frank. I don’t even know the man. He’s a jerk my cousin’s involved with, I’m pleadin’ this for her, not for him. She’s flesh and blood, Frankie. She’s my first cousin. We were kids together, we grew up together. Like you and me. And Rudy.”

“Rudy, huh?”

“If you could talk to him...”

“Where you been, Jim?”

“What?”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Palumbo said, but there was a note of finality in his voice. “I’ll talk it over with Le—”

There was the sound of his chair being shoved back, thunderously close to the bug.

“... and get back to you. That’s the best I can say right now. No promises.”

“ Who? ” Michael asked.

“Shhhh!”

The men were still talking, exchanging farewells, sending regards, thanking each other for having given the time to this important matter. But the business was finished, there was really nothing more to say. Now there was the sound of more chairs being shoved back, registering like an avalanche on the bug. Then footsteps. And the distant voice of the restaurant owner calling his farewells. And the sound of a door closing. And then only the restaurant’s background noises.

“ Who did he say?” Michael asked.

“It sounded like ‘Lena.’”

“That’s what I thought.”

“Who the hell is Lena ?”

“I don’t know.”

“That name mean anything to you? Lena?”

“Maybe it’s his wife’s name. Maybe Palumbo’s gonna talk it over with her .”

Michael looked at him.

“Well,” Georgie said, and shrugged.

“This is a terrible connection,” Sarah said. “Where are you?”

“At the office,” Michael said. “Shall I try it again?”

“Maybe I should call you back.”

“It’s cheaper from here, isn’t it?”

“Let me call you back, anyway.”

“Okay, good,” Michael said, and hung up.

She’d been dressing for dinner when he called, and she stood now in bra and panties in the largest guest room, hers through seniority whenever she and her sister were visiting together. There were four bedrooms in the house, all of them on the second floor, all with glorious views of the ocean. The master bedroom in particular, with its French doors opening on the sea, offered a vista to the south that encompassed miles of open water to Statia and St. Kitts. Behind the house, to the northwest, you could see all the way up the mountain to the houses surrounding the hotel on Morne Lurin, a spectacularly twinkling view at night. Sitting at the dressing table facing the window wall, Sarah dialed Michael’s office directly. Beyond the open French doors, the sun was beginning to dip toward the water, staining the sky in its wake.

“Organized Crime, Welles.”

“How do you do, Mr. Welles,” she said, “I wish to report a crime, please.”

“What is the crime, ma’am?” he asked, recognizing her voice at once.

“Reckless Abandonment,” Sarah said.

“No such crime, ma’am. We’ve got Abandonment of a Child, that’s Section Two-Six-Oh of the...”

“This is an adult ,” she said. “The person abandoned.”

“An adult, yes, ma’am. Male or female?”

“Female, Mr. Welles. Very. Michael, I’m beginning to feel neglected. When are you...?”

“Ahhh, yes, Criminal Negligence, ma’am, Section One-Two...”

“When are you coming down here?”

“As soon as I can, honey.”

“I miss you.”

“I miss you, too. But I’ve got to keep at this. I may be onto something, Sarah. I won’t know till I dig a little deeper. Anyway, however this goes, I’ll be down for sure on New Year’s Eve.”

“That means we’ll only be together a day or so before we have to head home.”

“Two full days and three nights.”

“I still don’t see what’s so important about this. Did Scanlon cancel anyone else’s vacation?”

“Georgie had to postpone till tomorrow.”

“Then why don’t you leave tomorrow?”

“Then no one’d be here working the case.”

“ What case?”

“That’s a secret.”

“Even from me.”

“Even from you.”

“Withholding Evidence from a Spouse, class E felony punishable by...”

“Move you,” he said.

“I love you, too. Please hurry down here.”

“As soon as I can, honey. What are your plans for tonight?”

“It’s my sister’s last night...”

“I know.”

“Yolande’s feeding Mollie right this minute. Heather and I are going into Gustavia for dinner, like grown-ups.”

“What are you wearing?”

“Later? Or right this minute?”

“Which would I like better?”

“Right this minute. But I haven’t got time.”

“Tell me, anyway.”

“Lacy white bra and panties.”

“Mmmm. High heels?”

“Not yet. Call me later, we’ll talk dirty.”

“What time?”

“Everyone should be asleep by eleven or so.”