I sat back, wondering if this was a waste of time. Was I actually risking my marriage to help Uncle Joey win some bets? How would knowing what was going on in the city help Chris’ case? The person threatening Chris had to be someone close to Uncle Joey, not some new thing going on in the city. In fact, the person who could help me the most was probably Uncle Joey. But I couldn’t tell him about the new threat.
Maybe I could phrase it in such a way that he wouldn’t know the truth? I’d have to figure out what questions to ask that would make him think about what I wanted to know. In the meantime, I had my work cut out for me, and I might as well make the most of it. I could pick up lots of things that might be helpful to Uncle Joey, and I could use them to bargain my way out of a mess if I needed to.
With this much to figure out, it was going to be a long night. I wished I had a small notebook or something in which to write down my findings. Keeping it straight was going to be a challenge. Just thinking about it made my stomach clench. Too bad I’d finished off all the Mylanta.
Ramos pulled the car around to the back of a warehouse-type building. A chain-link fence surrounded the property, and a guard stood in front of a tall gate. Ramos rolled down his window and handed him a card. The guard studied it, glancing inside to get a look at Uncle Joey. Satisfied, he pushed a button to open the gate, and we drove inside.
Ramos parked the car in an open space near the back of the lot. As he turned off the engine, he glanced at me. If he had any doubts about what I did, my conversation with Uncle Joey had effectively erased them. But he would keep it to himself, for now.
“Shelby,” Ramos began, “even though you’re only acting the part, I need you to keep alert. Watch where people put their hands. If it looks like anyone is going for a gun, don’t hesitate to tell me.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Things have been known to get out of hand here, but we should be fine,” he replied.
“Okay,” I nodded. From his mind, I knew Ramos wasn’t kidding, and the sick feeling in my stomach got worse.
Ramos eased out of the car to open Uncle Joey’s door. I scrambled out the other door, and rushed to flank Uncle Joey as we walked to the entrance. Ramos glanced at me and frowned, thinking I looked too scared for a security agent, and hoped I would get a grip. I quickly schooled my features into what I hoped portrayed cool detachment.
A burly guard at the door looked us over and, apparently satisfied, pulled the door open to let us in. Uncle Joey went first, with Ramos and me on either side of him.
The interior of the warehouse was an open room, and we stood at the top of a small arena. From here we could see the boxing ring below. To our right was a ticket counter where people lined up to place their bets. A schedule of the evening’s fights was posted next to it on a marquee, with the odds listed beside them.
The left-side corner contained three offices, and a man quickly emerged from the closest one, headed straight for us. He was pleased to see Uncle Joey, thinking it had been a long time since ‘The Knife’ had visited his establishment. He was equally surprised to find two bodyguards, and eyed me with curiosity. A woman for a bodyguard was unusual, but he supposed that Manetto had his reasons. Still, he would keep his eye on me, since something about me didn’t quite fit the part.
I straightened my stance and tried to keep from fidgeting or chewing on my lip like I normally did when I was nervous. I realized this guy was dangerous, and more observant than Uncle Joey gave him credit for. Nothing got past him.
“Mr. Manetto, good to see you,” he said, shaking his hand.
“Thanks, Lanny. You too,” Uncle Joey replied. He leveled Lanny with an ice-cold stare that spoke volumes. “Just thought I’d stop by and see how things are going. Maybe try and earn some of my money back.”
Lanny smiled, but there was a nervous twitch in his left eye. “Good. We’ve missed you around here.” He liked Manetto’s money, but the man still managed to give him the willies. The last time Manetto was here, he’d lost quite a bit of money. From the looks of things, the information he’d gotten might not have been worth it. He’d better make sure he didn’t lose tonight.
“I know,” Uncle Joey grimaced dramatically. “I’ve been a bit sidetracked lately, but I’m back now. Do you have anything of interest for me?”
“I do,” Lanny spoke with enthusiasm. “Come sit with me, and we’ll discuss it.” He was thinking that if Manetto won a few bets, he’d still have enough information to earn a payoff without telling him too much.
Lanny led us around the arena to the other side of the building where a staircase led to a glass enclosed room perched above the seats below. We entered into posh luxury quite different from the wooden benches on which everyone else sat. The room held many amenities, including a wet bar in the back and lots of scantily clad women bearing trays of food.
“Care for a drink?” Lanny asked Uncle Joey.
“Of course,” he replied.
Lanny signaled to a server, and soon had a glass of scotch in Uncle Joey’s hand. He motioned Uncle Joey to a corner table and sat, with Ramos and me standing protectively behind. Another woman descended with a platter of food, and after filling his plate, Lanny suggested Uncle Joey place a bet while he was there. The fight below had barely begun, and there was still time to pick a winner and make some money.
I picked up from Uncle Joey that this was a ritual they went through, but this time he had me to help him out. Lanny gave him a rundown of the fighters’ various strengths and weaknesses, and left it to Uncle Joey to decide. He was hoping Uncle Joey chose Razor, because he was sure to win, but this match could go either way. So nothing was a sure thing.
Uncle Joey turned, handing me five hundred dollars. “Place the bet for me will you?” he asked.
“Um…sure. I mean, yes sir,” I fumbled. Panic gripped me. Didn’t he know I’d never done this before? He turned his back but was thinking that all I had to do was go down to the box office, and say five hundred on whoever would win the match, and place it under his name.
I nodded absently, glancing at Ramos since he was thinking the same thing, and made my way out of the room with the money clenched in my hand. I was halfway to the box office when it dawned on me that I’d heard the name Razor before. I stopped to watch the match, and recognized the young man as the kid I’d seen. He was the gang member I’d listened to at the FBI office. What was he doing here?
As I watched, I heard someone thinking about me. He was wondering if he’d seen me before. I looked familiar. Oh right, she looks like that psychic that came to the office. Only with black hair and glasses. That was sure weird. His attention went back to the match, and I quickly headed straight to the box office. The undercover FBI agent was here too?
With my heart racing, I placed the bet on Razor. The bookie gave me a ticket, and I turned to leave, nearly bumping into the guy behind me.
This guy was thinking that I’d made the right call, and he could let Lanny know he didn’t have to fix the match for Manetto to win. I stifled a groan and stepped around him, barely managing to keep the surprise from my face.
On shaky legs, I made my way back to Uncle Joey, alert for trouble. This time, I spotted the undercover FBI agent standing at the top of the stairs and carefully steered clear of him. What was he doing here? I remembered him thinking about a club. This must have been it. I hurried around him, grateful his mind was on the match and not watching for me. None too soon, I was back at my place behind Uncle Joey. I took a deep breath to settle my nerves and handed him the ticket.
“Here you go, sir,” I said.
Uncle Joey gave it a fleeting glance and turned his attention to the match. Razor was taking a beating, and it turned my stomach. Blood was running from his nose and a cut on his face. Sweat was flying everywhere. Yuk. I hated boxing. It was just too brutal for me. If he was favored to win, he was sure making a mess of it.
At the last minute, Razor broke free of the ropes, and in a fast move, landed a one-two
punch that threw his opponent to the floor. The crowd roared with approval, and with the countdown, the match was over. Razor had won.
Relief swept over me, magnified by Lanny and several other people in the room. The right person had won. I hoped now that this part of the negotiations were over we could get down to business. I couldn’t wait to get out of here. After congratulating Uncle Joey, Lanny finally got around to telling him what he wanted to know.
“There is something going on with the gangs,” Lanny began. “The shot callers of the two major rival gangs have been killed, along with several top gang members. Someone is moving in on their territory, and doing a lot of recruiting.” He was thinking that taking in Razor had paid off in many ways. “Whoever it is has connections to lots of drugs and guns, and they’ve started selling.”
“What about you? How are you handling this?” Uncle Joey asked, knowing full well that Lanny’s operation could be in jeopardy.
Lanny swallowed. Manetto was smart, and he’d better play this right. “I’m taking in the misplaced gang members who will work for me. Keeping it tight. Trying to find out what I can.”
“So…who is it?” Uncle Joey asked, pushing the stakes higher.
“I don’t have a name,” Lanny said. Nervous sweat trickled down his back. What game was Manetto playing? Lanny wasn’t picking sides yet. Not until he had a guarantee of protection from one or the other. “But I’d be willing to find out for a fee, and some protection.”
Uncle Joey nodded. He’d been expecting this. “You know Lanny, I just got back from Mexico, where I took out a drug cartel who was threatening me. If you have something to tell me, I’d suggest you do it.”
“Word is they’re after you.” Lanny was thinking that he’d said a hundred times more than he’d planned, but it was Manetto. You didn’t mess with him. “That’s all I know.”
Uncle Joey’s jaw tightened, and he fixed Lanny with a furious stare. “You find out any more, you come to me. Got it?”
“Yeah…sure,” Lanny said, breaking eye-contact and lowering his head. “I’ll let you know.”
Uncle Joey stood, then leaned menacingly forward with his hands braced on the table, invading Lanny’s space. “Keep my winnings as payment for any information that comes your way. I’ll be in touch.”
Chapter 9
Uncle Joey stalked out of the place like he owned it, and people were quick to get out of his way. He wasn’t happy with the information from Lanny. If it was correct, things were worse than he thought. He mostly stayed away from the gangs and the drugs, focusing mainly on his lucrative business arrangements. But it was always good to keep abreast of what was happening there.
It was a bold move for someone to shake up the gangs to get a toehold into his city. It would take someone with inside information, and a lot of firepower, to do the job. Not an easy proposition. On the other hand, it would give whoever was in charge an instant crew to take on anyone who opposed them, like himself of course. He’d have to get the South End on the job to find out exactly what was going on, and tell them they were looking for an organization a lot like his own.
We exited the building, and Ramos left to get the car while we waited. “What did you pick up? Uncle Joey asked. “Was he telling the truth?”
“Yes,” I answered. “He wanted you to win the bet on the match, and was hoping he could spoon feed you enough information that you’d pay him for it. But you ended up forcing his hand, and he told you a lot more than he wanted to.”
“Good,” he said, pleased with himself. “Anything else I should know?”
“Not really. He told you what he knew, and no names came to his mind.” I considered telling him about the undercover FBI agent, but decided against it. It wouldn’t go over too well if he knew I’d helped them, even if it was only once. Plus, I couldn’t see it changing anything. The FBI was probably more in the dark than Uncle Joey.
“Hmmm… so this person is coming after me,” he said. “Who would be that stupid?”
An involuntary chuckle escaped my lips. “Yeah, you got that right.”
Uncle Joey smiled, pleased at my reaction. His thoughts went to the trial, and he wished it were over so he could focus all his resources on this new threat. “Heard anything new about the trial?” he asked, thinking about Chris.
“Chris isn’t worried about losing,” I said. The way I said it caught Uncle Joey’s attention.
“What is it?” he asked, suddenly suspicious that I wasn’t telling him everything.
Damn! Now what? I couldn’t tell him the whole truth. “He’s just concerned with the threats I told you about. But it’s nothing he can’t handle. I’m the one who’s having a hard time with it. I don’t want Chris to get hurt.”
“David will watch out for him,” he said. “You don’t have to worry.”
“That’s good to know.” I kept my tone earnest, but light so he wouldn’t question me again.
I sighed with relief when Ramos pulled up, and we got into the car. I checked the time, encouraged to find it was only eight o’clock. Luckily, I could still make it home before Chris.
Uncle Joey was thinking about how to find out who was threatening him. I tuned him out after the first scenario he came up with included kidnapping and torture. Ripping someone’s nails off, or cutting off their fingers a little at a time made my stomach queasy.
I almost told him to stop with the torture part, and just let me listen to the guy’s thoughts, but stopped myself. If he didn’t think about me helping him, then why should I volunteer? Especially when he was in the mood to use torture anyway. I did not want to see that.
I put up my shields and kept them secure until we reached Thrasher Development. After parking the car, we all got out, and grabbing all my things, I quickly said goodbye. Uncle Joey glanced at me with confusion. “Where are you going?” he asked.
“Home. I want to get there before Chris so I don’t have to explain where I’ve been.”
Ramos was thinking that was a good idea, even though it was wrong to lie to my husband.
Uncle Joey wasn’t finished with his diabolical plans, but he’d figure them out with Ramos and get my input later. “I might need your help tomorrow…” He glanced at Ramos, who kept a straight face, even though he knew what Manetto wanted me for.
Uncle Joey turned his gaze to me, thinking how handy I would be for his planned interrogations. I tried not to roll my eyes. Was he really going to kidnap some kid from a gang? “I will help…as long as it doesn’t involve torture,” I said. “Just give me a call.”
I turned away before he could argue, and rushed to my car. After getting in, I pulled off the hat, wig, and glasses, relieved to scratch my itching head. This was big. Who in their right mind would want to take on Uncle Joey? The only person that came to mind was Kate, but she’d already tried that and lost…big-time. Plus, she didn’t have the resources to pull it off. I mean…she had some money, but not the manpower to take on the gangs. It couldn’t be her.
This was something I needed to talk to Chris about. He might not be happy I went to the club, but knowing about a possible threat to Uncle Joey could be useful. I doubted it would help his case, but it might make him back off from his plan to send Uncle Joey to prison. Especially since any plan that included sending him to prison was sure to backfire.
I arrived home, and pulled into the driveway. Finding the garage empty, I let out a breath of relief. I’d made it home before Chris! I rushed into the house, and yelled a quick hello to Josh before running to my room and changing my clothes.
I was pulling my hair into a ponytail when I heard the back door open. I stashed the wig and clothes into the back of my closet, and hurried downstairs to greet Chris.
“Hi honey!” I said, giving him a big hug. He held me for a moment before pulling back, and I noticed the circles under his eyes, along with the haggard line of his lips. “Are you okay?”
“Just tired,” he answered. “I’ve been going over the case, and I can’t fi
nd an easy way to lose. I’ve done too good of a job. I can’t lose unless someone changes their testimony or I get new evidence of some kind. But that’s just not going to happen.”
“If that’s the case, then it’s better you don’t lose. Uncle Joey would know, and he’s not someone you mess with.”
“But this could solve all our problems!” He sank into the couch and leaned his head back against the cushions. “I think I know what Manetto’s been doing that’s illegal, but with David working so closely with the company’s files, he’s probably got a back-up plan that would implicate someone in the company who is completely innocent, and that person would end up in jail instead of Manetto. David’s a wiz with computer programs and software. He could fix anything.”
“That makes sense,” I said, taking a seat beside him. “His son, Nick, works at a software company, and Uncle Joey just put him at the top of his organization.”
“Manetto’s got his fingers in everything that goes on in this city,” Chris said. “It’s kind of scary when you think about it.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” I agreed. Now that Chris seemed to realize how powerful Uncle Joey was, it made it easier to tell him what I’d been doing. Only I found I didn’t really want to. He was feeling bad enough already, and my involvement at the club would make it worse. Still, I had to tell him, regardless of how it made him feel.
“Did you have any dinner?” I asked instead, knowing he was always in a better mood when his stomach was full. “I could make you an omelet.”
“Oh, no…I ate already. But thanks.”
I nodded and was ready to tell him about my evening when he asked me a question. “Do you think you could come to the courtroom tomorrow? I think whoever’s threatening me will be there. Maybe you can spot who it is.”
“Um…that should work,” I said. “I don’t think I can be there the whole day though. What time would be best?”
“Morning,” he said. “Maybe you could come between ten and noon. The note was left at that time today, so they might be there around the same time tomorrow.”
Lie or Die: A Shelby Nichols Adventure Page 14
