Bruno and I ditched the containers in a nearby garbage can and headed toward the door. The muscular man helped each girl into a waiting sedan and watched as it moved away from the curb, turned at the corner, and headed uptown.
He spun around when he heard me and Bruno approach. “You’re too late,” he said in a harsh manner. “We’re closing up. If you want to see the girls dance, you’ll have to come back tonight.”
“We’re not here to see anyone dance,” I said. “We’re here to see if you might be able to help us out.”
“Help you out how?” the muscular man asked. He was in solid shape, upper body like chiseled stone, both hands closed into tight fists as he walked slowly toward us.
“Some straight answers on a few questions,” I said. “Nothing more.”
He looked at me and then turned his attention to Bruno, staring at him for a few moments. “You were a fighter, am I right?” he asked him. “Not small time, either. You were a main-event guy. Or am I thinking of somebody else?”
“I fought in the Garden a few times,” Bruno said. “Other places, too.”
“You were pretty good, if I recall,” the muscular man said.
“Good, yes,” Bruno said. “But not good enough.”
“And who’s the guy with you?” he asked. “Your trainer?”
“My name’s Tank,” I said. “You seem to know Bruno here. And unless I’m way off base, you’re J. J. Livingstone. We came to talk to you about Randy Jenkins.”
“Randy Jenkins?” Livingstone said. “Man, I haven’t heard that name in the longest time. Last I heard, he was still eating his meals off of tin trays.”
“Still is,” I said. “But word is, before he got roped into a murder rap you and him ran with the same pack of friends.”
“Maybe so, maybe not,” Livingstone said. “Either way, why do you and the wannabe champ here give a shit?”
“Because I don’t think he did what they say he did,” I said. “And I think you might know a little more about that situation than we do.”
“The dude confessed, did he not?” Livingstone asked. “And a jury agreed. There ain’t much more to speak about beyond that.”
“Every CI I had on the streets got cut loose from something they could have got prison time for,” I said. “It’s part of the deal. They give me information I wouldn’t otherwise get, and I clear them of a crime they might have got sent away for.”
“Figured you for a cop,” Livingstone said. “You got the look and the manner. But why you telling me this?”
“Because you were one of Eddie Kenwood’s CIs,” I said. “So I’m just curious what information you passed his way to give him enough rope that he cut you free on something you might have done.”
“We’re done talking,” Livingstone said. “I got nothing to say to either of you two sad sacks.”
“Randy Jenkins was a friend of yours,” I said, stepping closer to Livingstone. “But you let a lowlife like Kenwood jam him up.”
“And you did it to a brother,” Bruno said. “Which makes it that much worse.”
“But maybe you had your reasons,” I said. “You were pissed. After all, Rachel had her eyes on Randy and never glanced your way. It’s enough to make a guy jealous.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about,” Livingstone said, his voice taking on harsher tones, his body twitching and bracing for action, the short leash he had on his temper about to snap.
“Or maybe you decided to go down another street,” I said. “If you couldn’t be with Rachel, then no one could. She was either going to be yours or be nobody’s. So maybe you’re the one who iced her. Then you ran to your pal Kenwood and snitched out Jenkins.”
“Kenwood didn’t give a damn who he put away,” Bruno said. “One black guy in jail is just as good as the next to him.”
Livingstone stepped closer to me and Bruno and started to circle us both. I watched as he crouched down and raised his fists to chest level. “You can turn and walk away,” he said through clenched teeth. “Or you can stand your ground and bleed. I’ll leave it up to you.”
“Think it out, Livingstone,” I said. “You might be able to take me. Been a while since I’ve been in a street brawl. But if you did indeed see Bruno in the ring, you know your chances with him are slim to none at best.”
“I said I saw him fight,” Livingstone said. “I didn’t say I saw him win.”
Bruno stepped away from me and toward Livingstone. His hands were at his sides, his body poised, relaxed. Livingstone lunged and swung a right fist toward Bruno, who leaned back and dodged the blow. Bruno then landed two powerful punches, short and contained, to the sides of Livingstone’s right shoulder. The blows made his knees buckle.
Livingstone took a deep breath and then bum-rushed Bruno, landing against the front of his stomach. Bruno braced for the hit, his knees bent, and held Livingstone at bay by throwing two brutal uppercuts. One landed against the front of the bigger man’s chest, the second caught him in the throat. Both punches were enough to send Livingstone to his knees, gasping for breath.
“I think you’ve had enough,” I said to Livingstone. I walked over to him and helped lift him to his feet.
“Take deep breaths,” Bruno told him. “The pain will fade in a minute or two.”
“Now that we got that out of the way,” I said, “I figured how you can help us and, at the same time, help yourself.”
Livingstone gazed at me through glassy eyes, rubbing at his chest and throat. “And how’s that?”
“One more question for you first,” I said. “Does Kenwood still stay in touch with you? Look to you for information?”
Livingstone nodded. “He comes around once or twice a month,” he managed to say between gasps for air. “He still likes to keep his nose in what’s going on. Talk is he’s the bag man for a couple of active units that take from dealers and pimps, and he pockets a share of the profits.”
“That makes it that much easier for me and for you,” I said. “You don’t know us yet, so you’ll have to take our word you can trust us. Now, we don’t know you well, either, but I’m willing to give you a chance. But if I even get a hint you were the doer of that girl and let Randy take the rap, I’ll jam you in ways you didn’t even think existed. That come through to you?”
Livingstone nodded. “What do I have to do?”
“Simple,” I said. “From this second on, you’re no longer Eddie Kenwood’s confidential informant. You’re mine. You pass on to me anything he tells you and we’ll tell you what to pass on to him. Clear?”
Livingstone caught his breath and looked at me and Bruno. “I didn’t kill Rachel,” he said in a low voice. “Yeah, I had a thing for her. Shit, everybody did. She was sweet as sweet could be. And I knew she wouldn’t make time for a guy like me. But I wasn’t the one to bring harm to her.”
I patted Livingstone on the shoulder. “I believe you,” I said.
“One more thing before you go,” Livingstone said.
“What is it?”
“Randy Jenkins didn’t bring harm to her, either,” he said.
29.
HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY
LATER THAT MORNING
I SAT IN A CROWDED WAITING room, Pearl facing me, Chris to my left. Pearl had been doing his physical therapy at the brownstone, but he needed to be checked out by his doctor once a month. I looked around the room and could sense that Pearl was growing impatient. He hated waiting, and he hated being prodded and probed by doctors even more. I was happy Chris asked to come with us. He and Pearl had grown close in the months we had all been together, with Pearl becoming one more uncle to help ease the boy’s transition to his life with me.
“What do the doctors do to you when you’re in there?” Chris asked Pearl.
“The usual,” Pearl said. “Blood pressure, b
lood work, see if my arms are getting stronger from the exercise routines. They’re good at what they do. I’m the one that’s a pain in the ass to them.”
“I can swear to that,” I said.
“You know,” Pearl said to me, “might not be a bad idea to get yourself checked out, seeing as how we’re here anyway. Be a good thing for the docs to take a look at that lung and see if it’s healing up proper.”
“You’re the one with the appointment, Pearl,” I said. “Not me.”
“That won’t matter to Doc Cantor,” Pearl said. “He’s known us both for years. He’d be more than happy to take a look and a listen.”
“What’s wrong with your lung?” Chris asked.
“I took a bullet to the rib cage same day Pearl got hurt,” I said. “It put a little dent in one of my lungs. Nothing major, just enough to get me to retire. It doesn’t bother me most days.”
“But it does on some,” Pearl said. “Now, I know that’s a fact. Be nice for the doctor to know about it, as well.”
“We got a lot on our plate at the moment, Pearl,” I said. “I need to focus on what’s in front of me.”
“All the more reason for you to get checked out,” Pearl said. “We’re tackling two big cases at the same time, and you need to be at your best. I’ll do what I can, but stuck in a wheelchair I can’t offer you the best backup. Chris here is great at what he does and he adds a lot to the team, but he’s still learning and still a boy. And the rest of the team, good as they are, look to you to lead the way.”
“There’s nothing to worry about on that score,” I said. “I can handle it. The way you’re talking, might as well be me sitting in that chair instead of you.”
“I heard you come back from your run the other morning,” Pearl said. “You were gasping for air.”
“That’s because I had just run seven miles,” I said. “And, in case you hadn’t noticed, it’s hot and humid out. That takes a lot out of you, no matter what shape your lungs are in.”
“All the same, it would make me happy to have Cantor give you the once-over,” Pearl said. “Give me peace of mind.”
I glanced at Chris and could see the concern etched on his face. “Okay,” I said. “When the nurse calls your name, I’ll ask if he has time to take me, as well. If he does, I’ll chuck the clothes and put on that silly gown they give you and let him have at it.”
“Fair enough,” Pearl said, giving Chris a wink and a smile.
“Now that we got that out of the way, how about we talk about where we are on these two jobs,” I said. “Unless you want me to check in with my dentist before the day is done.”
“This new guy, Gregson, seems to know his business,” Pearl said. “He’s been working the computers with Chris here, and they’re finding a lot of open lanes on the accounting firm. These guys spend their days and nights moving money from one place to another. Makes it hard to keep track and shows why no one has nabbed them at it. At least not just yet.”
“With Carmine handing them some cash to invest, we’ll be able to get a clearer picture of how they operate,” I said. “I’m not as worried about that part of it.”
“Which part does worry you?”
“These guys are hooked up, Pearl,” I said. “They can hide it all they want behind the white-shoe firm with the fancy office. But they do serious business with the Russians, the cartels, some of the Italian crews. Toss on top of them the Wall Street high-rollers and some politicians with deep pockets, and you’re looking at a group of people who will not let anyone get in the way of their profits.”
“Which means the firm must have a team of their own set aside to deal with anyone that starts casting a curious eye into their business,” Pearl said. “I mean beyond big-league law firms and high-powered PR agencies.”
I nodded. “They got a fixer, for sure,” I said, “and, on top of that, a crew that gets paid to do their dirty work. Whether they farm these guys out from the mob or the cartels or whether they recruited them on their own, we don’t know. But they are out there, and soon as they get a sniff of us going after them, they’ll start looking our way.”
I glanced over at Chris and saw him hanging on our every word. “It looks like we’re going to be here for a while longer,” I said to him. “The doc must be running late. You want to grab yourself a soda and a snack?”
Chris shook his head. “These people killed my mom and dad,” he said in a low voice. “And I need to know as much about them as you do. And the more I know, the more I can pass on to Bobby, and together we can dig up what we can from our end.”
“If they got coverage to go with all that cash,” Pearl said, “then we’re going to need more than the current crew. We need to go deeper, a lot deeper, if we’re going to take these vipers down.”
I nodded. “And let’s not forget Eddie Kenwood,” I said. “He’s got some muscle on his end, as well.”
“How much cover can the U.S. Attorney give?” Pearl asked.
“In court, if we give her enough to hang both Kenwood’s team and the accounting firm, she will nail their ass to heavy prison sentences. But out on the street, she’s limited.”
“And the chief?” Chris asked.
“He will help as much as he can,” I said. “Especially when it comes to fingering the dirty badges and come takedown time. The rest is up to us.”
“Which leaves us with who?” Pearl asked.
I took a deep breath and sat back in my chair. “Alban,” I said. “Alexandra’s cousin. He’s got the manpower and the means. And he’s not afraid to go after anybody that stands in his way.”
“Reaching out for a guy like Alban is going to cost plenty,” Pearl said. “His crew can fight, no doubt about it. And they are fearless. But at the end of the day, they expect to leave the battlefield with full pockets.”
“Then we’ll make sure they do,” I said. “That accounting firm has got lots of money stashed. We’ll help the feds take down as much of it as we can. But if at the end of the day we come up short a few million here or there, who’s going to complain?”
“Sounds like a good enough idea,” Pearl said. “Plus, combined with whoever the chief and Carmine bring into the mix, it gives us a lot more firepower. But what makes you so sure Alban will come in on it with us?”
“Because it won’t just be business with him,” I said. “It will be personal, and when it hits that stage with a guy like Alban, there’s only one thing to do.”
“What?” Pearl asked.
“Stand back and let the blood flow,” I said.
30.
TRAMONTI’S
LATER THAT DAY
BOBBY GREGSON SAT ACROSS FROM me, both of us nursing large cups of cappuccino. “I haven’t been here in the longest time,” Bobby said. “Not since I was…”
“Dating Connie,” I said.
“Is that what this is about?” Bobby asked. “This is why you asked to see me? To talk to me about Connie?”
“That was one reason,” I said. “What went on back then between the two of you, that stays between the two of you.”
“That’s very kind of you,” Bobby said.
“But I’m in her life now and she’s in mine,” I said. “I just want to make sure our working together doesn’t complicate that.”
“I don’t see why it would,” Bobby said. “I’m here to do a job—one I didn’t ask for, by the way. And if I wanted to make time to see Connie, I wouldn’t need an assignment to help me do that. A dinner reservation would have done the trick.”
“She still likes you,” I said. “And it wouldn’t be a stretch to figure you feel the same way. And no one ever forgets their first love. The one you let get away stays with you forever.”
Bobby sipped his coffee and shrugged. “Who says I’m the one who let her get away?” he asked.
“You tell me,
” I said.
“Connie was a good friend to me,” Bobby said. “I didn’t have many of those back then, not with working a full-time job and going to law school. It was nice to sit with her late at night in an empty diner and be able to forget about work and school, for a few hours at least. She was easy to talk to and even easier to like. And maybe if I were smarter and not as focused on the work, I would have made a move to take it to the next step. But I wasn’t and I didn’t.”
“What about now?” I asked.
Bobby smiled. “I’m here to work with you, Tank,” he said. “Bring down a firm that deserves to be brought down. But I’m not going to hide from Connie just because she’s seeing you. She wants to talk to me, we’ll talk. She wants to have a cup of coffee, that’s what we’ll do, just like I’m doing with you. I’m not going to hide. If that doesn’t sit right with you, then that’s something you’re going to have to learn to live with.”
I stared at Bobby for a few moments. My hands were wrapped around my large coffee mug and I struggled to keep a lid on my temper. “You want to have coffee with her, that’s fine by me. You want to talk over old times, again not a problem. That I can live with. But you making a move on Connie won’t be something I will just let happen.”
“I have no plans for it to head in that direction,” Bobby said. “But if something like that were to happen, I would think Connie deserves to have as much say in the matter as either one of us.”
“That’s right,” I said. “She would.”
“How about we focus on the case in front of us for now?” Bobby said. “The sooner it gets resolved, the sooner I get out of your hair. Fair enough?”
Carmine came up behind me and Bobby, signaling to a passing waitress for three more cappuccinos. He slid in the booth next to me and across from Bobby. “I miss anything?” he asked.
“Just shootin’ the shit,” I said. “Getting to know a little bit about Bobby here.”
Payback Page 12
