White Collar Blackmail

by Peter Ralph

  “Your thugs said that you wanted to see me. I’m sure it wasn’t about my betting system.”

  “I thought you might have lost your smart mouth in the joint.”

  “I might have if you hadn’t had me looked after. I don’t know why you did it. It must be one of few decent things you’ve ever done. I’d thank you if you hadn’t of been the one who me put in there.”

  There was a huge roar followed by “yeah, yeah,” and a group of men high-fived and patted each other on the back.

  “Let’s go out the back where it’s quiet,” Elliot said.

  Todd looked up at a screen as the horses were being led into the gates. “That’s my race. Hang on, I want to watch it.”

  “Who are you on?”

  “Glistening Jewel.”

  Two minutes later Elliot said, “Well done, kid.”

  Todd’s demeanor didn’t change, but the five hundred he had just won would come in very handy.

  Ronny was in his office, and Todd nodded to him as Elliot made himself comfortable in the adjoining office.

  “Do you own this place?” Todd asked.

  “No. We do some business with Ronny, and he helps us out when he can.”

  “Yeah, I know. Setting up stooges like me.”

  “What we do with Ronny doesn’t concern you. I know you’re doing it hard, and I want to help you. Even if you get off the insider trading charges, which you won’t, you’re never going to get a job with a reputable business again. The minute you went inside Castlebrough the chances of ever getting honest employment disappeared.”

  “I’ve got an honest job now.”

  “Yeah, washing dishes, sweeping floors and jumping to the screams of that lunatic, Sammy. Some job. You’re never going to get a job in accounting. For that, you have to be trusted, and no one’s gonna trust an ex-con. I’m different, though. I know you’re honest and just caught a bad break.”

  “A bad break.” Todd sneered. “Is that what you call it? You have a real way with words.”

  “Kid, I’m starting to have second thoughts. Do you want to hear what I have to say or are you going to be a smartass? If it’s the latter, you can fuck off now.”

  Todd hung his head. “Sorry,” he said. “I owe you for what you did for me in prison. Go on.”

  “That’s better.” Elliot smiled. “I’ve got a club in Queens. Strictly legit on the surface. However, it’s also the front for a sweet coke operation and small finance business.”

  “The place I was taken to blindfolded?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “What makes you think I won’t go straight to the cops and give you up?”

  “You didn’t at your trial, and you won’t now, not unless you want to attend your folk’s funeral, that is. And−”

  “Leave my parents out of it!”

  “The mouse that roared. Okay, okay. Here’s the deal. You don’t realize it, but you need me far more than I need you.”

  Todd laughed. “I’m not going to sell drugs for you or get into loan sharking. I’d rather wash dishes.”

  “Hear me out,” Elliot said. “You won’t be directly involved. The books are a bit of a mess. You’d keep the records and maybe help out with collections. I think the club’s carrying too much booze in stock. You could look at that, too. You know, streamline operations.”

  “You want me to collect loans from druggies? No way. I’m not getting bashed or worse by some lunatic.”

  “Kid, look at yourself. A decent wind would blow you over. I wouldn’t send you out to collect debts without protection. It’s just that you have a nice way about you, and you might be able to collect without the normal grief. Heavying customers is bad for business.”

  “If I say yes, what’s in it for me?”

  “Ah, now you’re talking. I want you nearby so part of the deal is a two bedroom, fully furnished apartment about two hundred yards from the club. Somewhere you’d be proud to take that girlfriend of yours. Oh, how come she forgave you?”

  “She knew I didn’t set her up, and she thinks gambling is a sickness just like drug addiction or cancer. She thinks the victim has no control over his actions.”

  “Jeez, you got lucky with her. In addition to the apartment, I’ll pay you eight hundred bucks cash a week. Before you bullshit me, I know Sammy’s paying you about two hundred after tax, and you’re living off tips. If you want, you can have all your meals at the club on the house. What do you say?”

  “If you make it a thousand, it’s a deal.”

  “You’ve sure got chutzpah, kid, but I’m not negotiating. Take it or leave it.”

  “You’re so charming, Jack. How can I refuse?”

  Elliot stood up and extended his hand. “For the last time, lose the smart mouth. There are a lot of guys at the club who aren’t as patient as me. When can you start?”

  Todd paused. “Monday of next week. I’ll finish at Sammy’s this Friday. I don’t want to let him down. After all, he was the only one who’d give me a job.”

  “That’s fine,” Elliot said, throwing Todd a set of keys. “You can move in whenever you like. It’ll be like a palace compared to the shithole you’re in now.”

  “I’ll stay where I am until I finish at Sammy’s. One question. How well do you know Frank Arturo?”

  “Did he say we were friends?”

  “No, I asked him if it was you who paid him, and he told me it was none of my business.”

  “He was right,” Elliot replied. “It’s none of your business.”

  The partners of Montgomery Hastings & Pierce, again voted against the nomination of Vanessa as a new partner and instead admitted Phillip Cromwell’s three nominees. After one retirement, the firm now had forty partners. The new partners had barely made their acceptance speeches before Cromwell prepared a notice seeking Doug Lechte’s removal for conduct that had brought the firm into disrepute.

  More particularly his failure to adequately supervise Todd Hansen.

  With the new partners’ votes, Cromwell knew he had the numbers and in a month’s time, he would see the last of Lechte. With Lechte gone and a new audit partner taking his place, there would no longer be a position for Vanessa Hodge. Cromwell signed the notice with a flourish before asking his assistant to circulate it immediately.

  Chapter 40

  Karen Deacon had been home for ten minutes after taking the kids to school when she received the call that she had been dreading.

  “I thought you were going to be late for school this morning when you got stuck in that traffic,” the slightly accented voice said. “Did you enjoy the photos? Do you realize how easy it would’ve been to put that photo of you in the envelope we gave your daughter? If we had, we would have been sure not to seal it.”

  Karen peered out of the kitchen window looking for anything suspicious. “What do you want?”

  “You know. Five million and you’ll never hear from me again. You get the CDs and your life returns to normal.”

  “I don’t have it.”

  “Don’t lie to me. You have stocks and bonds, plus the house must be worth at least four million. You can raise it.”

  “If I could believe you, I’d pay, but I don’t. I think you’re a liar who’ll bleed me for the rest of my life.”

  Vaughan silently cursed. Borchard had blamed him for pushing Devlin Cooper too far and for his death. He had also told Vaughan that he had to get the five million to redeem himself.

  “Would you like me to put one or two photos on the internet to prove that I’m serious?”

  “No, no. I can’t get that much in cash.”

  “We don’t want cash. The next time I call I’ll give you a bank account number.”

  “A bank account?” Karen said with a tinge of hope.

  “We’re not fools, Mrs. Deacon. The account was set up fraudulently. We’ll move the funds out over the internet, and you’ll never trace them. Nor will you ever trace me. Sorry to get your hopes up.”

  There was a
long pause.

  “Mrs. Deacon? Mrs. Deacon, are you still there?”

  “Yes, I’ve made a decision. I’m not paying. Put your filth on the internet. I’ll tough it out,” Karen shouted.

  Vanessa sat opposite a worried Doug Lechte. She had never seen him like this before. “Cromwell’s got the numbers and this time there’s nothing I can do about it,” he said.

  “That means I’ll be out five minutes after you,” Vanessa said, “and it’ll make contacting the FBI and SEC all the riskier. Can’t you explain that to Phillip and ask him to hold off?”

  “I can’t breathe a word about what we’re doing. Besides, he couldn’t care less about Todd, and he’s hell-bent on getting rid of me.”

  “God, and Todd’s just got in with them. He starts next Monday. We’re going to the movies tomorrow night.”

  “We might have to get you out. So long as you could pass information onto me you had some protection. If we’re not working together, and you have to report to the FBI, you’ll be putting yourself at significant risk. You can’t do it.”

  “It’s going to put you and Todd at risk, too. Seriously, what reason does he have for remaining in contact with you, Doug? None. At least with me there’s the cover of a relationship. I can’t understand why Phillip is out to get you.”

  “He’s bombastic, and I can’t reason with him. All I can do is keep lobbying the partners and hope that I can get at least four to change their mind.”

  “How do you know it’s that bad?”

  “Vanessa, the votes against your admission to the partnership were thirty and those in favor ten. I expect the vote to remove me will be the same,” Lechte said, shaking his head.

  It had been two months since the last directors meeting of Vulture Inc., and an uncomfortable silence permeated the room. Borchard took up his customary position at the end of the board table directly facing Dermott Becker.

  “I don’t know why we have these meetings,” Arthur Ridgeway said. “We tell Brock not to lay a hand on Les Carroll and what happens? He’s dead!”

  “It had nothing to do with me.” Borchard sneered

  Lydia Coe rolled her eyes, and Dermott Becker yawned.

  “What? You don’t believe me?” Borchard asked. “I’m telling you it was an accident.”

  “You’re a dangerous man, Brock,” Ridgeway persisted. “People seem to get killed when you’re around. You overplayed your hand with Devlin Cooper and look what happened.”

  “You’re blaming me for Cooper’s suicide?”

  “You pushed him too hard,” Becker said. “You got greedy and killed off a nice little earner.”

  “No, I didn’t. Anyhow, it’s not over yet,” Borchard said. “I waited like you told me to. Now it’s time for the woman to pay and as soon as she does I’m selling the CDs to the highest bidder.”

  “You’re going to tarnish the reputation of a national hero and what are you going to get? A few million if you’re lucky.” Lydia Coe said.

  “I didn’t think you’d be worried about his reputation, Lydia.”

  “I’m not,” she replied. “I’m worried about the media and the cops. They’re going to be all over it. They’re going to track it to the Astor and then they’ll find the clerk’s disappeared. Then they’re going to start relentlessly digging. If they find Dirk, they’ll find you, and if they find you, there’s a good chance they’ll find us. It’s not worth it. Get as much out of Karen Deacon as you can and then drop it. Forget about selling the CDs. They’ll be more trouble than their worth.”

  “Hear, hear,” Ridgeway said.

  “Yeah,” O’Brien agreed.

  “Lydia’s right,” Becker said. “Have you thought about using Jack Elliot rather than Dirk? Jack’s a salesman, and he can be very persuasive. With all due respect, I’d have more confidence in Jack getting the five mil than Dirk.”

  “I’ll think about it,” Borchard said.

  “I’m happy to send him to Chicago,’ Becker persisted.

  “Why? All he needs is her phone number,” Borchard replied.

  “Do we need a resolution that we’re not going to sell the CDs?” Ridgeway asked.

  Borchard glared around the table. He was seething. How dare they tell him what to do? “No!” He snarled.

  “What else have you got?” Becker asked.

  “You’ll be pleased to know that your friend Max Lustig won the contract to carry hanging meat that was ours for the taking,” Borchard said disparagingly.

  “Don’t worry about it. There’ll be plenty of other contracts in the future, and it’s good sense to stay away from Lustig. There are easier fish to catch than him,” Becker said. “Is that all, Brock?”

  “No. I’ve got a huge shipment of coke coming in from Colombia. I’ve bought it extremely well. It’ll take a few days to cut, but then I’ll need to move it. I might need you to increase the size of your orders.”

  “Don’t worry,” Becker replied, “I’ll take all the additional. My guys in Queens and the Bronx can’t keep up with demand. It’s insane.”

  “How’s it coming in?” O’Brien asked.

  “Small plane.”

  “That’s risky,” O’Brien said.

  “Not for us,” Borchard replied. “Until it’s landed and been sampled the Colombians don’t see a cent.”

  “How’s the auditor working out at the club?” Ridgeway asked.

  “He’s only been there three days,” Becker replied. “He’ll be fine.’

  “What? What’s this about?” Borchard snarled.

  “He couldn’t get a job anywhere,” Becker replied. “Jack suggested that we give him a job at the club so we could keep a handle on him. He’s almost certainly going back inside after his appeal’s quashed.”

  “Are you fucking crazy?” Borchard said, thumping the table. “What if he’s a plant for the Fibbies or the SEC? You wouldn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on him if he just mysteriously disappeared.”

  “Sorry, Brock, but we can’t kill the whole of New York,” Ridgeway said sarcastically.

  “Jack’s accepted total responsibility for him. I don’t think we’ve got much to worry about,” Becker said. “You know who he visited for nearly four hours on Sunday? Frank Arturo. I hardly think he’s going to be cozying up to the cops.”

  “What is it with him and Arturo?” O’Brien asked. “Who paid Arturo to look after him?”

  “My mail is that Arturo likes him. It’s that simple. I don’t know who paid. I thought it was Lustig, but now I’m not sure. Maybe it was his mom. She’s paying his legal bills. Anyhow, the kid doesn’t know either but, get this, he thinks it was Jack. It’s created a warped loyalty.”

  “How would his mother contact Arturo?” Borchard said. “It wasn’t her.”

  “I’ll tell you how,” Becker said. “She’s rich, so that helps. She contacts a PI, who knows someone who knows someone and when the chain finishes there’s Frank Arturo. The last thing a mother wants to think about is her son getting fucked in prison every night. If I had to guess, I’d say she arranged it.”

  “It would’ve been faster and safer if he’d had an accident,” Borchard growled.

  “Perhaps not,” Becker replied. “If Arturo likes him, I’d hate to be the one who arranged the accident. And Brock, we all know you’re a tough guy, but let me tell you, the Serbian Mafia’s no match for the real Mafia.”

  Nervous laughs came from around the table.

  “Arturo’s got thousands of soldiers on the streets. He probably doesn’t even know we exist. Let’s keep it that way,” Becker said.

  “It’s noon,” O’Brien said looking at his watch. “I didn’t get any breakfast on the plane. Can we adjourn for an hour while we have something to eat?”

  Chapter 41

  Todd’s last night at Sammy’s was little different from the first. Friday was one the busiest nights of the week and Sammy was in full flight shouting at the chefs and serving staff. Just before midnight, he beckoned Todd and sa
id, “There’s someone in my office who wants to see you. Take five.”

  Sammy’s office was small and frugally furnished with a tattered swivel chair, and an old desk. In front of the desk were three wooden chairs where Sammy seated suppliers while screwing their prices down. Chas Grinich stood up from one of the chairs and locked the office door. For additional security, he kicked a wooden wedge between the worn linoleum and the door. He was wearing a chef’s apron and toque.

  “What are you doing here?” Todd said trying not to shout. “If they see you I’m as good as dead.”

  “Other than Sammy, no one knows I’m here. I was in the back of a truck that reversed up to the doors. I’ll be leaving the same way. I heard they gave you a job. Well done.”

  “I thought my contact was Vanessa,” Todd persisted. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to warn you. Since Vanessa told us about the club, we’ve been able to do some more checking. There are some truly evil guys hanging there. Some of them would kill you as soon as look at you. You need to be careful. Very careful. They’ll be watching you closely in the early weeks so don’t take any risks. Bide your time. Try to become accepted. With time, they’ll drop their defenses and then you can move.”

  “What did you find out about Elliot?”

  “He’s an Australian though you’d never know it. Ex-commando who fought with our boys in Afghanistan and then became a mercenary for hire in Africa. He has no criminal record and has been living here for the past twenty years.”

  “He’s a killer?”

  “Yeah, he’s killed before both as a soldier and a mercenary, but he’s never been suspected of murder. He’s clean and he’s smart. He doesn’t have a rap sheet, not even a parking ticket.”