by Dave Daren
“So what do you want to do?” I asked.
“I don’t know, yet,” Anthony said. “First, I’ll call Jovanni. Once I have some more information, we’ll go from there.”
I nodded as I followed my client into his penthouse apartment. He didn’t seem like he was angry enough anymore to order a hit on the thief, but I had the feeling that he wanted to handle this without any law enforcement. I still planned to talk to my DA friend, and I’d try to convince Anthony that Alessia could help once we had a name even if the cops weren’t excited about it.
“I’ll call Alessia as soon as I wake up,” I said. “I’m sure that she can give me some information on the car theft rings in her own district.”
“Good,” the mafioso said with a nod. “Big Tony, Hank, you two can go home now. And that’s not a suggestion.”
The two beefy men nodded their heads, said their goodbyes, and then left us alone as they went to their own apartments.
“Do you think it could be the Serbians?” I asked as I walked over to grab a drink of water.
“Doubtful,” Anthony said while he dialed Jovanni.
He apologized to the capo for waking him up so early in the morning, explained the situation, and then asked the made man to find out everything he could about who might’ve taken his Ferrari. Someone had to have seen something, and the young Febbo told the older man to turn over every rock until something crawled out.
I almost felt bad for the thief, because if he wasn’t working for the cops or the Serbians, then he probably had no idea who he was stealing from. Anthony would probably leave the thief in Jovanni’s care, but I’d work on changing his mind once the capo actually had a name for us.
“Alright,” the mafioso said as he hung up the phone. “Jovanni should have something later today. You should go home and get some sleep. You look like hell.”
“Thanks,” I grumbled. “It might be because my client keeps me out until well after four a.m..”
“What can I say?” the young Febbo laughed. “I like to keep you busy. Speaking of which, how long do you think it’ll take for you to file all of the liquidation paperwork for those companies?”
“A week, tops,” I said as I rinsed out my water cup. “I think that we should be careful about this car theft, though. We don’t want to draw any attention our way.”
“It’s probably just some two-bit thief who saw an opportunity,” Anthony said with a shrug, but his calm demeanor cracked a little as his eye twitched, and rage flashed across his face, but he forced a smile and stuffed his phone in his pocket.
“There are a lot of angry people right now,” I said. “Between the Serbian mob and the NYPD, there are plenty of people that may want to rile you up, and they may use someone stealing your car to catch you doing something illegal.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” the mafioso said. “But I think you’ve been watching a few too many crime dramas. The Serbs aren’t a problem anymore. Their leader is behind bars, the Gryffon Company is in ruins, and all of the politicians on their payroll have been exposed and arrested.”
“You might be right,” I said. “Just be careful.”
“Always,” Anthony said, and he gave me a grin that made him look like the innocent young man that I’d met over a year and a half ago, and then walked me to the door.
“Have a safe drive home,” he said. “And call me after you talk to Alessia.”
“Will do,” I said.
I left the apartment behind and strolled back toward the rickety old lift. An overwhelming urge to go back to the townhouse washed over me, and I thought about going back to look for any clues that the thief might’ve left behind. I doubted that there would be a note with a confession, but there might be a cigarette butt or something.
The sky had started to turn the dark blackish-blue color that signified that dawn was only an hour away, and the air was crisp with the coming winter as I left the gentrified warehouse behind.
Luckily, my Mercedes AMG was right where I’d left it, though I did a walk around just to make sure that there weren’t any signs that someone had managed to open the door while I was gone. I even got down on my knees to check for bombs underneath the driver’s side, and as I dusted the dirt off of my knees I thought that Anthony might be right. I’d been watching way too many episodes of Criminal Minds.
I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something, though, so I climbed into my car and drove over to the townhouse. As I pulled up outside, I could see the light on in the dining room and the beautiful matriarch of the Febbo clan breeze past the window as she started her morning routine. I decided to leave her alone while I parked next to the ancient white Buick that was parked where the Ferrari had been.
There wasn’t anyone out yet, so I put my car in park right in the middle of the street and did a quick inspection of the area around where my client’s car had been only a few hours ago. I didn’t see anything, and cursed under my breath that the thief hadn’t been a smoker while I got back into my car. I would just have to trust that Jovanni would come up with something better, and at least I’d have peace of mind knowing that I hadn’t missed anything at the scene of the crime.
I still wasn’t sure that the Serbians or the NYPD hadn’t had something to do with the theft. I’d made a lot of enemies when I’d convinced the Febbo family to work with the FBI to arrest the corrupt politicians and the traitorous Serbians that had infiltrated the Italian families. Though, I was fairly certain that they would’ve tried to shoot me or my client rather than steal his brand-new car.
The livid face of Vlado Galic popped into my head unbidden as I drove toward the LIE. He’d been angry enough to hire someone to take me out, but he’d been in solitary confinement since he’d been taken to the FBI detention center.
The other Italian families were angry enough that they might try to retaliate against Anthony. It had been hard when they’d lost most of their muscle in the Serbian mobster round-up, but there was a meeting on the books to smooth some of the ruffled feathers, and they wouldn’t be dumb enough to start a war when negotiations were still in process.
Yet the idea that it could all just be a coincidence didn’t sit right with me. The Febbo family townhouse wasn’t as well-known as the estate in Riverhead, but there were people on the block who knew who their neighbors were. The notion that a random thief just happened by the townhouse without knowing who’s car he was stealing was a bit too far-fetched.
I shook my head as I merged onto the LIE. A good night’s sleep was all I needed if I was going to solve this puzzle. I knew I was being paranoid and that Anthony was right. The Serbians and the corrupt politicians weren’t a problem anymore, and none of his enemies would settle with jacking his car without leaving a sign that they’d been the ones to do it.
Alessia would have more information for me, I was sure, and at least I’d have an excuse to talk with her or even meet her somewhere. I hadn’t been able to spend much time with the gorgeous lawyer since she’d taken over the Brooklyn DA’s office. She’d only been there a few months, and she’d already made a name for herself as a no-nonsense district attorney. The whole DA’s office had been cleaned out, and anyone who’d been loyal to the slimy mayor had been dismissed long before he’d been arrested for taking bribes. Alessia had been hailed by the media as the symbol of what New York City’s politicians should look like.
She’d know something about car theft rings because it was a perpetual problem in the borough, even if it wasn’t her top priority, and then I could let go of my paranoia that the missing Ferrari was part of some nefarious scheme to get back at my client. I’d also get to spend time with the leggy attorney, and that was always a bonus. I hadn’t shown her my new house, yet, and she hadn’t had the chance to test out my new mattress.
I lost myself in memories of her tanned legs wrapped around me during the long nights of her campaign, and the worry that the Serbians were after Anthony drifted to the back of my mind. I was on autopilot
as I drove down the LIE, and I was so lost in daydreams of having Alessia over that I almost missed the exit for Floral Park.
The streets were mostly empty as I drove toward my subdivision. The morning rush was still two hours away, but there were a few donut shops that were open. The temptation to grab a dozen donuts was strong, but my eyes had started to burn from exhaustion, and I promised myself that I’d DoorDash some after I’d managed to grab a few hours of sleep.
The idea that the Serbian mob was after my client had started to seem absurd the further away from the city I got, and I laughed at myself for thinking that they still had enough pull to do anything. I also couldn’t imagine that they’d do something so tame as steal a car, even if it was a Ferrari Enzo, especially after they’d had the guts to shoot up the Febbo family estate in Riverhead in broad daylight.
It had probably just been some random kid that had seen the car and decided to take it for a quick paycheck. Even someone who knew nothing about Ferraris would know that they could make a fair amount of money from selling one. The Enzo would probably turn up by nightfall in some shop, and Anthony would have it back before the weekend, all cleaned and in perfect condition.
I hoped.
I rolled down the windows as I came to a stop at a red light. There were only a few miles left until I was home, but my eyelids had started to become heavy as the excitement of the last few hours drained away. I would sleep hard as soon as I collapsed into bed, though the bright red sign of a Krispy Kreme made me rethink my plan to order donuts later. I was a sucker for the hot glazed donuts when they were fresh out of the oil, and I decided to treat myself to one.
The woman at the window was in her late forties with her brown hair in a bun, a hairnet, and a pound of makeup on her face. A weak smile flashed across her lips as she handed me the donut, asked if I was sure I didn’t want a coffee, and then bobbed her head before she yawned and shut the window.
The sugary sweet donut was exactly what I’d been craving, and I relished the tasty treat as I turned out of the parking lot. I was so happy with the donut that I barely noticed the other car on the road as I drifted over into the turn lane. I hadn’t seen it before, but when it made the same turn toward my subdivision, a jolt of fear raced through me.
Someone was following me home.
Chapter 4
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I muttered as I watched the car in my rear-view mirror.
I took a left instead of a right as I headed toward the subdivision a few miles away from mine. I had explored the area a little bit, just in case I found myself with another tail, and I was glad that I’d had enough forethought to have a backup plan.
There was a Walgreens nearby that I could pull into, and the parking lot was well-lit so I would be able to see who was in the car if they drove under the light. A few cars were spread out along the parking spots, but no one lingered outside.
My tail followed me into the parking lot, and when it passed under one of the lights I saw that it was an ancient red beater. The thing was covered in rust and the paint was matte in some areas and shiny in others. It’s engine whined like the fan belt needed to be changed, and I grinned as I realized that it wouldn’t be able to keep up with my Mercedes AMG.
I eased my way around like I was about to take one of the spots out front and then glanced in my rear-view mirror as the red rust bucket parked in the spot furthest away from me. The form of a man in the driver’s seat was just barely visible as he tugged his phone out and started to look through it.
The man looked like he was in his early thirties with a five o’clock shadow, short dreadlocks, and a baggy t-shirt with some kind of print on it that might’ve been a pot leaf. His head was bent like he wasn’t watching me, but the floodlights were still on, so I knew that he hadn’t killed the engine. He didn’t seem interested in coming toward me, and I suspected that his main job was to find out where I lived.
I finished my donut lazily while I kept an eye on the man. If I gave him enough time to relax, then I could catch him off-guard. I looked at the clock on my dash, saw that it was almost five a.m., and then glanced toward the automatic doors. I could just make out the sign on the door that said that they didn’t open until six, though a man in his late forties strolled up to the door with a coffee in his hand.
He glanced over at me, to the red car in the corner, and then rolled his eyes as he unlocked the door. The sliding doors were opened just enough so he could squeeze his large gut through. He straightened his shirt as soon as he was through, and then shut and locked the door before he pointed to the posted hours.
I glanced at my tail and saw that the screen of his phone still lit up his face, and he seemed like he was focused on whatever he was doing. Satisfied that he was distracted, I threw my car in reverse, gunned it, and then swung out of my parking spot before I put the AMG in drive and made a run for it.
The Mercedes purred as it kicked into gear, and I ignored the stop sign as I sped away from the red rust bucket that had followed me from the city. I checked my rear-view mirror and saw that the scruffy man was trying to catch up. The screech of his fan belt echoed back from the empty buildings and parking lots, and I pressed a little harder on the gas pedal.
I made a few extra turns than I needed to until I couldn’t see my tail. My rear-view mirror was empty, but I continued to watch it more than I watched the road until I finally headed toward my home. I hadn’t expected the ancient car to be able to keep up with my high-powered car, but my heart still pounded in my chest.
The bodyguard that Anthony had put on my house during the Serbian issue was nowhere to be seen, and I wondered if whoever had sent the man had waited until they were gone before they followed me. I’d had visits from the FBI at my new house, and I’d changed my address on my driver’s license, so anyone in the NYPD could easily find me.
Only the Serbian mob would have any reason to follow me, though, but almost all of them had been arrested. If any of them attacked me, then the Febbos would know exactly who did it, especially after the shootout at Riverhead.
The only thing that I could think of was that whoever had stolen the car had followed us back to Anthony’s apartment for some reason and seen that I had a nice car. I didn’t have a two million dollar Ferrari Enzo, but if they wanted another car that would sell fast, then a Mercedes AMG was a good choice.
I double-checked to make sure that the rust bucket wasn’t nearby before I finally pulled into the garage. The door shut behind me as soon as I passed under it, and didn’t breathe easily until I had turned my alarm system off with my cell phone. I stayed in the car until I’d checked all of the cameras to make sure no one was lurking in the shadows. Once I was satisfied the house was empty, I climbed out and headed inside.
Every shadow on the wall made me do a double-take as I looked around for someone that was hiding in the dark corners. I checked my phone again to make sure that no one had tripped the sensors, but there were still no alarms, so I closed my eyes to take a deep breath and calm my nerves. The system had been given a full overhaul last time that Gabriele, the Febbo family hacker, was over.
I flipped on the light, looked around the open space that served as my kitchen, dining room, and living room, and then set my briefcase down on my sectional. My paralegal had left the coffee pot ready to brew, and I reminded myself to give him a big bonus at Christmas.
It was already five a.m., and I had my last case at ten a.m., so there wasn’t any point in trying to sleep. All that would happen was that I’d wake up more exhausted than when I’d gone to bed, and I didn’t want to risk not being fully awake if the new acting DA tried to pull any stunts. I was in for a long day, but it wasn’t my first, and it wouldn’t be my last.
I strolled into the kitchen, turned on the coffee pot, and then foraged in the dishwasher for my favorite mug. It was from a store in West Virginia where Anthony had sent me there to work a deal for his balsamic vinegar company. I loved the ridiculous little chicken printed on the mug with its
wings out and its beak raised upwards like it was yelling the ‘Have an eggscellent morning’ that was printed above the small farm animal.
I warmed up some milk and creamer, grabbed a black cherry Greek yogurt from the fridge, and then filled my cup with the finished coffee. The smell of the strong Italian roast washed over me, and I closed my eyes to relish in it for a moment before I brought my breakfast into the living room.
A sound on the back porch made me pause as I set my mug down on the coffee table. I lowered the cup as softly as I could, and then whipped around to see whoever had made the noise. No one was visible in the glass because of the reflection of the room, so I stood and walked over with my hand on my Glock.
I flicked on the light switch and nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw a raccoon sniffing around some of the materials the construction workers had left. The little black and white striped creature stood on its hind legs for a second as it studied me, and then scampered off into the pre-dawn light.
“Stupid rodent,” I muttered to myself as I shook my head.
It crossed my mind to postpone my case until tomorrow and get some sleep, but I didn’t want to give the Queens DA a chance to fabricate evidence. I didn’t know anything about the temporary district attorney, but his predecessor had been a real piece of work, and until I was sure that he wasn’t corrupt, I would be cautious.
I walked back over to the couch, plopped down, and turned on the news while I waited for my laptop to boot up. My delicious coffee was my first target, and then I devoured my yogurt. I’d enjoyed the freshly made donut from Krispy Kreme, but it was basically sugar, and I needed some form of protein to give me energy.
The reporter on ABC7 News droned on about rising costs of gas, the traffic report, and a robbery at a convenience store in Queens that ended with a young woman in emergency care. The weather girl came on next and informed us that a cold front was coming in and that we were in for a nasty snowstorm in the next week or two.
