The crowd goes crazy and in the excitement the doors burst open and cops pour in yelling it’s a raid. The curtains in the balcony fall closed. I turn to find my new companion gone and then shots ring out. People are running everywhere. I try to make my way out when I’m stopped by a cop with his gun out. I try to explain that I’m a PI working on a case but he’s having none of it. I go quietly hoping that none of the officers recognize me. As I’m being led out I see that Vinny decided to make a last stand and lost. At least I won’t have to worry about him anymore.
I try and keep my tone light and make small talk with the officer taking me out. He doesn’t recognize me so that’s a bonus. He’s not giving up much but does slip and say that they got a hot tip about the fight tonight. In the back of my mind is a whispering thought, “Who?” Seems like everyone I know about is here already. Maybe just a bit of bad luck or maybe my mysterious “friend”.
So I’m jammed into the back of this car along with two other unfortunate souls. As we drive off I keep up my banter. I figure I’ve got nothing to lose, right? The woman next to me is crying and sniffling. She keeps saying she’s gotta get home to her kid. I try to tell her it’ll be alright. They’ll just book us, make us pay a fine and she’ll be home before morning. I don’t think she really believes it. I ask her how she found out about the fight and she clams right up. Makes sense I guess. Call it strike one. Strike two comes right on its heels as the guy next to the other door starts getting a little feisty. He’s a big guy and it looks like he put up a bit of a fight. I dunno if he’s drunk, concussed or a bit of both but he takes exception to my constant stream of chatter. He tells me in no uncertain terms to shut up so I zip my trap. No sense in making things worse.
The cop riding shotgun calls back to the precinct to let them know they’re inbound with three more. He gives the names and they reply that I’m to be put in a cell by myself. At least that’s how I hear it. Not sure if that’s good or bad and I don’t ask to find out. When we pull up outside the station I ask the cop if I could get a quick smoke and that’s strike three. The officer riding shotgun takes offense and starts grumbling. He unceremoniously yanks me outta the car and jostles me around. As he’s taking me in the building he decides to bounce me off the door frame for good measure. I think this guy might recognize me.
The station is loud and bustling with activity. There’s people shouting , pictures being taken and paperwork being pushed around. I don’t see Brian and I wonder if he’d be mad if I use him as my one phone call. I’m booked and thrown into a cell by myself. The cells to either side of me are full of unhappy people. A few fights break out and a shade of uncertainty steals over me but it seems like I’m going to be left alone. When I check my pockets I find that I still have all my stuff on me, wallet, change, smokes, lighter.
Lighter! I take out the lighter that Sharleen conveniently dropped for me and turn it over in my hands. Thinking that maybe something is hidden inside I pull it apart and find nothing but wadding and butane. Thoughtfully I put the lighter back together and light a smoke. Sitting back on the bench I close my eyes and try to figure out why she had this and why she gave it to me.
I get lost in thought, going over all of our previous interactions. If she hadn’t been so cagey I wouldn’t have even given the lighter a second thought. It was a logical question nobody involved, that I could tell, had those initials. When you see something that doesn’t fit you ask questions. It’s part of the job. My mind drifts further along to tonight, replaying the chaotic events of the last few hours. Bill of course I expected to be there and I supposed Sharleen isn’t too much of a surprise given the state of Imperial these days. Matty and Evie were a shock, especially Evie. Seemed like she was really eating it up. The fact that there were cops there is more of a disappointment than a surprise I guess. Actually fighting, that’s a whole different animal.
I shake my head, lost in thought. More than likely they’ll all get a slap on the wrist and be out on patrol come their next shifts. The fact that Jackson was there is interesting. I guess he figured with having a bunch of dirty cops there he’d be safe. Either that or he was too stupid or too cocky for his own good. Funny how similar those two things can be.
Vinny being there makes sense but I’m surprised that Deluca and Billioti were there. There can’t be any coincidence in that. They had their own booth for chrissakes. And that look DeLuca gave to Billioti when Matty finished his fight. I don’t like it at all. There’s something bigger than Bill’s girlfriend wrapped around all of this and that makes things more dangerous. Then all at once it hits me Billioti……..Frank Billioti……..FB. Before I can process that information though, I’m snapped back to my cell when I hear the door clang shut.
I look up to see the cop who fought in the first round staring daggers at me. He moves towards me, accusing me of being dirty, being on the take, working with DeLuca. I put up my hands and tell him we’re on the same team. He’s not having it and he takes a swing at me. Now he’s big and he probably thinks he’s got me dead to rights since i’m sitting on the bench and all but he’s slow. As he cranks back his fist I slide off the bench to his right and give him a good shot in his kidney, staggering him and shoving him onto the bench in my place.
Undeterred and even more angry he lunges forward to try and tackle me to the ground. Unfortunately for him, he telegraphs his move and I sidestep to the right and push him down using his momentum against him. His head bounces off the floor and I warily circle around him, fists up in a boxers stance. He took a beating in the ring but I don’t know if he’s really done yet. Before he can make up his mind I hear yelling and Brian is there pulling open the door. Brian moves in and tells McGregor (my assailant’s name apparently) to back away and stand down. For my part I put my hands up and move away from them both. McGregor on the other hand elbows Brian in the nose and there’s a spray of blood. As Brian grabs his nose his partner moves in and drags McGregor away.
Brian asks me what happened and says that we need to talk. I ask him if he means on the record and he says it’s time. I look around the crowded cells surrounding us and ask if we can talk in his office. He doesn’t want it to look like he’s playing favorites so he says he can take me to one of the interrogation rooms. I tell him to “rough me up” a bit as we’re walking through the bullpen so as not to arouse any suspicion.
Brian cuffs me to the table just in case and brings in some coffee. I light a cigarette and take a deep drag, settling into the chair as best as I can. At this point Brian’s nose has stopped bleeding but he’s going to have to have it set I think. He’s muttering mostly to himself but finally he sits back and just stares at me expectantly. So I tell him, I tell him everything. About Bill and his girl, what I found out about Jackson, the illegal fighting, Max Sullivan, the girl I saw at Sullivan’s house, the mob, all of it.
When I mention Jackson he tells me that he’s got him locked in the other interrogation room. At least they got him I figure. When I mention the girl however he gets a look in his eyes. He asks if that was Mary. I tell him that I’m not really sure, I kinda figured maybe it was Sullivan’s girl. Then it hits me, I never asked Bill what Mary looked like. Brian is hellbent to get over to Sullivan’s place but before we leave I call Bill. I share my faux pas with him and he just took it for granted that I had seen them together before and that’s why I hadn’t asked.
Bill starts pressing me for more details but I tell him to just sit tight and I’ll call him back soon. I can tell he’s not happy about it but he agrees and I hang up the phone. Brian meets me outside and I tell him that it’s definitely Mary. Then we’re off like a shot. As we approach the block the house is on, Brian cuts the lights and siren and we come in quiet. Before we head over to the house Brian gives me a gun from his glovebox and tells me not to shoot anyone. I don’t ask him why he has an extra gun in his car and I don’t question the order. I don’t have any intention of shooting anyone but I’m also not about to let one of us get shot either.
We can see that Mary is still in the chair and I start beating myself up about it. Brian tries to reassure me that it’s not my fault but I was here just a few hours ago and if anything has happened to her I won’t be able to forgive myself. Brian checks the door and unsurprisingly it’s locked. He kicks in the door and I bring up the rear closing the door as best as I can. When I turn it’s to see Matty sitting on the couch opposite of Mary. I’m completely flummoxed.
He keeps saying he didn’t want to be involved, they made him do it, they had pictures. I can’t help but give him a dressing down before moving to check on Mary. She’s got a pulse, thank god I think, as a wave of relief washes over me. I kneel down, placing the gun on the floor so I can undo her bonds. Matty takes that opportunity to make another terrible decision, he rushes me.
It almost catches me off guard. I figured he was done for already. It must have taken Brian by surprise since he didn’t shoot him. Maybe the fact that I knew him saved his life. In any case he wasn’t actually going for me but rather the gun I carelessly left on the floor. To his credit he did, for one moment, have the gun in his hand. Unfortunately for him however, since I was already underneath him I used his momentum to flip him over. When he landed on his back the gun clattered harmlessly away.
Brian sprang to life covering him and quickly getting the cuffs on him. I recovered the errant firearm, passing it back to Brian before quickly untying Mary and getting her on the couch. I asked Matt what he did to her and he said it was just something to knock her out. As we peppered him with questions he told us that he was, in his words, helping other vets by supplying them with drugs. Jackson told him he had pictures and forced him into doing whatever he needed. He also said Jackson went kind of crazy and kidnapped Max too and that he was down in the basement.
Brian was off like a light rushing down into the basement. He came back up and nodded. Max was there and he was alive, in the same state as Mary. He called for backup and an ambulance as I tended to Mary.
After that everything was a blur. Saturday I went with Bill to the hospital to see Mary. She was doing better, mostly just dehydrated and hungry. That afternoon I had a presser with the Mayor. It felt like he was doing it because he had too until I told him that I really appreciated what his kid was doing with the foundation he set up. I told him he was a good man, someone to be proud of. His demeanor changed after that and I felt like he was reality seeing me then. Not as something he had to do but a person who helped to save his son. I told him that Brian was instrumental in helping to crack the case but I got the feeling that he was none too pleased with law enforcement in the city so far. Still it couldn’t hurt and Brian was with me.
Later that night relaxing at the Glow Bill and Mary came in. Bill was beaming. Mary looked a little tired but ok. I think they’re going to be alright. We shared a drink and they went off to be alone. My usual state. Jane wasn’t in and I honestly don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. As I sat drinking and pondering Evie sat down at my table. She didn’t look at me and I didn’t turn to look at her. We sat for a few moments in silence and then she began talking. It wasn’t much and I responded in kind. We sat like two spies in Casablanca never looking at each other before lapsing into silence again. Eventually she got up and left without a word. Long before closing I went home, exhausted.
Interregnum
During the next few weeks I was able to follow up on a bunch of loose ends. No rest for the weary or the wicked. I’ll leave it for someone else to determine which camp I fall into. The Monday after the rescue of Mary and Max I was able to follow up with the lady that called about her missing necklace. She was really busted up about it, seeing it was a family heirloom and all. Passed from mom to daughter for a few generations. Showed me a pic of her wearing it. Looked like it was a pretty expensive piece. Anyway, after talking with her and taking a look around the place things didn’t feel right. I had long since come to rely on that inner voice since back during the war, so I told her I needed to come back and talk to her husband.
She seemed a little confused and maybe even a bit cross, like maybe she thought I needed to get her husband’s ok on things. I threw a little legalese at her trying to forgo any hurt feelings. She didn’t know it but those were going to come later and they weren’t going to be directed at me.
See, I was pretty sure her husband did it. I didn’t have anything concrete, just that feeling tickling the back of my brain. So I needed to talk to the husband and try and see if I could get him to talk. The cops that came to investigate, even if they weren’t dirty, probably took a cursory glance around, collected statements and immediately wrote the necklace off as lost before they even left the house. They wouldn’t have said that of course but nine times outta ten if somebody takes your stuff it’s gone for good.
I made sure to get there before he got home from work to keep him off balance. He was mad but he tried to hide it, of course that’s what I wanted. We ran through the same questions that I had asked his wife and not once did he look me in the eyes. He did keep looking over at his wife and then down at the table though. It didn’t seem like she picked up on his body language but it was pretty clear to me.
I pulled out a contract for them to sign saying that it was a mere formality and that I had already started my investigation. His wife signed immediately but he hesitated and instead pulled out a pack of smokes. When I started to discuss my fees and the details of the contract he got up and started pacing around. He said the cops had already been here and told them to contact their insurance company and everything would be fine. Money was tight and he was working extra shifts. His wife’s face tightened and knew this was a conversation they had already had before.
It was then that I took out the picture of the two of them she had given me earlier and laid it on the table. That stopped him dead in his tracks and his eyes flicked over to his wife. When I started talking about what good looking couple they were and how happy they looked, he started to crack. I made a point of gesturing at the necklace when pointing at the picture. She softened but he started looking like a trapped animal. I spun a yarn about how my ma had a necklace she wanted to pass along but she only had me and was hoping she might have a granddaughter to pass it along to someday soon. That did it.
He started bubbering about how they needed the money and he made a good deal. He sold it to one of the Pinks, who had a habit of hanging around by the docks, for 5 grand. Quite a tidy sum of money. HIs wife was stunned and sat just staring, shaking her head. When she finally spoke her voice was cold and while she was looking at me she was talking to her husband. She said that the necklace had been in her family since before WWI and was worth easily twice that amount. Not that it mattered because to her it was priceless.
She stalked from the room while her husband sat sobbing and murmuring to himself. I waited a beat and then followed her out. She was pouring herself a glass of what looked like whiskey and when I approached poured one for me as well. I took the proffered glass and looked down at the amber liquid swirling it before making eye contact. She was still mad but I could tell she was trying to hold back tears. As she clinked my glass a single tear rolled down her cheek and she said ruefully, “You really are as good as they said in the paper.” Then she knocked back a hearty slug. I gave her a self deprecating smile and told her I was sorry for how it worked out. She shook her head and finished her glass and started to pour another. I told her that more than likely the necklace was at a pawnshop down by the docks and I was pretty sure I could get it back. An item like that wouldn’t sell cheap, not even there. She nodded as I finished my drink and I told her I’d be in touch.
Since the crime was a matter of public record I got a copy of the police report and took that along with the contract and the picture and headed down to the dock district. It was in the third pawn shop, Easy Cash and Pawn, that I found it. It was locked up tight and looked even more impressive in person. The owner was none too happy about the revelation that the necklace was stolen but there wasn’t much he could do. He bitched and moaned for a while but when I said we could call the cops down he clammed up and gave me the necklace.
I had Janice call up Mrs. Harings to tell her the good news and she came right down to the office within the hour. She was relieved to have it returned and said she hoped one day to have a daughter of her own to pass it along to. Janice helped her put the necklace on and then she hugged us each in turn before leaving. Her check included a generous bonus, considering I didn’t have to do all that much to crack this one.
Having dealt with the mysterious case of the missing necklace, I put in a call to OAfV to try and schedule a meeting with Max Sullivan. I was hoping to get an informal meet and greet just so I could get a measure of the guy but the secretary misunderstood I guess. Instead of adding me to his social calendar the secretary just put my call through to him, which I guess isn’t too shabby when you think about it.
We chatted for a bit and I expressed my gratitude for the work he’s doing and inquired after his health. He was gracious and self deprecating and talked about his grandfather. He thanked me for saving him and said he was doing as well as could be expected. I tried to reinforce with Max that O’Shea was integral to his rescue and that he was one of the good ones. I figure his dad will listen to him even if he didn’t fully trust me. We chatted for a bit longer and I told him I’d be happy to come down and talk anytime.
Now I don’t know if it was the bug I put in Max’s ear but O’Shea wound up being promoted to detective and had a hand in cleaning up the department. All the guys who had, let’s say, questionable records were either fired or transfered to other precincts. So there’s more than a few new faces down there.
Things with Jane have been pretty steady, at least as much as my work and temperament allows. Seems to suit her just as well. She’s got a pretty full schedule herself. Besides working at the Glow, she’s going to school for writing. She wants to be a songwriter and has been singing during open night mic at the Glow. Strangely enough there’s not too much friction between Jane and Evie. Not even with Jane taking some time at the mic. Go figure……
Meanwhile, part of the fallout from the case resulted in Mayor Sullivan starting a new crime initiative. Rounding up criminals has always been a tried and true method of ensuring good voter turnout but I think this was more personal for good ole Leonard. They started squeezing the Pinks and the Slicks and that resulted in a veritable turf war with the cops. It started off with some vandalism, smashing windows, trashing cop cars and the like. Now I heard that it’s escalated to the point of murder and a few of those officers were even killed in their own homes. I hope Brian doesn’t have too big a target on his back these days. He’s not working a beat anymore but still, he’s been in the news often enough.
I decided to drop in and see Sharlene Woodard as well. I wasn’t so much bothered about her case anymore, that bit had been settled. No, I was more concerned about her affiliation with the crime families in New York and what that meant for me. I’m content to fly under the radar in most instances, honestly it makes my job easier and my life less complicated. The Woodard case however put me right into the sightlines of some very powerful people, people I’d rather have forget all about me.
When I got down to Imperial it was pretty quiet and it looked like there were quite a few new faces. No sign of Derek Johnson though. I asked the dispatcher if Sharlene was in and to say that George Armstrong was calling. Sharlene agreed to see me and I went back to her office. We made small talk for a little bit and then I leaned forward and placed the lighter on her desk and told her that she still had a story to tell.
She sighed heavily as I lit a cigarette and settled back in my chair. Sharlene was silent for a long moment and I thought maybe I played my cards wrong but then she started to speak. She said that Marcus, who was older, knew about all of the mob stuff. Their mom’s name was Martha and she fell in love with a dangerous man. It was the danger and the excitement that drew her in but before too long there were unexplained bruises that appeared all too often and she began to feel trapped. Turns out that man was Antonio DeLuca.
She stayed in the marriage but found solace in another man’s arms, Frank Billioti. Another dangerous man and this was a potential powder keg if anyone ever found out. They wound up having two kids, Sharlene and Marcus and she kept it from DeLuca. DeLuca, none the wiser, assumed they were his own. Then one day she blew the whole thing up telling DeLuca the kids weren’t his and ran away with the kids, leaving New York behind. She started over and changed her name to Woodard. She got remarried but unfortunately died in a car crash, leaving the children as orphans. Sharlene said Marcus always protected her and she just blocked out all of the bad memories and Marcus didn’t bring it up as a way of continuing to protect her. Then Marcus was murdered and I started poking around and the old memories started to surface. I offer my sincere apologies and stand to leave. She stands as well and passes the lighter to me, telling me to keep it. It only represents bad memories.
I take my leave and life goes on lost in a blur of work, bills and Jane’s warm embrace.