Fatal Dose (7 page)

“We’ll deal with that if and when it happens. We can always blame the elevator company. In the interim, you should attend the wake and the funeral service. Everything needs to look normal. Understand? Make sure your damage control is thorough. If this guy was a snitch and I’m pretty sure he was, the authorities will be watching what we do. I wish I knew who he was working for. That would make damage control a whole lot easier. Do some more digging.”

“I’ll set everything up as soon as we’re finished. Is there anything else?”

“Yes, there is. We’re expecting another shipment from Jersey within a month. Prime stuff, top ten and loose.” Melbourne was speaking in code, referring to a bulk shipment of high quality counterfeits of the top ten pharmaceutical drugs. “We’ve got a major stake in this. We’re talking multi-millions and some important people depending on us. No slip-ups this time. Is that understood, Marco?”

“Don’t worry about a thing, Mister Melbourne. This time I’ll switch trucks at a secret location. I’ll bring the product into Atronen on trucks we usually use to receive packaging materials. That way the deliveries will look like scheduled shipments. We’ll intercept the outbound trucks, send them on a diversionary route to a secret facility, where we’ll cross-dock the goods to moving vans. The original drivers won’t know any of the details until we intercept them on the road. One of my men will be with each of them at all times to assure that there is no communication with anyone after we make the switch. It will be like handing off a football in the backfield.” Marco enjoyed using football metaphors whenever he could. “Of course, the final vans will be manned by hand-picked operators under the strictest security. I know it will work.

“Besides, I think that last shipment’s failure was a fluke. I’m not even sure that it was really intercepted. According to reports that I’ve read, the police cruiser just pulled the van over for a routine traffic violation. The driver knew what he was carrying, so he panicked and ran off. That gave the cops probable cause for searching the vehicle. It was all preventable is all I’m saying. Thank God the van was unmarked and they never caught up with that driver. Anyway, this new plan is absolutely foolproof.”

“For your sake, Marco, it better be. It doesn’t really matter what happened last time. I only care about the results. We can’t afford any more mistakes. Do you get me?”

“You can count on me, sir,” he replied as he put down the phone.

Marco didn’t like the tone of Melbourne’s voice, but he knew where it was coming from. The stakes were getting higher. The Feds were making life more difficult. That made it necessary to continually find new sources and businesses. More and more, Marco was thinking that maybe it was time to cash in his chips and leave the game. He had enough money stashed away to disappear somewhere and live very well. Of course, it was not as much as he would have wanted. Also, there was danger in such a move, since he knew so much. Some of the biggest names in the history of the crime families managed to pull it off, moving to Florida, upper New York State, New Jersey or out west and they were living easy. Their operations were taken over by family members or whoever won the power struggle that ensued after their vacancy. No one was concerned about them talking. They could live without any fear of retribution.

It was different with him. He was too low on the totem pole. His departure would be looked on with a good deal of concern. He knew that he would immediately be suspected of skimming off some of the cartel’s money. If his whereabouts were known, he would live in constant fear that someday be would be considered another “loose end”. If he just vanished, there would be the suspicion that he may have ratted and was under “protection.” No place on earth would be safe if they wanted to find him.

This was really a catch twenty-two. He would have to keep working on it. Something was bound to show up. At the moment, however, Marco had more important things to do.

CHAPTER SIX

The day was just getting started for Adelle Manning. She opened her plastic pill-minder box and removed several of her meds and vitamin pills.

Adelle could best be described as dowdy; a far cry from the beauty she was sixty years ago. Now in her eighties, life is a constant struggle for her. She lost her first husband in a bizarre shooting at a restaurant; a robbery gone bad. He was there to pick up a dinner as a surprise for Adelle for their fifteenth wedding anniversary. It was ironic that when she received the call from the police department, she was just putting the finishing touches on the surprise dinner she was preparing for him.

Number two died three years ago from a brain tumor. The elapsed time between diagnosis and his death was only seven months. Both marriages were childless, leaving her completely alone. She was determined not to go through another marriage and turned instead to her religion for solace. A Roman Catholic from birth, Adelle had been on and off with her faith. Her first husband was very devout, attending Mass every day. She did her best to go to church with him on Sundays and Holy days, but she had absolutely no interest in going to daily Mass with him. When he died, she had a High Mass said for him and that was the last time she went to church until she married number two. When number two passed away, she had the obligatory High Mass said for him. This brought her an unexpected turn. During the Mass, Adelle had an “epiphany.” It was a warm all-over feeling that she was convinced was a visit from the Blessed Virgin. At least that was the explanation she gave to her confessor, Father John.

“Mary invited me back to the church,” she was quick to relate. “She wants me to join the Rosary Society and set up a shrine in my home.”

Father John encouraged her to just follow her heart. Adelle Manning did just that. She joined in many special activities at St. Bartholomew’s church in Cleveland Heights. She participated in bake sales and fund drives-wherever she was needed. While this activity exposed her to the company of other women, many of whom were also widows, she mostly kept to herself. Her one true friend, aside from Father John, was Mary, the mother of Jesus. Her parlor at home became a shrine to Mary. Reciting the rosary occupied a good part of her day. Often she tuned in to a show on TV and prayed along with the sisters for hours at a time. Religion was now her reason for living. She no longer thought about husbands or marriage. She found her solace in the Catholic Church and with the Virgin Mary.

Adelle poured a glass of orange juice and began taking her pills one at a time. There were seven in all: a water pill, a multi-vitamin, a calcium pill and meds for blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis and her heart rhythm.

It was the last one that would be a problem today. Two weeks ago, during a Rosary Society meeting, Adelle struck up a conversation with another widow, June Abbot, about the high cost of medicine and the “donut hole” she was about to enter with her Medicare Plan “D” plan. Adelle needed to take medicine for arrhythmia, which had been detected soon after the death of her second husband. Her prescription outlay was putting a strain on her fixed income. June suggested an alternative that could save Adelle over twelve hundred dollars a year. June had a friend that worked in the pharmacy at the Lucky Food Mart. He could supply her with any prescription drug for one half of what the pharmacy was charging. Even though it would be outside her Medicare Insurance Plan, she would still save enough to make it worthwhile.

A ninety-day supply would be delivered through June in unlabeled bottles. Adelle agreed to give it a try, and June met her two days later for coffee to make the exchange. Today was her third day on the new pills.

Tabby, Adelle’s cat needed to be fed. It was meowing incessantly. The noise was starting to get on her nerves. Adelle rescued Tabby when the cat showed up at her door one day. Tabby was badly scratched and underfed. A trip to the vet and a month of pampering was all that the feline needed. Tabby was now her family.

“You be patient, Tabby. I’ll feed you in a minute.”

The cat looked at her quizzically and resumed her meowing. Adelle opened a can of food, spooned it into Tabby’s bowl and bent down to serve it. As she did, she felt faint. She grabbed for the counter top, but her hand slipped off the polished surface. The bowl went crashing to the floor and shattered into several pieces as Adelle Manning collapsed; dead before she hit the floor.

Tabby scurried over to the broken bowl and carefully picked out her food. When she was finished, she walked past Adelle’s body and relieved herself in the litter box. Then, passing Adelle for a second time, she went to her velvet-lined bed and curled up for a long nap.

CHAPTER SEVEN

When she returned from lunch, Mark put Marcia to work on a short list of Atronen employees that he’d found on their website. The list was one year old, but was a good starting place. He wanted her to gain more experience with the software.

The programs that Marcia was using were aimed at uncovering sensitive information that a person would be prone to lie about or leave off of an application. Within an hour she was back at his desk with a stack of reports. Three employees were singled out, and she handed those to him as she laid the stack on the desk. “These three had flagrant records. One had a prior conviction for embezzlement from his church. Another had no record of academic achievement past the eighth grade; still another was guilty of trigamy, if there is such a word.”

“And you got these from just that short list I gave you? That’s really great. You’re doing a great job, Marcia. I hope to have a full list of their employees for you possibly as early as tomorrow. You’ll be using the same programs.”

“I’ll be ready when you are, Agent Matthews. If that’s it, then good night. I’m meeting a few friends for drinks before heading home.”

“You go ahead Marcia, and have a good time.”

“Thanks!”

After she left, he picked up the stack of reports and scanned through them. If she found three out of such a small sample, he could only imagine what they would uncover when the entire employee database was run. Having Marcia’s help was a real godsend.

* * *

Marco Vennuti was getting ready to leave his office. It had been a busy day. First the call from Melbourne, then the visit from two Cleveland Police detectives. While both went well, he had a lingering concern about why the FBI wasn’t actively involved.
Maybe
they
bought
the
idea
of
Brice’s
death
being
an
accident
.
That
would
be
a
real
plus
.
After
all
,
it
appears
that
the
Cleveland
Police
Department
is
definitely
leaning
in
that
direction
. As he pulled out his keys to lock his office door, the phone rang. He returned to his desk to pick it up after the mandatory third ring. He listened for a few minutes then spoke “I’ll meet you at six at the usual place. If you get there first, get a booth for us.” He opened the bottom drawer, removed a small lock box, took out his keychain and placed a thin grey key into the lock. He removed a stack of bills from the box and counted out three hundred dollars which he placed in an envelope and slid into the inside pocket of his jacket. He locked the box, returned it to the drawer and left for his appointment.

Marco arrived at the Slip-In Saloon exactly at six. He looked around the seedy surroundings until he spotted a familiar face in a booth in the back. As he sat down, a waitress showed up with a filthy rag and wiped it over the table.

“What can I get you guys?”

“I’ll have a Bud Light,” said his companion.

“Make mine a Johnny Black on the rocks.”

They sat there in silence until the waitress returned with the drinks. Ignoring any formalities, Marco took a big sip of his drink. “Okay, what’s so important?”

“Well, I thought you would want to know that I’ve been assigned to do background checks on Atronen Pharmaceuticals employees.”

Marco now understood why there was no overt FBI presence in the Bennett investigation. They were working behind the scenes. “Who’s the Agent you’re reporting to?”

“You know I won’t tell you that. Our deal is that I just tell you when something is going on involving Atronen. That’s all, no names, no files or anything else.”

“You don’t have to remind me about our agreement,” he said rather tersely. Taking note that several people in the booths across from them were looking in his direction, he glared back at them and they quickly averted their eyes. He regained his composure.

“You’re right, of course. My superiors will appreciate this heads up. Here’s what I need you to do. Go ahead and complete the checks you’ve been asked to do. Just take your time doing them. You know, have problems with the computer or the software. Just slow the process down for a while; maybe even skip a few names that could be a potential problem to us. Would that be a problem?”

“Of course it would be,” she replied excitedly. “The Agents aren’t stupid. They’ll notice if I skip stuff. I have a job to worry about. I don’t want to mess that up.”

“Okay, okay. Don’t get so excited. How about giving me a copy of any reports that uncover questionable backgrounds. After all, they do work for us.”

“That’s not our deal. I only agreed to let you know when the Bureau is investigating Atronen. We never agreed for me to provide any other information or give you copies of anything.”