For Nothing (27 page)

Win-win situation
.

The Pope smiled. If only the prick cop knew how al of this was related. He was glad he withheld that information from the officer. He took down the scotch in one long pul from his glass until the ice cube bounced off of his lips.

He stood up and wiped the wetness from his lips with a brush of his hand.

Tonight. Tonight the house gets put into
order.

If not, he would watch it burn down around him. He picked up the phone and cal ed over to Don Ciancetta’s at Rumors
.

Someone picked up on the other line.

“Hel o?”

The Pope recognized the voice as a newcomer to the group, a friend of the Don’s son named Ricky Vincenzio.

“Tel the boss that the meeting is a go tonight.”

Then The Pope hung up. Just in time too, because he felt another one of his coughing fits creeping up on him.

The consigliore rose and walked over to pour another scotch. Almost as an afterthought, he cal ed to his body man outside the door, “Hey Nuncio!” He shuffled through the door. “Yes sir.”

“Grab the car and shadow our friend who just left. I want to know where he goes, who he talks to.”

“How are you gonna get around?”

“Don’t worry about me, just go!”

Nuncio did a curt turn and left.

Just once I’d like people to just listen without
questioning every little thing
.

The Pope shook his head in mild disappointment. He started coughing and had a handkerchief ready this time to catch a wad of mucus that escaped his lips. He looked at the brown-yel ow phlegm and wondered if he saw blood in it.

Tonight.

*

Alex Vaughn left the office of The Pope and got back into the cab which loyal y awaited his exit; probably because he hadn’t paid when he left last time. Alex found out over the years that if you want a cab to wait for you, keep the meter running and don’t pay them until you reach your final destination.

Alex Vaughn took out his cel phone and cal ed through the dispatch number that Hi-Def provided him with. An automated voice directed him to enter the 8 digit code to be connected to his party of choice. After a few rings, he heard the familiar of choice. After a few rings, he heard the familiar voice of El iot on the other line.

“El iot here.”

“El iot, its Alex.”

“What can I do for you?” His voice seemed distracted or disinterested.

“A lot has happened in the last several hours.

We need to talk.”

“I’m a bit busy Alex, can it wait?”

“Not real y. Listen, I found a large sum of money at Jack’s yesterday. That and a notebook that had some leads on it.”

El iot perked up in a hurry. “Christ. Hi-Def told me you didn’t find anything.”

“Wel , I hid it from him. Listen, we can’t be too careful who we trust with this thing. I don’t know why Jack had al that cash, but it can’t be good. If they could have gotten to Jack, then they could have gotten to others. “

“Then why tel me? Jesus, this is heavy.” El iot didn’t seem to like being entrusted with this sort of information.

“Because Jack was my friend and it was his personal notes that said I could trust you. But with al due respect to your men, outside of Ryan Slate, I don’t know them. Listen, we need to talk as soon as possible.” The warning from the Pope stuck in his head like a damned disc on skip.

There was a moment of silence on the other line and Alex thought that El iot hung up on him for a second. “El iot?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Ok, let’s meet at the safe house at nine. Can you make it then?” Alex checked his watch, it was just passed seven. “Absolutely. Oh and El iot?”

“Yeah?”

“I know where to find Rafael Rontego.” There was a low whistle on the other line and Alex could almost feel El iot pursing his lips together.

“That’s great work. How much money are we talking about over at Jack’s?”

“I don’t know, but a lot.”

There was another moment of silence as El iot digested the news. “Where is the money now?” A smal warning bel went off in Alex’s mind. “I think I am going to keep that to myself, for now.”

“Sure, that’s for the best anyway. Al right, we’l talk more when we see each other.” Alex heard the click as El iot hung up. Two hours. What the hel was he supposed to do for two hours?

Might as well head over to the safe house.

Alex gave the address to the cabbie and settled in for the rest of the ride. For a moment, he thought he noticed a sedan in the distance, but it pul ed down a side road, and Alex let his mind wander.

Vaughn got out of the cab and tossed the driver a wad of bil s before heading up to the door of the safe house. For some reason the hair on his neck was tingling, as if he were being watched. He noticed that the door to the detached garage was open a bit and he slowed down to peer at it.

Something in it beckoned to him and he remembered that something was covered by a tarp on his previous visit to the residence.

He took a step off of the main walkway leading to the front door of the home in the direction of the garage, when the front door opened. Ryan Slate, also known as Ricky Vincenzio, came out dressed for the role of his Italian alter ego.

Ryan walked up and grabbed a hold of Alex’s hand shaking it in congratulatory fashion. He was fol owed by Hambone who exited a moment after him, looking large as usual.

“I heard you made quite a few breakthroughs the other day,” Ryan said. His face was beaming.

“I got some work done. So I guess El iot cal ed ahead and fil ed you guys in?” Hambone gave a little grunt and said, “Yeah he fil ed us in.” Then the man turned around and walked back inside.

“What’s his problem?” Alex Vaughn could feel the ice come off of Hambone’s shoulder as he shut the door behind him and went back inside.

“I’d guess he was jealous or something. I think he is just sympathizing with Hi-Def a bit. You should have let him know about what you found. He thinks you left him out to get the credit.” Ryan gave him a shrug of his shoulders.

“Oh, wel , I didn’t do it to leave him out. Just wanted to be careful.”

“So where did you stash the money anyway?”

“Somewhere safe. Just until I know who I should turn it into. Maybe I should drive it down to the station.” Alex watched Ryan shift from foot to foot. He seemed a bit uncomfortable with the topic.

“You think it wil make Jack look dirty?”

“To be honest, I don’t know what to think. But I do know that the less people who know about a mountain of cash, the better.” Alex let out a little chuckle that was joined in by Slate.

“Alright, wel I have to go. Big night tonight. I’m driving Don Ciancetta’s son to a sit down. I’l check in with you later.”

Ryan walked down the sidewalk and Alex watched him for a second before going into the safe house where Hambone was sitting on one of the chairs wrapping up a phone conversation. The brute abruptly ended the cal and clicked his cel phone shut as Alex took a seat in the uncomfortable plastic chair that faced Hambone from across the tiny room.

Hambone cast a stare on Alex and moved a hand to scratch at the stubble lining his cheeks. He was reclined back, his feet stretched out far in front of him. He looked tired, Alex thought. Vaughn could identify with that feeling. The past few nights he slept uneasy at best. But there was something more to the look that Hambone was casting his way, almost as if it were laced with enmity. Alex thought to disregard the feeling but Hambone just kept on staring.

Vaughn was feeling ever more unnerved and could feel his body begin to fidget. Long moments passed and Vaughn got the feeling that the two were sizing each other up. Or at least, he was being sized up. The quiet tick of the clock in the entryway grew loud, a loudness that was muffled by the sound of Alex’s heart beating in his ears. Final y, it became unbearable.

Alex opened his mouth to ask, “What’s your problem?”

But he was interrupted when Hambone leaned forward in his chair and spit out, “Where’s the money?”

Alex, relieved to have the insufferable silence broken, almost told him. But he stopped short of divulging the location.

What is with these people
, he wondered.

That was three times in the span of three conversations that El iot and his crew asked him where the money was. Once from El iot, once from Slate, and now in his usual subtle way, Hambone.

“What’s it to you?” he said instead.

“It’s evidence,” he said.

Alex was tired of the games. “My friend, my find, my time frame.”

Hambone sat there, his eyes were fixed on Alex and his hands were clasped together. The muscles in his arms chorded as he pressed his palms together. This was not a man used to be told palms together. This was not a man used to be told to kindly go fuck himself. Alex stood up. Hambone stood up also and blocked Alex’s path.

“I’m going to go get some air,” Vaughn said, looking square into the chest of the large man.

Hambone paused for a moment, and then stepped aside.

“You go do that.”

Alex didn’t like how he was given permission to go outside, but let it slide in an effort to deescalate whatever bothered Hambone. He took a few steps and cast a wary glance over his shoulder before stepping outside and closing the door behind him.

Vaughn took a look around as he took a deep breath and felt the warm sunlight hit his face. At the same time, a chil from the snow below crept up his legs, creating an odd contrast. Alex thought that it was a somewhat accurate physical representation of what he felt at that moment. He was a jumble of emotions. He couldn’t believe he went and saw Charlotte, no matter how brief, the night before. He hadn’t the courage to face her, and he guessed, probably stil didn’t. Last night was an accident of circumstance. The weather, lack of sleep, worry about Jack; al led his feet to her front door.

He didn’t have to jet out as fast as he did this morning, perhaps. Charlotte would have told him he was using work to avoid having to deal with his own personal issues. He knew that she would have been right too.

Alex puffed out a cloud of white breath and breathed in deep, letting his thoughts go back to the scene inside and the chaos of the last few days.

What was that tension inside al about? Things were much more tranquil out here. He could see how being cooped up inside might start to wear on someone. Stil , there was something more to the animosity that Hambone was directing his way and Alex couldn’t help but wonder how he offended the man.

As he stood there, his gaze fel over the detached garage and his memory shot to the first time he drove to the safe house just after the explosion that kil ed Sal. He began to make his way towards the detached garage. It was about twenty feet removed from the house and about fifty feet removed from the road. He stopped and glanced at the windows and at the door to make sure no one was watching him, and then jogged to the garage.

With another glance around to make sure the coast was clear, he disappeared inside between the barn-like double doors.

The first thing that Alex noticed was the smel .

It was dank in there and smel ed more like a musty basement than a garage. There was a hint of oil and gasoline, but the place in general smel ed musty. A large rusty pipe lined the roof of the structure and a few shelves that housed various tools lined one of the wal s. There was an empty parking space on the left side and some sort of vehicle under a tarp on the right.

Alex remembered the first time he came here and the tarp being pul ed over the vehicle before Alex could get a look. He meant to get that look now.

Something cal ed at him to look. Knowing time was an issue Alex hurried over to the tarp and knelt down next to the rear of the vehicle. He pul ed the edge of the canvas back; he lifted it just above the license plate where he stopped.

Vaughn could hardly breathe. He knew this car.

Why was Jack’s car in this garage?

Alex put his hand gently on the license plate.

Touching it made it feel more real. This, al of this, was so surreal. Jack was dead, but his car was here. There was a bag of cash in his basement.

Were they working together? If so, then why wouldn’t they have known where the money was? After al , Jack said that El iot could be trusted. Something was not making sense.

When in doubt follow the money
, he thought.

He was taught that soon after he earned his shield. The money came from the Bonanno crew. It was intercepted by Jack. Alex reached towards his gun as he worked out the scenario. El iot and his friends wanted the money. The money Jack confiscated. There was a sound behind him.

Stil hunched over the license plate al Alex Vaughn could say was, “Mother Fu-” before he felt the explosion in the back of his head.

He fel to the side of the car, almost blacked out from the pain. He tried to lift his head up off the pavement in the garage, but his body just twitched in response. The blackness started to drift away and his vision came back into focus, just in time to see the laces of a black leather boot swing in and catch the laces of a black leather boot swing in and catch him ful in the face.

He heard his skin rip just before his old friend, the oblivion, met him somewhere in the recesses of his mind.