Secrets & Lies (12 page)

“Say, Leo, didn't you promise me you'd take me to Disneyland?”

Had I? I didn't remember
.

“Come on, Maria, you've been to Disneyland, haven't you?”

“Of course, but I love it. They're always adding new things, too.”

I figured what the hell. Why not? “Sure, Maria, we can go to Disneyland. When do you want to go?”

“I'm free next week. Any day.”

She was actually free every goddamned day. She didn't do a thing except lounge around the pool, unless she was in L.A. shopping on Rodeo Drive for expensive clothes. Daddy gave her a blank check. She drove a sweet 1958 Alfa Romeo convertible, one of many lavish presents from her father.

“It'll have to be next weekend, Maria. I work this week,” I said.

“Saturdays are really crowded.”

I shrugged. “I'm sure we'll manage. So, is it a date?”

“Sure. What do I do, come to L.A. Friday night? I could stay with my cousin in Santa Monica.”

“Do I know your cousin?”

“She's here. Catherine. You've met her before. She's six years older than me. Has four kids.”

“Oh, right. That sounds good, I can pick you up there.”

“Get Boone to drive us. That car of yours is too small.”

“Sure thing.”

She leaned in close and kissed my cheek. Maria was my height, which was all right. Like I said before, I usually like 'em taller than me, and that's a group that probably includes most of the chicks in the world. “Thank you, Leo! I look forward to it.”

Yeah, she liked me. Maybe I
could
develop something to my advantage. Romancing Maria might be a good business move. Was it possible to marry my way into the DeAngelo family? The idea was so fantastic, it was funny. Besides, she came with a lot of baggage. She was good looking, but I didn't like the way she felt entitled to everything. She always got her way. I believed women needed to know their place.

“Hey, Maria!”

We looked over and saw her older brother Paulie waving at her.

“What?”

“Mom wants you!”

“I'm talking here!”

He waved at her sternly. “Come on!”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, dear. It must have something to do with the cake. Excuse me, will you?”

“It's all right.”

Maria grabbed my hand. “Let's talk some more later.” And then she was off, and I watched her sashay across the lawn to her brother. He chewed her out a little, but she brushed him off and went in the house. Paulie turned to me and shot me a dirty look. He wasn't one of my favorite people. In fact, he was a pain in my neck. I've known
him
all my life, too. He argued to his pop that I shouldn't be put in charge of the counterfeiting operation because I wasn't “experienced” in their ways. I didn't know why he was against me. He just didn't like me.

Paulie was the oldest kid in the DeAngelo family. He was thirty-five or thirty-six, I can't remember. Tall and skinny and had a face like a weasel. Had the temper of one, too. Someday maybe he and I'll get into it. I think I could take him.

After the sun went down, DeAngelo put on some clothes and stood near the gazebo, smoking a cigarette and telling stories to the numerous sycophants around him. I finally went up to him and said, “Happy birthday, Don DeAngelo. Thank you for inviting me.”

“Leo, my boy! Leo, I'm so glad you could come. How are you enjoying the party?”

“It's great, sir. I always love coming here.”

He addressed everyone. “You all know Leo? He's Philip Kelly's boy. I've known Leo since he was a baby.”

The group nodded. Some of them actually did know and respect me.

“I've been meaning to talk to you, Leo. Excuse us, I need to speak with Leo for a minute.” He put an arm around me and we walked away from the bar to talk in private.

“How's business, Leo?” he asked.

“Great. And that thing I'm working on is going well.”

“That's what I understand. Mookie Samberg knows what he's doing, even if he is expensive.” He belly laughed and lit another cigarette.

“I'm going to New York in a couple of weeks to talk to the paper supplier.”

“Good, good. I trust you, Leo. I know you don't do a lot of work for us. I appreciate this initiative of yours. Everything all right? Do you need anything?”

“No, and thank you, sir. Listen, if there is
ever
anything I can do for you, please let me know. I have a whole warehouse operation at your disposal.”

He laughed again. “Of course you do. Your father and I did a lot of business together. He was a wonderful man and a good friend.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And, it's funny you mention it, but I
did
want to ask you about something that maybe you could do for me.”

“What's that, sir?”

“Stop with that ‘sir' stuff. I don't like it. And that ‘don' thing doesn't work either. That's what they say in New York. I'm not a New Yorker.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Don't ever apologize. Makes you look weak.”

“Yes, s—um, I know.”

“You know, Maria likes you, Leo. She talks about you a lot.”

“I like her too. She's a lovely gal—er, girl. We're going to Disneyland together next week.”

He paused for a second, registering that his daughter was going on a date with me. How did he feel about it? Well, apparently it was okay, because he said, “That's great. You'll have a good time.”

“I'm sure we will.”

“Now listen. What I wanted to talk to you about. Your sister—”

“Christina?”

“Christina. She did some time.”

“Yes, she did, sir—damn, I'm sorry. What do I call you if you don't want me to call you ‘sir'?”

“Call me Vince. My closest friends call me Vince.”

“All right, Vince. Thank you. I'm honored.”

“Forget it. Anyway, your sister—”

“Christina.”

“Christina, she was in for armed robbery, right?”

“That's right.”

“Is she still in the joint?”

“No. We share a house in Hollywood.”

“Oh, I wish I'd known. I would've invited her to the party.”

“It's all right.”

He paused and looked at me, and then said, “I hear she's good. At armed robbery.”

That surprised me. “Yeah, I'd say she is. Was.”

“Does she know anyone else who could, let's say, participate in a job?”

This was getting better. I answered, “Sure. Me.”

DeAngelo looked sideways at me. “You? You've pulled off bank jobs?”

“I helped Christina a couple of times.”

“Are you good? Tell me the truth. Could I call you professionals?”

My sister was a pro, but I couldn't say I was. I'd helped her out a couple of times, and she got popped on the second one. “Sure, Vince. When Christina and I did that sort of thing, we were very good. We robbed this bank in San Diego—”

“Listen, I may have a job for you and Christina. Are you interested?”

Yeah, I was interested. If it was for Vincent DeAngelo, I was definitely interested. And Christina would jump at it in a heartbeat. I told him so.

“Good. I don't know anything yet, but if it happens, it's going to be tricky. I need someone I can trust. It's probably going to involve
a Hollywood bank. I'll know something concrete in a few weeks. You want to talk to Christina and see if it's something she's willing to risk? I know if she gets popped again it'll be bad news.”

“I'm sure she'll be all for it.”

“Fine. As soon as I know more details, I'll let you know. We'll talk again.”

“Thanks, Vince.”

He shook my hand and then walked away. I was stunned. He wanted to give me an important job. Me and sis.

I spent the rest of the evening enjoying myself—gorging on the food, drinking some very nice booze, and dancing with Maria.

But I really had my eye on that redhead I'd seen earlier.

1961

A
PRIL
10, 1961

I heard from Leo this evening! He called and asked me on a date because he's in town this week. Suddenly I have something to look forward to. I know it's been a month since I last wrote. I began the last entry feeling sorry for myself. It's even worse now, or it was until just a few minutes ago. Seriously, I have not been a happy person for the past two months. I drag myself through the days, and I've certainly had no desire to go out at night as the Stiletto.

They blamed the traffic accident on me, of course. And they're right. If I hadn't darted out into the street, it wouldn't have happened. The miracle about it all was that no one was killed. I thought surely passengers had died in that bus. There were a lot of injuries, and some serious ones, too. The taxi driver is still in the hospital.

The newspapers were full of the story for a few days, and then it kind of died out. However, last week, one of the passengers was quoted as saying he was going to sue the Black Stiletto if he could find her.

It all made me feel terrible. Freddie has also been quiet. A week after the accident he tried to talk to me. I was too upset to do so. I think he was mad at me at first, but then he saw how shaken I was by the whole thing. I told him I didn't want to talk about it, because
there's nothing to be said. I caused the accident, people were hurt, we're all lucky no one was killed, and I'm sorry.

I considered writing an apology and sending it to the
Daily News
or the
Times
. I wonder if they'd have printed it.

A week ago there was another altercation between Clark and Kraig. Kraig continued to visit the gym at his usual time, 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Clark started coming early, as I suggested, at 6:30. But after a couple of weeks, he said it was affecting his performance in school. So he switched to the end of the day, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. There was always a chance he'd run into Kraig, and it finally happened. They got into a fight outside in front of the gym, on the sidewalk. Jimmy alerted me to what was happening, so I stopped wiping down the glass cases and ran to intervene. Freddie beat me to it and had already separated the boys. Clark had a bloody nose, but Kraig was none the worse for wear. Freddie had no choice but to suspend them from the gym for a week. Kraig raised his middle finger at us and walked on. I brought Clark inside so he could wash up and hold a rag on his nose. I wasn't as disappointed in him as last time, because I'm sure he was only defending himself against a stinking bully. But rules are rules and I told him so. He said he understood, thanked me, fixed himself up, and left.

Both boys were able to return today. Clark did his usual 5:00 to 7:00, and I was happy to see him. Kraig didn't come in until after Clark had left. I was in the middle of closing up, and I was the only person in the gym. Kraig came swaggering in, dressed in street clothes. I was behind the cash register. He had the audacity to jump up and sit on the counter.

“Hello, Kraig,” I said. “Get down, please.”

He did. “I just stopped by to tell you I won't be coming to your gym anymore,” he announced.

“I'm sorry to hear that.”

“No, you're not. You only want customers who don't mind working out with niggers.”

His words made me bristle, so I looked him in the eye. “Get out,
Kraig. And don't come back. And if I hear you've done anything to Clark, I'm coming after you.”

He raised his hands, bugged out his eyes, and did an insulting impression of a Negro stereotype, “Oh, you scarin' me, Miss Judy, you scarin' me to
death
!”

“
Get out
.”

He grinned and backed up. As he sauntered toward the door, he turned and said, “Oh, by the way, your little nigger is dead meat. Don't be surprised if he doesn't show up anymore.”

“Kraig, I'm serious. I'll get the police involved.”

He just laughed. “Too bad you're such a bitch, Judy, otherwise I'd let you ____ my ____.” I can't even write down the words, but they had something to do with my mouth and his anatomy. I wanted to come around the counter and clobber the creep. Instead, I controlled my temper and just glared at him, shooting imaginary stilettos from my eyes at him.

That put me in a grouchy mood, so after I locked the front door, turned out the lights, and went upstairs, I got in the tub and soaked for thirty minutes. I would have stayed longer, but Freddie knocked on the bathroom door and said I had a phone call from Leo. Freddie knew about Leo, I'd told him all about the California adventure. I'd also complained that I hadn't heard from him, so Freddie knew I'd want to take the call. I told him to tell Leo I'd be there in just a minute, so I quickly got out of the tub, wrapped a towel around my body, padded a wet trail to my bedroom, and picked up my extension.

“Hello?”