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“Yep. There is that bonus, but it doesn’t pay the rent.”

  “Okay, let’s put that thought on hold and focus on heroin.”

  “I am glad you are prepared to keep your eyes on the prize.”

  “We are here to make money, not collect autographs. How soon can we start?”

  “Depends how long it’ll take you to deliver your cash.”

  “Let’s say tomorrow, then.”

  Pasquale smiled.

  “I admire anyone who can lay their hands on ten grand in a day.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Half the money needs to come to us. The other half you can use to make an initial purchase with some locals. Once you have the raw product, we can manufacture the street bags over the weekend and can count the profit before the end of the week.”

  Fabio went through the details of the job so Mary Lou was crystal clear what she needed to do. Finally, they shook hands and Mary Lou walked out of the room to start her new life as a heroin dealer.

  MILTON LEANT AGAINST the side of his vehicle as Mary Lou returned.

  “Everything okay?”

  “All is good, thanks.”

  He slid into the driver’s seat and Mary Lou got in on the other side. Out the gates of the parking lot and the car headed back toward civilization.

  “You guys work anything out?”

  “Sure have. You up for working with me on it?”

  “Depends what it is. I won’t touch child porn but I’m open to almost anything else you got.”

  “No to child porn? Didn’t realize you were a man of principles.”

  Milton chuckled and Mary Lou smiled, the left corner of her lips curling towards an eye, forming more of a closed-mouth snarl than a positive expression.

  “So what is the deal?”

  “I’ll be looking to use some of your men, if you've any spare. There’s a small shipment of heroin needs purchasing, cutting and distributing. Got any expertise in this area?”

  “Not directly, no. I’ve made my money out of the numbers and other gambling pursuits. But I know people who can be very serious minded and handle themselves well if individuals cross the line.”

  “Good. It’s going down this weekend, so I hope you don’t have any plans. We’ll need heavies for tomorrow when we make the trade and then I’m hiring a lab off Pasquale to cut the smack into five per cent bags. After that, we ship them out and watch the money roll in.”

  “Give me the details later and we can figure out how many men we will need.”

  Beat.

  “I assume this will come with some appreciation from you.”

  “Of course, Milton. We are not communists. I am sharing the profit with Pasquale so what I give you comes straight from my own pocket.”

  “Spare me the sob story and give me the number.”

  “Five per cent of the profits and if everything goes well this weekend, I’ll add in a one-off brokerage payment too as the introducing agent.”

  “Is that your best offer?”

  “Best and only offer. If you don’t want a piece then I’ll hire from Pasquale. All you have to do is supply some fellas and give me some advice along the way because you know the locals. For you, it’ll be easy money. I’m the one who'll break into a sweat.”

  “If it’s that great a deal, why offer it to me?”

  “Because I’m starting out in this town and I want to have friendly faces around when I do business. Someone to watch my back, if you will.”

  “I can do more than that.”

  “Don’t get any funny ideas, Milton. This is business. If you want anything more from me, it is not for sale. Understood? You’ve got your girlfriend in LA to look after your dick. Not me.”

  Silence in the car as Milton mulled over her words. Perhaps she had been too harsh with him, but this was a business transaction and Mary Lou didn’t want any complications caused by Milton’s roving groin. Even if he was interested in her, she flat out did not find him the least bit attractive.

  The other thought echoing in her head was that Milton was entirely dispensable after the first haul. He’d given up his connection with no money exchanging hands and he was only acting like an employment agency: passing hired hands onto her for a few days paid work. He was not the only source of goons in California.

  She figured she was being more than fair: paying him with profit which would far exceed the day rate he might extract from her. That meant she could lean on him and learn how the West Coast mob operated without putting herself as much in the firing line. If the shit hit the fan, Pasquale would look to Milton as the one who introduced her, especially if she was forced to fly the coop.

  “No worries, Mary Lou. And no offense intended. Are we okay?”

  “Sure are, Milton. All is good. This time next week, we’ll be swimming in cash.”

  “That’s the way to drown.”

  “You could buy Janet a yacht if you wanted to.”

  “You kidding? Not a word of this to Janet. I keep my business separate from her life. Understood?”

  “Fine by me. You organize your world how you want. I didn’t mean anything by it. If you prefer, buy your mistress a yacht and take the family out for a pizza. For all I care.”

  Milton laughed and Mary Lou chuckled with him. These men all lived with their double standards and their women did the same. Nobody was honest any more.

  “What’ll you do with your share of the take?”

  “Invest it in other opportunities. Stash some away for a rainy day. Might buy a mink coat and something for the twins.”

  “You sure love your family.”

  “They’re all I got. I’ve no-one to escape from and have an affair with. Nothing personal.”

  “Oh, yeah. Don’t get me wrong: I love Janet. Really do, but domestic life isn’t for everyone and I need other outlets for my... passions.”

  “Indeed.”

  “But whatever I do when I go away from her, I always return to Janet. She’s my northern star. If it wasn’t for her, I’d still be a street punk hustling for quarters.”

  “My Frank saved me from a life of low-rent alley bootstrappers, but it’s just me and the twins left. I gotta do right by them.”

  “Children are a gift from god.”

  “They are a gift, certainly.”

  Mary Lou stared out the window as the smaller houses turned into larger ones. She thought of the night she gave birth to Alice then Frank Jr four minutes later. The agony. And the ecstasy of seeing her charges for the first time.

  Milton parked the car outside number twenty.

  “Want to come in so we can sort out the details?”

  “I’ll pop by in a couple of hours. I’m expected home for lunch.”

  She shrugged and went inside as Milton headed for his fish lunch. Nothing in this world like a good Catholic.

  THAT AFTERNOON, SHE phoned Bobby and asked him to come round. He started the conversation after she'd handed over a mug of coffee.

  “Is there anything wrong?”

  “No, I wanted your advice and some things are best kept off the national phone lines.”

  “What are you up to?”

  “Why do you assume I’m up to something?”

  “If you’re concerned about a wiretap, you’re not baking cookies for the Girl Guides of America.”

  “You know a guy goes by the name of Fabio Abate?”

  Beat.

  “Do you?”

  Another silence.

  “That’s a yes, then.”

  “You meet Pasquale too?”

  “Sure did.”

  “Are you about to go into business with them?”

  “Planning to.”

  Beat.

  “You know much about them?”

  “Yep. Known them for years.”

  “Done business with them?”

  “Worked for them. Worked with them. Now I’m out that line of work, like I told you.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I don
’t want to talk about it.”

  “But this is important. Could help me over the next few days - the more I know about them... Can I trust them?”

  “They are straight down the line fellas.”

  “And why did you stop working with them?”

  “Number of reasons, nothing specific to them.”

  “Tired of the life?”

  “And some, but we’re all tired of something. That’s no reason.”

  “So what was your excuse?”

  “Something happened. Totally in my control.”

  “And completely tragic?”

  “You betcha.”

  “A death?”

  “U-huh.”

  “Won’t ask any more.”

  “Thank you for that.”

  “All things being equal, would you work with them again?”

  “Ye-es. The hesitation in my voice is because of how they behaved at the end.”

  “Something for me to worry about?”

  “Nah. Lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice.”

  “I’m still not getting a great vibe off you.”

  “No need to worry. Really.”

  “Okay, but I’m not convinced.”

  “Would you like me to ride shotgun?”

  “What?”

  “Be by your side?”

  “No thanks. I think I’ve had more recent experience of shooting someone than you have.”

  “Maybe so. The offer’s there if you change your mind.”

  Mary Lou liked Bobby, but he came across as quite passive nowadays even if had been a hustler in the past.

  “How about Milton?”

  “Into anything that’ll turn a buck. Like the rest of them.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve heard he’s quite the reliable type, but don’t expect anything requiring imagination from him. He knows the numbers racket and moneylending.”

  “That goes with extortion and violence.”

  “He’s handy with a crowbar and a gun, yes.”

  “And reliable?”

  “You can rely on him to follow the money. If you keep him greased, he’ll stay with you until the end of the world.”

  “And if he sniffs a better offer round the corner?”

  “Then you won’t see him for dust.”

  As he walked out, Mary Lou gave him a hug. One day she’d find out who he’d killed to end the gangster life. But not today. Bobby squeezed her waist and let his hand hang there a while as she stepped away.

  “Take good care of yourself, Mary Lou Lagotti. I’d hate for anything to happen to you.”

  “I’ll be fine, Bobby Trevisan.”

  “Hope you’re right.”

  She closed the door, had dinner with the twins and put them to bed. Cindy had the night off, so she’d stay late the following night. Who knew how long it would take to buy five thousand dollars of brown sugar.

  Part 9: Saturday April 10, 1971

  16

  Milton drove again with Mary Lou in the front passenger seat. Stephen Franco and Albert Nardi sat behind them, two of Milton’s fellas. He assured her they were good guys as he introduced them in a diner on the outskirts of town.

  They ate breakfast together - a team-building suggestion from Milton that made sense at the time. Reality was that neither Stephen nor Albert were the talkative type. As Milton and Mary Lou discussed their plan for the morning’s activity, the other two chomped on eggs, toast and coffee.

  Neither had a discernible neck and their bodies had been invented for the word ‘thickset’. She noticed a bulge in the left-hand side of each of their jackets so she drew comfort from the fact they were both packing a piece. Never walk into a gunfight with a smile and a knife. Not that this should turn into a gun battle. The contact had the heroin and they had the cash. Straight exchange and the four would be out of there before you could count to ten.

  That was the intention. Milton preferred to consider what Plan B would look like if things didn’t go exactly as intended. His attention to detail echoed Frank’s approach to business; he might be a goofball, but she respected Milton for the way he was handling himself this morning. There was more than a fatuous grin and roving dick to the man.

  “Albert: whatever happens, you make sure you cover Mary Lou. She is our number one priority.”

  “Got it.”

  “And if they are not forthcoming with the product, what’ll you do Stephen?”

  “Wait on your instructions.”

  “Correct-o-mundo. Do not decide for yourself to try to grab the product. Do not interfere with any discussion taking place. Do not use your piece unless someone is aiming a barrel at your head or I give you permission.”

  “Sure thing, boss.”

  “When we arrive, let me do the talking, okay?”

  “Not really. It’s my money, my connection and my deal. If they can’t speak to me the first day we meet, how are they going to cope with doing business with me in the future?”

  “These are old-fashioned men...”

  “Who live in the modern world. They like it or lump it, but they must deal with me either way.”

  Milton was silent and the other two stared blankly, waiting for their next instruction. He sipped his coffee and let the tension subside.

  “If you say so. I counsel against it, but it is your party and I am merely a bit player.”

  Mary Lou nodded to emphasize a decision made but she could see Milton wasn’t happy with the outcome. Sometimes being stubborn was not the best way to deal with people.

  “I’ve brought some test equipment which we must use before we accept the shipment. And they are bound to want to count the money. While all this is going on, you two need to keep your eyes open for trouble.”

  Milton turned to Mary Lou.

  “If something goes awry, it’s normally when everyone’s attention is on checking the goods.”

  “Have you tested this kind of product before?”

  “Yes. Not for a year or two, but I have experience and know what I’m looking for, if that’s what you mean.”

  “It does. What a wide set of business interests you’ve had.”

  He smiled in appreciation of her comments and that he couldn’t have been very successful in the heroin trade. The profit was too vast compared to the numbers. If it had worked for him, he’d have left small-scale gambling behind.

  “Mary Lou, while I’m mucking about with the scales, you must keep your eyes on our hosts, not on me. No matter how fascinating you think I may be, watch them like a hawk, okay?”

  “Understood.”

  “And if the deal goes south, stick your tits out. Might confuse them long enough for us to get the first shot.”

  Mary Lou glared at Milton, self-conscious. This was the first day she’d worn jeans and a tee shirt since she’d fled Burbank Airport. She had lived in tie-dyed below-the-knee skirts and dresses ever since. But today, she needed to be ready for action and a skirt wasn’t appropriate. The red glow on her cheeks subsided and she took a glug of coffee.

  “Just you make sure we’re walking out with the right kind of powder, mister. I have no intention of paying five grand for a pile of talc.”

  “It’ll be cool. But if it’s not, let’s meet up here at three this afternoon and pick over the bones of what went wrong.”

  Nods all round as they finished their drinks. Mary Lou got the check and they split up in their two vehicles.

  “How reliable are Albert and Stephen?”

  “They’ve got me out of enough trouble in the past. Got an issue with either of them?”

  “Not at all. Just running through everything in my head. I don’t know them so that’s a concern until I see how they handle themselves. I get you wouldn’t bring along a doofus or two to mind the bags, but there’s a difference between what you see and what you know.”

  “Sure. I’d think the same if I was in your sling backs. But they are good, reliable fellas. Not the b
rightest, I’ll admit, but they have a good nose for situations and respond well to trouble.”

  “That’s what we need.”

  “Although Albert is prone to shoot first and ask permission afterwards.”

  “Kidding me?”

  “No, each time he’s been right, but he generates that split second of panic when everyone thinks they will die, because no-one expects him to fire first.”

  “Something to look forward to.”

  “We’ll be fine. In the general scheme of things, this is a small amount of China white and chump change for our contacts - with all due respect to your hard-earned money.”

  “None taken.”

  The rest of the journey took place in silence as Mary Lou stared out the window and watched the world fly past.

  NORTH OF THE AIRPORT lay a handful of buildings that bled away into the desert. Close enough to transportation for drug mules and far enough away from anywhere citizens might want to go to, which meant the local cops wouldn’t bother with the area, not even an occasional drive by. There wasn’t sufficient property to be defended to warrant the police time. Perfect.

  Milton drove to a building that a realtor might describe as a light industrial workspace. There were two cars parked in front before they arrived.

  “Looks like we got company.”

  “Take everything nice and easy. Let’s only bring the money inside when Stephen and Albert get here.”

  Almost on cue, the two men lurched to a halt next to Milton’s vehicle.

  “Keep sharp.”

  Into the building and a hallway leading to a back room - an open space covering most of the first floor. In the corner were spiral stairs leading up to who knows what. There were cardboard boxes and shelving running all the floor, creating a miniature labyrinth to work around or over to reach the guys stood at the far end of the room.

  Milton raised a hand in recognition as the four picked their way through the controlled chaos of the box-and-shelf maze.

  “Nice place you got here, Candido?”

  One of the men nodded to announce himself while the two others remained still. Statues.

  “Glad you could make it. Any problems getting here?”

  Mary Lou shook her head as a plane roared overhead. No-one flinched even though the noise was close to deafening.