Worst Fears Realized (18 page)
“You see, just as you were protecting a cherished woman at that time, you are now protecting yet another woman important to you.”
“Yes,” Stone agreed.
“As am I,” Bianchi said. “Do you understand?”
“Up to a point,” Stone replied.
“You understand that I would like to help bring an end to this business?”
“Of course.”
“And that I cannot tread on Dino’s toes, as it were.”
“Yes.”
“Then perhaps it might be possible for me to help you, instead of Dino.”
“You must understand, Mr. Bianchi, that Dino is my closest friend, that I owe him my life, quite literally.”
“Of course. I know all about that, and I understand completely. I am not suggesting that you should do anything to violate that friendship.”
“Good.”
“I am merely saying that there may arise information that Dino would not wish to be privy to, and that our sometimes awkward relationship prevents me from offering him.”
“What sort of information?”
“Then you will accept this from me?”
Stone was uncomfortable. “I’m not certain what I would be accepting.”
“I understand that this Mitteldorfer, on being released from prison, has disappeared.”
“That is correct.”
“Perhaps I can help you find him.”
“How can you do that?”
Bianchi shrugged. “Let us just say that I have…acquaintances who have acquaintances who have friends who might be able to help. If I should request it.”
“I must tell you, I am uncomfortable with this.”
Bianchi held up a hand. “I understand completely.” He reached into the ticket pocket in his jacket, produced a card, and handed it to Stone.
Stone examined it. It contained only a Manhattan telephone number.
“If you should feel you need my…advice, please telephone this number and leave a recorded message. Someone representing me will be in touch.”
Stone pocketed the card and gave Bianchi his own, which seemed only courteous, in the circumstances.
“I will wait to hear from you before making inquiries,” Bianchi said. “Shall we join the others?” He
replenished their glasses, and they walked slowly toward the door. “Perhaps, if you will permit me, I will just speak a name to you. The name is Judson Palmer.”
“It doesn’t ring a bell,” Stone said.
“Mr. Palmer is a minor theatrical producer,” Bianchi said, taking Stone’s arm.
“I’m afraid I don’t understand.”
“It was he who was having an affair with Mitteldorfer’s wife when she was murdered.”
“Does Mitteldorfer know who he is?”
“That is uncertain.”
“Thank you.”
Bianchi stopped walking. “Stone—may I call you Stone?”
“Of course.”
“And please call me Eduardo.”
“Thank you.”
“I have very much enjoyed our evening together. I don’t go out much since my wife’s death, but it would please me if you would accept another invitation to dinner here.”
“Thank you, Eduardo; I’d be very pleased to come.”
The two men walked back to the small sitting room and joined the others. A large woman in an old-fashioned black dress had joined the group.
“Allow me to introduce my sister, Rosaria,” Bianchi said.
Stone took her hand. “Dinner was a wonderful experience,” he said. The woman blushed. Bianchi sat next to her.
Stone chose a seat as far as possible from Dolce Bianchi.
D
INO SLAMMED THE CAR DOOR. “ALL
right, what went on in that room? You came back arm in arm with him; I’ve seen that before, and it means he wants something from you. What did he want? What did you give him?”
“Dino,” Stone said, starting the car and driving away, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“What did
Eduardo
talk about? That’s what I want to know.”
Stone shrugged. “He seemed to want to get to know me a little. Maybe that’s why he invited me to dinner.”
“Eduardo
never
has reasons as simple as that for doing
anything.
In all the time I’ve known him, you’re the first person I’ve ever seen sit at that table who wasn’t family.”
“Speaking of family, why did you never tell me that Mary Ann had such a beautiful sister?”
“You knew she had a sister.”
“But I never had an inkling that she was so…”
“Yeah, she is, isn’t she? Stay away from her; she’s dangerous.”
“Why?”
“Well, for a start, she has a real snake for an ex-husband.”
“Who is he?”
“His name is Johnny Donato.”
“That has a familiar ring.”
“It should; he was a capo under Big Paul Castellano, before Gotti had him capped. Word is, he was supposed to be driving the Paul that night, which means he would have got it, too, but Paul sent him on some errand or other, so he survived. He disappeared after that and didn’t turn up again until Gotti and Sammy Gravano were in jail. Now he’s running a supposedly legit concrete business, taking up where Sammy left off.”
“And how did a girl as elegant as Dolce end up with a guy like that?”
“Pretty much the same way Mary Ann ended up with me. He was a guy from the neighborhood, working for a bookie and running his own little protection racket on the side. He tried to get a weekly paycheck out of my old man for not burning down his candy store, but when I heard about it I took him aside and discussed it with him.”
“You mean, you beat the shit out of him?”
“Something like that.”
“So why didn’t he and his friends retaliate?”
“I made sure I got him alone, made it personal;
nobody saw it, so he didn’t have to salvage his pride. Besides, by that time I was a cop, so he didn’t want to mess with me.”
“Dolce looks too smart to get mixed up with somebody like that, let alone marry him.”
“She
is
smart, but she was eighteen, nineteen, and for a while, she was stupid. He was a very slick item, drove a convertible, dressed well, flashed money around. Eduardo had her on a tight leash, and she didn’t like it. By the time he got a handle on the situation, they were in Miami on their honeymoon.”
“So Eduardo brought her back?”
Dino shook his head. “That’s not his style. He gave her some rope, and Donato hung himself. They hadn’t been married a month before he was fucking around. She got smart and went home.”
“What’s she doing now?”
“She’s Eduardo’s right-hand man, and I use the gender advisedly. She’s got more balls than any four guys I know.”
“An Italian of Eduardo’s generation makes a business associate out of a daughter?”
“What’s he gonna do? He’s got no sons, and it’s fifteen years before Ben could step up to the plate.”
“You think he wants to bring Ben into his business?”
Dino shrugged. “He’ll try like hell, but the kid has an independent streak. Anyway, it might not be a bad thing, if he wanted it. Eduardo will have the whole thing scrubbed clean before then. It’s a generational thing: Eduardo’s grandfather was an out-and-out, leg-breaking extortionist and pimp; his father was
up-to-his-ears Mob, but he had a legitimate fruit business, and he was a good family man. Now Eduardo is a trustee of Columbia, he’s on the board of the Metropolitan Museum, he’s a papal knight, and he’s got a portfolio of businesses that would turn Warren Buffet’s head. You think anybody cares where the money came from?”
“Except you.”
“Except me, but I’m a cop.”
“The police commissioner doesn’t care, but you do.”
“Call me crazy, but yeah. I just can’t cozy up to Eduardo.”
“I think he likes you, Dino.”
“Huh?”
“He told me he has the greatest respect for your intelligence and integrity as a police officer. Those were his very words.”
“You’re kidding.”
“He also told me that he approved of Mary Ann’s marrying you.”
Dino snorted. “He gave you some of that Quinto de somethingorother port, didn’t he? It makes you hear crazy things.”
“I think you’ve underestimated Eduardo, Dino.”
“That, I would
never
do.”
“I mean as a man, as a father. He’s growing old; he wants to see his family happy…and safe.”
“And he thinks I can’t protect them? The son of a bitch!”
“Has he interfered in your investigation in any way?”
“Not yet, but just watch him!”
“Maybe he can help you.”
“I don’t want his help. He’s not gonna make me dirty.”
Stone sighed.
“That’s what your little talk was about, wasn’t it?”
“He made it clear he wants to help, but he doesn’t want to get in your way. He just said to call him if we need help.”
“I told you, I don’t want his help.”
“He might have sources that aren’t available to us.”
“If he knows something, he can call the precinct and report it.”
“Somehow, I don’t think he’s accustomed to doing things that way, do you?”
“He wants to be the hidden hand, the way he’s always been, but this time, he wants to manipulate
me;
he wants to pull the strings with the law. I
hate
that.”
“Dino, you would use any pusher or pimp on the street as a snitch, but you won’t accept out-of-channel information from your own father-in-law?”
“Stone, I know what you’re saying is perfectly logical, but I can’t go against my own best instincts on this. If I accept his help, then I’m no better than he is. That’s the way I feel about it, and that’s an end to it, all right?”
“All right.” Stone drove along in silence for a few minutes. “You know,” he said, finally, “Dolce was playing footsie with me under the table.”
Dino’s mouth dropped open. “Right there, in front of Eduardo? No kidding?”
“No kidding.”
Dino burst out laughing. “Did I tell you she has balls? She’s some piece of work, isn’t she?”
“She certainly seems to be.”
“Stone, don’t call her; don’t get involved.”
“Well, I…”
“I’m not kidding you. Eduardo is Satan, and Dolce is his handmaiden.”
“Dino, you’re getting
very
Italian on me.”
“You want Johnny Donato on your back? He tells everybody they’re still married.”
“So why hasn’t Eduardo dealt with him? Why isn’t Donato—to put it in your own graceful and expressive manner—‘at the bottom of Sheepshead Bay with a concrete block up his ass’?”
“It’ll happen, don’t worry. But when it does, it’ll be done in such a way that nobody will even think of connecting it with Eduardo or Dolce. That’s how Eduardo works.”
“It’ll be interesting to wait and watch.”
“And in the meantime, you stay away from Dolce; she’s poison.”
“Dino, I’ve got Sarah, remember?”
“I remember. Just don’t
you
forget.”
S
TONE AND SARAH SAT UP IN BED, EATING
bagels and cream cheese, the
Times
spread out before them. “Oh, look!” she cried, thrusting the paper at him, “a really nice write-up about tonight!”
Stone read the piece, smiling. “I’m happy for you; this should make your opening even more successful. There’s nothing like a little validation from the
Times
art critic.”
“Edgar says he’s had over two hundred acceptances, and this will put us way over the top. And Edgar has already sold two of the most expensive pictures.”
“Before the opening? To whom?”
“He won’t tell me; he just says it’s an important collector, somebody on the board of the Metropolitan! Can you imagine?”
“When did this happen?”
“Yesterday. The man called him and requested a
private showing, even though the work wasn’t hung yet.”
“I think I had dinner with him last night.”
“Who? Edgar? He was hanging the work with me.”
“No, the buyer.”
“Who is he?”
“My guess is he’s Dino’s father-in-law; his name is Eduardo Bianchi.”
“Didn’t you tell me that Dino’s father-in-law is some sort of Mafia guy?”
“Maybe I did, but believe me, after meeting him, I can tell you he’s no run-of-the-mill gangster. He has a very fine collection. He mentioned you, in fact, but he didn’t tell me he had bought two pictures. He knew your work from before you left for Italy.”
“Well, I don’t care if he’s Al Capone reincarnated if he had the good judgment to like my work. Anyway, that’s nearly twenty thousand dollars in my pocket, after Edgar’s commission!” She threw off the covers. “Let’s go shopping!”
“Shopping for what?”
“We’ve got a gatehouse in Connecticut to furnish, haven’t we?”
“You’re not paying for that with the first money you’ve earned in years.”
“Well, I’ll buy you a very nice housewarming present, then. Come on!”
Half an hour later Stone was backing the car out of the garage, when he noticed a black van parked across the street.
“What are you looking at?” Sarah asked, turning so she could see out the rear window.
“A van I haven’t seen before in the block.”
“What about it?”
“The feds are famous for using vans for stakeouts and electronic surveillance, and that one has a couple of extra antennas.”
“I’ll bet it’s some of Dino’s people,” she said.
“Could be; the feds don’t have a monopoly on vans.” He turned downtown on Second Avenue.
“Stone, after tonight, I don’t want any more cops around. Anderson is all right, but that guy Kelly gives me a serious case of the willies. I’m sick of him.”
“Don’t worry about cops; after tonight, Dino has to pull his people off, anyway. He can’t justify it to the department any longer.”
“I’m beginning to think these murders and attacks are just a string of coincidences.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Stone replied, “but in my experience, when you get too many coincidences, it’s called fate.”
“Now
you’re
giving me the willies!”
“I’m sorry, but this is a serious business, and I don’t want you to start letting your guard down. Not until we’ve located this guy Mitteldorfer and done something about him.”
“But he’s been in prison for all these years; how could it have been him?”