‘Certainly,’ Raymond squeaked, as he heard the characteristic whine of
the jet engines starting.
It was like a party at the bar in the international departure lounge at
JFK airport. Even Lou was there having a beer and popping peanuts into
his mouth. He was in a great mood and acted as if he were going on the
trip.
Jack, Laurie, Warren, Natalie, and Esteban were sitting with Lou at a
round table in the corner of the bar. Over their heads was a television
tuned to a hockey game. The frantic voice of the announcer and the roar
of the fans added to the general din.
‘It’s been a great day,’ Lou yelled to Jack and Laurie. ‘We picked up
Vido Delbario, and he’s singing to save his ass. I think we’ll be making
a major dent in the Vaccarro organization.’
‘What about Angelo Facciolo and Franco Ponti?’ Laurie asked.
‘That’s another story,’ Lou said with a laugh. ‘For once the judge sided
with us and set bail at two million each. What did the trick was the
police impersonation charge.’
‘How about Spoletto Funeral Home?’ Laurie asked.
‘That’s going to be a gold mine,’ Lou said. ‘The owner is the brother of
the wife of Vinnie Dominick. You remember him, don’t you, Laurie?’
Laurie nodded. ‘How can I forget?’
‘Who’s Vinnie Dominick?’ Jack asked.
‘He played a surprising role in the Cerino affair,’ Laurie explained.
‘He’s with the competing Lucia organization,’ Lou said. ‘They’ve been
having a field day after Cerino’s fall. But my gut feeling tells me
we’re going to puncture their balloon.’
‘What about the mole in the medical examiner’s office?’ Laurie asked.
‘Hey, first things first,’ Lou said. ‘We’ll get to that. Don’t worry.’
‘When you do, check out one of the techs by the name of Vinnie
Amendola,’ Laurie said.
‘Any particular reason?’ Lou asked, as he wrote down the name in the
small notebook he carried in the side pocket of his jacket.
‘Just a suspicion,’ Laurie said.
‘Consider it done,’ Lou said. ‘You know, this episode shows how fast
things can change. Yesterday I was in the dog house, whereas today I’m
the golden boy. I even got a call from the captain about a possible
commendation. Can you believe it?’
‘You deserve it,’ Laurie said.
‘Hey, if I get one, you guys should get one, too,’ Lou said.
Jack felt someone tap on his arm. It was the waitress. She asked if they
wanted another round.
‘Hey, everybody?’ Jack called out above the babble of voices. ‘More
beer?’
Jack looked first at Natalie who put her hand over her glass to indicate
she was fine. She looked radiant in a dark purple jumpsuit. She was a
third-grade teacher at a public school in Harlem, but didn’t look like
any teacher Jack could remember. From Jack’s perspective her features
were reminiscent of the Egyptian sculptures in the Metropolitan Museum
that Laurie had dragged him in to see. Her eyes were almond-shaped and
her lips were full and generous. Her hair was done up in the most
elaborate corn-row style that Jack had ever seen. Natalie had said that
it was her sister’s forte.
When Jack looked at Warren to see whether he wanted more beer, he shook
his head. Warren was sitting next to Natalie. He was wearing a sport
jacket over a black T-shirt that somehow managed to hide his powerful
physique. He looked happier than Jack had ever seen him. His mouth
harbored a half smile instead of his normal expression of hard-lipped
determination.
‘I’m fine,’ Esteban called out. He, too, was smiling, even more broadly
than Warren.
Jack looked at Laurie. ‘No more for me. I want to save some room for
wine with dinner on the plane.’ Laurie had her auburn hair braided and
was wearing a loose-fitting velour top with leggings. With her relaxed,
ebullient demeanor and casual clothes Jack thought she looked like she
was in college.
‘Yeah, sure, I’ll have another beer,’ Lou said.
‘One beer,’ Jack told the waitress. ‘Then the check.’
‘How’d you guys make out today?’ Lou asked Jack and Laurie.
‘We’re here,’ Jack said. ‘That was the goal. Laurie and the others got