Marco Sollazo was thirty-five, a saturnine, rather handsome man in an Armani striped suit and college tie, dark hair swept back. A product of Groton and ‘Harvard Law School, carefully nurtured by his uncle, he was Don Antonio’s pride and joy.
“Mai’co, you told me there was a chance you’d get me a rehearing. Involuntary manslaughter. Now you tell me I could he here another twenty-three years.” “I’m doing my best,” Marco said. “It’s difficult.” “Yeh, well I’m doing my best. I know plenty about the Family, but I don’t speak out.” “Paolo, I don’t think ‘Don Antonio would he pleased to hear you speak like that. It. would distress him.” Paolo said fiastily, “Hell, don’t get me wrong, I’d never betray my Godfather. It’s just, like, I could do with some help here.” “I know, I know.” Marco sounded sympathetic. I’ll explore every avenue. I mean, the Don has much influence. Who knows?” Saiamone plucked at his arm. “What if I give you something good? Something real good?” “And what would that be?”
There were prisoners and their visitors wandering evcrywbere on the grass and Salamone pulled So!lazo over to a bench and sat down. He pointed across to a man Who was in his mid sixties with gray hair. The young, dark-haired woman with him seemed about twenty-five.
“Liam Kelly, he calls himself. The woman is his niece, Jean Kelly. She’s a theater nurse down at
Green Rapids General Hospital.”
“SOT’
“He’s doing twenty-five for shooting a policeman in Pleasantville ten years ago when he was robbing a bank. I met him in Ossining, then he had an angina attack’ and the4 moved him down here because of the hospital. I followed a few months later to join the staff. You see, we’ve got a good facility here, but Green Rapids is very special. Any problem and we send the patient slraight down
“So where is this leading?”
“The other month he had an attack. I should tell you they’re Irish, but not the usual kind. That funny accent they have in the north of Ireland. Anyway, he’s not in good health and he got a fever. They had him on a drip in a private room. I was night nurse at
the time and had to check him out.”.
“So?”
“When he was delirious he said all sorts of crazy things. Kept going on about some ship called the ldsh Rose, and then he would say he was the only one
who knew where it had gone down, the only one who knew where the gold was.”
There was a long pause. Sollazo sat there frowning.
“The only one who knew where the gold was? He said that?”
“That’s right.”
“So what did you make of itT’
Salamone was enjoying himself. “I went to the prison library. We’ve got a great computer service
here. I tapped in the Irish Rose name, and bingo.” “Go on,” Sollazo told him.
“There was an item in the New York Times in the aumnm of nineteen eighty-five. It seems a truck carryin fifty million pounds in’ gold bullion was knocked off up in the northwest of England on the coast. It said police inquiries indicated it had put
to sea on a ferry called the Irish Rose.”
“.Then what?”
“The ship disappear but lifebe!s and what was left of a lifeboat were waslled up on the Irish coast.
End of story.”
“And it said nothing about who was behind it?” “Not a word.”
“Interesting,” Sollazo said. “Let’s take a walk.” They strolled across the grass and passed the bench where Kelly and his niece were sitting, heads together.
She glanced up casually and Salamone said, “Hi, Liam.”
“How’s yourself, Paolo?” was the reply.
Sollazo and Salamone passed on and Kathleen Ryan said, her accent more American than Irish now, “Who was that one, Uncle Michael?” “Paolo Salamone. He’s a nurse in the hospital.
We’ve something in common. We’re both doing twenty-five years for shooting a policeman, only in his case it was for shooting a policewoman. Anyway, how are you?” · “I’m fine. They keep me busy at the hospital.” “Still no man in your life?” “Too much bother.” She smiled. “Lucky I managed the job at Green Rapids. At least I can see you regularly.” “And for how long, another fifteen years?” He shook his head. “You can’t waste your lif like this, Kathleen.” He was angry now and stood up. “God, how could lhave been so stupid? A small-town bank, I said. A piece of cake and then that policeman came round the corner.” “It was just one of those things.” “Well, thank God you managed to drive off and get the hell out of it.” He took out a pack of cigarettes’and lit one. She said, “You know you shouldn’t smoke.’,’ “So I can extend my life a year or two here in good old Green Rapids Detention Center?” He grinned wryly and dropped the cigarette to the ground. “All fight, I’ll be good. Com on, I’ll walk you to the gate.” There were a number of people going in the same direction and she noticed Salamone and Sollazo.