Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon

 

 

In the farmhouse in New Jersey, Michael Moretti was saying, “We’ve got a problem.”

They were seated in the large, comfortable study. In the room were Jennifer, Antonio Granelli and Thomas Colfax. Antonio Granelli had suffered a stroke and it had aged him twenty years overnight. He looked like a shrunken caricature of a man. The paralysis had affected the right side of his face so that when he spoke, saliva drooled from the corners of his mouth. He was old and almost senile, and he leaned more and more on Michael’s judgment. He had even reluctantly come to accept Jennifer.

Not so Thomas Colfax. The conflict between Michael and Colfax had grown stronger. Colfax knew it was Michael’s intention to replace him with this woman. Colfax admitted to himself that Jennifer Parker was a clever lawyer, but what could she possibly know of the traditions of the borgata? Of what had made the brotherhood work so smoothly all these years? How could Michael bring in a stranger—worse, a woman!—and trust her with their life-and-death secrets? It was an untenable situation. Colfax had talked to the caporegimi—the squad lieutenants—and the soldati—the soldiers—one by one, voicing his fears, trying to win them over to his side, but they were afraid to go against Michael. If he trusted this woman, then they felt they must trust her also.

Thomas Colfax decided he would have to bide his time. But he would find a way to get rid of her.

Jennifer was well aware of his feelings. She had replaced him, and his pride would never let him forgive her for that. His loyalty to the Syndicate would keep him in line and protect her, but if his hatred for her should become stronger than that loyalty…

Michael turned to Jennifer. “Have you ever heard of Adam Warner?”

Jennifer’s heart stopped for an instant. It was suddenly hard for her to breathe. Michael was watching her, waiting for an answer.

“You—you mean the senator?” Jennifer managed to say.

“Uh-huh. We’re going to have to cool the son of a bitch.”

Jennifer could feel the blood drain from her face. “Why, Michael?”

“He’s hurting our operation. Because of him, the Mexican government is closing down factories belonging to friends of ours. Everything’s starting to come apart. I want the bastard out of our hair. He’s got to go.”

Jennifer’s mind was racing. “If you touch Senator Warner,” she said, choosing her words carefully, “you’ll destroy yourself.”

“I’m not going to let—”

“Listen to me, Michael. Get rid of him, and they’ll send ten men to take his place. A hundred. Every newspaper in the country will be after you. The investigation that’s going on now will be nothing compared to what will happen if Senator Warner is harmed.”

Michael said angrily, “I’m telling you we’re hurting!”

Jennifer changed her tone. “Michael, use your head. You’ve seen these investigations before. How long do they last? Five minutes after the senator is finished, he’ll be investigating something else and all this will be over. The factories that are closed down will open up again and you’ll be back in business. That way there won’t be any repercussions. You try to do it your way and you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I disagree,” Thomas Colfax said. “In my opinion—”

Michael Moretti growled, “No one asked for your opinion.”

Thomas Colfax jerked as though he had been slapped. Michael paid no attention. Colfax turned to Antonio Granelli for support. The old man was asleep.

Michael said to Jennifer, “Okay, counselor, we’ll leave Warner alone for now.”

Jennifer realized she had been holding her breath. She exhaled slowly. “Is there anything else?”

“Yeah.” Michael picked up a heavy gold lighter and lit a cigarette. “A friend of ours, Marco Lorenzo, has been convicted of extortion and robbery.”

Jennifer had read about the case. According to the newspapers, Lorenzo was a congenital criminal with a long string of arrests for crimes of violence.

“Do you want me to file an appeal?”

“No, I want you to see that he goes to jail.”

Jennifer looked at him in surprise.

Michael put the cigarette lighter back on his desk. “I got word that Di Silva wants to ship him back to Sicily. Marco’s got enemies there. If they send him back he won’t live twenty-four hours. The safest place for him is Sing Sing. When the heat’s off in a year or two we’ll get him out. Can you swing it?”