Small crimes

'I think you better shut up.'

His leer had shifted into something more violent. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 'Look, Junior,' I said, 'I think we've got a real problem here.'

'I don't think we got any problem. Pop's not going to rat anyone. You don't need to worry about nothing.' He leaned forward, a glint in his eyes. 'And I never liked you calling me Junior. Got it?'

I sighed. 'Sure. Manny. All you have to do is send your dad to a hospital out of state, maybe to Boston or New York. Your dad will get better care and we won't have to worry about Phil trying to trick him into a confession.'

Junior was shaking his head. I can't do that,' he said. 'Pop wants to stay put. He don't want to go nowhere.' He rubbed a thick hand over his jaw and showed me an embarrassed smile. 'Besides,' he said, 'I like having him close by.'

'You could send him back to the Bronx. He must have old friends and family there.'

'Nah, I told you, he don't want to go nowhere.'

"Then keep Phil out of your dad's room. Don't let him visit.'

'Yeah, well, I can't do that either. Those visits are helping my pop's spirit. It makes him feel good. Besides, it don't matter. Pop's not going say a word to him.'

'How do you know that?'

‘

‘Cause I know.'

'You talk to your dad about what he's planning to do?'

A glint of violence was back in his eyes. I don't know what point you're trying to make.'

"That if your dad talks you're going to get hurt too. Even if he made a deal with Phil not to prosecute you, you'll still get hurt. All of your businesses will be shut down. And I guarantee you all your money will be taken away. Besides, I doubt Phil would bother honoring a deal. My bet would be as soon as your dad's dead, you'll get prosecuted along with everyone else.'

The waitress came over with his glass of wine. Junior sat frozen as she placed it in front of him. He waited until she had walked away before telling me that he'd take any bet I wanted to make.

'You got yourself such a great track record making winning bets,' he said. 'Me and Pops used to get a good laugh out of your losing streak. You couldn't win a bet to save your life.'

'I'm glad I was able to amuse both of you,' I said. 'But it doesn't change the fact your dad's telling me about hearsay exclusions and other things he doesn't have a clue about. The only way he could possibly have heard about any of that stuff was from Phil. His new buddy is trying to sell him a ticket to heaven, filling him up with a bunch of crap about how he can cleanse his soul with a deathbed confession that can't be used in court.'

'Pop tell you that?'

'Just about.'

Junior's eyes dulled a bit as he thought over what I said. Then he shook his head. 'No fucking way. You're delusional. Your stint in jail made you soft in the head, Joe. There's no way Pop's saying a word to nobody. No fucking way. And I'm getting sick of you saying otherwise. I came here tonight 'cause of old times and you're going to give me this shit?'

Junior pointed a thick, stubby finger at me and lowered his voice. 'You know what pisses me off about you? You think you're so goddam smart. If you're so brilliant how come you ended up in jail? If it was me, there's no way I walk out of that building with Coakley still breathing. You do something that stupid and you're going to start questioning me?'

'I wasn't questioning you, I'm just trying-'

'Yeah, well, shut up. From now on I'm doing the questioning and you're doing the answering, understand? And first thing I want to know about is an old friend of ours that I'll call Billy F. Do you remember Billy F.?'

I didn't say anything.

'Billy R, come on, think back. You were supposed to collect thirty grand from him. Remember him yet?'

'I was never sent to collect from Ferguson.'

'That's not what Pop says.'

'I don't give a shit what your pop says.'

'Not a good attitude, Joe.'

"This is what the two of you cooked up, huh?'

'I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. All I know is what Pop told me. That, and that Billy F. emptied out an IRA account before seeing you. Oh yeah, one other thing, we never got a dime of our money.'

'Fuck you.'

'Not a good attitude, Joe, 'cause I'm putting you on the hook for the thirty grand. For old time's sake, I'll give you a break on the interest. Five percent a week. First payment due Wednesday. That gives you four days. And I want at least three grand. You know Jamie and Duane over there?'

Junior waved a hand in the direction of his two thugs. Jamie, who was sitting closer to me, winked. Duane paid no attention and sat as still as a granite block.

'They'll be collecting from you,' Junior went on. 'But being as we're old friends I'll give you another break. You got a twenty grand line of credit if you want to place any bets. Hey, a couple of good picks and we'll be even by Sunday night. What do you say, want to take any action this weekend?'

Junior showed me an ugly smile and then he started laughing. After a while I joined him.

'Yeah, what's so funny?' he said.

"That you think you're going to collect a dime from me,' I said when I could.

'Don't worry. I'll be collecting it.' That just made me laugh harder.

'Jamie and Duane are tougher than those two boys you put in the hospital,' he said.

'You heard about that, huh? Well, they might be but you sure as hell aren't. They come after me and I'll be seeing you afterwards.'

Junior's mouth twitched. He sat frozen, breathing hard, his black eyes shining with malice.

'What's to stop me right now from taking you out of here and driving you someplace private?' he asked.

'Well,' I said, 'I guess us being old friends and all.'

He didn't say anything. He just sat staring at me and breathing hard.

'And I guess because if I were to disappear you'd be going away to prison for a long time.'

'Pop told me about your so-called safety deposit box. I think you're bluffing.'

'There's only one way to find out.'

The waitress came over with his dinner. After she put it in front of him, Manny called her back. 'Hey, darling,' he said, 'I kind of lost my appetite. Why don't you wrap this up for me.'

He waited until she went back to the kitchen before standing up. 'You keep away from Pop, understand? He's a sick man, he don't need your shit. If I hear anything about you bothering him again, I promise I'll call your bluff. And don't worry, Joe, you'll be hearing from my boys Wednesday. And you'll be paying up. One way or another I'll be collecting from you.’

‘I'll be looking forward to it,' I said.

'You think you're so fucking smart.' He shook his head. He started walking towards the counter and his two thugs got up to join him. The waitress came out of the kitchen with his steak wrapped up and he took it from her.

'Thanks, darling,' he said, 'dinner's on my buddy sitting over there.' One of his thugs, Jamie, got a chuckle out of that. I watched as the three of them left the diner, got into a Range Rover and drove off.

I finished my dinner and then called the waitress over and asked for a piece of pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a cup of coffee. She was about to walk away, hesitated, and showed me an awkward smile.

'Those are some friends you've got,' she remarked.

'They sure are,' I agreed. The thought hit me that Manny and Junior and Dan Pleasant were the closest things I had to friends these days, and I started laughing. It wasn't really funny, at least not entirely, but it was something. She must have thought I was nuts.

Everything would've been solved if Junior had been willing to either move Manny out of state or to keep Phil from visiting him. But I knew no amount of convincing would change Junior's mind. It would have to be something else. I was sure Manny was working out a deal with Phil. There was no doubt about that. I wondered briefly whether Junior was in on the discussions and decided he wasn't. He enjoyed what he did too much and wouldn't want to give up what he had. When Manny confessed it would come as a surprise to him. It would probably shatter him to find out that his old man was a rat after all. At least I'd be able to get a little consolation out of that.