Toughs Page 21

  "Soon," Jackson said. "Three or four weeks at the most."

  "Good," Mulrooney said. "And this son of a bitch, Coll. Don't be telling me we've got nothing on him except these baloney gun charges."

  Dwyer said, "There's the Sheffeld Farm stickup."

  "That's not good enough." Mulrooney shoved the cigar back in his pocket. "I want him for the murder of the Vengelli boy."

  Jackson said, "Not without a witness."

  Mulrooney said, "Vincent Coll did the shooting and Frank Guarracie was the driver." He looked to the detectives, "That's about the way you figure it, isn't it?"

  Dwyer said, "Guarracie's the wheel man. It would have been him doing the driving."

  Giovanetti added, "And probably Coll and his boys in the back seat doing the shooting."

  "Okay," Mulrooney said. "Indict Coll and Guarracie for the murder of Michael Vengelli." He touched Jackson's shoulder. "Schedule the Coll trial right after Guarracie and Onesti. I want to hang a death sentence on

  Coll before the year's out."

  Giovanetti said, "And what about a witness?"

  Mulrooney took the cigar out of his pocket again and this time went about lighting it.

  Jackson said, "I hope you know what you're doing, Mulrooney."

  "Me?" Mulrooney winked at Jackson. "I'm going to Philadelphia to see the World Series."

  Giovanetti said, "What about the others? The dames and the rest of the gang?"

  "Let them go. We got who we want." He took Dwyer and Givons each by the arm and gave them a shake. "Good work, boys," he said, looking at Giovanetti. "The night Coll fries, I'll stand you all to a good stiff drink."

  Mulrooney put his arm around Jackson and led him off down the hall, and Givons asked Dwyer who he had in the World Series. "The A's," Dwyer said. "Who do you think?"

  Giovanetti said, "I wouldn't be so certain about that," and the three detectives followed the commissioner and the assistant district attorney down the corridor, on their way back to work.

  10:00 a.m.

  When Augie knocked on her apartment door, Gina was asleep again, as was Loretto, whose chest she was using as a pillow. She recognized Augie's voice calling her name, but it seemed to be coming from a great distance. She'd been up half the night with Loretto and then they'd slept for a few hours before sunlight through the bedroom window woke them and they'd made love again and talked some more and held each other close, sleeping and talking and touching each other as the kids in the upstairs apartment scurried through their rooms and families went about making breakfast and getting started on the day. Sometime during the night, she felt Loretto's fingers exploring her back, gently touching the dark ridges of scar tissue where she'd been stabbed by her father. When she was married, she'd pull her slip up for sex, always keeping something on her back, keeping herself covered or hidden there. If her husband's hands got too close, she'd squirm away or take his hands in hers and move them elsewhere. When she first felt Loretto's fingers on her back, exploring, she tightened up and then willed herself to relax. Loretto didn't say a word. He raised himself up and kissed her on the back of her neck and her shoulders and on her scars, and she let him do it without saying a word, the two of them touching in the dark and quiet of the sleeping building. Later, they talked about their childhoods, Gina about the years with her father, Loretto about the orphanage. They talked quietly, face to face, one or the other's hand now and then reaching out to touch.

  She heard Augie knocking and calling her name, but she didn't fully come to consciousness until Loretto shook her by the shoulder, and then she jumped up from bed already aware of what was going on. "Augie!" she yelled. "Hold your horses! I'll be right there." She grabbed a long white robe from the back of the bedroom door, pulled it tight around her, and cinched it closed.

  On the edge of the mattress, Loretto was already dressed and scanning the room for evidence of his presence there throughout the night. He tossed his pillow on top of Gina's, snapped the sheets to erase his impression, and then did the same with the covers. He opened the bedroom window quietly and whispered, "Augie will kill me if he finds me here."

  Gina nodded in agreement and then put a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Loretto's shirt was buttoned unevenly, his jacket dangled from one arm, his hat was on cockeyed, and his shoes were untied. When he climbed out onto the fire escape, she followed him. "Where are you going?"

  It was another summery day, the sun bright on the building's red brick. "The roof?"

  Gina closed the window behind Loretto and waited until he disappeared up the fire escape before she went out into the living room and opened the door, where she found Augie and Freddie waiting.

  "What are you doing sleeping at ten o'clock?" Augie marched past her into the living room.

  "It's Saturday morning. Can't I sleep in?"

  Freddie kissed Gina on the cheek. "Good morning, sweetheart."

  "Good morning," she said and returned the kiss.

  Augie tossed a pair of newspapers onto the coffee table. "They got the whole gang," he said, and he took a seat on the couch. "They locked up the lot of them last night."

  "They got Mike?" Gina asked. She picked up the Mirror and started to read the front-page story as she dropped down on the couch opposite Augie. Freddie sat on the coffee table facing them. Gina gave him a look. When he didn't budge, she sighed and went back to reading the paper. "Jesus," she said, "they're charging Frank and Tuffy with murder."

  Freddie said, "And they're charging Vince and Frank with the murder of the Vengelli boy."

  "But it doesn't say anything about Mike?"

  "Yeah, it does," Augie said. "You got to get to the end of the story. It gives his whole name, Mike Baronti arrested with the rest of the Coll gang."

  Gina flipped to the end of the story. "So Mike's in jail?"

  Augie didn't answer right away. He watched his sister across the couch, and then his eyes went to the closed bedroom door.

  Freddie said, "We already been down to the station house. They're not charging Mike with nothin'. They're letting him out soon as they finish up with all the official stuff."

  Augie said, "How come you haven't asked about Loretto?"

  "I'm reading the paper, aren't I? I don't see his name."

  Freddie said, "Nobody knows where Loretto is. All anybody knows is

  he wasn't with the gang last night."

  Augie went to the bedroom door and flung it open.

  "Hey," Gina said, "what are you doing, Augie? Are you my father now?"

  "I thought I heard something."

  "Sure, you did." Gina watched Augie as he stood by the door, looking like he wasn't sure whether he should be angry or apologetic.

  "You haven't seen Loretto, then?"

  "I saw him," Gina said. "He came by last night."

  "Oh, yeah?" Augie apparently made up his mind and settled on being angry. "I thought you weren't seeing him anymore? I thought it was all over between you two?"

  "Well, it isn't," Gina said. "Not after last night."

  Augie looked back into the bedroom again.

  Freddie asked, "So what happened last night?" He pressed his hands together, doing one of his isometric exercises. The muscles in his chest and forearm bulged. It was hard to believe sometimes that Freddie and Augie were brothers: Augie with his skinny, wiry body and Freddie the opposite, short and thick.

  "We had a good talk," Gina said. "We settled a few things."

  "Is that so?" Augie said. "So tell us what got settled."

  Freddie said, "Ah, lay off, Augie. Can't you see she's in love?"

  Gina's face turned bright red with embarrassment, and Augie's did the same, with anger.

  "What did I say?" Freddie crossed his legs and grinned. He looked pleased with himself.

  Gina got up from the couch and straightened out her robe. "I'll go put up some coffee."

  "Good idea," Augie said. They were both speaking softly.

  Freddie was still grinning. "You know what
Mama always said: there's two things you can't hide, shame and love."

  Augie said, "Shut up, will you please, Freddie?" He followed Gina into the kitchen, where he took a seat at the table and watched her as she went about putting up the coffee.

  Gina said, "It was Dad used to say that."

  "What? About shame and love?"

  "Yeah, shame and love. Dad used to say that."

  Freddie came in from the kitchen and stood in the doorway. "I knew that," he said. "I don't know why I said Ma."

  "So where did Loretto go from here?" Augie asked.

  "He said he was staying at a hotel in midtown someplace. I forget the name."

  "Gina," Augie said, "what is it with you and men? Can't you pick an ordinary guy? Just once?"

  Freddie said, "Loretto's a square guy, Augie. You know that."

  "Yeah, sure," Augie said, admitting he, too, liked Loretto. "But he's in a boatload of trouble again, and now if Gina's involved with him, she's in trouble, too. Don't we have enough to worry about with Mike? Now we got to worry about Gina and Loretto, too?"

  Gina put the coffee pot on the burner, turned the heat on low, and took a seat at the table next to Augie. "We're all grown up, Augie," she said. "You don't have to worry about everybody."

  "I don't?"

  "Yeah, you don't," Freddie said. He took a seat on the other side of Augie. "Gina's right," he said. "We can take care of ourselves. Mike, too."

  "And who do you think Mama comes to?" Augie asked. "She come to you, Freddie?" He looked at Gina. "She come to you?"

  "Mama . . . " Gina said, as if Mama was a part of the problem she had forgotten about.

  "She comes to me," Augie said. "You think she's not still cryin' her eyes out over Mike?"

  Freddie glanced around the kitchen as if looking for something. His eyes moved from the sink and the line of white wooden cabinets over the kitchen counters to a yellow enamel flour canister next to the stove and to Gina in her white robe. "I hear her at night, too," he said. "Still, Augie—"

  Before Freddie could finish what he was saying, someone knocked on the door.

  "Who could that be?" Gina said. "On a Saturday morning?"

  Augie went to the front door and opened it to find Loretto waiting, hat in hand.

  "Augie," Loretto said. "You visiting Gina this morning?"

  "No, I'm the landlord here to collect the rent." Augie stood aside to let Loretto in. "What are you doing here?"

  "Same thing as you, looks like. I'm here to see Gina."

  Loretto took a few steps into the living room and Gina came out of the kitchen to greet him. She put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him on the lips. "I'm glad you could stop by," she said. "Are you hungry? I can make us a late breakfast."

  "Sure," Loretto said. He saw Freddie at the kitchen table and they exchanged greetings.

  Gina said, "I'll make eggs and pancakes for everybody," and went back into the kitchen.

  Augie, who'd been watching Loretto carefully, stepped close and took Loretto's chin in his hand. "You forgot to shave this morning," he said. "You must have been in a hurry."

  Loretto ran his fingers along his jaw. "Nah," he said. "I forgot to pack my razor. I got to pick up a new one." He moved to the couch, meaning to put his hat down on the backrest, and saw the newspapers on the coffee table. "Jeez," he said, as he picked up the Mirror.

  "They got everybody," Augie said. "Except you."

  Loretto fell back onto the couch, hungrily reading the news story.

  Augie joined him and waited until Loretto finished and tossed the paper

  back onto the coffee table. "So how come you weren't with them last night, Loretto? I'm thinking Vince and the boys got to be asking themselves the same question."

  "I was here," Loretto said, "with Gina." He rubbed his eyes as if suddenly very tired. "I was supposed to be with them, but instead I spent the night here with Gina."

  "Till you left to go back to your hotel."

  "That's right."

  "But you spent the evening here instead of going with the gang." Augie repeated the facts as if he needed another moment to think about them.

  Loretto ran his fingers over the stubble on his jaw and then turned to Augie. In the kitchen, he heard Gina and Freddie talking about the best way to make pancakes. Very quietly, he said, "I'm in love with Gina, Augie."

  "Yeah?" Augie said, also keeping his voice down. "You know what people in love do, don't you?"

  "Sure," Loretto said, "and if Vince can't make it to the wedding, I'll invite Lucky Luciano and Richie Cabo and Dutch Schultz instead. It'd be the shortest marriage in history. I'd be lucky to say 'I do' before someone blew my brains out."

  "Yeah, well," Augie said. He thought about the problem a moment before letting it go. He pulled himself up from the couch. "Let's get something to eat."

  In the kitchen, Gina rummaged through a drawer and pulled out a wire whisk. "You read the papers?" she asked Loretto as he entered the room with Augie.

  "Jesus," Loretto said, "they got everybody." He sat next to Freddie at the table and Augie sat across from them.

  Freddie asked, "How come you weren't with them?"

  Augie said, "Maybe he decided he didn't want to wind up in jail, Freddie."

  "Yeah?" Freddie said, looking at Loretto.

  "I don't know. I was supposed to meet up with them, and . . . I don't know. I just didn't go."

  "Huh," Freddie said.

  Gina turned around with a mixing bowl held tight in the crook of her left arm and the whisk in her right hand. "Good thing you didn't," she said, and she went about mixing the pancake batter. "You'd be in jail now with the rest of them."

  "Anybody heard anything about Mike?" Loretto asked.

  Gina went back to preparing the pancakes. Freddie said, "They're holding Vince, Frank, and Tuffy—the rest they're letting go."

  "That's good," Loretto said, though he didn't seem so sure about that.

  Augie said, "They're gonna want to know why you ditched 'em."

  "I guess they are," Loretto said. He found a pack of Luckies in his jacket pocket and lit up.

  Augie and Freddie joined Loretto, pulling cigarettes out of packs and lighting up. Gina found a couple of ashtrays and slid them onto the table.

  Freddie blew a line of smoke up toward the ceiling. "So what are you gonna do?"

  Gina went to the kitchen window and yanked it open to let some air in.

  Loretto said, "I guess I'll have to talk with Mike and Patsy, see where I stand with Vince."

  "Vince won't be happy," Freddie said.

  Augie said, "You can't tell Vince you just didn't show because of nothin'. He won't stand for that."

  "So? Coll's in jail where he belongs," Gina said.

  "That don't mean nothin'." Freddie waved a line of smoke away from his face. "He's just as dangerous in jail as out."

  "Is that so?" Gina put plates and napkins in front of the boys and then tossed four forks into the center of the table. "Maybe Mike can straighten it out with Vince."

  Augie said to Loretto, "You got to come up with a story. Something happened to you. Maybe you fell down a sewer and broke your leg."

  Freddie said, "Want me to break your leg for you, Loretto? I'll do it fast with a baseball bat."

  At the stove, Gina had scrambled eggs going in one frying pan, pancakes in another, and coffee perking on the back burner. Each time she finished a batch of pancakes, she placed them on a tin sheet in the oven to keep them warm. "With Vince and half his gang up on murder charges," she said, tending to the pancakes, "maybe Mike will finally see the light."

  Augie said, "Stranger things have happened." He asked, "Is that coffee ready yet?"

  Gina pointed to a cabinet over the sink. "Cups are over there."

  Freddie said, "I'll get it," and went about taking down the cups and pouring everyone coffee. To Loretto he said, "Maybe I can get you a job at the restaurant. It ain't so bad. I don't even mind going in to work anymore. The people t
here, they're nice. The cooks especially. They're funny, couple of Calabres', right off the boat. They're making peanuts, working sixteen-hour days—and they talk like they couldn't be happier." Freddie thought about this a moment and then repeated, "Right off the boat."

  Gina placed two plates of pancakes and a bowl of scrambled eggs on the table and went about dishing out portions for Loretto and her brothers. "I can't see Loretto washing dishes," she said to Freddie.