August
This had nothing to do with any interrogation. I nodded, scanning the parking lot and surrounding area before climbing inside. By the time he started the engine, his hand was shaking.
He roared out of the parking lot, checking the rearview mirror three times before speaking. “I want you to know that I’m putting my job, hell, my career on the line for you and your family.” Dick laughed bitterly. “Stupid. I have no idea why I’m doing this.”
“That begs the question. Why the fuck are you doing this?”
“Your arrest was a setup.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
He looked as uncomfortable as hell, now sweating profusely. “You have no idea the kinds of connections that Senator Morales has as well as the chief of police and the district attorney. They are hell bent on destroying your operation. And I think there’s more upper echelon politicians, law enforcement, and God knows who else in on this. This is fucking huge and terrifying.”
Wait a minute. What in the hell was he suggesting? “Are you trying to tell me that all three men are dirty and there’s more?”
Laughing, he wiped his brow, making a sharp turn to the right, tires skidding. “Huge.”
I checked the side mirror, unable to detect if we were being followed, but if what Dick was saying was true, the police would certainly put out an APB. “Talk fast because I have things to take care of.”
“All three have been investigated for some time now for some pretty heinous crimes. There were always rumors, clandestine meetings. At least that’s what I heard. Somebody got too close too fast. What that has to do with your family, I have no idea, but a bullseye was placed on your organization. Don’t get me wrong, the senator has wanted to put a noose around your neck for almost two years because of illegal gambling and casinos.”
“And you know the casinos are on the up and up.”
“Then there’s the drug activity.”
“Which my father believes was faked.”
“That man you killed at your casino? Undercover cop.” Dick snorted then wiped his mouth and nose.
Seething, I tried to make sense of what he was saying.
Dick laughed, struggling to keep sweat from his eyes. “Now, there has been an upsweep in drug-related deaths from some designer drug, the shit coming from South America as far as anyone can tell. However, the timing of the drugs was merely coincidental. They used it to get to you.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, in a sense the drugs were a perfect catalyst. Wreck your shipment, maybe the Columbian or whoever the fuck is running the drugs takes out a contract on your entire family for reneging on the deal. Your entire organization is either killed or high-ranking officials, including you and your father sent to prison. Either way it’s a win. This other shit about Chicago and Miami, I have no idea how the hell they think they’re going to pull that off, but maybe if this secret organization of theirs sweeps the country, then who knows.”
“What secret organization?”
Dick swallowed several times, taking two sharp turns and almost hyperventilating. “These are just my thoughts, but I’ve seen some emblem all of them wear. I don’t know what to make of it and every time I tried to get an invite, they blocked me. I’m too goody two shoes for them. If only they knew about my past.” He laughed, the sound full of hysteria.
If this was true, no one would be the wiser for their activities. “What’s your take in all this?”
He laughed as he screeched around another corner. “My take? Right now is to try and stay alive. I can’t go back to my life. It’s gone.”
“What the fuck are these people into?”
“That I don’t know. I swear to God, but I’ve heard chatter from officers. Sick shit is all I know. I’m low on the totem pole and in the wrong department to hear anything official. You have to know that.”
I eased the gun from my jacket, pointing in his direction. “Then how exactly do you know all this, Dick? Few men offer to get people like me out of jail and provide information of this nature.”
He gulped, his grip on the steering wheel white-knuckled, wheezing as he opened his mouth.
I placed the gun to his chest, leaning closer. “Don’t fuck with me, Dick. I actually don’t want to hurt you, but I will if necessary.”
His entire body shook violently, and he took several gulping breaths before speaking. “I go way back with your father, okay? He and I were old friends and he helped me out of a jam a long time ago. I owed him. I fucking owe him everything.”
I could tell by the way he was shaking that he was telling the truth. “My father called you.”
Nodding, he swallowed several times. “And I told him everything I knew. You need to get out of town for a while until this shit cools off. I know the DA. Clive is an asshole but he has power. And the police chief? No one goes against him.”
“I’m not a runner, Dick, but thank you for your advice. I suggest you find a location close enough to my house and drop me off.” My mind reeled with the news. The DA I could buy but the police chief had never entered into our telescope on any level. That would lead me to believe he was most powerful of all and in the perfect position to exact his own brand of domination.
“Fine. You do what you want, but I can’t stay in town. I hope both you and your father know that. I’ll give you everything I have on this, which is shit, but might help you. Trust me, they will hunt you down.”
I mulled over what Dick was telling me. At this point, his words rang truer than anything else I was hearing. “And the Francesco family?”
Dick managed to glance in my direction. “No idea about that. I told Giordano that much. I’ve never heard anything from our task force or anyone else for that matter.”
So much deception.
“All right. Follow my directions, Dick, and I’ll see what I can do about getting you safely out of town.”
He nodded, his face pinched. The poor guy was going to lose his shit. He was definitely telling the truth. “You need to call your father. He said there’s been some developments on his end. He wouldn’t tell me anything. I’m nobody. Just fucking nobody.”
Interesting.
“Thanks for the info, Dick. Now, just drive.” I grabbed my phone, checking the side mirror again, but called Bruno instead. First order of business was to get Sasha out of the house. This situation was on borrowed time. After six rings, I looked at the screen. No answer. No voicemail.
Fuck me.
I dialed my father, my heart racing. This was a terrible omen.
“Pops. I’m out. I have a bad feeling the shit is going to hit the fan.”
“Thank God you’re out, Dom, and it already has. You need to get over here.”
“I have a package to pick up first. I can’t get ahold of Bruno. You know what’s important to me.”
“You can’t do that, Dom. There’s been a development, significant and one we need to deal with together.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just come here first, son. If the cops want to pick you up, they’ll need to get through me first.”
The hackles on the back of my neck rose. “Tell me now.” I heard the angry deep sigh and bristled. As he began to speak, I held my breath.
“There’s been an accident.”
There was no way to stop the anger, the devastation in my mind. But there was one way to seek revenge.