Memories of Another Day (47 page)

Lewis nodded slowly. "That's true. We sometimes forget the struggle that made all this possible. A struggle that will never end, one that will forever demand our vigilance." He turned to Tom Kennedy. "Tom, work out the arrangements with Mr. Huggins. In my opinion, he's embarking on a very constructive step for the labor movement in America."

least six to ten months will go by. I don't want to wait that long."

"I don't know any way to speed it up," Jack said.

Moses, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I know how it can be done." He turned to Jack. *'You weren't around here when Big Dan traveled the country picking up memberships for C.A.L.L. when we were starting out. He's the greatest salesman in the world. They love him out there. He's one of them."

Daniel looked at him. "I don't know. This is something else."

*'It's the same thmg, Big Dan," Moses said. *'You got to go out there where your strength lies. You let them see you, they'll follow you."

''It will still take time," Daniel said.

*'I can set things up. You can cover the whole country in two months," Moses said. "We still have a lot of friends out there. And if we sweeten the deal by offering officers and stewards a ten-percent commission payable in shares based on the subscriptions by their locals, we can't miss."

Daniel thought for a moment. "How long would it take for you to get that program in motion?"

"I can have you on the road as early as next week," Moses said. "In two months you'd be back here with all the shareholders we need to make everybody happy."

"I have to be here by the middle of next month at the latest," Daniel said. "Margaret's expecting the baby about then."

"We can work our schedule around it," Moses said. "It's up to you."

Daniel looked at Jack. "Do we have any druthers?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't know any other way."

Daniel thought for a moment, then finally agreed. "Okay," he said. "Start working on it. But remember, keep the middle week of next month open." He looked at his watch. It was after seven o'clock. "I'd better be

getting home. I promised Margaret I wouldn't be late for dinner."

There were two men waiting for him as he came down the steps into the lobby of the office building. He recognized one of them as Lansky's bodyguard, the tall blond man he had first met at the Miami Airport.

*'Mr. Huggins," the blond man said politely. ''The boss would like to see you."

"Fine," Daniel said. "Ask him to give me a call at home. We'll set up an appointment."

"He wants to see you now," the blond man insisted.

"I'm already late for dinner," Daniel said. "My wife is expecting me."

"So is the boss," came the noncommittal answer.

Daniel looked at him- "He'll have to wait."

"No, he won't."

Daniel looked down and saw the outline of a gun in the man's pocket. It was aimed at him. Daniel laughed. "I guess he won't."

"We have a car outside." The other man led the way to the black limousine parked in front of the building, the blond man staying at Daniel's side. A driver was behind the wheel. The two men climbed into the back seat with Daniel. The car pulled out into traffic.

Daniel looked back out the rear window and saw the blue Dodge sedan move out after them. He turned to the blond man. "Mr. L. is not going to be too happy about this," he said. "You're taking the Feds right to his door."

"What are you talking about?" the blond man asked.

"Look back," Daniel said. "The blue Dodge sedan with government plates. F.B.I. They've been tailing me for weeks."

The blond man looked at him, then at the driver. "Lose them."

"I wouldn't do that either," Daniel said. "They've

already got your plate number. The minute they don't see you, they'll put out an All Points."

The blond man looked worried.

"I think you better get to a phone and let Mr. Lan-sky know what's happening," Daniel said.

*'Okay, hold it," the blond man said quickly. ''Pull over to the drugstore on the comer."

As the car came to a stop, he got out of the car. "Wait here with him," he told the man sitting next to Daniel, then went into the store. He was out in a few minutes and got back into the car.

He looked uncomfortably at Daniel. "Mr. Lansky says for us to take you home."

"That's more intelligent," Daniel said as the car moved out into traffic again.

"He says he will call you later tonight."

"I'll be in," Daniel said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Fifteen minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of Daniel's house. Daniel got out. He turned back to the blond man. "Thanks for the lift."

The blond man scowled silently.

Daniel smiled. He didn't seem to move, but suddenly the gun was in his hand and he pushed it into the blond man's face. "The next time you come for me," Daniel said softly, still smiling, "you'd better come shooting. Because the minute I see your face I'm going to blow your head off. Tell Mr. Lansky that for me."

The gun disappeared from his hand as he slammed the door shut and, turning his back on them, walked up the path to his front door. By the time he went inside, the car was gone.

The telephone began to ring as they sat down to dinner. Mamie answered it. "They's a Mr. Miami on the telephone for you."

Daniel looked up at her. "Tell him I'm just sitting down to dinner, to call me back in an hour."

Margaret looked at him. "Who's Mr. Miami?"

Daniel cut a piece of his steak. "Lansky."

"Why doesn't he use his real name?"

Daniel shrugged.

''What docs he want?''

Daniel glanced up. *'His pound of flesh.''

''I don't understand," she said in a puzzled voice.

"He's probably heard by now we're starting a mutual fund," he explained. ''He figures he's entitled to a piece of it."

''Is he?" she asked.

"No."

"Well, that settles it," she said. "You'll just tell him."

Daniel controlled his smile. "He's not the easiest man in the world to say no to."

Margaret was silent for a moment. "Daniel, you're not in any kind of trouble, are you?"

"No."

"I've read about this Mr. Lansky in the papers," she said. "He's a gangster, isn't he?"

"That's what they say."

"Then why are you doing business with him?"

"My business is legitimate. Whatever else he does is none of my business."

"I wouldn't do any more business with him if I were you," she said.

He smiled at her. "I don't intend to." He finished his steak and pushed it away from him. "That was good."

She got heavily to her feet. "Go into the living room and put your feet up. I'll bring you the coffee."

She leaned over him, picking up his plate. He patted her belly. "Won't be long now."

"Eight weeks, the doctor said."

"Watching your weight?" he asked.

"I haven't gained an ounce this last month."

"Good," he said. He went to the sideboard and took out a bottle of bourbon and a glass. "Bring some cold water with you," he said as he walked into the living room.

He sat in the chair, the half-empty whiskey glass in

his hand, while she put the coffee on the cocktail table in front of him. "Fm starting a series of meetings around the country next week."

She was surprised. ''What's that all about?"

''I have to sell the mutual fund to the different unions and locals."

"'Doyou have to do that? Couldn't Moses or Jack?"

*7 have to do it," he said. 'Tm the only one they'll come out for."

''How long will you be gone?"

*'ril be in and out," he said. "I'm working out the schedule so that I'll be here when the baby comes."

Suddenly she was angry. "That's real nice of you," she said sarcastically.

"What's eating you?" he asked. "I told you I'd be here when the baby comes."

"And what am I supposed to do when you're out on the road having all those meetings? Sit here waiting, holding my belly in my hands?"

"This is business," he snapped, "Stop acting like a child."

"I may be only seventeen, but I'm not acting like a child," she said in a hurt voice. "I'm acting like a woman who is going to have a baby and wants her husband to be near her."

He looked at her without speaking for a moment. He had almost forgotten. Seventeen. He was fifty-six. There was a long spread of years between them, and maybe there would never be a way to build a bridge across time. He reached for her hand. "I'm sorry, Margaret," he said slowly. "I wouldn't do this if there were anyone else who could do it. But it's my job."

The telephone began to ring. She withdrew her hand from his grip. "That's your friend Mr. Miami Lansky Gangster, whoever the hell he is," she said coldly. "You better go answer it. There's nobody else to speak to him."

Detroit. '*You were right about your tip," he said. **I got my first visit from the McClellan committee today."

''What did they want?"

*They started for my files. I threw them out. They got nothing."

''Who were they?"

"Some kid named Bob Kennedy who says he's the chief counsel. A real jerk. He had two flunkies with him." Hoffa paused. "They still on your tafl?"

"Parked right outside my house," Daniel said. "Out in the open where I can see them."

"What do you think?" Hoffa asked.

"They're fishing. They don't know what they're looking for. They're hoping we'll do something that they can make a case out of."

"I took your advice and spoke to my lawyer. He says sit tight and give them nothing unless they come with a subpoena. Then, even with that, he has ways to make it tough for them."

Daniel thought for a moment. "I think my mutual-fund idea is even more important now than ever. It will be a clean operation that no one can throw a stone at. Open and aboveboard."

"The word out of Florida is that it won't be so clean. They want in, and they're pissed off you didn't talk to them."

"Too bad," Daniel said. "I'll straighten them out."

"They play rough," Hoflfa said.

"We don't?" Daniel laughed.

Hoflfa laughed. "If you need help, holler."

"If I need help it will be too late to holler," Daniel said.

"Just be careful," Hoflfa said. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Daniel put down the telephone. He stood there for a moment, then called Moses at home. "Bring your car over and park it on the street behind my house. Wait there for me."

"What's up?"

''Nothing to worry about. I just have to get out of here without my watchdogs following me."

'TU be there in fifteen minutes."

Daniel went back into the living room. Margaret was sitting on the couch. ''Moses is coming for me in about fifteen minutes. I'm going out the back door and through our neighbors' yard to the street behind us.'*

"Why can't you go out the firont door?"

"Because there are some men out there from the Senate Labor Committee. They've been following me for weeks now and I don't want them to know where I'm going."

She was silent, watching him pour another drink for himself. She waited until he drank it. "Why didn't you tell me about those men before?"

"I didn't want to worry you. Besides, it's not important."

"Not important? Is that what you want me to think? Because it's not important you carry a gun on you all the time. What do you expect me to think? I'm going out of my mind thinking you're in some kind of danger I know nothing about."

"I've always carried a guh."

"D.J. told me that, but I thought it was only to make me feel better."

"It's true," he said. "It's habit more than anything else." He refilled his glass. "A long time ago I was kidnapped, beaten up and held prisoner for three days, then dumped on a deserted highway in the middle of a freezing storm. I swore I would never again allow that to happen to me."

"Are you going to meet Lansky?"

He nodded.

"WiU it be dangerous?"

"No. We just have some business to talk."

"How long will you be?"

He looked at his watch. It was almost ten o'clock. "Not long. I'll be back here before midnight. I'll call you if I see it will be later."

*'rilwaitupforyou.''

He smiled and bent, kissing her cheek. "Don't worry, Margaret. I'll be all right."

Moses pulled the car into the parking lot behind the warehouse. ''Want me to go with you?" he asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No. Wait here in the car for me." He went up the steps and knocked on the iron door. The door opened and the same man who had let him in before nodded to him. Daniel followed him inside.

It was exactly the same as it had been before. The counting tables were busy, and no one looked up as they walked through the rooms and into the office. As before, Lansky was behind the desk.

The blond bodyguard stepped in front of Daniel as he started forward. "You packing a gun?" he asked in a cold voice.

"No. I don't carry guns when I visit friends," Daniel said.

The bodyguard glanced over his shoulder at Lansky.

"If he says he's not carrying a gun," Lansky said softly, "he's not carrying a gun."

The bodyguard nodded, then, turning swiftly, dug a hard right fist into Daniel's stomach. Daniel bent almost double, fighting the pain and sudden nausea that clutched at him. He stayed bent over, forcing himself to breathe slowly, until the nausea subsided, then straightened up.

There was a faint smile on Lansky's face. "My boy doesn't like having guns shoved in his face."

"I don't blame him," Daniel said. He started as if to walk around the bodyguard to the desk. The bodyguard turned to watch, and so he never saw Daniel's hamlike fist coming up almost from the floor. Daniel felt the shock run up through his arm as the old-fashioned uppercut tore into the bodyguard's chin, lifting the man almost straight up into the air, across the

coraer of the desk, tumbling backward until he came to a stop against the wall and slid to the floor. The bodyguard's chin hung crookedly from his face, broken teeth impacted into his lower lip, blood pouring from his nose and mouth, his eyes dazed and vague.