Mick Sinatra: The Harder They Fall (12 page)

“Maybe,”
Mick said.
 
“But if your ass refuse to
talk, ain’t no maybe about it.
 
I will
kill you.”
 
Mick jerked her head harder.
 
“Now answer my questions.
 
Who, when, and why?”

“I don’t
know his real name, but I knew him as Fog Henry.”

Joey looked
at his father.
 
The name didn’t ring a
bell to Joey, but he could tell it rang a bell to his father.

“Go on,”
Mick said to Betty.

“He
contacted us a couple weeks ago.
 
We used
to do work for him.”

“What kind
of work?” Joey asked.

Danny and
Angelo looked at Joey as if he was crazy.
 
Nobody interfered with boss’s questioning like that.

But Mick
didn’t flinch.
 
Other than himself, he
felt as if Joey was the only one with balls in the room right now.
 
He was the only one who saw these two
hustlers for what they truly were: the enemy.
 
“Answer the question,” he said to Betty.

“They wanted
us to do what we do.
 
The same thing we
did with your wife.
 
We got certain
people to rear end us on certain quiet roads, and they were waiting to ambush
them.
 
Only this time, with your wife, it
was supposed to be a test run.”

Joey
frowned.
 
“What the fuck does that mean?”
he asked.
 
Angelo and Danny glanced at
each other.
 
Who did this upstart punk
think he was?
 
But Joey knew who he
was.
 
He was the kid trying with all he
had to get back on his father’s good side.
 
And Mick the Tick, Joey was certain, only responded to strength.
 
“What kind of test run?”

“A test
run,” Betty said a little testily.
 
“To
get the layout.”

“To see how
quickly I responded?” Mick asked.

“Right,”
Betty said.
 
“And to see if your wife was
shrewd enough to recognize what was happening to her by calling you.”

Mick stood
erect, removing the blade from her throat.
 
It was becoming a little clearer to him now.
 
“How much?” he asked her.

Betty knew
she was about to answer the last question.
 
Possibly the last words she’d ever speak on the face of this earth.
 
Joe was down, and had stopped struggling and
just died, and she knew she could be next.
 
If she wasn’t smart.
 
But she
was.
 
“I know who the big man is,” she
said.
 
“Forget that chump change Fog paid
us.
 
I know who Fog was working for.
 
But you’ve got to free me first.
 
You’ve got to let me go.
 
And then I’ll tell.”

Mick gave
her a hard look.
 
“You’re trying to wheel
and deal with me?” he asked her.
 
“The
woman who put my wife in danger is trying to negotiate her release?”

“I have the
information you need,” Betty pleaded with Mick.

Danny and
Angelo were stunned by the way she had changed.
 
Gone was that golly gee, woe is me attitude.
 
She was now as street as they were.

“I can get
you where you need to go,” Betty continued.
 
“Fog Henry is just a go-between.
 
Why waste your time searching for that loser, when I know who the big
man is?”

Mick pulled
out a handkerchief and wiped his switchblade clean.
 
Then he closed it up.

Betty felt
as if she was finally getting somewhere.
 
“I can take you straight to him,” she pleaded.
 
“I know the big man.
 
Just spare my life, and I’ll do that for
you.
 
I know who the big man is.”

Just as Joey
and Mick’s men felt that Betty was getting somewhere too, Mick pulled out his
revolver and shot her through the forehead.
 
Killing her on the spot.
 
Even
Joey was shocked by that.
 
They all
looked at Mick.

“But boss,”
Angelo said, “she knew who the ringleader was. Why would you kill her when she
knows who he is?”

“Because I
know who he is too,” Mick said.
 
Then he
frowned.
 
“And who the fuck are you to
question me?
 
Your ass was ready to put
her fucking face on Mount fucking Rushmore!
 
You were ready to enshrine her in some good woman hall of fame, and
you’re questioning me?”

Joey
grinned.
 
Mick settled back down.
 
“Clean this shit up and meet me at the
airport.
 
Contact my pilot.”

“Yes, sir,
boss,” Angelo said nervously.

“Where to
tell him we’re going?” Danny asked with equally unhinged nerves.

Mick was
surprised that he still didn’t get the connection.
 
“New York,” he said as if it was a foregone
conclusion.
 
“Where the hell else?”

Then Mick
looked one more time at the downed couple, and walked out of the door.
 

“You heard
my father,” Joey said, looking at Mick’s two embarrassed men.
 
“Don’t fuck that up too.”

And then
Joey, no longer looking like the fool kid they took him for, walked out too.

Once Mick
and Joey were back in the limousine, with Joey sitting close beside his father,
Mick slouched down.

Joey could
tell he was tired, like this shit was getting to him.
 
But he had questions he needed answers
to.
 
“Who’s Fog Henry, Dad?” he asked
him.

“It’s Frog
Henry,” Mick said.

Joey
smiled.
 
“You mean she said his name
wrong?”

“That’s why
I knew her ass didn’t know who was pulling the strings.
 
She was full of shit.”

“But you
know who’s pulling the strings, I’ll bet,” Joey said.
 
Mick didn’t respond.
 
“So who’s Frog Henry anyway?” Joey asked,
still dying to have his questions answered.

But Mick
didn’t bother to answer.
 
He had too many
questions of his own.

Joey knew he
couldn’t push it.
 
It had to be enough
that he was at least at his father’s side.
 
He was at least getting out of the dog house.
 
So he shut up too.
 
And then, as the limo began to drive off, the
phone rang.

Mick saw
that it was his secretary calling.
 
He
pressed the intercom button.
 
“Have they
arrived?”

“Yes, sir,”
she said.

“Is Gloria
there yet?”

“Yes, sir,
she’s here.”

“Tell her to
handle it.
 
Tell her to listen to what
they have to say and to make no promises.
 
I’ve got to make a quick trip to New York.”

“New York,
sir?”

“Tell her to
call me if they make an offer.”

“Yes, sir,”
Blair said.
 
“But the main reason I’m
phoning, sir, isn’t about the Argentine group.
 
It’s because of the breaking news.”

Mick
frowned.
 
“What breaking news?”

“It’s a
story coming up on the twelve o’ clock newscast.
 
The anchor just teased it.
 
Apparently it’s a story about your wife and
sexual harassment, sir.”

Joey looked
at Mick.
 
Mick was puzzled himself.
 
Why in the world would that foolishness Roz
had with Chad Dawkins in New York be breaking news here in Philly?

Mick ended
the call and turned on the limo’s television.
 
He grabbed the remote and changed the channel to Action News, the local
ABC affiliate.
 
It was still on
commercial break, but then, as Blair had said, the anchor returned with a story
about Roz.

“As we
mentioned before the break,” the anchor said, “the wife of Mick Sinatra, the
CEO of Sinatra Industries, has been accused of sexually harassing her male
employees.”

Even Joey
was shocked.
 
“
What
?” he asked, sitting up straight.

Mick,
however, remained slouched in his seat, staring at the television set.

The anchor
turned the story over to the reporter in the field.
 
The reporter, a young white guy, was standing
in front of Roz’s office building.
 
“I’m
here in front of the Graham Agency, Paige,” the reporter said, “where just
within the last few minutes we received word that a press conference will be
held tomorrow afternoon to discuss what three male employees calls a systemic
pattern of sexual harassment against them by their boss, Rosalind
Graham-Sinatra.
 
These employees, all
talent agents with Mrs. Sinatra’s company, are said to be fed up with their
treatment and that a lawsuit will be filed.”

“But that’s
not all,” the reporter continued.
 
“Mrs.
Sinatra was a defendant in a similar lawsuit in the past, when she ran an
actor’s studio in New York City.
 
She was
then accused of sexually harassing one of her students.
 
She was exonerated in that matter, but it
still could present some serious problems for her in this case.
 
We reached out to her office for comment, but
our attempt was unsuccessful.
 
We will
reach out to Sinatra Industries and Mick Sinatra specifically for comment as
well.
 
This story continues to break,
Paige, and Action News will stay on top of it.
 
Will Harrison reporting.
 
Back to
you.”

Mick
continued to stare at the television screen, even as the newscast moved on to
other stories.
 
Joey continued to stare
at his father.

“Call your
brother,” Mick said to him.
 
“Tell him to
meet me at Rosalind’s office.”

“Yes, sir,”
Joey said as he quickly pulled out his cell phone, and did as he was told.

Mick pressed
the intercom button and instructed his driver, who thought they were heading to
SI, to take him to Rosalind.

Teddy
Sinatra sat at the back table in the quiet restaurant and watched as Cathleen Thomas
and Chad Dawkins walked in.

“You’re
late,” Teddy said as soon as they sat down.

“Odd place
for a meeting,” Chad said.
 
“We had to
drive damn near an hour out of Philly to get here.”

Teddy looked
at him hard.
 
“And you are?” he asked.

“He’s the
guy I told you about,” Cathleen said.
 
“Chad Dawkins.
 
He’s the one who
showed up and caused Roz to run out of Akon’s in a panic.”

Chad
smiled.
 
“I wouldn’t say she was in a
panic, but she was certainly spooked.
 
And I still ask the question.
 
Why
so far away?”

“Philly is
Mick’s town,” Cathleen said to Chad.
 
“Too many prying eyes.
 
Too many
stooges ready to run and tell the boss.
 
Teddy knows what he’s doing.”

“I sure hope
so,” Chad said, far less confidently than Cathleen.

“But I don’t
know why you’re so worried,” Cathleen said to Teddy.
 
“I agree with Chad about that.
 
You’re Mick’s right hand man, not to mention
his son.
 
Why would you think those
flunkies would tell on you?”

“I’m his
right hand man, but I’m not his number one enforcer,” Teddy pointed out.
 
“Not yet.
 
He relies on me when it comes to the small stuff, yeah, he does.
 
But Danny Padrone and Angelo Jovanni are the
first guys he turns to when it’s super serious.
 
I’m just one of his men then.”

“Oh, yeah,
that’s right,” Cathleen said.
 
“I forgot
about Danny.
 
I heard how Mick trusts
Danny.”

“Who’s
Danny?” Chad asked.

Teddy
frowned.
 
“None of your fucking
business.
 
What are you worrying about
that for?
 
Why are you even here?
 
Why am I wasting my time with your ass?”

“Because he
knows things, Teddy,” Cathleen said.
 
“That’s why I wanted you to meet with us.
 
After Roz ran out of Akon’s, and yes in a
panic like I said, me and Hillary invited him over to our table.”

“Yeah, so?”
Teddy asked.

Cathleen
smiled.
 
“He told us why she was so
stricken.
 
Once upon a time, Roz had
sexually harassed him so badly that he had to bring a lawsuit against her ass.”

This did
intrigue Teddy.
 
“A lawsuit?”

Chad
smiled.
 
“I didn’t win it.
 
She had a better lawyer.
 
But yeah.
 
It was that serious.”

“But that’s
not all he knows,” Cathleen said.
 
She
was anxious to tell it, but she wanted that arrogant Teddy Sinatra to pry it
out of her.
 
But Teddy being Teddy, Teddy
being Mick’s son through and through, didn’t say a word.

Cathleen
gave in.
 
“Guess who Roz’s lawyer was?”
she asked.

“Who?” Teddy
asked.

Cathleen sat
erect.
 
“Alphonse Zanetti.”

Teddy was
surprised.
 
“Al Zanetti?
 
Dad’s ex-lawyer?”

“That’s
right,” Cathleen said with a big smile.
 
“He wasn’t the lawyer of record, of course.
 
He hired some flunky and stayed behind the
scenes.
 
But he made all the
decisions.
 
Word back then was that Al
was dating Roz.
 
They hooked up just
after Mick fired him.
 
And get this,
Teddy: Roz hooked up with your father a couple years after that.”

Teddy
frowned.
 
“How the fuck is that a big
deal?
 
Two years is a long time.”

“Yeah, but
not for a guy like Alphonse,” Cathleen said.
 
“You remember how he was.
 
Always
plotting and planning.
 
Methodical as
they come.”

“So you
think Roz hooking up with Dad was a planned event?” Teddy asked.

“I think it
was planned Zanetti-style, yes I do,” Cathleen said proudly.
 
“I believe that so-called accidental meeting
at that theater was thought out to the last detail.”

Teddy stared
at Cathleen.
 
“Like it was planned all along?”

“Like she
set him up,” Cathleen said.
 
“Who better
than Al Zanetti to know about Mick’s taste in women?
 
He was real close to your father.
 
The only reason he wasn’t killed after he
disappointed Mick, was because Mick cared about his ass.
 
But how better to keep his hand on the pulse
of Mick’s business interests than to have his hand on Mick’s woman?”

Teddy leaned
back.

“They were
certainly close,” Chad said.
 
“And
Cathleen’s right about them going together.
 
I can remember my lawyer telling me that word around New York was that
Zanetti was banging his client.
 
I asked
if that was an ethics violation, and my lawyer said yes.
 
But he said Zanetti was mob, so nobody wanted
to turn him in.”

“You get
that, Teddy?” Cathleen asked.
 
“Al was
mob.
 
Which means, after Mick dumped him,
he took up with another syndicate.”

“But who?”
Teddy asked.

“How should
I know?” Cathleen responded.
 
“But it had
to be powerful to think this far ahead.
 
I mean, think about it, Teddy.
 
All of Mick’s problems with his men didn’t start until he hooked up with
Roz.
 
Nobody was two-timing Mick the
Tick.
 
Nobody was stealing his cargo or
messing with him the way they are now.
 
It all started when he hooked up with Roz.”

That wasn’t
completely true.
 
Teddy knew his father
had been having some problems before then.
 
All mob bosses had loyalty issues.
 
“But you’re right about one thing,” Teddy said.
 
“Shit escalated when he hooked up with Roz.”

“Thank you!”
Cathleen said as if she was being vindicated.

But then
Teddy thought about something.
 
“What
about Hillary?” he asked.

“What about
her?” Cathleen responded.

“She was at
Akon’s when Chad showed up.
 
She heard
him tell about the sex harassment lawsuit.”

“Yeah, but
that’s all she knows,” Cathleen said.
 
“She never got into Mick’s underworld dealings the way I did.
 
She was too busy trying to hoist that boy of
hers onto Mick.
 
When Chad mentioned
Alphonse Zanetti, that name meant absolutely nothing to Hillary.
 
I found out more details later, after Hill
left.
 
Chad and I had a longer conversation.”

“And you’re
sure Hillary doesn’t suspect anything?” Teddy asked.

“I’m
positive,” Cathleen assured him.
 
“She
doesn’t know a damn thing.
 
She thinks my
only interest is for Joey to get back on Mick’s good side so that he could feed
us info.”

“We need
that,” Teddy said.
 
“We need to know what
he’s up to.
 
I’m not as much in Dad’s
loop as people think.
 
We’re close, but
we ain’t that close.
 
Not yet.”

“We’ll get
all the info you need,” Cathleen said.
 
“Joey’s doing all he can do.
 
He
thinks he’s just keeping his mother and his dead brother’s mother in the
loop.
 
He has no idea he’s a pawn in your
takeover scheme.
 
And I aim to keep it
that way.”

“Make sure
you do,” Teddy said.
 
“When we strike,
and we will, the fewer people who knows, the better the blindside.”
 
Then he smiled.
 
“And with Mick the Tick as the target?
 
It’s got to be a hellava blindside.”

Chad wasn’t
interested in revenge.
 
He barely even
knew these people.
 
That wasn’t why he
was there.
 
He reached out his hand.
 
“My pay, please,” he said.
 
“Cathleen promised me cash for my
information.”

Teddy
frowned.
 
“Damn, you’re desperate.
 
Nothing worse than a starving artist, and
your thirst is real, my brother.”
 
Then
Teddy reached into his coat pocket and tossed an envelope across the
table.
 
“Don’t spend it all in one
place.”

Chad moved
to stand up.

“Keep your
ass available,” Teddy said.
 
“I may need
you again.”

“I hear Mick
Sinatra is a dangerous man,” Chad said.
 
“I hope this money is worth it for a well-respected actor such as
myself.”

“I’m paying
you more than you made all year as an
actor
,
and you know it,” Teddy said.
 
“So don’t
fuck with me.
 
You know it’s worth
it.
  
Keep your mouth shut and your ass
available.”

Chad
smiled.
 
“As long as you pay like this,”
he said, “I’ll be available.”
 
Then he
left.

Teddy tossed
an envelope to Cathleen too.
 
He looked
down her body.
 
He remembered when his
father used to fuck her, which meant she had to be good.
 
“Are you desperate too?” he asked her.

She knew
what he meant immediately.
 
A woman like
her got it from all sides because of whose woman she used to be.
 
“Desperate?” she asked.
 
“It depends on what I’m desperate for.”

“What about
dick?” Teddy asked her bluntly.
 
He
wasn’t going to beg the bitch.

“That
depends too,” Cathleen said.
 
“Am I desperate
for a dick like Mick’s?” She smiled.
 
“Always.
 
That craving never goes
away.
 
It’s the curse of being with a man
like him.
 
But am I desperate for a dick
like yours?”
 
She thought about it.
 
“I could take it or leave it, to tell you the
truth.”

Teddy wanted
to kill her arrogant ass.
 
But all things
in time.
 
“There’s a motel out back,” he
said, “with an hourly rate.
 
It’s call
the Dungeon.
 
Sleazy as sleazy can
be.”
 
Then he smiled.
 
“But that never stopped you before,
right?
 
Wanna go down there and give it a
go?”

Cathleen
looked over Teddy’s body.
 
He had his
father’s good looks and was almost as big as his dad.
 
Maybe he was as good as his dad in bed
too.
 
“You want to?” she asked.

Teddy
couldn’t believe she would defame Joey that way.
 
He couldn’t believe how low some of these
bitches would go.
 
That was why he was
holding out for the right one.
 
That was
why he didn’t sleep around or string women along or keep a pile of chicks in
his stable.
 
He didn’t like wasting his
time.
 
“I’d rather put a dagger through
my eyes,” he said to her, “than to touch your sleazy ass.”

Cathleen
suddenly realized that he had been tempting her, to see how far she’d be
willing to go.
 
“Sadistic bastard!” she
said as she stood.
 
She grabbed the
envelope off of the table.
 
“Go fuck
yourself!”

“I’m sure
that would be infinitely more pleasurable than fucking you,” Teddy said with a
laugh, as Cathleen angrily left.
 

Then he
closed his eyes and placed his hand against his forehead.
 
This could all go sideways really quickly,
and he knew it.
 
He had to keep his eye
on the fucking ball, not try to get under Cathleen’s skin.
 
He hated her for keeping that hate going in
Joey’s heart.
 
The same hate that caused
his dead brother Adrian to try and kill Roz.
 
The same hate that forced their father to kill Adrian.
 
It was a vicious cycle in their family.
 
One that had to stop.