Reverse Metamorphosis book one of the Irrevocable Change trilogy (6 page)

Walter snorted and said, "No clues or
suspects? We all know who had him killed, Gilliano did, and it's
not his first murder."

O
ne month after the
episode with Jerry O’Neil, when he was sure Tony would be at the
bar, Clay drove there on a Saturday morning. At ten o’clock
business was slow and only John and five paying customers were up
front. Tony was in the back at the round table with two of his men
reading the newspaper and having a cup of coffee. Clay caught
Tony’s eye and nodded in acknowledgement as he strode over to he
bar after entering through the back door. He ordered a Stag draft
beer, and after shooting the breeze with John and several of the
other customers, walked over to the table where Tony was
sitting.

“Hi Tony’ how’s business?”

Before Tony could answer Clay spoke to Milo
Farrino, “Milo, you’d better quit eating so much pasta, you’re
getting fatter than a hog.” As Clay winked at Nicky the Greek, Milo
retorted while grinning, “Go fuck yourself you fucking skinny
little Krauthead.”

Tony looked up and smiled, glad to see
someone who gave him a link to Jimmy G. He was missing the close
relationship he had come to count on with his youngest son.

“Hi Clay, business is business. What are you
up to today?”

“Well, actually I came to talk to you. Do you
have time to go upstairs?”

Tony’s face got a perplexed look but he said
“Sure thing”, rose from his chair and headed for the bar. “John, me
and the kid will be upstairs, no visitors.”

Tony led the way upstairs to his office. Both
men took chairs at the table ninety degrees apart.

“Well, what is it kid? Need a loan, or got a
problem you need help with?”

Clay had thought about how to tell Tony what
he wanted to say, but somehow when the time finally came it seemed
best to just say it. “Tony I need to clear up something between me
and you about Jimmy’s death. I know from talking to you the last
couple of times you were shocked to learn from the police his death
wasn’t an accident, and you still don’t know who took care of Jerry
O’Neil.”

“Yeah, right.”

“Well, I know who killed him.”

“Clay, you’re telling me you know who bumped
O’Neil off?” Tony was leaning forward with an incredibly surprised,
and yet dubious expression. “How the hell would you know it, and me
not have gotten the word from somebody in my bunch first?”

“Because they don’t know anything about it; I
took care of it myself, just like Jimmy would have done for me if
the situation was reversed.”

Tony rose from the table and crossed the room
to his desk and took a bottle of premium bourbon whiskey from a
bottom drawer. Picking up two ten ounce glasses he paused to look
at Clay with a quizzical look, and then took his seat at the
table.

“You’re telling me you, a kid who only shot
cats and rabbits before this, pulled off a hit any professional
would be proud of? And got away clean with it? Huh?”

“Yeah, I’m telling you I did it.”

While pouring both glasses half full with
Woodford Reserve he said “You wouldn’t shit old Tony about
something this important, especially when it’s about Jimmy. You
wouldn’t, would you Clay?”

“No sir, I wouldn’t. Jimmy was my best friend
and I knew you’d go crazy if you got word somebody killed him. So I
took care of it myself. I didn’t tell you before because I figured
the police would end up questioning you, and probably some of your
guy’s. I thought all of you would be better off if you really
didn’t know anything about it.”

“Well I’ll be a son of a bitch!” Tony
exclaimed and threw down a double shot. You! You did it! Who helped
you? Which one of my guys helped you and didn’t tell me?”

“Nobody helped me; I planned it out and did
it myself”

“No shit! How did you know you could go
through with it when it came time to pull the trigger and really
clip the guy?” Tony still seemed dubious of what he was
hearing.

“Because it was for Jimmy; I couldn’t let our
friendship down by turning chicken at the last minute. The other
reason was something I didn’t even tell Jimmy about. Three weeks
before Jimmy was killed some guy tried to bash my head in with a
brick. I‘d stopped for a beer at a bar this side of Zion and some
guy attacked me from behind. We fought in the parking lot and he
wound up with his head caved in. I was sick to my stomach about it,
but I got over it.”

“Kid, tell me all about it, how you whacked
O’Neil. I want to know all the details about how the rotten bastard
got it.”

Clay told Tony the whole story of how he had
stalked his target, with Tony stopping him frequently for
additional details. When Clay came to the part where he had burned
and then shot O’Neil, Tony closed his eyes and had him repeat it
three times, getting a perverse pleasure at hearing the
account.

Tony’s only comment was “You should have let
the cocksucker burn.”

After pulling a handkerchief from his right
back pocket Tony rubbed his eyes, and then stood up. Clay stood up
too, and unexpectedly Tony wrapped his arms around him and gave him
a big long hug. Softly the big man said “Thanks Clay, I owe you. If
there’s anything, and I do mean anything, you need or want you let
me know and I’ll make it happen. And if anybody ever gives you any
shit about anything, just come and see me.”

Tony pushed Clay away abruptly, turned,
pulled his chair away from the table, sat down, and motioned for
Clay to set back down too. Tony leaned forward to refill their
drinks and then spoke.

“I’m sure you knew Jimmy was planning to
start coming into the business and wanted to take over eventually.
I would have been proud to have him with me. He was smarter than
his old man, and would have done well for himself. I didn’t think
you had what it takes to be in this business, but I was wrong. You
surely don’t want to be a laborer all your life, so how about if I
start you out, and teach you how to run things?

“I don’t really think I’m cut out for this. I
appreciate your offer; and I do fully understand what you’re
offering me. But I just don’t think it’s what I want. I’m not a
‘tough guy’ and frankly, I don’t want to spend my life trying to
keep guys like Joey in line.”

“O.K. kid, but I think you’re making a
mistake and if you change your mind the offer will always be there.
I owe you big time and I hope you’ll let me repay you in some way.”
Then Tony added, “It took balls to do what you did, and I think
you’re tougher than you give yourself credit for.”

“Tony, there’s also a problem with my
parents; if I openly went to work for you they would disown me. I
can't let it happen.”

“Yeah I understand, your parents don’t have a
good word for me, do they?”

“No, they never have, and likely never
will.”

From that point, Clay stopped in to visit and
talk to Tony at least once a week, developing a closer
relationship. The two of them would often go upstairs to talk in
private and before long Clay knew all about Tony’s operation; more
than he wanted to know sometimes. He had knowledge of problems
needing to be dealt with and then knew how the problem had been
resolved. He had always known most of the men in the gang, but now
learned the strengths and weaknesses of each. Some of Tony’s men,
especially Joey Tadono and Donny Palmotto, took silent notice of
the close relationship they saw, but knew better than to question
it openly.

Clay continued to live at home and interact
with family and friends. The union Business Agent had called him in
for a heart to heart talk about notification prior to walking off
jobs. The first time would be forgiven, but he was told it had
better not happen again. He had worked on construction steadily
since the O’Neil episode, except for the dead of winter, and was
having a good year financially.

In the last year he had been assigned to work
as foreman on two large and long duration jobs. Both had gone into
overtime, bringing in extra money. He had continued stopping in to
visit with Tony at least once a week and had formed a close bond to
the guy. On the personal side he had been dating a girl steadily
for four months but was tiring of her; a bad sign. But overall,
things were good.

I
n May of 1972 during
one of these sessions Tony mentioned he was uneasy because of a gut
feeling something going on, but he didn’t have a clue as to what.
Some things just weren’t adding up but they were so small and
unrelated he couldn’t put his finger on it. In some ways it was as
if things were going too smoothly. No one had gotten out of line
for several months, no one had challenged him lately, and everyone
was paying up on time. The only clue he had was several store
owners who were making “protection payments” appeared to have been
roughed up, but no one was talking. He said Joey had the same
feeling, but wasn’t hearing any information on the street. Joey had
even threatened a couple of “customers” and they wouldn’t talk.
Maybe everything was going well and he just wasn’t use to it.

On Monday July 10, 1972 Clay was summoned to
return a call from his union Business Agent’s office just as he was
getting ready to leave for the day. There was an emergency and he
was to call “Anna” at a phone number he didn’t recognize. Anna was
crying when she answered the phone at the emergency room of Saint
Mary’s Hospital, a mile from Tony’s bar. She said Tony and several
of his men had been shot and Tony was in surgery with multiple
bullet wounds. Then she added, “Please hurry Clay, I need you.”

When he arrived at the hospital, Joey and
eight other men were there with Anna and several close family
members. Tony’s mother was there, and Anna’s parents were en route
and were expected to arrive soon.

Anna rose from where she was sitting and
hurried toward Clay as he entered the waiting area. Her eyes were
red and swollen from crying and she had both fists clenched as if
trying to gain strength and regain her normal composure. As Clay
got near she opened her arms to him to exchange hugs and said
quietly, so only he could hear “I knew you would come. I’m going to
depend on you to get me through this.” She kissed him lightly on
the cheek and said “Come, sit by me.” Clay held her hand as she
told him what she knew of the shootings. “At a little past noon,
Tony and several of his men were standing outside the bar on the
Gerson street side when a car turned the corner and several men
started shooting. Tony was obviously the main target because he was
shot the most, six bullets hit him. Tito Valenti was killed, and
Anthony Guccione and Roberto Martinez were wounded; they’re in
serious but not critical condition. The doctors say it’s too early
to tell if Tony will make it or not. He hasn’t stabilized yet, and
the doctors are still working on him. He has one bullet in his
right lung and another lodged near his heart, along with several
that broke his ribs on the right side and hit his right arm and
leg. I’m worried about the big lug, Clay.”

Anna began to cry and Clay put his arm around
her shoulders to comfort her.

“The police were here earlier gathering
information, but they know little more than we do”, Anna added
while sobbing.

Anna's parents came in then, and her mother
motioned for Clay to move so she could sit by her daughter.

Clay found Joey and asked him if he knew
anymore information than Anna had given him.

“Yeah, I’ve learned a little. There was a
police cruiser halfway down the block behind the shooters car and
the cops could hear what was happening up at the intersection. They
chased these guys and radioed the shooters car description, license
number and location in to dispatch. They trapped the bastards in a
blind alley where they killed one of the shooters. The other three
got away by getting through a door into a building and out on
another street. One of our cops at the local station says the guy
they killed was a Russian immigrant. He had a record of several
minor busts, but nothing big. Nobody knows who these guys are, who
they work for, or where they came from. But they were loaded for
bear, one of the shooters was using a high powered automatic
military rifle. Christ, Tony, Vito and the other guys didn’t have a
chance. When I find out who those cock suckers are they’ll all get
theirs.”

It was well after midnight before a doctor
came out to the waiting room to tell Anna Tony was out of surgery,
had been stabilized and was being moved to the intensive care unit.
“It’s a bit early for predictions, but I feel your husband has a
good chance of pulling through. He’s going to have permanent
scarring and might loose some mobility in his right arm and leg.
Stainless Steel plates and screws were implanted to connect the
bone in his leg where a bullet shattered it. The bullets in his
lung and near his heart have been removed and I don’t feel those
will be a serious or long term problem.” Speaking to Anna he added
“You can go in now to visit your husband, but please only stay for
fifteen minutes tonight; you can come back and check on him again
in the morning.” Anna stood up, motioned for Clay to accompany her
and told the doctor she wanted Clay with her. Joey had a harsh but
guarded expression on his face at hearing Anna’s request for Clay
to go with her instead of choosing him. The doctor hesitated and
then reluctantly agreed. Clay and Anna walked down the long wide
corridor to intensive care with the doctor who took them to Tony
and then left. Tony was still unconscious and had bandages covering
most of his chest. His right arm and leg were in casts. Anna was
sobbing and reached out to hold Tony’s hand as Clay placed a chair
near the bed for her. Anna leaned over Tony and placed a soft and
tender kiss on his forehead. Tony’s breathing was shallow and
raspy. A dozen tubes and wires ran from his body to monitoring
machines.