The Mike Black Saga; Payback (21 page)

"Where you goin’, Manny?"

"Nowhere, Black," Manny said as Bobby pulled up and got out of the car.

"Why were you runnin’ then, Manny?"

"`
Cause
you said that you would kill me the next time you saw me."

"I did?" Mike questioned. "Why’d I . . . never mind. I’m not goin’ to kill you, at least not yet, Manny. I just wanna ask you some questions. Tell me what I wanna know and I won’t kill you."

"What do you wanna know? I’ll tell you whatever you want. Just don’t kill me, Black, please." Manny pleaded for his life.

"You know a guy name Sal
Terrico
?"

"Yeah, I know Sal, what about him?" Manny asked.

"Where can I find him?" Mike demanded to know.

"What’s in it for me?" Manny asked, and with that Mike punched him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Manny fell to his knees.

While he was still on the ground Mike grabbed him by his shirt collar and slammed Manny’s head between the car, and the car door. "I already told you what’s in it for you, Manny. Tell me what I wanna know and I won’t kill you." Mike hit his head with the door again.

"All right, all right, Black. When he’s in the city he likes to get high, buys his shit from a guy named Red. Runs a shooting gallery out in Queens."

Mike slammed the door against Manny’s head again. "I already know that, Manny. Now you tell me where I can find him!"

Bobby leaned over Manny. "Look, Manny, you better tell him something before you end up brain damaged."

"Cityscape!" Manny yelled. "He likes to hang out up there." Manny tried to block the door with his arms but Mike hit him with the door again and again.

"I know that, Manny. Tell me what I don’t know!"

"I know for a fact that he’ll be there at two in the morning. He likes to get high with some bitch that dances there. Her name is
Jaylyn
. She gets off at two! That’s all I know, Black, really. Please don’t hit me again."

Mike let go of Manny and let his beaten body drop to the ground. "If you see Sal before I do, Manny, I better hear from you," Mike said before walking toward Bobby’s car.

Once they were in the car and drove away, Mike turned to Bobby. "We probably just missed him last night."

"Yeah, but we’ll get him tonight. We’ll go down there and wait for him. We’ll get him tonight, Mike. I promise you that."

"I know, Bobby. I know."

Chapter Twenty-eight

"DEA agent, Roman Patterson is murdered in Black’s club by associates of Sal
Terrico
. South American associates. Does any of that relate to those papers? Are those papers about what we did in South America? Then there’s Kirk. How does he know what went on in the Bahamas?"

"I don’t know, Nick," Wanda said.

"Kirk knows, but all I get from him is voice mail."

"Maybe he’ll talk to me. Hold on Nick." Wanda put Nick on hold and tried to call Kirk.

When Wanda came back on the line quickly, Nick said, "Voice mail, huh?"

"Yeah."

"What now?"

"I know somebody that we can talk to," Wanda replied. "Meet me at my office in about an hour."

"Why? Who are we going to talk to?" But Wanda had already hung up. 

Wanda flipped though her Rolodex until she came to the name she was looking for. She dialed the number. "
Glynnis
Presley, please."

If it involved politics or politicians,
Glynnis
was the person you wanted to talk to. She was a Senators aid who knew everybody, and more importantly, knew all the inside information about everybody, or she could find out. "Everybody talks to somebody
that talks
to me"
Glynnis
was famous for saying. During their long association Mike Black had been a heavy contributor to a few local political candidates. Any time that he needed to use that type of influence, it was a simple matter to call
Glynnis
, who called the appropriate Congressperson, who made the calls necessary for things to go the way he wanted them to without any problems. Before too long, "This is
Glynnis
."

"How you doing,
Glynnis
, this is Wanda."

"Tired and ready to go home. How about you?"

"I’m fine. I was calling to see if you had any plans for this evening?"

"Not a thing. What did you have in mind?"

"Dinner. I got some things that I wanted to run by you."

"Okay, you convinced me."

"Where do you want meet?" Wanda asked.

"I don’t know; what do you have a taste for?"

"I don’t know, Italian maybe, seafood is always good for me," Wanda said. "But let’s go some place that we haven’t been before,
cause
you know that I’ll go to McCormick & Schmick’s and order calamari like I always do. So what new and hot?"

"There’s a place called Alto on Madison and 53
^rd
Street. They claim that they take Italian food to a new level."

"Have you eaten there?"

"Yes, a couple of weeks ago. It’s a nice place, very plush, tall-backed chairs, you’ll like it. And the Chef comes around and talks with the guests."

"What about Asian food?"

"I heard of this place called
Koi
, it’s on 40
^th
and 6
^th
Avenue. It’s in the Bryant Park Hotel. I hear that there’s a nice bar there called Cellar Bar."

"Not in the mood for bar hopping, but thanks for the tip." Wanda twirled her pen and thought about it. She always considered every decision carefully. "I think I am feeling Italian."

"Well how about Bellavitae it’s on Minetta Lane between 6
^th
Avenue and MacDougal Street. I’ve never been there, but I hear the food is excellent."

"That’s fine, I’ll make reservations. Say seven o’clock?"

"Seven is fine with me."

"Oh and
Glynnis
, there’ll be someone joining us for dinner. His name is Nick
Simmons,
he’s an old friend of mine."

"Is he fine as hell and available?"

Knowing what a man-eater
Glynnis
could be at times, Wanda considered her answer. "Yes, on both counts," she told
Glynnis
, "But—never mind. I’ll see you at seven."

As promised, Nick picked up Wanda at her office. She explained to Nick that they were going to dinner with
Glynnis
Presley. "I take it that this isn’t a date either," Nick said.

"No this is a business meeting. But are you are more than welcome to pay," Wanda replied.

On the way to the restaurant Wanda explained that
Glynnis
would be able to fill in some of the holes before they talked to Mike. When they arrived at
Bellavitae’s
,
Glynnis
was already there and had been seated. Wanda introduced Nick to
Glynnis
and they exchanged pleasantries. Shortly thereafter the waiter arrived. "Good evening, my name is
Kelly,
I’ll be your waiter tonight. Our flexible menu allows for light bites or a multi-course feast. I’ll give you some time to look over the menu. Can I bring you something from the bar?"

"I’ll have a Mojito,"
Glynnis
said.

"Apple martini for me," Wanda said.

"Johnny Walker Black, straight with a water back," Nick ordered and sent the waiter on his way.

When the waiter returned, he took their orders, Wanda had Fritto Misto. "That sounds good, Wanda, what is it?"
Glynnis
asked.

"It’s Calamari with celery, lemon, and Caper Berries from Salina," the waiter chimed in.

"You always order calamari, Wanda,"
Glynnis
said.

"I love it, what can
I
say?" Wanda replied and handed the waiter her menu.
Glynnis
ordered
Pollo
alla
Cacciatora
, which is chicken with Black
Ligurian
Olives ,
while Nick had the grilled pork loin.

During the meal there was the usual amount of getting to know you small talk between Nick and
Glynnis
and plenty of what’s going on in the city gossip, supplied by
Glynnis
. After dinner, an uncomfortable silence fell over the table. "So, we’ve shared a good meal, we’ve talked a lot of this and that, had some laughs. We’ve gossiped so much I think we’ve bored poor Nick to death. And you’ve plied me with sufficient quantities of alcohol,"
Glynnis
said as she raised her glass "And I’ve had such a good time. But you still haven’t asked me whatever it is that you invited me here to ask me," she said and signaled for a waiter.

"Maybe we just invited you out to enjoy your company,
Glynnis
, you know
cause
we’re friends," Wanda said.

"I thought that it was your pretty smile,
Glynnis
," Nick said and Wanda rolled her eyes.

"You keep talking, honey, I like you,"
Glynnis
flirted. "I imagine that it’s you that has the questions."

"What makes you say that?" Nick asked.

"`Cause when Wanda wants to know something she gets to it over drinks. But you were too polite to even bring it up over dinner."

"All right then, what can you tell me about Martin Marshall?"

"The Justice Department has been investigating Martin Marshall for years."

"For what?" Wanda asked.

"To be honest with you Wanda, there’ve been rumors about Marshall and corruption for years. There’s even been some talk about him being involved in drug trafficking. Justice even had bribery a case against him three years ago, but the case was dropped."

"What happened?" Nick asked.

"Witness committed suicide."

"How?"

"Sleeping pills. After that, the evidence that they had disappeared."

"What was the case about?" she asked.

Glynnis
paused and thought for a moment. "That case involved drug money."

"How so?" Wanda asked.

"The
developer
who was
alleged,"
Glynnis
was careful to say. "To have offered Marshall the bribe, his partners were drug dealers, from Argentina or Brazil or someplace like that."

"Or Peru, maybe?" Nick suggested.

"Could be, but I can’t be sure."

"Is there anybody at justice we can talk to about Marshall?"

"I think I know somebody that could help you,"
Glynnis
said.

"If Justice was investigating him and it involved drugs, then the DEA would have been involved."

"That would only make sense,"
Glynnis
said.

"That would mean that the DEA would have to have at least some knowledge of or be heavily involved in this investigation," Wanda said more to Nick than
Glynnis
.