crosser and use you for target practice.
Tom reached for a cigarette and studied the faces around him. Buccieri was mob, like Rosselli and Giancana, with a real torturer's face. Maheu and O'Connell he decided were CIA, but he couldn't figure Sorges. He had a mob face and mob taste in clothes - the sports coat he was wearing was as loud as Rosselli's laugh, now restored to full volume as finally he saw the joke - but the cool, guarded manner and the close mouth was typical Company.
Like I said,' shrugged Tom, blowing out a steady stream of smoke, I like to know who I'm working for.'
While Fifi Buccieri organised a round of drinks, Tom and the rest of them arranged themselves around a dining table. For a few minutes Rosselli kept on talking about nothing in particular until everyone was comfortable and looked like they were ready to come down to business. But it was O'Connell who set the ball rolling.
I've read your report, Mister Jefferson,' he said. It's a fine piece of work.' He lit a Muriel Coronella from a pack of five, and continued: This fall-guy you're proposing to use. I mean the idea of using one. Is that something you've done before?'
No,' admitted Tom. To be quite frank with you, in all normal circumstances, I wouldn't even countenance the idea. I like to work at the kind of distance and from the kind of position that makes that kind of ruse unnecessary. But this is a special situation. The plaza in front of the presidential palace provides a limited number of sniping positions. And I think that any crowd occupying the plaza would know that. And will react accordingly. Because whatever your feelings about Castro, his is a popular revolution.'
Sorges tutted loudly and shook his head.
That's certainly my impression as a disinterested outsider,' said Tom.
You're half Cuban, aren't you?' demanded Sorges, as if that was supposed to make him better informed about the situation.
The half of me that's Cuban is only half-interested half of the time. The half of me that's American doesn't really give a shit. It's your best guarantee of getting the job done. I'm a professional, not a fanatic. And like I was saying, the impression I have formed is that this is a popular revolution and that Cuban public opinion will demand that someone is apprehended for Castro's murder, and apprehended quickly. I consider that my best chance of escape depends on someone else being caught.'
Sam Giancana leaned forward on the table, affording Tom an excellent view of two magnificent oval cut emerald cufflinks. The Chicago boss might be a hood, but he was a hood with good taste.
Tom is right,' he said quietly. You always need a patsy. Back in thirty-three, we set up this guy to hit Cermak, the Chicago mayor. Name of Zangara, Joe Zangara. He was an ex-soldier from the Italian army. We gave him a straight fucking choice: make the hit, take the fall, pay off your debts, with some money left over to take care of your family; or die real hard, and leave your family with the debts. So what could he do? He shot Tony Cermak and went to the chair for it. And because he said that he was actually trying to shoot Roosevelt, no one connected us to the killing. Matter of fact, it happened right here in Miami. Cermak and FDR riding around in an open car in the Florida sunshine, like sitting ducks.'
Tom laughed nervously. With all due respect, Mister Giancana, I had someone else in mind to take the rap, not myself.'
Sure, sure. All I'm saying is that sometimes it's the guy who pulls the trigger, and sometimes it's someone else. But you're right, Tom, somebody has to take the fall for Castro. Public opinion will demand it.'
Do you have anyone in mind?' asked O'Connell.
No. I figured you guys would still have plenty of connections back in Cuba. To help me find someone suitable.' Tom shrugged and began to try to paint a picture of the kind of individual he was thinking of. It could be someone with a background in the Cuban army perhaps. A real die-hard Batistiano, with a well-known grudge against Castro. Preferably some kind of misfit, outsider type. Someone dumb. Anyone too bright might figure he was being set up. And nothing too complicated or the Fidelistas won't understand the cards they're being dealt.'
I think we could find someone like that,' said O'Connell, raising an eyebrow in the direction of Frank Sorges. Frank? What do you say?'
Anything's possible,' said Sorges. Sure.'
It goes without saying that I'd want to take a look at whoever you find,' said Tom. Just to make sure the patsy isn't me.'
Naturally,' said Maheu. Just so as you know, Mister Jefferson, I represent an industrial group seeking to recover American-owned businesses and properties that have been or are going to be nationalised by the Cuban regime.' Maheu's narrow eyes hadn't yet met Tom's. All the time he was speaking he tapped at a blank pad of paper with a Sheaffer pencil. I think the most pressing question my clients will have is what all this is going to cost.'
Me too,' admitted Rosselli. It's the one thing that's not in your report.'
I'd have thought there was no price too high to recover what's been lost in Cuba,' said Tom. Considering Meyer Lansky spent fourteen million building one hotel, I don't think you should worry about a down-payment of one hundred thousand dollars. And another hundred and fifty thousand dollars when the job is done.'
Rosselli whistled and clutched at his chest. A quarter mill? Jesus, I hope my Blue Cross covers me for this kind of heart attack.'
Maheu wrote down the two figures on his pad and underlined them furiously.
Most guys figure ten thousand a year before they're thirty is setting their sights a little high,' said O'Connell.
Isn't that just the point?' asked Tom. You're paying me to set my sights dead centre.'
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars is a lot of money, Tom,' said Maheu. Sinatra doesn't make that kind of dough.'
Not last week anyway,' growled Giancana.
A lot of money,' repeated Maheu.
For just the one fucking Castro,' added Rosselli. For that kind of money we should get all three.'
Try telling that to some of those companies you represent,' said Tom. Sears Roebuck, Woolworth, Remington Rand, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Otis Elevators. To say nothing of a few banks, breweries, sugar mills, chocolate companies, and department stores. I believe the Wall Street Journal has put an estimated figure of at least two hundred million dollars' worth of American property on the island. Under the circumstances, gentlemen, a recovery fee of point one two five per cent does not seem unreasonable.'
Maheu started to check Tom's arithmetic on his sheet of paper. If we recover it,' he said.
Tom watched him arrive at the same decimal figure, and said, I'm just the button. I leave the probable causes and effects of my actions to people like you. You want the job done? That's my fee. You think it's too much, then get someone else.'
Giancana waved an imperious hand at the others sat around the table. Tom is right. The money he asks is not unreasonable.' He touched his hair for a moment and Tom suddenly realised, almost with horror, that the Chicago boss was wearing a toupee. That fucking prick Castro's the one who's being unreasonable. But he's just a man, and a man only has to be killed once. These brothers of his, Raul and Ramon. From what I hear, they're just the dog's balls and tail. Fidel's the head and heart of the revolution, just like Hitler was in Germany and Nasser in Egypt. We cut off the head, the whole fucking dog dies. The revolution's over. We do it? We do it right. No half- measures. No penny-pinching fuck-ups.
Bob? Jim? What your people have got to understand is that taking out a contract on Castro is like arranging your daughter's wedding. What it costs isn't really the issue. What matters most is that the thing goes off without a hitch and everything is the way it's supposed to be. I know what I'm talking about. Back in July I gave my daughter Bonnie away, right here in this hotel. She married this guy who's a congressional aide to Roland Libonati, so you can appreciate that the wedding had to be the best. No expense was spared.'
It was a beautiful wedding,' said Rosselli. Real class.'
Two hundred guests at thirty dollars a plate. And talking about decoys, I even arranged a decoy wedding party back in Chicago, just to keep the fucking feds and the news reporters off our backs. That's what I mean about doing things the right way. So I say we pay Tom what he asks and have done with this piece of shit Fidel fucking Castro. I say we approve his plan and get rid of the bastard.'
I agree with Sam,' said Rosselli.
As if he would say anything else, thought Tom. It was plain from the way the two mobsters behaved around each other which one of them had the whip hand.
