Suddenly, Don Carlo began signing with his fingers. Celia, who was sitting a few feet away, next to the window, translated for him.
'He says he is glad to meet you.' Her voice was soft and whispery; echoing strangely in the high-ceilinged room. 'It's my pleasure,' Shane replied.
The Don nodded. He looked at Shane with sharp, piercing eyes, while he signed at his daughter.
'I am pleased that you and your wife have agreed to help my nephew with his new venture in Los Angeles,' Celia's sweet voice translated.
'Alexa is the head of Detective Services Group. DSG supervises all the detectives on the LAPD, so she's in a terrific place to handle any investigation if someone in that union complains,' Shane replied.
The Don signed again and Celia spoke:
'What Dennis has accomplished in Los Angeles is remarkable. I have convinced the brotherhoods in D. C. to stand aside, and not make trouble once special deals are cut with the IATSE unions. I am pleased you and your wife have accepted my payment, and will guarantee that Dennis is never prosecuted.'
What payment? Shane thought. We could sure use the rest of the fucking money. But rather than bring that up, he said, 'Whatever happens, we'll make certain that your nephew is safe.'
The Don signed slowly, forcing them to stand patiently in silence.
'It is important for you to understand that since money has changed hands, our deal is now sealed. It cannot be undone. Any failure to perform services as agreed will result in your death, and the death of your family.' It was strange to listen as this slender girl's soft voice conveyed a death threat against his loved ones. Celia continued. 'This is not only a threat, but a necessary part of the agreement. Dennis will soon be taking over for the family and all efforts must be made to protect him.'
'I understand,' Shane replied.
Don DeCesare held out a frail hand, palm down. It was a strange gesture and Shane wasn't sure what the old man wanted.
'He wants you to kiss his hand,' Celia said. 'It is our custom to seal an agreement.'
So, feeling foolish, Shane bowed his head and kissed the old man's hand. As his lips brushed against the cold, papery skin, he wondered at the evil the Godfather had done in his lifetime. He stepped back and the Don made a few more trembling hand gestures.
'Thank you. I must talk to my nephew alone,' Celia translated.
Shane turned and left the room.
He walked back to the entry hail where he stood alone, listening to voices coming from a side room. Shane wondered if the crafty old Don had really lost his vocal cords or if he had learned sign language just so he could hold sensitive meetings with a family interpreter doing the talking so as to avoid the risk of being caught on tape.
The StarTAC unit had shot their conversation into space and back to the monitoring room at ESD in L. A. But could Shane prove that it had really been the Don who had said those things? He had only recorded his own voice and Celia's. Hell, he probably couldn't even prove Don Carlo had been there. It would be Shane's word against theirs.
He was angry and depressed as laughter swelled in the adjoining area, so he walked in that direction and soon entered a large living room with turn-of-the-century furniture and a fifteen-foot-high vaulted ceiling.
Pete, Paulie, and Frank were seated around a marble-topped table, next to a large plate-glass window, playing some kind of European card game. On the other side of the glass, Shane could see more rolling lawns and even a few white-coated animals that, from a distance, looked like sheep or even llamas.
Shane sat on the arm of a nearby chair, watching the game.
'Is the Don gonna be okay?' he finally said, breaking the ice.
'He's not doin' too hot, but he's a tough old man. Surprises us all the time,' Pietro said.
'This is beautiful here. I understand Dennis went to high school out in Teaneck.'
'Yep, sure did,' Pietro said, smiling. 'He was some kinda hot shit back then. Captain of the football team, good shortstop in baseball, pretty much had his way with the ladies.' Then he turned to another old capo whom Shane hadn't noticed, sitting in a wing chair by the fireplace. 'Hey, Norm, remember that girl from Trenton, came down here, camped out in front of the driveway? Jesus, she was so stuck on Denny, she slept there for two days…
wouldn't go away.' Norm laughed and just nodded. 'I went down and threatened this bitch, but she still wouldn't leave. She was willing to die to get in here and see him.'
'Yeah,' Shane smiled. 'Nicholas said Dennis always had lotsa girls.' Shane was fishing, hoping one of these goombas would hit the line.
'Who's Nicholas?' Pietro said as he laid down some cards and said 'Banco.' Then scraped a pile of chips off the table.
'Nicholas was a real good friend of Dennis's in high school.'
'I don't think so. I spent mosta my time sweeping up after the kid back then. I don't remember no friend named Nicholas. What's his last name?'
'Marcella.'
Pietro was now shaking his head and smiling as he stacked his winnings.
'Something funny?'
'Ya mean Nicky? That pathetic little prick was never friends with Dennis. Who told you that? Dennis used to terrorize him, made him eat his lunch off the floor in the school cafeteria. Shit like that. They called him Nicky the Pooh 'cause the guy was so pathetic. Denny fucked him over constantly while all the kids laughed. I told Dennis back then that he should cool it. You never know with people. You can push 'em too far. Some little nothing guy will snap, come off hot, get a gun, ka-boom, you're in the obits.'
'Nicky wasn't his friend?' Shane asked.
'That little schmuck was so piss-in-his-pants scared a Dennis, he used to shake when he was around, y' know? And Dennis just thought it was funny. Used t' make him wash his car and shine his shoes. Sometimes forced Nicky t' follow him around at school on his hands and knees barking like a dog. Everybody thought it was funny, but I seen the look in that little guy's eyes. You should never push anybody that far 'less you're gonna clip him after. Course, Dennis, he was only seventeen then. He thought nothing could ever happen to him. You grow up, you learn.' Now Pietro was dealing again, flipping cards onto the table. 'Last I heard, Nicky Marcella went out to L. A. to live with his married sister. Just goes t' show ya. What kinda limp dick moves in with his sister?' The talkative capo took some chips and tossed them into the center of the table.
Shane picked up a magazine and sat on the sofa a few feet away to wait for Dennis while the card game continued.
Why was Nicholas Marcella out in L. A. throwing parties for a man who had once made him crawl on his hands and knees and bark like a dog? Shane tried to concentrate on the magazine, but his mind wouldn't stop circling this strange new fact.
Chapter 42
They all slept on the flight back to the West Coast. When the jet touched down in Burbank, it was ten-thirty that same night. They deplaned and headed to their cars. Champagne Dennis Valentine paused by his blue Rolls and looked over at Shane. 'That was good. Uncle Carlo is very happy you came.'
'I'm very happy he's very happy.'
They agreed to talk in the morning.
Shane called Alexa as soon as he pulled away from the airport.
After expressing relief that he was back safely, she shifted to disappointment: 'I listened to the tapes at ESD. All they had on them was you and some girl. That's never gonna work in court.'
'We have my sworn statement that the Don was there. I witnessed it.'
'But Shane-'
'What was I supposed to do? The guy's claiming his tongue and vocal cords are gone.'
