and went out.
He took the stairs down two flights, opened the door and moved through the crowd that had formed around Piazza de Spagna. He could see Sisto in the square, hands cuffed behind his back, two cops pushing him in the back seat of a patrol car. He walked past store fronts: Rucoline, Byron and Scalinata, all the way to American Express. He looked back. No one was following him. There was a taxi queue down the street. He went there, got in a cab and took it to the train station. It was 4:47.
Sharon had spent the night with Joey at the Excelsior but something was different. He had changed, or maybe she was finally seeing the real him. He seemed crude, vulgar, not the suave, handsome guy she had fallen in love with. It was a big disappointment after all the planning and anticipation, putting her life on hold, flying to Rome to be with him. She was ready to give up her marriage, what was left of it, her job and family to be with Joey. She had been that sure, that confident.
He was supposed to meet her at the hotel, be there when she arrived, but he wasn't, and he hadn't called till the next evening. She'd said, 'You know how long I've been waiting for you?'
'I've been tied up. Doing a job for my uncle,' Joey had said.
'What, they don't have phones in Italy?'
'Babe, I'll make it up to you,' Joey said. 'Check out, come to the Excelsior, this cool, classy hotel on Via Veneto, you'll love it.'
'Why don't you come and get me?'
'I'm beat,' Joey said. 'Do me this favor, will you? We'll go shopping. I'll take you to a nice dinner.'
That sounded better.
When she got to his room an hour later he seemed preoccupied like his mind was somewhere else.
'What took you so long?' Joey said.
'Hi, Sharon, it's good to see you. I'm glad you're here.' Telling him what he should've said.
'I'm sorry,' Joey said. 'I've got a lot on my mind.'
He looked tired, bags and dark spots under his eyes. 'You've got a lot on your mind? I'm the one taking all the risk.' She paused. 'Want me to unpack, or what?'
'Yeah, sure. Make yourself at home.'
'Why don't you take me to bed,' Sharon said. 'Show me how much you missed me.'
Joey said he was too tired.
Too tired? From what?
His voice woke her up the next morning, Joey talking on his cell phone. He was already showered and dressed.
'I gotta go,' Joey said. 'Backo shortolo.'
'I thought we were finally going to be able to spend time together, not worry about anything.'
'We'll have lunch,' Joey said. 'I'll show you the sights.'
He moved to the bed and kissed her forehead like he was her father.
'I'll make it up to you.'
We'll see, Sharon was thinking.
Joey didn't come back for lunch, and she was getting antsy. Had been in the room the whole day, waiting, watching CNN. He finally called at 3:30, telling her to meet him at the train station. No explanation. Just be there, he'd said, talking to her like she was the hired help, barking orders, sounding like he was annoyed, irritated.
Sharon wondered what she'd gotten herself into. Was Joey like this before, and she'd missed it? No, he'd been gracious and attentive, a perfect gentleman. She wanted to check his passport, see if he was the same guy. She'd just left a bad relationship and wasn't going to get into another one. She considered cutting her losses, fly home and put it all behind her.
At 4:30, she packed her suitcase, took the elevator down, checked her bag with the bellhop, went outside and got in a taxi.
Joey saw her in the crowded terminal, standing by herself, looking around. Walked up to her, grinned and said, 'Hey sexy, you waiting for someone?' He tried to kiss her and she ducked away. 'What's the matter?' Joey said. 'Where's your suitcase? Where's mine?'
'I didn't bring them.'
He shook his head. 'I just bought two tickets to Positano, most romantic fucking place in the world, you didn't bring our stuff?'
'I flew 4,600 miles to be with you,' Sharon said. 'And all
I've done is sit in hotel rooms the past three days, waiting for you.'
'Well, now you've got my undivided fucking attention,' Joey said. He wondered what her problem was. He'd paid for the plane ticket and the hotel room. Maybe it was her time of the month. All he knew, after the day he'd had he didn't need this.
'I made a mistake,' Sharon said.
'I make one every once in a while myself,' Joey said. 'Nobody's perfect. Let's go. Train's leaving in five minutes. We better get on.'
'I'm not going.'
'You're not going? Come on. We're finally together. Don't worry, I'll buy you some new clothes.' He put his arm around her shoulders, tried to move her but she wouldn't budge. You want me to get tough, Joey thought, okay. He grabbed her arm and pulled her.
'Get your hand off me.' She said it loud.
People were turning, looking at them. 'Take it easy, will you? Jesus. Everything's going to be fine.' He tried to smile but it was tough 'cause he was pissed off now. She'd never acted like this and he was trying to figure out what was going on. 'Listen, straighten out. Cut the bullshit. You're coming with me. You're going to get on that fucking train if I have to carry you.'
They were still thirty feet away when Ray saw Joey holding her arms, her biceps. It seemed like they were having a fight. Seeing it sent a blast of adrenalin through him. He'd followed Joey down the Spanish Steps, over the wall to the apartment balcony, through the apartment and across town, losing him in traffic and then seeing his taxi pull up in front of the train station.
Joey was pulling her and Sharon was resisting when Ray got to them. Joey saw him and let her go, and now they were squaring off.
'Come to save the little woman?' Joey said. 'I think you're too late.'
Sharon looked embarrassed, caught with her boyfriend unexpectedly, and the scene was ugly.
'What're you doing with him?' Ray said to Sharon. 'You like being treated this way?'
'I'm not with him,' Sharon said. 'It's over.'
'It's over when I say it is,' Joey said.
'You remind me of your father,' Ray said. 'Same tough- guy attitude with nothing to back it up.'
That stopped Joey, got him thinking.
'What're you talking about? You didn't know my old man.'
'I met the little guy one night at his house in Bloomfield. We were in that nice paneled room with the fireplace off the foyer. Know the one I'm talking about?' He paused. 'I asked him where you were and he said he didn't know. Imagine that? I said okay, you don't want to talk, I'll go upstairs see if Mrs P wants to be more co- operative. Your little Mafia dad threatened me. Got all worked up. I thought he was going to take a swing. Then he leaned back against the desk, a strange look on his face, grabbed his chest and fell on the floor and died.'
Joey glared at him.
'I was surprised you weren't at the wake or funeral. What kind of son are you, you don't come to your father's grave, pay your respects?'
Joey made his move, came at him as expected, threw a big right hand Ray blocked instinctively with his left, his bad arm, and felt the pain shoot up through his shoulder. Joey followed with a left hook Ray blocked with his right, and threw Joey over his hip and saw him land on his back on the hard floor, dazed, turning his body, trying to
