of them cut down with machetes. In my church in Rwanda are forty-seven bodies that've been lying there since the day I was saying Mass and saw them killed, slaughtered, many of them having their feet hacked off, something that was done by the Hutus all over Rwanda during the genocide.'
Terry placed his hands on the table to take his weight, resting for a few moments before straightening again, slowly, to show his pain.
'I came here to visit parishes and raise money for the kids. But now I can't because of an injury I sustained last night when I slipped and took a fall in a restaurant called Randy's.'
Debbie kept her eyes on Tony and Ed. No reactions. Terry was putting them to sleep.
She stepped forward saying, 'Father, sit down, please, before you fall down,' pulled a chair out and got him seated, Tony watching now, more interested.
'If you'll allow me to make the pitch,' Debbie said to him, I'll cut right to it.' Tony seemed to give her a nod and she kept going.-'I'm involved in this, too. If you want to know why, it's because that cocksucker who owns the restaurant conned me out of sixty-seven thousand dollars and refuses to pay me back.'
She had Tony's attention.
'The next time I saw the son of a bitch I hit him with my car, in front of witnesses, and drew three years at Sawgrass Correctional in Florida. I get my release and find out Randy's loaded, won millions in a divorce settlement and owns a successful restaurant downtown.
I decided to go after him. I brought Fr. Dunn along-Father's a friend of the family-with the hope that he could possibly get Randy to look at himself, recognize what a fucking snake he is and do what's right.'
Tony was holding his cigarette in front of him, the ash so long it was about to fall off.
'My plan, Mr. Amilia, was to ask Randy for two hundred and fifty thousand, half for Father Dunn's children, the other half representing double what the snake owes me, to make up for money I was unable to earn while I was down those three years.' Debbie cleared her throat and said, 'You mind if I have a glass of water?'
Tony didn't answer. He looked at Vincent Moraco. Vincent came over, picked up a bottle of Pellegrino and poured her a glass. Debbie took a long drink, paused and took another one. She said, 'Thank you,' and got back into it.
'Something happened last night at the restaurant that changed our plan. We were evicted from our table by two of your men. It upset Fr.
Dunn and he said something he's sorry for now. He called your Mr.
Genoa a faggot. Mr. Genoa naturally resented the remark and decked Fr. Dunn, iniuring his back. Let me say, in Fr. Dunn's behalf, he spoke up because he resented our being removed from the table by a party an hour late for their reservation.' As Tony Amilia's gaze wandered over to Vincent, Debbie said, 'Fr. Dunn's a man of God, but he's also a stand-up guy. You have to be to run a mission in central Africa, up against street thugs killing people at will.'
Debbie picked up the glass and took a sip of water.
'So the meeting with Mr. Agley, which followed, took a turn. Now we included a personal injury settlement, which we believed Mr.
Agley would understand and prefer to going to court. I suggested to him how he could make things right and he told me to get lost. Actually, what he said to me was 'Don't fuck with me, kid. You're not in my league.' Well… I'm going to anyway. May I sit down?'
It would give her the table to hold on to.
Tony nodded, unaware of the cigarette ash on the front of his warm-up jacket.
She took the chair next to Terry's, put her hand for a moment on his shoulder and got ready.
'What I'd like to propose, Mr. Amilia if you were to get the twofifty from the snake, and make out a check for that amount payable to the Little Orphans of Rwanda Fund, you could write the entire amount off on your income tax. And, the press will see you as the savior of Father's orphans, the publicity coming at a time when you need it the most.'
There was a silence in the room.
Tony continued to stare at Debbie, but said nothing. It was Ed Bernacki who broke the silence.
'If the check goes to the orphans, Deb, how do you get yours?'
'Ed, I hope you don't think Father would cheat me out of my share.'
'All right, and how does this timely publicity get in the paper?'
'I'll make sure it happens. If Mr. Amilia is willing, with a photo of him handing Father the check.'
'You don't think the intention would be obvious, coming at this time?'
'Why? Mr. Amilia is well known for his charitable interests. His being on trial right now, facing some rather absurd allegations, is beside the fact. His generosity speaks for itself.'
Ed smiled. 'You're laying it on pretty thick, Deb.'
Her face remained solemn. 'I can't help it, Ed, if it's how I feel.'
Again a silence, everyone waiting for Tony the boss.
Finally he said to Terry, 'Tell me something. These guys that cut off people's feet why do they do that?'
20
MONDAY MORNING TERRY WOKE UP first, left Dehbie in the king-size bed asleep and went downstairs to get the paper and put the coffee on.
Last night Debbie sat by the phone waiting for Ed Bernacki to call and tell them Tony said okay, Debbie full of confidence. 'I know he will. Why wouldn't he? He's got the clout. All he has to do is tell Randy to give him the money.' As they were leaving the restaurant yesterday Ed walked them out and she asked him what their chances were. Ed said he didn't have an opinion. 'Tony's predictable in certain areas but this isn't one of them. You have to let Tony make up his mind. He says no, you forget about it, you don't try him again.'
'If it doesn't work,' Terry said last night, 'then what, go back to Randy?'
Debbie said, 'He'll do it. Didn't you notice? Tony likes me.'
He brought Debbie a cup of coffee and sat looking at the little scammer sleeping like an angel. He could imagine keeping it going, living together. The idea of getting married had not come up. She'd said one time she never planned on having kids and he said, 'Why not?' He said he'd always imagined having a family, three or four kids, and she said, 'Why didn't you? Instead of trying to fake out your mother all those years.' They could go round and round on that one: he wasn't ready, hadn't met the fight girl, never had a job he liked-all those excuses.
There was no question in his mind Debbie could be the right girl. Christ, look at her. And she was funny. How many girls were funny? But that was the reason she wanted to be an entertainer and why he couldn't see her keeping house. So there you were.
He said, 'Deb?' Tried it once more and she opened her eyes.
'Did Ed call?'
'He's probably in court.'
'He '11 call when they break for lunch.'
'My brother and the family'll be home this afternoon. They get in about four.'
Debbie said, 'We'll have to change the bed. No, we'll have to do the sheets and put the same ones back on. And the towels. Then what do we do? You stay and I move out? Unless you set Fran straight, then you can move in with me, we can play house.'
It was funny that she said it that way. He nodded to the coffee on the nightstand.
She picked it up, smiling at him. 'You know what you are, Terry?
A saint. I said that to your brother one time while you were still in Africa with your orphans, and your housekeeper with the cool skirts, I said, 'Maybe he's a saint.' Your brother said, 'I wouldn't go that far.'
And then he said, 'But who knows?' See the impression you make?
You are, Terry, a very thoughtful person.'
It didn't make him feel any different than he already felt, sitting there in a bedroom that wasn't his, on the verge of… whatever happened next, looking at a girl he slept with and believed he loved, experiencing tender
