Knock Knock Who's There?

'So what are you going to do?'

Massino closed his big hands into fists.

'If he's skipped town, I want the organization to go after him. If he's still in town, I'll find him.'

'He can buy himself a lot of protection with all that dough,' Tanza said thoughtfully. 'Okay, I'll tell the Big Man. So you want us to find him . . . right?'

'If he's not holed up here . . . yes.'

'I don't want to start something too soon, Joe. Once the organization gets moving its hard to stop and it costs. Suppose you make certain he isn't in town, then give me the green light, huh?'

'If he's skipped, the longer you wait the further he'll go.'

Tanza grinned evilly.

'It don't matter how far he goes . . . if he goes to China, we'll find him. We've never failed yet. You make sure first he isn't in town, then we'll take over.'

He got to his feet. 'I'm only trying to save you money, Joe. We don't work for nothing.'

When Tanza had gone, Massino called Toni and Ernie into the office.

'Go to Johnny's place and search it.' he ordered. 'I want every scrap of information, every scrap of paper you can find there. I want you to send out some of the boys to ask around. I want to know who his friends are.

When they had left, Massino called Lieutenant Mulligan.

'Anything new?' he asked when the Lieutenant came on the line.

'It's my bet he's skipped town,' Mulligan said. 'There's no trace of him. I've dug up his record, his prison photo and his finger prints. Would they be of any use to you?'

'Yeah. I want everything you've got on him.'

'I'll send a man over with the photostats right away, Mr. Massino.'

'Would you know if he has any relatives?'

'Doesn't seem to from his record. His father died five years ago.'

'Anything on him?'

'An Italian: worked in a fruit cannery in Tampa. Johnny was born there.'

Massino thought for a moment.

'A dog to its vomit. He could be heading back South.'

'Yeah. Do you want me to alert the Florida police . . . can do.'

Massino hesitated, then said, 'No. I can handle this, but keep hunting for him in town.' A pause, then Massino said, 'The next time you're passing look in and see Andy. He'll have something for you.'

As Mulligan began mumbling thanks, Massino hung up.

At 19.00, Massino was still at his desk. Spread out before him were the various items that Mulligan had sent him and that Toni and Ernie had found in Johnny's apartment.

Andy hovered behind him, chain smoking, but quiet. He could feel the intensity of Massino's vicious fury that was only just under control.

'So what have we got?' Massino demanded suddenly.

'He's our man,' Andy said. 'No question about it now and he's skipped town.'

'Who the hell would have thought Johnny would have done this to me?' Massino asked, pushing back his chair. 'The sonofabitch! Well, okay, I'll turn the organization after him. It may take time, but they'll find him and then he'll wish he'd never been born!'

Andy came to the desk.

'This interests me, Mr. Joe,' he said and picked up a much thumbed copy of Yachts & Motorboats, a technical magazine for boat builders that Toni had found in Johnny's apartment. 'Why should Johnny have this?'

'How the hell should I know?' Massino snarled. 'It means nothing!'

Andy was flicking through the pages, then he paused at an advert of a thirty-foot cabin cruiser that had been ringed by a pencil.

'Look at this.'

Massino glared at him.

'So what?'

'Do you think Johnny is interested in boats? Do you think his plan was to skip in a boat?'

Massino became attentive.

'Yeah . . . another pointer to the South.'

'And this.' Andy picked up a gaudy Christmas card that Toni had also found. Written in a spidery handwriting was the legend: