The Vendetta Defense

preoccupied with murder cases on the weekends. An almost-homicide equaled a purse-snatching.

Judy peeled the plastic lid off a cup of Starbucks and let it cool on her desk while she assessed the situation. She was under siege by people armed with pencils and cameras. She had almost succeeded in detonating her best friend’s father and an entire parish of wonderful senior citizens. Powerful people were trying to kill her and her client. Plus she had an angry boss who would be in any minute, an antitrust article to finish, and no car to drive for the foreseeable future. Her puppy had forgotten who she was. On the up side, Frank was a great kisser.

Judy sipped her coffee. Her open laptop nagged her about her antitrust article, which seemed so irrelevant now. She idly scanned the introduction, which was all she had written so far: Section I of the Sherman Act prohibits every contract, combination, or conspiracy in the restraint of trade, and it is a per se violation of the Act to engage in price-fixing. The purpose of this article is to examine the economic implications of vertical price- fixing agreements among competitors and specifically to determine whether conspiracies among oligopolists. . . .

Judy’s eyes glazed over with fatigue and anxiety. She had watched her back on the way into the office this morning and welcomed the sight of the usually cranky security guard in the lobby. Judy had made him promise not to let anyone up with a gun, including her boss, and he had agreed. She even felt uneasy in the quiet office this morning. She had hoped some other associates would be here, but it was a sunny Sunday and nobody but Bennie would be in today. It was both the good and bad news.

Judy’s gaze fell on the stacks of correspondence that had accumulated on her desk when she had been out, including the notice of Pigeon Tony’s preliminary hearing, set for Tuesday. When would she find the time to prepare? She was too busy ducking bullets. Next to the notice were stacked paperback advance sheets and The Philadelphia Inquirer, the newspaper delivered to all the associates every business day. Judy wondered what it had been saying about the Lucia case and reached for the top newspaper, which was Friday’s edition.

BLOOD FEUD, read the headline, and Judy cringed. The first part of the article concerned the basics, the time of Pigeon Tony’s arrest, and that he was being represented by the women-only law firm of Rosato & Associates, a fact the papers always seemed to pick up on. Other than that, the story seized on the “bad blood” between the Lucias and the Coluzzis but contained none of the details of its history, such as Silvana Lucia’s murder, or any speculation on the deaths of Frank’s parents, Frank and Gemma. Good. So the neighbors weren’t talking to the papers. But they would soon. Judy dreaded to think what today’s papers looked like, with the photos of her Bug being towed away by the bomb squad. Then her eye caught the sidebar, a feature about the Coluzzi family:

THE KING IS DEAD. LONG LIVE THE KING!

With the sudden and violent demise of construction king Angelo Coluzzi, speculation is rampant about who will succeed him as president and CEO of Coluzzi Construction, reportedly a $65 million business, with headquarters in South Philadelphia. Angelo Coluzzi was reportedly unwilling to designate a successor, but the contest is clearly between his only children, sons John and Marco.

The older son, John Coluzzi, 45, is chief operations officer of the company and known for his hands-on experience in the construction trades. He supervises the building of strip mall projects that are the main source of the company’s revenue. But it is the younger son, Marco Coluzzi, 40, who insiders say will ascend the throne. Marco, a graduate of Penn State and the Wharton School of Business, serves as chief financial officer and is said to exert a great influence over the company’s extensive business affairs.

Insiders report that this family feud will have to be resolved soon, with Coluzzi Construction’s $11 million bid for a new waterfront mall hanging in the balance.

Judy considered it. This must have been the feature article that Frank had mentioned to her. She hadn’t noticed any rivalry between the brothers at the arraignment, but her assessment of their personalities wasn’t far off. Marco was the brains, and John was the brawn. Judging from how vicious John could be, Judy was betting on him to become president. Murder was a good way to succeed in business. She skimmed the rest of the article.

“You survived a car bomb and the press?” asked a voice, and Judy jumped. It was Bennie, but that was still a cause for alarm. Judy straightened up in her chair. “I was just reading about the case.”

“Me, too.” Bennie entered the office with a pile of newspapers and took the seat across from Judy’s desk. She was dressed in jeans and a casual white cotton sweater, but her features were anything but relaxed. Her blue eyes crackled with intensity, and her manner was alert and energized. Her long, usually unruly hair was wrapped in a knot and tamed by an oversized tortoiseshell barrette. “Did you see today’s paper?”

“I’m boycotting.”

“Don’t. You’d be surprised what you can learn about your own case from the paper. And what you can plant there.” Bennie plopped the stack on Judy’s desk, almost catapulting her coffee cup. “The car bomb’s the lead story. Did you call your parents? They’re in California, right?”

Judy had to think about it. “No, they’re on sabbatical, in France.”

“You can still call them. They have phones in France. Snotty phones, but phones just the same.”

“I don’t need to call.”

“Wrong again,” Bennie said firmly. “If you don’t, I will. They’re your parents.”

“Okay.” Judy knew Bennie’s mother had passed away recently and she’d never met her father, so she didn’t make any parent jokes. She picked up the newspaper on top, which was a tabloid. BOMBS AWAY! screamed the block headline. She set it aside. “So, am I fired?”

Bennie looked surprised. “Of course not. Why would I fire you? It’s not your fault somebody wants you dead.”

Judy blinked. “Am I off the case?”

“Do you want to be?”

Judy didn’t have to think twice. The Coluzzis had tried to kill her car. “No way.”

“Good. Then it’s still your case. You know the client and you’re much too smart. But I’m on the case with you.”

Judy wasn’t sure she liked the sound of it. “You mean, you want to work the case with me?”

“Yep.” Bennie nodded. “I’m your associate. For one time only.”

“Why?”

“Simple. I don’t want you to get hurt, Carrier.” Bennie got up abruptly and clapped her hands together with finality. “Now, let’s get in gear. I got the gist of the case from the papers, but why don’t you fill me in?”

“From the beginning?”

“Yes, and don’t leave out the grandson. Murphy told me all about him.” Bennie smiled crookedly, but Judy didn’t.

“Murphy should mind her own business.”

“It’s my business, remember? And I’m not in love with your new love affair with the client’s grandson.”

“There’s no love affair, for God’s sake. And it’s not unethical or anything.”

“No, it’s just bone-headed.”

“You’re getting way ahead of the facts, Bennie,” Judy said, so she filled her boss in on the details of the case since the arraignment, including the fact that she was attracted to Frank. Bennie scowled at the obvious imprudence of the situation, leaning against Judy’s doorjamb with her arms folded. By the time Judy finished, Bennie looked positively cross. “Are you pissed because of Frank?” Judy asked her.

“No, Frank is a distraction. I’m pissed because of the way you talk about this case. You want to work it or not?”

“I do, I just told you.”

“Then wake up! You’re acting like a victim, which is the best way to make sure you become one. Get it together! Fight back!”

“Against who?”

“The Coluzzis, who else?” Bennie put her hand on her hips. “Haven’t you been listening?”

“What should I do?”

“What should we do. We’ll think of something.” Bennie began to pace back and forth, her step lively even in the small office. Judy figured it was because she wore running shoes, not clogs, and considered getting herself a pair. Suddenly Bennie stopped pacing. “I’m hearing a lot about bombs and car chases