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bedlamsbardI LOVE MARCHING.
That is all.
And, apparently, I shrank, as my height is 5'1 3/4". Man, I'm short. My sax case is only a foot smaller than me.
More plot. More Val, and we learn about the Families, and hey! See me try and work in canon mafia info. Oh. And Omerta passes the 50K mark. Yes, this has traumatized me, too.
CSI: NY fanfic: Omerta 1.0: Chapter Twenty-Three
“Rae Clayton?” Danny asked, holding up his badge as the court dispersed. Rae turned toward them, twisting her thick blond hair back with one hand.
“Yeah?”
“Detective Messer,” he said. He nodded at Aiden. “These is Detective Burn. We’re from the NYPD. If you got a moment, we’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Rae blinked, picked up a sleek black briefcase from the table in front of her. “Sure,” she said. “Is this about my client?” She turned her head toward the side door, where two police officers were leading a cuffed man out.
“It’s about your secretary,” Danny said bluntly.
Her lips tightened slightly. “Anna,” she said. “Molly told me yesterday. I broke up with Matt this morning over the phone.”
“How did he take it?” Danny asked.
“How would you?” She shrugged. “I hung up on him when he started yelling. I knew he was a pretty serious flirt when I wasn’t around, but I didn’t know he was actually fooling around.”
Aiden nudged Danny. “I know my last boyfriend didn’t take it too well when we broke up. He thought we were, like, engaged or something on the second date, and he cried when I broke up with him one date later.” She and Rae exchanged knowing looks.
“Guys don’t take it too well when you break up with them,” Rae said. “So – this is about Anna?”
“It’s about Anna,” Danny nodded. “Did you see her at any time day before yesterday?”
Rae shook her head. “No, I’ve been in court for the past week; I haven’t had a chance to get back to the office.”
“If you don’t mind asking, where you were at six last night?”
Her eyes widened. “You think I killed Anna?”
“Just answer the question, please, ma’am,” Aiden said.
“I was at Vincente’s,” Rae said. “It’s an Italian restaurant downtown; I went to school with the guys that own it, Mordecai and Michael –”
“Giovinazzo,” Danny finished. “They’re twins.”
“You know them?”
“Unfortunately.” He made a “carry on” gesture, glancing at Aiden. One connection.
Rae drew her lips together. “Matt and I were supposed to meet for dinner. He didn’t show for almost an hour, and Michael and I had drinks at the bar until Matt showed up.”
“What time was that?”
“Around seven. Michael had to leave right afterwards; he got a call on his cell that he looked pretty worried about.”
“Joey,” Danny said. “Or Val.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. It’s not important. Tell me, did Matt and Mordecai ever meet? Not Michael, just Mordecai.”
Her face twisted thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think so. We haven’t seen them so much for the past six months or so – there’s another job they work, besides the restaurant, and they got really busy pretty suddenly – but yeah, Matt and Mordecai had met. I don’t think Mordecai liked Matt too much.” She paused for a moment, staring at Danny’s face. “You think Matt killed Anna.”
“We’re not making any assumptions until we have all the evidence,” Aiden said. “Do you know if Matt owned a gun?”
Rae blinked. “A gun? Yeah, I think so. He’s pretty paranoid. He keeps worrying one of the clients we’ve unsuccessfully defended is going to come for him as soon as they get of prison. Or that’s what he says, anyway.” She hesitated. “I think – well, I got no proof, but he’s not really the kind of guy to take chances, you know? Or no for an answer. I’ve been afraid to go home – he has a key. Or back to the office. In case he does something crazy.”
“Do you know what kind of gun?”
She shook her head. “I only saw it once, and I don’t know guns outside of the ones the prosecution brings in as evidence.”
“Do you know why Anna Dove was trying to get pregnant?” Aiden asked.
“Was she?” Danny nodded. “That’s easy. Anna’s bi – she told me once. She’s in a committed relationship with another woman – I don’t know her name, sorry – and the other woman can’t get pregnant. Anna’s always liked kids.”
Danny said, “Do you think Matt killed Anna?”
Rae was quiet for a long moment, then she shuddered and said, “Yes. I do.”
“Don’t go home tonight,” Aiden told her.
*
“He did it,” Danny said as they were walking out of the courthouse. “Matt Berg definitely killed Anna Dove.”
Aiden said, “Now we just gotta prove it.”
“He doesn’t have a gun registered to him,” Danny said. “I checked last night, before I left. A bunch of the stuff he said didn’t add up. So we got our Miss Dove trying to get pregnant, maybe not telling Matt – he finds out, he’s pissed, he shoots her and drags her into the out of order elevator when the security camera’s pointing the other way.”
“But where’d he get the gun? If it’s not registered.” Aiden nudged him toward the bodega across the street. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
Danny twisted his lips thoughtfully. “Mordecai,” he said.
“Huh?”
“Mordecai’s a gunrunner. He’s famous for it – or infamous, I guess. You want something unmarked, want a couple stingers if you feel like taking over a small country, Rhode Island or something, you don’t mind dealing with the Constantines – you go to him or Michael. They can do it easy as pie. So Matt finds out somehow, gets a gun from Mordecai –”
“Why’d he get the gun?” Aiden asked. “Why get an unregistered gun if no one’s gonna question him getting a registered one? He’s a criminal lawyer, he’s got plenty’a reason to be freaked – I mean, I’m a cop, and I sleep with a gun under my pillow just in case someone should come calling, and another one in my night table. Call me paranoid, but –” She shrugged.
“It’s not just you,” Danny said. “I do the same thing. So does Flack. Put enough perps away, get shot at enough, hear enough threats – it’s not dumb to be a little cautious. Or a lot. Just don’t shoot whoever comes to the door without looking who it is.” He cocked his head at her.
“Hey, I apologized for that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s a decent question, though. Why’d Matt get an unregistered gun if he did it just for protection?”
“Because he didn’t do it just for protection,” Danny said slowly. “He did it because he knew he was going to have to kill someone someday. Maybe not Anna, but –”
“Rae. Or Molly. Maybe he had someone else too, some other woman we don’t know about. Or maybe it was for protection, and he didn’t want to get fingered for murder if one of his ex-clients ended up dead. Or something.” Aiden shrugged. “But we don’t even know Mordecai sold him the gun.”
“We will in about five minutes.” Danny pulled his cell phone out, dialed carefully, and said to Aiden, “Hey, get me something, will you?” He leaned against the wall of the bodega, listened to the phone ring at the other end of the line.
“Whatta you want?”
“Ice cream. Any kind.”
“You owe me.”
“Always.” He watched her go as she pushed past him into the store, then someone picked up the phone.
“Constantine.”
“It’s Danny,” he said, and tried not to think of what he’d been telling Mac not quite an hour ago.
Val’s voice was faintly surprised. “Hey. What’s up? Are you all right? Are you hurt? Where are you?”
“I’m fine,” Danny said. “Listen, I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Mordecai Giovinazzo’s phone number. I need to find out if you sold a gun to someone.”
“Sure.” Val gave it to him, and Danny scribbled the number onto the back of his hand with an inkpen. “Is that all?” Maybe it was Danny’s imagination, but he thought his uncle sounded faintly wistful.
Danny hesitated. “You know who that guy that got killed with Darin Pagliuca’s ID on him was?”
“Billyclub Pastelli,” Val said immediately. “Never got dropped for anything, so nothing of his is in the system.”
“Ain’t the Pastelli Family part of the Patrisos?”
“Yes.”
“Imagine that. Bit of a coincidence, that.”
“Do you know something, Danny?”
“Not my case,” he said, fidgeted against the wall as he watched Aiden make her way up to the counter with two packages of ice cream in her hands. “I was talking to Mac this morning, though. Anything I gave him, he won’t use to solve anything except his homicide.”
Val sighed. “Well, that won’t lead back to anyone but the Patrisos, so my people are clean.”
“You got someone in with the Patriso?”
“Ace has a couple contacts, yeah, but no one particularly high up. Highest we got is a capo. Rumors are leaking down, though. Dissent in the ranks. Our favorite father-son team is fracturing.”
“Fat Freddy’s pissed at Blue Eyes?”
“Other way round. I don’t think Freddy’s got a clue what Blue Eyes is doing.”
“Which means?”
“I think Freddy meant to whack Darin Pagliuca that night, but Blue Eyes caught wind of what he was doing and made plans of himself. So Freddy’s guy got whacked, set up as Pagliuca – and Blue Eyes has Pagliuca.”
“To do what with?”
“Who decides the heads of the Five Families?”
Danny sighed. “This is like one of those trick questions you used to give me, ain’t it? Like, I say Luca Dellacroce and you say, no, only on Tuesdays, which is the day Salvatore Brasi got himself iced, the rest of the week it’s Vito Rocchegiani, except on Sundays, because the Rocchegianis are some kind of religious and the Pagliucas aren’t, so on Sundays it’s Nicky’s time to shine. Unless it’s Christmas, then Fat Freddy’s kicks everybody else out of the way so he can take charge. Unless it’s snowing, then the Lanciones crawl out of from under their rock, and whoever it is that’s head of the family now that Caprio got locked up –”
“Danny di Bonaventura.”
“Yeah, him. When it’s snowing, then the Lanciones are in charge, which makes it really confusing. Oh, but if the roads are closed, then Fat Freddy gets another deal, and if it’s sunny out it’s Nicky’s, and –”
Aiden wandered out, gave him a curious look, started eating her ice cream sandwich. Danny took his ice cream from her and began peeling the wrapper off one handed.
“Danny,” Val said patiently. “Just answer the question.”
“The Mafia Commission,” he replied, equally patiently.
“And who’s on the Commission?”
“Luca Dellacroce – the old one – Vito Rocchegiani, Nicky Pagliuca, Fat Freddy Patriso, that di Bonaventura guy. They still have reps from the outta town families?”
“Not unless something that affects them comes before the Commission.”
“The underbosses, aren’t the underbosses on the Commission?”
“It depends what they’re sitting in on. Who are the underbosses?”
“Big Sammy Marione for the Patrisos, Jewel Tesorieri for the Lanciones, Carmine Pagliuca for the Pagliucas, Giovanni d’Alessandro for the Dellacroces, Tony Vita for the Rocchegianis. What’s this gotta do with anything?”
“Who’s behind Big Sammy?”
“Blue Eyes. Val, why the hell can’t you ever tell me anything straight out?”
“Danny, how many times did I pull you out of jail?”
He sighed again. “A lot.”
“Don’t argue with me. Who’s head of the Commission?”
“Nicky Pagliuca. See, I keep up with current Mob gossip.”
“I’m the one that gives it to you, so I hope you do. Tell me, what possible reason could Blue Eyes have for taking his father out of his place on the Commission?”
Danny paused, let the ice cream melt all over his hand. “If he puts Big Sammy in, then he’s as good as got a place on the bar.”
“And if Freddy Patriso gets blamed for Darin’s death – or disappearance –”
“The Commission will definitely throw him off.”
“And Sammy will probably get boss.”
“You are so goddamned right.” Danny let out a narrow breath. “So Blue Eyes is behind all this?”
“I don’t think so. I think it’s Fat Freddy’s plan, but Blue Eyes found out about it somehow and twisted it to his own means. The Pastellis go straight to Fat Freddy – they won’t answer to Blue Eyes until he gets boss.”
“So why doesn’t Blue Eyes just whack Fat Freddy? It could save him a lotta trouble, not have to go through the Commission the way it is –”
“I don’t know,” Val said. “But I’m going to find out, because my guys were dragged into this and they didn’t have a damned thing to do with it.” He paused. “Is that all you needed, Danny?”
“Yeah – oh, wait, hold on a sec. You called Michael Giovinazzo two nights ago, right, when Joey called you and told you he’d been arrested.”
“Yeah. Ace and Laurie were busy, I needed Mordecai at his place, Carmine was picking a guy up from jail and couldn’t make it in for another hour or so –”
“What time’d you call him?”
There was a moment of silence. “About seven,” Val said finally. “I’m pretty sure that was about it. Why?”
“Hasta do with my case. He’s someone alibi. Thanks, Val. Hey, in case Mac does’t figure this out, you wanna tell me the whole story sometime when it comes clear?”
Val sounded faintly amused. “We’ll do dinner sometime,” he said. “Michael and Mordecai own a great place downtown Manhattan. They serve veal like you’ve never had before. I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, you definitely will. See ya, Val.” Danny flipped his phone closed.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “So?” she said. “Did you find out if Mordecai sold Matt those guns?”
“Nope, but I’m about to.” He glanced at the numbers on his hand, started dialing.
“So what was all those about. I come out here and you’re rolling off Italian names like you’re announcing America’s most wanted organized criminals –”
“Next thing to,” he grinned. “New York’s bosses and underbosses, or the acting ones, at least, of the Five Families.”
“Remind me what they are again. I’ve never had to know this before, it might come in handy sometime.”
“In order of power right now? Pagliuca, Dellacroce, Patriso, Lancione, Rocchegiani. Just a sec. Mordecai? It’s Danny Messer.”
“Hi,” Mordecai said, sounding slightly amused. “And since I’m assuming this isn’t the prelude to a police raid, what can I do for Constantine’s very own member of New York’s finest?”
“Matt Berg. You know that name?”
“Sounds familiar. Why?”
“You sell him a gun?”
Mordecai paused. “Danny –”
“It’s for a case, okay? I can make sure that if you testify, no one’ll file charges against you for gunrunning. Or whatever. Deal?”
“Deal. Give me a moment.” There was a rustle of paper in the background. “Three months ago, yeah. .45 automatic. Clean. Why?”
“Where’d the deal go down?”
“The Empire State Building, the out of order elevator on the forty-fifth floor. I know I told you I hadn’t been near there in years, but he was pretty desperate. I’m used to that, so I didn’t think anything of it. You think he killed that woman you were talking about?”
“Almost sure of it,” Danny said. “Listen, I don’t suppose you got any bullets lying around from that same gun or anything, do you?”
“No. Sorry. Is that it?”
“Yup. Thanks, Mordecai.”
“Anytime. Just don’t make a habit of it, all right?”
Danny laughed. “Sure.” He turned back to Aiden.
She raised an eyebrow. “So?”
“All we gotta do is find the gun,” he said. “Mordecai sold a .45 to Matt.”
“Same caliber as the bullet that killed Anna.”
“Let’s go back to the Empire State Building, huh?”
“With a warrant,” she nodded. “You might wanna wash your hands, though.”
He glanced at the ice cream creeping down towards his wrists. “You may be right.”
That is all.
And, apparently, I shrank, as my height is 5'1 3/4". Man, I'm short. My sax case is only a foot smaller than me.
More plot. More Val, and we learn about the Families, and hey! See me try and work in canon mafia info. Oh. And Omerta passes the 50K mark. Yes, this has traumatized me, too.
CSI: NY fanfic: Omerta 1.0: Chapter Twenty-Three
“Rae Clayton?” Danny asked, holding up his badge as the court dispersed. Rae turned toward them, twisting her thick blond hair back with one hand.
“Yeah?”
“Detective Messer,” he said. He nodded at Aiden. “These is Detective Burn. We’re from the NYPD. If you got a moment, we’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Rae blinked, picked up a sleek black briefcase from the table in front of her. “Sure,” she said. “Is this about my client?” She turned her head toward the side door, where two police officers were leading a cuffed man out.
“It’s about your secretary,” Danny said bluntly.
Her lips tightened slightly. “Anna,” she said. “Molly told me yesterday. I broke up with Matt this morning over the phone.”
“How did he take it?” Danny asked.
“How would you?” She shrugged. “I hung up on him when he started yelling. I knew he was a pretty serious flirt when I wasn’t around, but I didn’t know he was actually fooling around.”
Aiden nudged Danny. “I know my last boyfriend didn’t take it too well when we broke up. He thought we were, like, engaged or something on the second date, and he cried when I broke up with him one date later.” She and Rae exchanged knowing looks.
“Guys don’t take it too well when you break up with them,” Rae said. “So – this is about Anna?”
“It’s about Anna,” Danny nodded. “Did you see her at any time day before yesterday?”
Rae shook her head. “No, I’ve been in court for the past week; I haven’t had a chance to get back to the office.”
“If you don’t mind asking, where you were at six last night?”
Her eyes widened. “You think I killed Anna?”
“Just answer the question, please, ma’am,” Aiden said.
“I was at Vincente’s,” Rae said. “It’s an Italian restaurant downtown; I went to school with the guys that own it, Mordecai and Michael –”
“Giovinazzo,” Danny finished. “They’re twins.”
“You know them?”
“Unfortunately.” He made a “carry on” gesture, glancing at Aiden. One connection.
Rae drew her lips together. “Matt and I were supposed to meet for dinner. He didn’t show for almost an hour, and Michael and I had drinks at the bar until Matt showed up.”
“What time was that?”
“Around seven. Michael had to leave right afterwards; he got a call on his cell that he looked pretty worried about.”
“Joey,” Danny said. “Or Val.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. It’s not important. Tell me, did Matt and Mordecai ever meet? Not Michael, just Mordecai.”
Her face twisted thoughtfully. “Yeah, I think so. We haven’t seen them so much for the past six months or so – there’s another job they work, besides the restaurant, and they got really busy pretty suddenly – but yeah, Matt and Mordecai had met. I don’t think Mordecai liked Matt too much.” She paused for a moment, staring at Danny’s face. “You think Matt killed Anna.”
“We’re not making any assumptions until we have all the evidence,” Aiden said. “Do you know if Matt owned a gun?”
Rae blinked. “A gun? Yeah, I think so. He’s pretty paranoid. He keeps worrying one of the clients we’ve unsuccessfully defended is going to come for him as soon as they get of prison. Or that’s what he says, anyway.” She hesitated. “I think – well, I got no proof, but he’s not really the kind of guy to take chances, you know? Or no for an answer. I’ve been afraid to go home – he has a key. Or back to the office. In case he does something crazy.”
“Do you know what kind of gun?”
She shook her head. “I only saw it once, and I don’t know guns outside of the ones the prosecution brings in as evidence.”
“Do you know why Anna Dove was trying to get pregnant?” Aiden asked.
“Was she?” Danny nodded. “That’s easy. Anna’s bi – she told me once. She’s in a committed relationship with another woman – I don’t know her name, sorry – and the other woman can’t get pregnant. Anna’s always liked kids.”
Danny said, “Do you think Matt killed Anna?”
Rae was quiet for a long moment, then she shuddered and said, “Yes. I do.”
“Don’t go home tonight,” Aiden told her.
*
“He did it,” Danny said as they were walking out of the courthouse. “Matt Berg definitely killed Anna Dove.”
Aiden said, “Now we just gotta prove it.”
“He doesn’t have a gun registered to him,” Danny said. “I checked last night, before I left. A bunch of the stuff he said didn’t add up. So we got our Miss Dove trying to get pregnant, maybe not telling Matt – he finds out, he’s pissed, he shoots her and drags her into the out of order elevator when the security camera’s pointing the other way.”
“But where’d he get the gun? If it’s not registered.” Aiden nudged him toward the bodega across the street. “Come on. I’m hungry.”
Danny twisted his lips thoughtfully. “Mordecai,” he said.
“Huh?”
“Mordecai’s a gunrunner. He’s famous for it – or infamous, I guess. You want something unmarked, want a couple stingers if you feel like taking over a small country, Rhode Island or something, you don’t mind dealing with the Constantines – you go to him or Michael. They can do it easy as pie. So Matt finds out somehow, gets a gun from Mordecai –”
“Why’d he get the gun?” Aiden asked. “Why get an unregistered gun if no one’s gonna question him getting a registered one? He’s a criminal lawyer, he’s got plenty’a reason to be freaked – I mean, I’m a cop, and I sleep with a gun under my pillow just in case someone should come calling, and another one in my night table. Call me paranoid, but –” She shrugged.
“It’s not just you,” Danny said. “I do the same thing. So does Flack. Put enough perps away, get shot at enough, hear enough threats – it’s not dumb to be a little cautious. Or a lot. Just don’t shoot whoever comes to the door without looking who it is.” He cocked his head at her.
“Hey, I apologized for that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It’s a decent question, though. Why’d Matt get an unregistered gun if he did it just for protection?”
“Because he didn’t do it just for protection,” Danny said slowly. “He did it because he knew he was going to have to kill someone someday. Maybe not Anna, but –”
“Rae. Or Molly. Maybe he had someone else too, some other woman we don’t know about. Or maybe it was for protection, and he didn’t want to get fingered for murder if one of his ex-clients ended up dead. Or something.” Aiden shrugged. “But we don’t even know Mordecai sold him the gun.”
“We will in about five minutes.” Danny pulled his cell phone out, dialed carefully, and said to Aiden, “Hey, get me something, will you?” He leaned against the wall of the bodega, listened to the phone ring at the other end of the line.
“Whatta you want?”
“Ice cream. Any kind.”
“You owe me.”
“Always.” He watched her go as she pushed past him into the store, then someone picked up the phone.
“Constantine.”
“It’s Danny,” he said, and tried not to think of what he’d been telling Mac not quite an hour ago.
Val’s voice was faintly surprised. “Hey. What’s up? Are you all right? Are you hurt? Where are you?”
“I’m fine,” Danny said. “Listen, I need a favor.”
“Anything.”
“Mordecai Giovinazzo’s phone number. I need to find out if you sold a gun to someone.”
“Sure.” Val gave it to him, and Danny scribbled the number onto the back of his hand with an inkpen. “Is that all?” Maybe it was Danny’s imagination, but he thought his uncle sounded faintly wistful.
Danny hesitated. “You know who that guy that got killed with Darin Pagliuca’s ID on him was?”
“Billyclub Pastelli,” Val said immediately. “Never got dropped for anything, so nothing of his is in the system.”
“Ain’t the Pastelli Family part of the Patrisos?”
“Yes.”
“Imagine that. Bit of a coincidence, that.”
“Do you know something, Danny?”
“Not my case,” he said, fidgeted against the wall as he watched Aiden make her way up to the counter with two packages of ice cream in her hands. “I was talking to Mac this morning, though. Anything I gave him, he won’t use to solve anything except his homicide.”
Val sighed. “Well, that won’t lead back to anyone but the Patrisos, so my people are clean.”
“You got someone in with the Patriso?”
“Ace has a couple contacts, yeah, but no one particularly high up. Highest we got is a capo. Rumors are leaking down, though. Dissent in the ranks. Our favorite father-son team is fracturing.”
“Fat Freddy’s pissed at Blue Eyes?”
“Other way round. I don’t think Freddy’s got a clue what Blue Eyes is doing.”
“Which means?”
“I think Freddy meant to whack Darin Pagliuca that night, but Blue Eyes caught wind of what he was doing and made plans of himself. So Freddy’s guy got whacked, set up as Pagliuca – and Blue Eyes has Pagliuca.”
“To do what with?”
“Who decides the heads of the Five Families?”
Danny sighed. “This is like one of those trick questions you used to give me, ain’t it? Like, I say Luca Dellacroce and you say, no, only on Tuesdays, which is the day Salvatore Brasi got himself iced, the rest of the week it’s Vito Rocchegiani, except on Sundays, because the Rocchegianis are some kind of religious and the Pagliucas aren’t, so on Sundays it’s Nicky’s time to shine. Unless it’s Christmas, then Fat Freddy’s kicks everybody else out of the way so he can take charge. Unless it’s snowing, then the Lanciones crawl out of from under their rock, and whoever it is that’s head of the family now that Caprio got locked up –”
“Danny di Bonaventura.”
“Yeah, him. When it’s snowing, then the Lanciones are in charge, which makes it really confusing. Oh, but if the roads are closed, then Fat Freddy gets another deal, and if it’s sunny out it’s Nicky’s, and –”
Aiden wandered out, gave him a curious look, started eating her ice cream sandwich. Danny took his ice cream from her and began peeling the wrapper off one handed.
“Danny,” Val said patiently. “Just answer the question.”
“The Mafia Commission,” he replied, equally patiently.
“And who’s on the Commission?”
“Luca Dellacroce – the old one – Vito Rocchegiani, Nicky Pagliuca, Fat Freddy Patriso, that di Bonaventura guy. They still have reps from the outta town families?”
“Not unless something that affects them comes before the Commission.”
“The underbosses, aren’t the underbosses on the Commission?”
“It depends what they’re sitting in on. Who are the underbosses?”
“Big Sammy Marione for the Patrisos, Jewel Tesorieri for the Lanciones, Carmine Pagliuca for the Pagliucas, Giovanni d’Alessandro for the Dellacroces, Tony Vita for the Rocchegianis. What’s this gotta do with anything?”
“Who’s behind Big Sammy?”
“Blue Eyes. Val, why the hell can’t you ever tell me anything straight out?”
“Danny, how many times did I pull you out of jail?”
He sighed again. “A lot.”
“Don’t argue with me. Who’s head of the Commission?”
“Nicky Pagliuca. See, I keep up with current Mob gossip.”
“I’m the one that gives it to you, so I hope you do. Tell me, what possible reason could Blue Eyes have for taking his father out of his place on the Commission?”
Danny paused, let the ice cream melt all over his hand. “If he puts Big Sammy in, then he’s as good as got a place on the bar.”
“And if Freddy Patriso gets blamed for Darin’s death – or disappearance –”
“The Commission will definitely throw him off.”
“And Sammy will probably get boss.”
“You are so goddamned right.” Danny let out a narrow breath. “So Blue Eyes is behind all this?”
“I don’t think so. I think it’s Fat Freddy’s plan, but Blue Eyes found out about it somehow and twisted it to his own means. The Pastellis go straight to Fat Freddy – they won’t answer to Blue Eyes until he gets boss.”
“So why doesn’t Blue Eyes just whack Fat Freddy? It could save him a lotta trouble, not have to go through the Commission the way it is –”
“I don’t know,” Val said. “But I’m going to find out, because my guys were dragged into this and they didn’t have a damned thing to do with it.” He paused. “Is that all you needed, Danny?”
“Yeah – oh, wait, hold on a sec. You called Michael Giovinazzo two nights ago, right, when Joey called you and told you he’d been arrested.”
“Yeah. Ace and Laurie were busy, I needed Mordecai at his place, Carmine was picking a guy up from jail and couldn’t make it in for another hour or so –”
“What time’d you call him?”
There was a moment of silence. “About seven,” Val said finally. “I’m pretty sure that was about it. Why?”
“Hasta do with my case. He’s someone alibi. Thanks, Val. Hey, in case Mac does’t figure this out, you wanna tell me the whole story sometime when it comes clear?”
Val sounded faintly amused. “We’ll do dinner sometime,” he said. “Michael and Mordecai own a great place downtown Manhattan. They serve veal like you’ve never had before. I’ll see you around?”
“Yeah, you definitely will. See ya, Val.” Danny flipped his phone closed.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. “So?” she said. “Did you find out if Mordecai sold Matt those guns?”
“Nope, but I’m about to.” He glanced at the numbers on his hand, started dialing.
“So what was all those about. I come out here and you’re rolling off Italian names like you’re announcing America’s most wanted organized criminals –”
“Next thing to,” he grinned. “New York’s bosses and underbosses, or the acting ones, at least, of the Five Families.”
“Remind me what they are again. I’ve never had to know this before, it might come in handy sometime.”
“In order of power right now? Pagliuca, Dellacroce, Patriso, Lancione, Rocchegiani. Just a sec. Mordecai? It’s Danny Messer.”
“Hi,” Mordecai said, sounding slightly amused. “And since I’m assuming this isn’t the prelude to a police raid, what can I do for Constantine’s very own member of New York’s finest?”
“Matt Berg. You know that name?”
“Sounds familiar. Why?”
“You sell him a gun?”
Mordecai paused. “Danny –”
“It’s for a case, okay? I can make sure that if you testify, no one’ll file charges against you for gunrunning. Or whatever. Deal?”
“Deal. Give me a moment.” There was a rustle of paper in the background. “Three months ago, yeah. .45 automatic. Clean. Why?”
“Where’d the deal go down?”
“The Empire State Building, the out of order elevator on the forty-fifth floor. I know I told you I hadn’t been near there in years, but he was pretty desperate. I’m used to that, so I didn’t think anything of it. You think he killed that woman you were talking about?”
“Almost sure of it,” Danny said. “Listen, I don’t suppose you got any bullets lying around from that same gun or anything, do you?”
“No. Sorry. Is that it?”
“Yup. Thanks, Mordecai.”
“Anytime. Just don’t make a habit of it, all right?”
Danny laughed. “Sure.” He turned back to Aiden.
She raised an eyebrow. “So?”
“All we gotta do is find the gun,” he said. “Mordecai sold a .45 to Matt.”
“Same caliber as the bullet that killed Anna.”
“Let’s go back to the Empire State Building, huh?”
“With a warrant,” she nodded. “You might wanna wash your hands, though.”
He glanced at the ice cream creeping down towards his wrists. “You may be right.”
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-19 05:51 pm (UTC)Whoo! No, that's not traumatic. That's *good*. Cheers.
And yay for good, plotty, detailed fic. Can't wait to see what transpires as Danny and Aiden get even deeper into this.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-08-19 11:03 pm (UTC)It's scary, that's what it is. Over a 120K of CSI: NY fic. Eeep.
And yay for good, plotty, detailed fic.
Heh. I'm glad that part's working out.