Web of Doom by Len Levinson

Author:Len Levinson [Levinson, Len]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Rough Edges Press
Published: 2018-09-19T08:00:00+00:00

♦◊♦

Next afternoon I returned to the Five-One for the first time since the Catastrophe. The crummy old lobby had been refurbished in formica and stainless steel, resembling a hospital emergency room which in a sense it was. No familiar faces. I approached the Hispanic desk sergeant. “I’m looking for Patrolman Tony Passalacqua. I’m Patty Shapiro.”

He leaned back and looked me over. “Heard a lot about you.” Grinning, he revealed the location of Tony’s beat.

I hired a gypsy cabdriver and we searched 20 minutes, finally finding Tony’s patrol car parked in front of the Paradise, a comidas criollos restaurant on 149th Street across from Lincoln Hospital. Inside, painted tropical scenery covered white walls. Heavenly fragrances of fried onions, garlic and peppers elevated my consciousness.

Tony sat alone at a table, his back against a wall, a plate of ropa vieja and fried bananas before him, plus the inevitable rice and beans. He noticed me and frowned. “You keep comin’ up here, you’re gonna get me in trouble.”

I sat opposite him. “You’re already in trouble because last night I had a chat with Lawrence Rutledge whom you happen to know personally although you never had the decency to tell me. And guess what? He said you and he are in business together. And you used to make it with Christine of all people. I can’t help wondering why you never mentioned these matters which happen to be extremely pertinent to my investigation.”

Tony never let his eyes stray from my hands. “This has got awfully complicated.”

“Why’d you lie?”

“Wearin’ a wire?”

“Search me.” I stood and held out my arms.

“Siddown—you’re attractin’ attention. Get it through your head, Patty—I didn’t whack Christine. You were broke and I threw you a job, but why’d I haveta tell my story?”

“What’s your story?”

“I guess I’ll haveta tell you now, otherwise Franny and me won’t get no peace. What I’m sayin’ is between you and me, understand? You rat me out—your life is over. I’m connected—get the picture?”

“I’m connected too. Ever hear of Frank Santarpia?”

Tony appeared surprised. “How d’ya know him?”

“He and Christine were good friends. I talk with him from time to time.”

“Whatever you do—don’t play him.”

“I don’t play anybody, not even you although you played me.”

“Maybe I should punch you in the mouth.”

“Give me your best shot whenever you feel like it.”

“I don’t even know why I’m talkin’ to you.”

“You’re the biggest liar in the cosmos. How about some truth?”

Tony groaned. “I guess you’re gonna bust my balls until I tell you, so here goes. Lawrence, Christine and I were in business, along with some other people. And Christine and I had a thing once. So what?”

“Keep talkin’.”

“My main interest was Lawrence—we made money together. And I thought Christine was off the wall with her divorce demands, especially for the house because the land had been in Lawrence’s family for like two hundred years and she wasn’t exactly poor. Why’d she have to take the man’s house? And what did all that have to do with you snappin’ a fuckin’ picture? Let’s get somethin’ straight right now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.