COOL JOE Chapter 36

FAMILY Saga

COOL JOE

Chapter 36

 

PETE

 

After sobbing for what seems like hours, I finally get over it, and calm myself down to a sniffle. Thank God Ted was were to quiet me, or they might have thrown me out of the place.

When I heard Viv’s voice, it was just too much. I’m still so frightened for her and angry at the Boss. I’m in the mansion outside the door where I talked to Viv. Ted went to the rest room so I’m just waiting for him and then we’ll go talk to the Boss again. I feel like he’s got something up his sleeve, but then again so may I.

 

“Hey Pete, you feeling a little better now?”

“A little Ted, but I still can’t believe what’s happening before my eyes. I hate to say it cause people say don’t look back, but maybe be shouldn’t have knocked off Alex and Garcia, cause look at what the result is now. The Boss knows that they’re missing or dead, I guess, and we don’t have an alibi yet. Let’s try to avoid the subject when we go back to talk to him.”

“First of all, Pete, let’s listen to what the Boss has to say and then we’ll double-talk him and leave.”

“Yea, you’re right, we have to listen, but let’s not give any specific answers yet, okay Ted?”

“Okay let’s tell this guard that we’re ready to see the Boss.”

 

Now we’re back in the Boss’ office, that stinking stale awful place where he chomps on his cigars. He could also lose about 100 pounds. I want to make this fast, until I get my head together and speak with Lopez.

 

“What do you guys want now?”

“I demand my wife’s release, that’s what I want!”

“Well,”, says the Boss, “that may be negotiable.”

“How?’

“If you can find my men, Alex and Garcia.”

Pete remarks: “I don’t know anything about that. Why don’t we set up another meeting next week to talk about the release of my wife and why you’re keeping her.

I’ll have answers for you. I’m very tired now and I need to go home; just remember tell Eddie to call with a date next week.”

“Don’t threaten me”, says the Boss, or I’ll have you all captured or knocked off.”

“We’re leaving now; I’ll hear from Eddie.”

 

The assistant walks us to the front door; now I’m smelling from cigar smoke, damn!”

Ted and I get a cab back to my place. I’m pretty silent during the ride, while Ted is talking, but I’m not really listening. I’m thinking about Viv, her beautiful face, her smile, her cooking, just everything about her. Then I think about the kids. What the hell am I going to tell them

When we get home, I’m taking two aspirin and a stiff bourbon. Maybe Ted has a good idea of what to tell the kids because I sure am stumped.

 

“I’ll get the cab ride Pete; you stay inside until it comes”

 

The house is filthy since Viv was kidnapped. Luckily the kids haven’t seen it this way since they’re staying with family. Dishes are piling up, not from my cooking, but from takeout food and frozen food. After Ted leaves. I think I’ll straighten up a bit so even I can stand living here. It’s very lonely I must say, but I can’t really have the kids here; thank God for my family, they’re taking good care of them and making sure they do their homework. I visit every day, sometimes evenings and on weekends I take them to Coney Island for cotton candy.

 

It’s still feels like we’re not a complete family without Viv. Now I must think of something to tell them, because I really don’t know when Viv will be released. I guess I could say that she’s had some minor plastic surgery done on her face and she has to heal before she wants anyone to see her. So, she’s going to stay with her aunt in the Catskills until she’s feels comfortable enough in public. I’ll have to discus that angle with Ted. He may have a better idea.

 

I offer Ted a bourbon, and he gladly accepts. While I’m fixing it, the phone rings.

“Hello, oh Frankie, how are you?”

‘I’m doin okay, but I wanted to know how the phone call went with Viv.”

“It was short and she couldn’t really talk truthfully, because someone was standing next to her. But at least I know she’s alive. They’re not letting her out Frankie, I’m so angry and upset. You need to help us think of what to tell my kids, and also how we’re going to answer to the Boss about Alex and Garcia. I ‘m sure that’s why they’re holding Viv. We have to get Lopez involved again to knock off some of the Boss’ key men, and that will weaken him, I hope. Then we need a good alibi.

“Yea, good idea Pete, I’m with ya on that. Now about tellin your kids where Viv is at the moment. Whew that’s hard, cause we don’t know when she’ll be out. Hey, I got it, tell the kids that mom is on a transatlantic cruise with her female cousin, cause she’s always wanted to do that and it takes a long time to cross the ocean, ya know? And then she could visit England and maybe France, and you could say that you didn’t really want go, because of them. What do you think about that idea?”

“Not bad Frankie, I’ll considerate it. Can I call you back? Ted is here and we’re about to drink some bourbon, I’ll call you later or in the morning, Thanks Frankie, Bye.”

 

I think about what Frankie’s ideas are about telling the kids where Viv is. They’re ten and twelve now; you think they’re going to believe this bullshit? I don’t know; I may just tell them that she is very stressed out, and wants to go to a place where they take good care of you, and when you leave, you feel like yourself again. I will say that sometimes it takes a few weeks or a month of care until they release you; no visitors are allowed but I can talk to her and you can write letters. I’m thinking about that idea because they have noticed that she’s yelling at them a lot lately, so the stress part is realistic. And, we all want her to get better.

 

Ted and I sit in the living room and sip our bourbons.

“What did Frankie want?” asks Ted.

“Well, basically he wants to know how Viv is doing, and did I speak with her. Then I asked him for ideas about what to tell the kids, That’s it.”

“Did he have any good ideas, Pete?”

“I don’t know; I’m so sick of gabbing about it, maybe he does, but I’ll have to think them over. In the meantime, my focus is getting Viv out of that damn place. I think our only option is to have Lopez help us out. We need to set up a meeting with him soon to see what the price is for killing some key men, to weaken Boss’ power. We may have to ask Danny to help us pay for the job; some of us should start working for our new Boss Lopez, to let him know we’re on for whatever he wants us to do. Then at least we’ll get protection which we need right away; Boss Johnnie is the move!”

“You know Pete, we may be able to give the Boss an alibi anyway, without knocking anyone off. If he asks, we just let him know where we were when Alex and Garcia went missing. What do you think?”

“Well, we can certainly try to convince him we had nothing to do with it, and I don’t think he knows about Lopez; he’s just trying to put the blame directly on us. But he can check our guns, our houses, and he’ll find nothing.”

“Okay Ted, not a bad idea; let him hunt for evidence that we did the job, and he won’t find anything.”

“Yea, Pete, let’s try the cheap way first, we may be able to convince him enough to get Viv out. You know, I think I’ll call the Boss, make another appointment and you come too so you can speak with Viv. I’ll be tough, but not angry, more like negotiating a deal. What do you say buddy?”

“I’m willing to go along with that Ted. Why don’t we try calling Lopez now and let him in on some of our thoughts, He doesn’t know about Viv either, he’ll be pretty shocked. It’s about 6:00PM now, so he should be available.”

 

I think the alibi with our co-workers may be a good idea; but I still don’t know if it’s enough to get Viv out. The longer she’s there, the more worried I get. They better keep they’re foul hands off her. I’m sweating again and nervous about the kids.

 

“I’m calling Lopez now.”

“Hello, is this Jim? Great, this is Pete; listen we may need your help. And, I’m sorry we haven’t started working for you, but I have some sad news.”

“What’s that?”, says Lopez in a surprised voice.

“My wife was kidnapped by Boss Bellini a few days ago.”

“Oh no, that’s terrible, what can I do to help?”

“Well, I’m not sure yet; They took her, I’m sure, because of what we did to Alex and Garcia. As soon as he got word that two of his workers went missing, he blames us for the knockoff; that’s his revenge. I’m trying to think of ways to get her released ASAP, without too much bloodshed, at least at first. We’re going to try with some alibis of our whereabouts when they went missing. Do you have the exact dates and time of the shootings Jim?”

“Let me look in my book for a minute; let’s see, um, the exact date is Thursday, September 13

at 9:23PM. You know we mostly work at night. So sorry about your wife. Call if you need me.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Lorry]

I think they're on the right track with letting the boss look for their involvement rather than giving alibis that he most likely won't believe anyway. Why should they offer up anything to the scumbag?
I'm liking the subtle changes of tone in their thinking, hinting that they'll try the easy or cheaper way... For now. Those two words change the family dynamic that is wearing thin on their nerves, leaving you wondering of being in their place and the consequences of their actions wil have not only on them, but their family too.
Still hoping for a happy ever after, but think all of them won't still be standing at the end and all the who, what and ifs that must be scrambling their heads.
I've Ben watching the sopranos again, after seeing the prequel movie and have noticed how I can sympathise with Tony, the boss, yet have no sympathy at all for the boss here and am still thinking of his hopeful comeuppance. Hoping that he does finally get it and sleeps with the fishes 😊
Ps... I felt pure gangster saying that 😊

[John the Baptist]

These boys are really too much. After having finally talked to Viv by phone and considering the quandary the family is in, it comes to Pete and Ted that knocking off two of Boss Johnnie's henchmen might not have been such a good idea after all. They go into a conference with the Boss, in which he gives them an ultimatum: Produce my men or else. After the meeting, Pete and Ted huddle and actually consider hiring the assassin Lopez to kill more of Johnnie's men to weaken him! The boys obviously have a dim understanding of the principle of cause and effect. Trying to cover all bases, they settle on trying to develop alibis for their whereabouts at the time of the gangsters' deaths. I don't see this one ending well.

[Betty Hermelee]

Keep going! and thanks loyal friend for reading this chapter...most appreciated
Best, B
PS their trying to figure out cause and effect!