Swimming to Catalina

47

David Sturmack lived in a Georgian mansion less than a five-minute drive from Vance Calder’s house, in Bel-Air. It seemed to be on at least ten acres of land, which Stone thought must have cost a very large fortune. He had been struck by how little land most expensive L.A. houses occupied, especially in Beverly Hills, but also in the even ritzier Bel-Air. A platoon of men were working on the front lawn, employing tractor mowers, string trimmers, rakes, and hoes. One operated what appeared to be a large vacuum cleaner. God forbid a stray blade of cut grass should mar the perfect greenery.

The Rolls convertible was parked outside the front door, and as Stone drove past the house, Sturmack came out, got into the car, and started down the driveway. Stone made a U-turn and followed at a very discreet distance, wondering how best to shake up Sturmack’s world. He had already shaken up Ippolito, and now it was Sturmack’s turn. He had an idea. He dialed a New York number.

“Lieutenant Bacchetti.”

“Dino, it’s Stone.”

“How you doing, Stone? I was beginning to wonder if you’d got lost.”

“Not yet, but people are working on it. Do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

Stone gave him Sturmack’s car phone number. “Call this number; a man will answer. Say to him, ‘Stone Barrington has a message for you from the other side; he’s not through with you and Ippolito yet.’”

“I got the number,” Dino said, “now what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Just do it, Dino; it’s important.”

“You want me to tell him who I am?”

“For Christ’s sake, no! Just say the words and then hang up and call me back on my cell phone.”

“Whatever,” Dino said, and hung up.

Sturmack turned left on Sunset, and Stone followed. Perhaps a minute later, Stone saw the man pick up his car phone and speak into it. Suddenly the brake lights on the Rolls came on, and Sturmack pulled over. As Stone drove past him, he could see Sturmack shouting into the car phone. Stone turned right, made a U-turn, and waited for the Rolls to pass on Sunset, then he fell in behind it again, perhaps a hundred yards back. His cell phone rang.

“Yep?”

“It’s Dino, I did it.”

“What did he have to say?”

“First there was a stunned silence, then he started calling me names, said he would have me castrated. I don’t know why-I’ve never even met the guy. Who was he?”

“Fellow by the initials of D.S. We talked about him before?”

“I remember. What’s this about?”

“I’m just rattling his cage. He and a friend of his tried to off me a few days back.”

“Sounds like you make the man nervous,” Dino said.

“I’m just getting started.”

“Oh, by the way, you remember the other name you asked me about? About his family connections?”

“Sure.”

“I told you the old mob guy didn’t have any sons, but he had a nephew. Apparently he had a brother who was an honest man, relatively speaking, worked in the garment district. The brother had a son. I believe the French say‘Voilà!’”

“Indeed. It’s not all that useful at the moment, but it’s nice to know about.”

“Stone, are you working on getting yourself killed?”

“Far from it,” Stone replied. He missed Dino, and he had a thought. “I could use somebody to watch my back. Have you got any off-time coming?”

“To come out there?”

“I’ll spring for a first-class ticket and a room at the Bel-Air Hotel.”

“That’s a very tempting proposition,” Dino said. “Okay, but if you ever tell Mary Ann that it wasn’t department business, I’ll have you offed myself.”

“No loose lips here. Catch the next plane you can, rent a car at the airport, and they’ll give you directions to the Bel-Air. I’ll have a room waiting for you, and we’ll have breakfast in the morning.”

“You want me to come heavy.”

“Good idea. Rick helped me out in that regard.”

“Am I out of my fucking mind?”

“You’ll like it here, I promise.”

“Am I gonna get laid out there?”

“I won’t stand in your way,” Stone laughed.

“Bye-bye.” Dino hung up.

Sturmack was passing the Beverly Hills Hotel now, still headed up Sunset. When he reached the Sunset Strip, Sturmack parked the Rolls and entered a small business.

Stone was surprised. He called Rick Grant.

“Lieutenant Grant.”

“It’s Stone.”

“Hi.”

“Are you aware that Vinnie’s Deli is back in business?”

“What?”

“I just saw the lawyer who doesn’t practice law go in, and he’s not the only customer.”

“They’re operating illegally,” Rick said. “When we raided the joint I had their business license canceled.”

“Is that grounds for busting them again?”

“You bet it is! I’ll have a couple of cars over there in a few minutes. We’ll see if they’re taking bets again, too.”

“Can you bust the customers, too?”

“I can bring ’em in; I can’t hold ’em.”

“I’d love to see the guy ride in the back seat of a black and white.”

“I’ll probably feel the mayor’s hot breath on my neck, but what the hell, it sounds like fun.”

“I’ll wait and watch from a distance,” Stone said. He pulled into a side street and parked facing the deli. Nineteen minutes later, by his watch, two police cars and two vans pulled up in front of the deli, and the raid went down exactly as before.

Minutes later, people were being led out in handcuffs, and Stone was delighted to see David Sturmack shackled to two men in dirty aprons, protesting loudly to whoever would listen. Nobody did. There was a bonus, too: Martin Barone was among the arrested. Sturmack must have been meeting him there. Stone’s phone rang.

“Yeah?”

“It’s Rick; did it happen, yet?”

“You bet, and they bagged Barone, too.”

“If they were just having a sandwich, I’ll have to let them go, but if they were in the back room, I can charge them.”

“Great! By the way, our man arrived in a Rolls convertible. Can you impound that?”

“Why not? I’ll send a tow truck.”

“I hope they won’t be too gentle with it.”

“They usually aren’t,” Rick said, laughing.

“Let me know how it comes out, okay?”

“Sure, I will.”

“By the way, Dino is on his way out here; you want to have lunch tomorrow and catch up?”

“Love to.”

“Meet us in the outdoor cafe at the Bel-Air at twelve-thirty.”

“See you then.”

Stone hung up and drove back to the hotel, whistling a merry tune all the way. Things were looking up: he was unsettling his enemies, his best friend was coming to help him, and he had a wonderful evening planned in his suite.