Barely Legal

21

Dino met Stone for breakfast. Stone had been surprised to get the call. He and Dino often had lunch or dinner, but not often breakfast. Stone figured Dino had something on his mind.

Stone had just taken his seat when Dino walked in, looking agitated.

“Do you mind if I have Herbie whacked?” Dino inquired.

“What’s he done now?”

“He called me last night to ask if one of my cops was dirty.”

“Is he?”

“I can have more than one person whacked, you know,” Dino said with a meaningful look.

“Who is he?”

“Detective Kelly, Narcotics.”

“Do you know about him?”

“I know about all my officers. That’s what being commissioner is all about.”

“I’ll see you get a letter of commendation.”

“I’d prefer a cash kickback.”

“May I quote you on that?”

“If you want your car ticketed and towed every time you park it.”

“Fred stays in the car when it’s parked.”

“Then you’ll also have to bail him out.”

“I get the feeling you’re bantering to avoid talking about Detective Kelly.”

“Good guess. Detective Kelly is the type of cop that gives other cops a bad name. It’s not just that he’s dirty. He flaunts it. He’s connected to Tommy Taperelli, a big-time mob boss. Does him favors, helps him out of tight spots, looks the other way. He has other unsavory connections, but Taperelli’s the biggest.”

“And you want to whack Herbie for asking if the guy is dirty?”

“Well, I can’t kill Taperelli.”

“What’s his story.”

“High-class mobster, big-time racketeer. He runs a trucking business and handles the import-export of a number of items, many of them legal. The few that aren’t fund the rest. He claims he’s not into drugs, but any number of the bosses he runs are. Meanwhile, he keeps his hands clean and has ties to several politicians and big businessmen. Prides himself on his connections. Conversely, prominent people pride themselves on being connected to him. Having a Vice cop in his pocket is no surprise. It’s his standard MO.”

“Did you tell Herbie?”

“Of course I did. He could get killed messing around with goons like Taperelli.”

“He’s got more sense than that.”

“He does now. I seem to recall him walking up to a mobster by the name of Dattila in broad daylight and shooting him twice in the head.”

“He was justified.”

“Yeah, and he’d be dead if the police hadn’t raided the place and disarmed all of Dattila’s men an hour before. Herbie didn’t know that, and he did it anyway.”

“He’s a different person now.”

“He’s engaged to a hooker... again.”

“Why’s he still in court?” Stone said, sidestepping Dino’s point. “I thought he was just filling in for one day.”

“The lawyer had complications that are keeping him in the hospital. Herbie’s on the hook.”

“What’s Detective Kelly to him anyway?”

“He’s the witness Herb’s going to cross-examine.”

“Herbie’s going to walk into court and try to prove he’s a bad cop?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Is that safe?”

Dino shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”