Murder One

23

HIS GRANDFATHER HAD LOVED racetracks, Ben recalled, as he paid his money and passed through the turnstile to Winchester Park. It was a bit of an odd dichotomy, now that he looked back on it. His grandfather was a sophisticated man; he’d managed to educate and advance himself from utter and abject poverty to a successful career in the medical arts. He was a stern man with a serious streak, but that was probably what was required to travel from the world in which he was born to the world in which he died. He didn’t have much time for frivolity, and when free time did emerge, he usually preferred to spend it with a good book. He abstained from cards, dancing, smoking, loose women, and strong drink.

But he loved the racetrack.

When Ben was a boy, he and his sister Julia were not infrequently palmed off on one set of grandparents or the other while their parents vacationed in exotic foreign locales. If they went with their mother’s parents, it meant treasure hunts and hikes in the lush wooded land surrounding their Arkansas farm. But if they were with their father’s parents, it meant the horse races. They would all pack up in an RV that was gigantic (or so it seemed at the time) and head for Taos.

Not bad days, all in all. Ben had learned to read a racing form when he was six, and he was better at calculating odds than his grandfather or most of his friends, which made him somewhat popular in that set. The boy genius and his beautiful baby sister. It was fun to watch the horses run, and if he got bored, no one objected to his sitting in the rear of the stadium and reading comics—which was a refreshing change from the reception such activity received at home.

His grandfather had been to the track often enough that he knew everyone, and after a while, they tended to treat Ben and his sister like the track mascots. Probably half of those people were organized crime figures, but Ben didn’t know that then. Not that it would’ve mattered.

His grandfather had died when Ben was fifteen, and after that there were no more trips to Taos … and things began to get really bad between Ben and his own father. It was probably just nostalgia, tinged by the tragedy of how things ended up with his dad, but Ben couldn’t help but look back at those days at the track with a certain rosy fondness.

He hadn’t been to Taos since his grandfather died, but in the interim, Oklahoma had legalized pari-mutuel betting. How his grandfather would’ve loved that, Ben had often thought. Today, his grandfather could spend an entire day soaking up the larger-than-life atmosphere, the sharks and touts and jockeys and all the other colorful characters, the smell of sawdust and horses and hot dogs—and still be home in time for dinner.

“Benjamin Kincaid! My old friend!” A hand slapped down on his back. “It’s good to see you.” The merry brown eyes suddenly telescoped. “I hope to God you’re not looking for me.”

“Actually, I’m not.” Ben had no trouble recognizing Alberto DeCarlo, gangland’s youngest godfather. He had inherited the role from his father, who had taken it from his own father. Ben had crossed paths—and he did mean crossed—with DeCarlo a few years before during a murder investigation.

DeCarlo had changed since then; he’d traded the ponytail for an equally fashionable, but somewhat more contemporary buzz and goatee. It looked good on him, and probably also deaccentuated the bald spot and receding hairline. Not that Ben was one to give people grief about their hairlines.

“But it’s good to see you,” Ben continued. “How’s Intercontinental Imports, Alberto?”

“Trey, call me Trey, remember?” Of course. Because he was actually Alberto DeCarlo the Third. “The company is doing wonderfully. Thanks for asking.”

When DeCarlo took over the family businesses, Ben recalled, he had tried to modernize them. He had created a corporate entity, Intercontinental Imports, and invested in a number of legitimate enterprises—banking, real estate, and so forth. He maintained that their operations were now entirely legitimate, although Ben knew many at the police department considered Intercontinental Imports a mere sham and cover for the usual mob activities—prostitution, gambling, drug peddling. “I’m into antiques now. Did you know?”

“I didn’t.”

“You must come down to our showroom, Ben. Near Utica Square. I would imagine a sophisticated man such as you could appreciate some of these treasures.”

“Sorry to disabuse you, but I wouldn’t know an antique if it socked me in the face. And to tell you the truth, Trey, I’m rather busy these days.”

A concerned expression came over DeCarlo’s face. “I have read in the papers something about your troubles, Ben, and I’m sorry. I know what it is to be wrongfully persecuted. Could I help in some way?”

Ben’s eyebrows rose of their own accord. Was he offering to fix the case? Buy off the judge? Or maybe have him eliminated? “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to pass.”

“You know, Ben, I may not have told you this, but I was very appreciative of how you handled that nasty business after Tony Lombardi was killed. I’m sure you suspected I was responsible. I know the police did. Nonetheless, you treated me no differently than you did any other suspect. I won’t forget that. So if there’s any way I can help you …”

Well, that was an offer he couldn’t refuse. So to speak. “Do you come to the racetrack often?”

“Actually no. I don’t enjoy it much, plus, if I’m at any gambling establishment, people always suspect it’s a mob operation. It’s a cliché, but there you have it. Some people can’t get past the old stereotypes.” Gazing into those deep-set brown eyes, Ben could almost believe he was sincere. “My grandfather loved horse racing. Actually, he loved all kinds of gambling, which I suppose is what first brought him into his, uh, line of work. But the horses were his favorite. Always he would drag us out to Raton to see the horses. Every summer.”

“Taos. With my grandfather, it was Taos.”

“Really. Well, you see, Ben? We have more in common than you imagined.” His smile faded a touch. “I miss my grandfather. Despite what you may have heard, he was a good man and he cared about people. I could never say two words to my own father without starting a fight, but my grandfather always understood. You know what I mean, Ben?”

He certainly did. Life was full of surprises. He’d never expected to find himself standing around a racetrack waxing philosophical with a Mafia kingpin. But there you have it.

“But enough of this talk. You must be here for a reason. If I may be so bold as to inquire …?”

“I’m looking for Antonio Catrona. I’m sure he’s surrounded by security, and I probably don’t have a chance, but I had to try—”

“You want to see Tony? Say nothing more. I shall arrange it.”

DeCarlo took Ben by the arm and led him like a dog on a short leash through the stadium. A phalanx of horses sped past on the track beneath them, and a few moments later, half the stadium rose to their feet, cheering and shouting. It was a close finish, and some of the spectators seemed pleased with the result. But most, Ben noted, tore their tickets into pieces and pulled out their wallets to count what was left.

After taking the elevator to the top level, DeCarlo led Ben to a private glass-enclosed booth. He knocked twice. A burly man at the door let him in. Ben saw the security man give him a stony look, but apparently the fact that he was traveling with DeCarlo was good enough.

Ben peered through the huge glass window at the track below. These had to be the best seats in the house, and just to make them all the better, closed-circuit monitors had been placed all around the room, affording everyone an up-close view of the track. The booth was air-conditioned and sported a fully stocked bar. An attractive woman in a short black skirt stood at the side, waiting to fill orders for one and all.

DeCarlo tapped the shoulder of a large man sitting at the front. He turned, and Ben instantly recognized him from the photos in the police file. It was Antonio Catrona.

DeCarlo pointed Ben out, and a few minutes later, Catrona ambled toward him. He was not fat, not exactly, but he was large and Ben got the impression that walking was not as easy for him as it once might have been. His hair was thinning and gray, but it seemed appropriate to his rugged, scarred exterior.

“Hope you didn’t bet the favorite,” Catrona grunted.

Ben wasn’t sure what to say. “No. I didn’t bet at all.”

“Smart man. No one ever got rich at the racetrack.” An angular, lopsided grin broke out. “Well, no one but the owner, that is.” He focused his eyes on Ben’s face. “Al tells me I should talk to you, even if you are a lawyer.”

“Al’s a generous man.”

“Yeah. Bit of a wimp, really, but he’s smart as a tack, and frankly, these days we need all the smarts we can get. So what can I do for you?”

Ben swallowed. Maybe he’d just seen The Godfather too many times, but there was something about the man that was keenly intimidating. “My name’s Ben Kincaid. I represent Keri Dalcanton and I’m investigating—”

“Yeah, yeah. I already know all about that. So you’re asking if I know anything about that cop getting killed.”

“In a nutshell, yes.”

“And what would make you think I knew something about it?”

“Well, the … manner in which he was killed. The gruesomeness. The severing of his member.”

“Sounds like a gangland execution to you, huh?” He chuckled. “You watch too many movies, kid.”

“You’re probably right. Still—”

“Listen to me. I didn’t know this guy—what was his name?—McNaughton. Didn’t know him at all. They tell me he was investigatin’ me and my boys, but I didn’t know anything about it.”

“It’s … hard to imagine that you wouldn’t know …”

“Do you have any idea how many times I’ve been investigated? Let me tell you—a lot. They’re always investigatin’ me. Anytime they got something big, something they can’t pin on anybody else, they come lookin’ for me.”

“Well, I’m sure they wouldn’t—”

“You seen that movie, Casablanca?”

“Once or twice—”

“You remember when the French guy says, ‘Round up the usual suspects’? That’s like, the story of my life. Chief Blackwell says ‘Round up the usual suspects.’ And his boys all come scurrying to me.”

“Still …” Ben knew he was venturing into dangerous waters, but it was hard to interview a Mafia kingpin without getting into the shark tank. “The police file shows Joe McNaughton had been investigating your organization for several months prior to his death. He must’ve thought he was onto something.”

“Or maybe it was easier work than runnin’ around catchin’ real criminals. Did you know this McNaughton character?”

“No, I never met him.”

“Well, like I said, neither did I. But I hear some nasty stuff from my boys. They didn’t like him, and not just ’cause he was sniffin’ around our kennel. They thought he was up to somethin’.” He paused. “They thought he was dirty.”

McNaughton? The policeman’s hero? “Do you know why they thought that?”

“Not offhand.” Again he paused, but this time his voice became more introspective. “He’s not the first cop we’ve had snoopin’ around. Not by a long shot. A lot of the time, though, my boys are able to work out some kind of … accommodation.”

“And what does that mean?”

He shrugged. “Common sense. Business sense, that is. People get more done when they work together.”

“You wanted to work together with the cops who were investigating you?”

“Some of the cops were willing, let me tell you. And I was happy to have them. Nice to have a man on the inside.”

“Are you telling me you bought off the investigating detectives?”

Catrona did not immediately answer.

A light flickered in Ben’s brain. “Was McNaughton on the take? Is that what this is about?”

Catrona slowly elevated his massive chest. “You know, I don’t begrudge a man doin’ his job. But whatever else you may think about me, I’m a man of my word. I keep my promises. And I expect others to do the same. When people don’t keep faith with me … well, I just can’t tolerate that. I won’t tolerate that.”

“Are you suggesting there was something fishy about McNaughton’s investigation?”

“I read in the paper what they’ve been doin’ to your lady, that pretty little teenager. How they’ve jerked her chain. One day she’s free, the next day she’s not. Some of those self-righteous cops seem so determined to put her away, I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a reason.”

“Like what?”

“Like maybe they don’t want any real investigatin’ done. Maybe they want her hung and dried and the case closed. Before someone figures out what was really goin’ on.”

Ben had a hard time grappling with Catrona as a conspiracy theorist. It was like Don Corleone meets The X-Files. “What do you think was really going on?”

“I don’t know. Wish I did. Like I said, I feel sorry for that woman. Hasslin’ her ’cause she worked in a strip club. It ain’t right.”

“It doesn’t bother you that she was a stripper?”

“No. Why should it? Hell, I like strippers. I own some strip joints, you know. Fact, I’m not sure, but I may own the one she used to work in. But you probably knew that already.”

No, Ben hadn’t. But it was certainly interesting. “Did you know Keri?”

“I don’t think I ever met her. But she seems like a good, honest, hardworking gal. I can admire that. Most strippers I know are hard workers, supportin’ a family, maybe some kids. And damn good lookin’, of course. Hell, I’d rather bump into a girl stripper than a lady lawyer any day.”

He picked up the racing form on the table, checking the list for the next race. “Fact is, I wanted to help that girl, after the police started spinnin’ her around. Broke my heart. Thought about sendin’ some of my boys out to assist her, or maybe sendin’ some money. But I knew if I did the press would find out and start suggestin’ that she was somehow tied into organized crime, which was the last thing on earth she needed.”

“You wanted to help Keri Dalcanton?”

“Yeah. So what, is that so strange? I like to help people. That’s why God put us here, isn’t it? “

“I’m not disagreeing. I just didn’t expect to hear those sentiments from you.”

“What, ’cause I’m the papers’ whipping boy? So what if I like a little gambling, a little action from the ladies? Does that mean I don’t have a heart? Does that mean I don’t want to help other people in need?”

“I suppose your … organization isn’t exactly renowned for its big heart.”

“Says who? That’s how the mob got started! It was a secret society formed to protect poor and oppressed Sicilians from the French Angevins in power. Did you know that?”

“Actually, I did. DeCarlo told me.”

“Well, that kid’s got some crazy ideas, but he at least understands what a family is supposed to be. He knows we started out helpin’ one another, and he thinks we still should. He’s trying to get us back to that. Let me tell you, he gives more money to charity than you’ve seen in your life.”

“It’s good publicity.”

“It’s good, period.” Catrona gazed out the glass window; the next race was starting. “Anyway, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Of course. Thanks for talking to me.”

“No problem. And listen.” He leaned a little closer and lowered his voice, as if imparting a great secret. “You know this Keri girl, right? If you can think of some way I can help her, you just let me know.”

“I’ll … bear that in mind.”

“Good. And listen. I understand you have to do some investigatin’. You got your client and a trial and all that. So don’t think it means you’re gonna wake up with your feet in concrete or anything, okay?”

Gee, thanks …

“But if I ever find out you’ve been doing anything more, like maybe buttin’ into my business or sayin’ things that could damage me or my family—” He put his hands on both of Ben’s shoulders and squeezed. Tightly. “Let me give you a news flash. The mob hasn’t changed that much.”