The winter of Frankie Machine

15

Dave Hansen walks into Callahan’s.

The popular bar is in the heart of the Gaslamp District in downtown San Diego. Once a rough neighborhood of SRO hotels, strip clubs, and porno shops, the area has become a tourist attraction of faux seediness.

Callahan’s has made a lot of money in the transition.

Dave Hansen is about as welcome at Callahan’s as a cold sore on a lip.

Two wise guys make him the second he walks in, and they shuffle quickly to the back room, where Teddy Migliore keeps his office. Young Teddy’s mob genealogy couldn’t be more solid-he’s old Joe Migliore’s son and Paul Moretti’s grandson. Teddy did a pop for loan-sharking a few years ago, but has kept his nose clean until recently.

Until Operation G-Sting started to bring up some troublesome connections. Like the fact that Teddy is the silent owner of Hunnybear’s and several other strip clubs in the area. Like the fact that John Heaney is a night manager at Hunnybear’s.

Teddy comes out of the office.

“My lawyer will be here in five minutes,” he says.

“I’ll be gone by then,” Dave tells him.

“Can you make it four?”

“Trust me,” Dave says. “I won’t spend a second longer in this rat hole than I have to.”

“Good,” Teddy says. “What do you want? I’m sick to death of this FBI harassment just because I have an Italian surname and I’m a Migliore.”

“Tony Palumbo is missing,” Dave says.

He watches for Teddy’s reaction.

Teddy smiles. “Follow a trail of Twinkie wrappers, you should find him.”

“Did you kill him?”

“You’re kind of jumping to conclusions there, aren’t you?” Teddy asks. “One, that he’s dead; two, that I’dwant him dead; three, that even if Idid want him dead, I would take matters into my own hands.”

Dave steps up to him.

Teddy’s two boys start to move in, until Dave says, “Yeah, why don’t you? I’m in an ugly mood and I haven’t gotten my exercise today.”

The FBI agent is six four andcut.

They back off.

Dave gets right in Teddy’s face.

“If I find out you did him,” Dave says, “I’ll be back. And I’ll make Ruby Ridge and Waco look like SpongeBob SquarePants.”

“Are you threatening me?” Teddy asks.

“Goddamn right.”

“I’ll sue your ass off.”

“Yourestate will sue my ass off,” Dave says. He turns to walk out.

“You’re looking at the wrong people,” Teddy says to his back. “You might want to be looking for Frank Machianno.”

Dave turns around.

“Your surfing buddy,” Teddy adds.

Frankie Machine.