Chapter 20 – Faith
Tim McGee
December 23, 1932
"So, what's the damage?" Jimmy asked as he rubbed his hands over his bald head.
"Do you really want to know?" Tim asked. Jimmy looked at him in manner very similar to Gibbs. Tim sighed and relented. "With the shipment from last night, we might not run dry this weekend. Whoever tipped us off did us a favor."
"A favor?" Jimmy asked incredulously. "How can you call that a favor if we still might run dry this weekend? It's Christmastime. Time for making merry. How can people make merry if they have nothing to drink?"
"Well unless you can find another supply line in the next few hours, people will have to make due," Tim said sharply as he leaned back in his chair and removed his glasses so he could pinch the bridge of his nose. After staring at inventory sheet after inventory sheet, he had developed one hell of a headache. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you Jimmy."
Jimmy snorted and waved him off, indicating that he took no offense as he leaned back in his own chair. Jimmy had pulled his chair from his office next to his desk as they examined the latest damage caused by the Prohibition Unit's raids on his clubs and liquor supply lines. Every week it seemed like they were struggling to plug another hole but lately they were taking on water faster than they could bail.
Ever since the first raid at the end of October, Napolitano had relied on Tim more and more. It had been a gradual evolution from his position as bookkeeper but now, two months later, he had taken on a role that closely amounted to Jimmy's full-time partner. He knew it. Jimmy knew it. Little Ricky knew it. But no one seemed to want to talk about it.
He knew that being Jimmy's number one confidante made his position all the more tenuous. In addition to worrying about blowing his cover, he had to watch out for a jealous son and men eager to make points with Ricky. Between Gibbs and Tony, they had heard grumblings from Ricky's circle of friends. So far, it hadn't amounted to anything more than a few bruised egos. That was largely due to the current climate in the Napolitano network. There were bigger problems to worry about than who had Jimmy Napolitano's trust.
"At least, this shoddy weather might do us a favor and keep people home," Tim said. "Less people to consume our smaller supplies of liquor."
"This shoddy weather is partially to blame for our short supplies of liquor," Napolitano said snorting. "A two-day blizzard means nothing moved for a week until the roads were finally cleared. It didn't help our strained supply lines one bit."
He nodded in concession.
They had been hit by a snow storm earlier this month that had been one for the ages. Over a foot of snowfall in one day had crippled the city. He and Tony had stayed holed up in their apartment for two days straight before they trekked to Quicksilver to check in on Abby and the club, which aside from being closed due to lack of patrons and lack of staff, had fared well. Being closed for another two days and sparse crowds for the following two days had really hurt her bottom line though.
"It seems like every time we find a leak, two more spring up," Napolitano muttered interrupting his thoughts. "No one person has access to all of this information."
Tim nearly bit his tongue. That wasn't exactly true. Both he and Napolitano had access to the entire operation. After decoding the ledger detailing Jimmy's bribes, he had decoded the other ledgers for the other business lines. Worse yet, Jimmy knew it.
Jimmy had figured out that he had decoded the ledgers earlier this month when he had suggested cutting payments to specific police officers in an area where his clubs had been closed by raids. Thankfully, Jimmy had been amused and impressed rather than worried. And thankfully Jimmy had accepted his excuse for not telling him he had sorted out the ledgers. He had claimed that he hadn't felt the need to boast and that it would be better for him to just do the job Jimmy paid him to do. Luckily, Jimmy liked his humility and hadn't questioned him further on the topic.
So far as he could tell, Napolitano didn't seem to suspect him. Perhaps that was because they had made sure to include Quicksilver on their raids too. They had hoped that Jimmy would think that he wouldn't turn in his girlfriend's business to the law.
Quicksilver had avoided raids due to well-planned prevention measures that didn't involve bribing local police, which had proved problematic with Jimmy's other properties. To an outsider, it looked like Abby was a savvy business owner who knew how to protect herself from G-men. Of course, it didn't hurt that she happened to have a source with inside information.
"Well at least it isn't just us," Tim replied as he replaced his glasses. They had also pointed the Bureau and Prohibition Unit in the direction of several of Grenouille's assets just to even out the score. "Grenouille was hit hard this weekend too. The BOIs got three of his clubs including a top tier, The Black Rose."
"Good," Jimmy said. "The only one who seems to be doing well is that bird of yours. Sciuto and her club Quicksilver. She won't share her secret supplier?"
Tim shook his head. "No and I don't blame her. With all the bootleggers that have been taken down, it's probably a good idea to keep this one to herself. Quicksilver has been busier than ever given all of the clubs that have closed down or run dry."
Two weeks after starting their campaign, they had cut Quicksilver's supply of booze without warning Abby.
Abby stopped talking to him for three days. At first, he had been afraid that he had destroyed their friendship but then he found out that her lack of communication was due to her frantic search for a new supply line not connected to Napolitano. Abby knew that Naps was going to be a target so she took him out of the equation. Luckily, Jimmy was happy as long as Quicksilver continued to bring in the money.
After she found a new supply line, she questioned the three of them. She wanted to know why they had targeted her. He, Tony and Gibbs had patiently explained why it had been necessary, that if it seemed like they were favoring her that Napolitano might suspect Tim wasn't who he said he was. When they were done, she had grudgingly agreed with them although Tim could tell that she was still upset.
Up until then, the raids hadn't impacted her club much. The failed raids had been minor annoyances. Cutting her supply lines had upped the stakes for Quicksilver and proved to be the first real test of Abby's loyalty to them and their mission to take down Naps. But she didn't rat them out to Napolitano and even though she was upset, she remained committed to helping their cause.
Suddenly Jimmy stood up which drew him out of his memories.
"She's had some shrewd ideas, Tim, my boy," Jimmy said as he started to pace. "We'd be much worse off if not for her 'security' measures."
Tim nodded. It was only natural that Jimmy would implement some of her security measures at some of his higher profile clubs. And he knew that it was in their best interest to let them work. They had been careful and calculating as they systematically dismantled Napolitano's network. So far, his plan was working. They were taking out pieces of Jimmy's illegal empire and Jimmy didn't suspect that he was the man behind it all.
"Yeah well, we can improve our security all we want," Tim said as he sat up. "But until we find out how the G-men seem to know more about us than we do, we're going to continue bleeding money like Great Falls."
"You don't think I know that?" Jimmy asked hotly. "If things keep up, I'll be out of business before spring gets here."
He looked at Jimmy and weighed his options. Deciding to risk it, he sighed. "I don't think that there is any other explanation for it," he said. "Someone has betrayed you Jimmy. Either it is someone on the payroll or someone you're paying to look the other way."
Napolitano stopped his pacing for a moment and looked at Tim. They looked at each other, each trying to read the other. He knew suggesting a mole to Jimmy was risky since he was the mole. But it might also be a way to ferret out who Jimmy was bribing off book.
"The thought has crossed my mind, Timothy," Jimmy replied seriously. "And it isn't a pleasant one."
"I didn't say that it was," he said as he put down his pen. He looked around at the books. "There are a number of people who want to take you down, Jimmy."
"I know it, kid. You don't get this far in this business without thinking of this sort of thing," Jimmy replied. "Especially since some of my business practices have bred resentment." He nodded. Blackmail and murder tended to upset even the most mild-mannered people. It wouldn't be surprising if someone had tried to seek revenge by taking Jimmy down. "Problem is: I think I know who it might be."
Tim examined Jimmy critically but he knew better than to ask. If Jimmy wasn't willing to supply the information without asking, then Tim didn't need to know.
"I'll see to it Tim," Jimmy said after a moment. "No need for you to ruin your holiday with this unpleasant business. Speaking of, you have any plans for Christmas? Spending time with family?"
Tim shook his head bitterly. He hadn't spoken with his father in a year and a half, not since he had been disowned. His mother had sent him a few notes with a small sum of money and pleas to come home. But even those had stopped months ago. Going undercover had meant that he had to essentially break ties with his family.
His sister had been the most supportive since she didn't know why he had been fired from ONI. He had visited her several times since he had been hired by Napolitano. He had worn his oldest suit and concocted some story about odd jobs and a new apartment in a bad neighborhood that she should avoid at all costs and that she shouldn't worry; he was getting by. He wasn't sure that she believed him but for once she didn't ask too many questions.
"My father disowned me after ONI fired me. My sister still talks to me but she has gone home to visit my family in California. I'm on my own for Christmas, but you knew that," he said.
Napolitano looked at him and nodded. "I did. And I'm sorry. Family is important especially at Christmas time." He nodded in agreement. Jimmy looked at him sympathetically. "I tell you what. You want, you can come with me. I'm leaving tonight for New York to spend the next week with family. You're one of us," Jimmy said. "You've shown me that."
In spite of the fact that he had been invited to spend the holidays with a mobster's family, Tim was touched by the sentiment. Jimmy had made the invitation honestly.
"Thank you, Jimmy. That means a lot to me. Truly," he replied sincerely. "But I've made plans with Miss Sciuto. Her family is in New Orleans and she isn't going home either. We're going to spend the day together," he replied.
Jimmy nodded and replied, "Well there's a present I wouldn't mind unwrapping on Christmas morning," he said.
Tim tactfully ignored Jimmy's crass comment. It seemed like Jimmy could change from a gentleman to a cad at the drop of the hat. And the way he acted changed depending on who he was with. He was sure that Jimmy changed his behavior to best suit his goals. If a cad would get the best result, Jimmy would be a cad. If he needed to be suave and genteel, Jimmy could lay on the charm with the best of them.
But when Jimmy made comments to him like that, he was pretty sure that Jimmy did it just to get a rise out of him. It was part of Jimmy's less charming sense of humor. But after dealing with DiNozzo's wit for so long, he had the willpower to not take the bait.
When he didn't reply, Jimmy smiled and said, "I don't blame you for taking her up on her offer instead of mine. I'd prefer the company of a beautiful dame to me too." He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "So, I gather that you are going to her shindig at Quicksilver tonight then."
Tim nodded. If there was a holiday that Abby liked more than Halloween, it was Christmas. She had been planning the Christmas party since Thanksgiving and it was set to be just as big of a bash. He was eager to see what she had in store.
"How's she look for liquid refreshments?" Jimmy asked.
"Quicksilver is well-stocked," Tim replied. "After those first raids, Abby started laying in extra stores for a rainy day." He picked up Quicksilver's balance sheet. "That's why her profits haven't been as high as one might expect, considering the uptick in business."
"She used her extra profits to buy extra booze," Jimmy said impressed. "How much has she got on hand?"
"To be honest," he said. "I'm not sure. But I'm certain she's not willing to sell to your other clubs." Jimmy frowned. "I think she's worried that she might lose her current supplier."
"Given current trends, she might not be wrong," Jimmy said. "Her party sounds like a good time," Jimmy said. "I'm sorry I'm going to miss it."
"You're not going?" he asked surprised. "Miss Sciuto said that you were."
"I was but now I need to address several issues personally before I leave town," Jimmy replied. He nodded, knowing that Jimmy was at the least going to address their mole issue before he left. "And I moved up my departure time. I'm taking the Pennsylvania Limited out tonight. I'm feeling the need to get out of town. I need to get away from business for a little while. Which you should too. You've been working far too much these last few months."
He looked down at the papers on his desk. He had been working longer hours since the raids began two months ago. And in truth, he was exhausted but he had no one to blame but himself. He was making his job as Jimmy's accountant harder by directing all those raids.
"I only hope that my hard work has helped," he said. He looked down at the ledgers. "Although given our troubles, it's hard to believe it."
"Don't sell yourself short, Tim my boy," Jimmy said as he patted his shoulder encouragingly. "I'm certain we'd be far worse off without you here."
He winced with guilt. He was certain that wouldn't have been the case. Thankfully, Jimmy was standing behind him and hadn't seen his expression.
"When are you going to her party?" Jimmy asked.
"As soon as I finish here," he replied masking his emotions before he looked up at Jimmy.
"Then consider yourself finished, Timothy. It's been a long day," Napolitano said as he patted his shoulder once again. Jimmy then crossed the room and opened the door to his office. "Clear up and then go have yourself a good time," Jimmy said as he grabbed his chair. "You've earned it. We'll pick up where we left off when I get back next week."
"Yes, Mr. Napolitano," he replied as Jimmy dragged his chair back into his office.
He began to clear up the books but hadn't gotten far when Jimmy re-entered his office, this time pulling on his overcoat.
"Is there something else, Mr. Napolitano?" he asked as he looked up.
"Yeah, I've been thinking," Jimmy said. "Since I'm going to be out of town for the week, I need someone to keep an eye on things. You know, deal with any problems that might come up. Make any decisions that can't wait." He looked at Jimmy wondering what he was going to say next even though, deep down, he knew. "You'll keep an eye on things while I'm gone?"
"Of course, Mr. Napolitano," he replied. He unconsciously sat up a little straighter. "I'll contact you if something should require your attention."
Jimmy waved his hand. "No need, Tim my boy. I'll see that my associates are aware that they should come to you with any issues until I return. I trust that you'll take care of anything that comes up."
Tim replied, "Of course, Mr. Napolitano."
"Happy Christmas," Jimmy said. "Give my regrets to Miss Sciuto. I am sorry that business will keep me from her party. I was looking forward to it."
"I will," he said. "I'm sure that Abby is sorry that you won't be able to attend."
Jimmy nodded and started to leave his office. "Mr. Napolitano," he said stopping the portly man. "Jimmy," he said. "I had intended to give this to you tonight at Miss Scuito's party. But since you won't be in attendance." He reached into his drawer and pulled out a bottle. "It isn't much but I thought you might like a taste of home."
Jimmy walked over to him and took the bottle.
"Stravecchio Branca," Jimmy said as he looked at the bottle. The label was in Italian. "You get this all the way from Italy?" He nodded. "Bottled in aught five and cask aged for twenty-five years." Jimmy looked at him. "Long before you were a glint in your papa's eye. But not perhaps mine!" He looked at Jimmy questioningly. "Eighteen eighty birthed this brandy and yours truly."
"I didn't know that," he said trying to keep his expression neutral. "A happy coincidence."
"Haven't you been telling me since you've worked for me that there ain't no such thing?" Jimmy asked. He shrugged causing Jimmy to laugh. "Thank you, Timothy. Don't think I don't know the difficulty it must have taken to acquire this bottle." Jimmy looked at it longingly but then shook his head. "Put it in my desk. We'll toast the new year and better fortunes when I return. I want to share the first glass of this special bottle with you. I'd prefer to do it now but my time is limited. I have too much to do before my train leaves tonight."
"I understand," he replied as he took the bottle back. "I'll look forward to sharing a glass with you," he replied as he took the bottle back. Jimmy nodded and left. "Happy Christmas, Jimmy," he replied hastily.
After he heard Jimmy say goodbye to Miss Stegman, he hurried to clean up his desk. After the books were sorted and replaced appropriately on the shelf or in the safe, he hastily pulled on his coat and scarf. He placed the bottle of brandy into Jimmy's desk and pulled on his hat.
Walking down the hall, he paused at the small sitting room. Tony was the only one inside.
"We done here, McGoo?" Tony asked as he looked up from his paper. "I saw Jimmy leave."
"Yeah," he replied. "We're done."
"About time!" Tony said as he slammed the paper down on the table and stood up. "The party started hours ago."
"I know," Tim said tiredly. "But it couldn't be helped," he said as Tony started to pull on his coat. "I was helping Mr. Napolitano to sort out supply issues."
"I see," Tony said as he led the way out of the empty office, locking the door as they left since they were the last ones in the office. Miss Stegman must have bolted out of the office practically on Jimmy's heels. He pulled his coat closer as he followed Tony outside and down the street. Their car was parked nearby but it was far enough that they had to bow their heads against the sleet. When they entered the car, they shook off the slush and shivered. "Seems like we'll have a white Christmas," Tony said as he started the car. "Unless it suddenly decides to get warm again…"
"Tony," Tim said interrupting his partner. "Jimmy said that he thought he knew who the mole might be."
"Mole?" Tony asked as he looked at Tim.
"Just drive," Tim said motioning to the nearly empty road.
"All right," Tony replied as he started the car.
Tony pulled out onto the road and after a moment, Tim said, "Jimmy said that he thought he knew who the mole was that was tipping off the law. Then he said that he was going to take care of it tonight."
"Fornell?" Tony asked.
Tim shook his head. "I don't know. He wouldn't say who he thought it was and I wasn't about to ask."
"But you think he thinks it's Fornell," Tony said.
"I've seen all the evidence, Tony. Jimmy and I have been talking about it since the raids started. If he thinks it's someone else, then it's a mole we don't know about," he retorted heatedly. "I know something is going to happen tonight but I don't know the target. I do know that someone is going to die tonight." He cut himself off before he could add that Fornell's death would be his fault. He shook his head and sighed as he looked out of the windshield to avoid looking at Tony. He could feel his partner's gaze on the back of his head. "Sorry. I'm frustrated. Yes, I think he thinks it is Fornell."
"I know you feel responsible McGee but you're not," Tony said as if he was reading his mind. "He knew the risks of helping us and he decided to help anyway. If it is Fornell, we just need to count on the safeguards we put in place."
"I know. It'll work out," he replied trying to sound more optimistic than he really felt.
"I don't want to burst your bubble, Tim but we might need to hope for a Christmas miracle," Tony replied as he navigated the slushy streets. He finally looked at Tony. His partner's expression was stony. "Those safeguards for Fornell and his ex and kid are thin at best. We're hedging our bets on people that could get themselves killed if Naps find out they tipped off the guy instead of kill him."
"I know," he said with a sigh.
"And Fornell knows that too," Tony said. He nodded. "Well there's nothing that we can do now," Tony said. "Napolitano might not think that it's Fornell. And if it is, we'll know soon enough. Either they'll show up at the safe house or he'll turn up dead."
"At the very least someone is going to have a bad Christmas," Tim said as he fell silent and turned his gaze out the window. He didn't feel much like talking anymore and for the time being, Tony didn't seem like he was going to press the issue.
Author's Note: So again with the weather. One of the largest snowfalls in Washington D.C.'s history (prior to the Snowpocalypse in 2009) occurred on December 17-18, 1932 when 12 inches (30 cm) of snow fell on the city. Temperatures were also cold with lows in the teens and highs in the 20s (-12°C to -4°C). I'm still not sure why I was looking up the weather but when I found this information, I decided to include it.
Also, regarding the Prohibition Unit and Bureau of Investigation. The Prohibition Unit had been a part of various agencies, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Treasury, and in 1930 it joined the Department of Justice. By December 1932, Prohibition was unpopular and a movement to repeal the 18th Amendment was gaining strength. In 1933, the Prohibition Unit was integrated into the Bureau of Investigation although it was kept as a separate unit. After Prohibition was repealed, it returned to the Department of Treasury and ultimately became the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also known as the ATF.
Both the Bureau of Investigation (BOIs) and Prohibition Unit (Prohis) are referenced with the raids on Napolitano's businesses. In truth, Naps would be a target for both agencies for different reasons. The Prohis were focused on illegal liquor and the BOIs would be after Jimmy for everything else. Either way, the G-men (government men) or the law (slang for all police) would be one and the same to him, which is why you often see me referring to both agencies almost interchangeably.