Chapter 8 – Toni's friend

Fido, Capelli's mansion, Shirago, 2002

For days I'd been hanging around Shirago with nothing to do, I had just been eating and sleeping, I think it was the longest time I'd not done something remotely illegal. Just then my cell phone that Al had given me started ringing. I picked it up.

"Hello" I said

"Hello Fido, it's Toni Cipriani"

"Ah, Toni Cipriani, do you have some work for me" I asked

"In fact I do, if you can call it work; I'll still pay you for it"

"Right I'll be right over in a few minutes"

I went through to the lounge where Don Al Capelli was sitting.

"Al, I'm just doing a job for Toni Cipriani"

"Right, see you"

I walked to the red Banshee, started the engine and headed to Momma's Restaurant, speeding along the black tarmac roads. When I came to Momma's Restaurant I stepped out the car and walked into the restaurant. Strangely there was no blue marker there for me to step in. I walked into the restaurant and Toni was sitting at the table.

"Hello kid, now what I want you to do is pick up one of my friends at Shirago International Airport and take him back to Capelli's mansion" Toni said

"Who is your friend?" I asked

"That's for me to know and for you to find out" he said

"Okay, see you at Capelli's mansion then"

Back in to the car I went and said to myself "That was short and sweet"

I drove to the airport watching as the outside scenery went flying past as I sped along the roads at full speed, not caring if the SCPD caught me. I parked the car outside the airport and waited. I watched to see if anyone came out the airport, one man came out of the airport, he had brown hair with grey sideburns, he was wearing a blue Soiree suit and black shoes and he looked Italian. He was carrying a leopard print suitcase. He walked up to the car, I rolled up the window.

"Hello" the man said "do you know Toni Cipriani?"

"Yes," I said "are you his friend I've to pick up"

"I guess so" he said before jumping into the car, literally without even opening the door.

I pressed down on the accelerator and drove off.

"So what is your business in Shirago City?" I asked the man

"I'm here to see Toni Cipriani and the Capelli's about something"

"What is that something?" I asked him

"That's between me, Toni Cipriani and the Capelli's"

"Suit yourself" I said "just being inquisitive"

"Who are you anyway?"

"Tommy Vercetti" the man said

I slammed on the brakes almost hitting the car behind me. The guy shouted "Maniac". I parked the car on the sidewalk.

"Tommy Vercetti!" I said in amazement

"Yep, you heard me right"

"The Tommy Vercetti!"

"Yep"

"The Tommy Vercetti, the king of Vice!"

"Yeah, is it that amazing?"

"Of course it is, I've heard all about you"

I started the car up again and continued driving.

"You have huh, how much do you know?"

"I know you were the king of Vice, with your lawyer Ken Rosenberg"

"Oh we had a fallout, and he went to work with the Leone Family Mafia in Las Venturas, I wonder whatever happened to him?" Tommy said "I recognise you too. Didn't you work for the Leone's?"

"Yeah, but I left them long ago, I now work for the Capelli's, after I killed the Don last year"

"You killed Don Salvatore Leone!" Tommy exclaimed

"Yeah, he wasn't one of your friends was he?"

"Nah, he was a rival of the Vercetti Mafia, but he was just as much a rival as the Capelli's are"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked

"Well, it means we wouldn't attack each other, we kept our distance" Tommy said

"Oh right"

"We have some things in common; we've both killed a mob boss"

"Oh yeah, you killed Sonny Forelli didn't you" I said

The car pulled up at the Capelli Mansion, Fido and Tommy Vercetti got out and walked into the mansion. Toni Cipriani, Al Capelli and Tony Capelli were sitting on the sofa.

"Ah hello Tommy and Fido take a seat" Toni said

"Your name's Fido" Tommy said as taking a seat "you sound like some sort of dog"

"I was never given a name" I said "you can either call me Fido or Claude, that's the only names I've ever been called in my life"

"Now everyone, are we ready to talk" Toni started

"Shouldn't we wait till the driver's gone first" Tommy asked

"Well, I was originally going to not involve Fido in my plans but I think there could be a place for him somewhere"

"What exactly is going on?" I asked

"You don't spread stuff do you Fido" Toni asked

"No"

"Good, because we wanna keep this hush, don't even let your family know"

"I won't"

"Right, Tommy and Fido since you both don't know yet"

"So Al and Tony knows" I asked

"Yep" Tony Capelli said

"What we're gonna do" Toni began "we're gonna rob One Million Dollars from the biggest bank in Shirago City"

"Right" Tommy said "so I guess you want me to help?"

"Yep" Toni said "the first co-operation between the Capelli's and the Vercetti's."

"Well before we begin the discussion of this robbery," Tommy said facing Al Capelli "I have a confession to make"

"What is it?"

"Well, it was a long time ago, way back in 1971, when I worked for the Forelli's…"