Retribution

Chapter 4 Revised

The Packard made the rounds of the pawn shops first. Goniff went in alone and gave them a list of the items that had been stolen with descriptions. The proprietors were given the telephone number to the Blue Fox. If anything was reported as turning up, Kit or Madge would call the Sgt./Major with the information. Collins would then contact Garrison at the hospital. In the meantime, Casino would make periodic calls to the Fox.

It was early afternoon when they finished with the pawn shops. Casino was sprawled in the front passenger seat with a disgusted look on his face. They had turned up nothing yet. For the moment, they were parked under a tree on a partially bombed out side street. Somehow the tree had survived when it was surrounded by bricks, debris and mortar.

"Now wot?" asked Goniff from the back seat.

He and Chief watched the safecracker, who seemed to be in charge since they had returned to the Mansion. Casino turned his head to look at the Indian.

"You remember how to get to Paul's?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Chief with umbrage. "Do you?"

"You're drivin'," said Casino with a shrug. "Let's pay Paul/Paolo or whatever his name is a visit."

"You think he's going to be open at this hour?" asked Goniff dubiously.

"Somebody'll be there," replied Casino with certainty.

Chief sighed, put the car into gear, watched for what little traffic was coming and pulled back onto the street. In another ten minutes, they were at the curb two doors away from the bar. They watched for a couple minutes, seeing no activity from the establishment.

Casino looked over the back of his seat at the Englishman. "Goniff, how about you get behind the wheel and keep it running . . . just in case."

"Just in case o' wot?" squawked the pickpocket.

"Just in case Casino makes everybody mad and we hafta make a quick getaway," said Chief snidely, eying the safecracker.

"Funny, Geronimo," shot back Casino. "Come on, let's go."

All three men got out and Goniff climbed back in behind the wheel. He sat and watched the other two men walk down the sidewalk and try the door to the bar. It opened, and they disappeared inside. Left by himself in what sounded like a dicey meeting, the slight man began to fidget.

Casino parted the curtains and stepped inside the dimly lit interior. Chief was behind him and stayed two feet back and to the right, his arm free should the knife be needed.

The bartender glanced up in annoyance from behind the bar. "We're closed."

"Good. Keep it that way."

The accent drew a harder look. "You again."

"Yeah, me again. I need to talk to your boss," Casino replied belligerently.

"And what if he's not here?" shot back the Italian bartender.

"Then we'll have a drink and wait for him," said Casino, with a sneer. "But I bet he's in the back with all that illegal booze you guys have."

Gianni threw his towel down on the bar and disappeared into the storeroom. It wasn't long before Paolo appeared. Gianni kept behind him and to the side, so he had a clear shot if it was needed.

The Italian owner shook his head in disgust. "What has Attore gotten himself into this time?"

Casino shook his head. "Not Attore," he said, "the dame."

"Teresa?"

"Yeah."

"So why are you here? Where is Attore?"

"Attore is with the girl. She's in the hospital. Been unconscious for goin' on two days now."

"So, you need my help again." Paolo backed his stance down. "What do you want to drink?"

Casino relaxed minutely. Chief stayed alert.

"Got any Italian beer or just that bitter red stuff?" asked Casino.

"English only."

"Guess that'll have to do," said the safecracker ungraciously.

Paolo gave a jerk of his head to Gianni and the bartender poured two bitters from the tap. Paolo came around the bar and indicated they would sit at one of the tables. The bitters were brought to the two Americans.

After a sip of the warm brew, Casino proceeded to explain what they knew and Terry's condition. He didn't mention the Sgt./Major. Paolo didn't need to know about that. Casino removed a folded list of missing items and pushed it across the table to the Italian.

"We're covering the pawn shops for these," said Casino. "I figure you have connections that would know where to look for Teresa's car." It seemed odd calling Terry what Actor called her. "They took her car too. It's an MG Tickford, green." He rattled off the license plate number, but they all figured that was the first thing to be changed out on it.

"And if we find these men? What do you want done with them?"

Casino and Chief both knew what they wanted to do. but couldn't. "We want 'em back. We got our own ways of dealin' with them."

Paolo nodded. "If you change your mind, we know how to dispose of them."

Casino just bet they did.

"How do I get hold of you?" asked the Italian, taking a scrap of paper and a stubby pencil from his shirt pocket.

Casino gave him the number for the Blue Fox. "We move around a lot. And I'll call you every day."

Paolo nodded again. He looked at the sullen-faced dark-skinned man beside Casino. "Does he not talk?"

"Not much," said Casino. "Quiet type. But I wouldn't be messin' with him."

For emphasis, Chief lifted his hand and snapped the switchblade open. Gianni grabbed for the gun under the bar.

"I wouldn't if I was you," the Indian said with an evil grin. "I'm faster."

Paolo sighed and motioned with his hand for the bartender to back off. Chief twirled the knife in one hand, closed it and then tucked it back into its sheath. Casino drained his glass and pushed his chair back. Chief did the same.

"Thanks for the beer," said the safecracker. "We'll tell Attore you said hi."

"Do that," said Paolo, unamused.

The two Americans rose and walked calmly toward the door. Outside, both headed a little faster toward the car. Once inside, Casino urged Goniff to get them out of there.

"Mob?" asked Chief from the backseat.

Casino shrugged. "Probably. I don't know. Got connections to be gettin' bootleg from Italy."

"Hey," asked Chief. "Attore?"

"Actor in Italian."

GGG

The two men sat on either side of the bed containing the still unconscious form of Terry. Garrison had just looked at his watch for the thousandth time when the door opened, and the rest of his men eased into the already crowded room.

"Where have you been?" demanded the Lieutenant. "You should have been here five hours ago."

"We had some things to do," said Casino off-handedly as he tried to peer around the standing officer. "Any change in Sister?"

"No."

Chief handed the duffle to Actor who opened it quickly and dug around inside, making sure his and Garrison's clothes were in it.

"Just what kind of things were you doing." Anger was still evident in the Craig's voice.

"We hit the pop shops and left 'em a list of what's missin' from the Mansion," said Casino. He leaned back against the wall. "Then we paid a visit to Paolo."

Actor's head snapped up and his eyes bulged in rage. "You did what?" he demanded.

"Hey," said the safecracker, not even straightening up. "Figured he'll have better luck in finding Terry's car than we will. Besides, he likes Sister."

"And how would you know something like that?" asked Actor, anger radiating off him and the SS expression gracing his face.

Casino ignored it and shrugged. "He did the last time I was there with Terry. 'Course I couldn't understand half a what they said. They talked too fast and my Italian isn't that good."

"And what did Paolo say this time?" asked the con man

"He said 'e could . . . ," began Goniff, not to be left out.

"Look for the car," interrupted Casino before the Limey got them in real trouble. "Oh, and he said to tell you hi."

"Sure he did," said Actor sarcastically, knowing full well that had not been said.

"All right,' said Garrison sharply. "You three stay in the waiting room for now, before they kick all of us out."

Casino didn't object, pushing himself upright. He headed for the door, ushering Goniff ahead of him. Chief looked at Actor and shook his head in frustration with the safecracker before going out.

Garrison ran his hand through his sandy hair in frustration. "This Paolo friend of yours . . ."

"He's an acquaintance," interrupted the confidence man.

"Whatever he is, is he 'family'?"

"Most likely," admitted Actor. "He deals in Black Market liquor from Italy."

"And he likes my sister?"

Like a wolf, thought Actor. "She apparently knows her way around his kind of person."

Yes, she does, thought Craig. More than Actor could know.

"Do you think the offer of the use of their shower facilities here is still open?" asked the con man. He hated being dirty and, to him, he smelled unpleasant.

"Probably," replied Garrison. "You first, then I'll go."

"Thank you, Warden," said the Italian with relief. He pulled clean clothes from the duffle bag and started around the bed. At the foot, he paused and studied the occupant. "Are you sure she isn't doing what you and Chief do?"

"I'm beginning to wonder," Craig admitted. "It's possible she went down deep."

"And you don't know how to make her 'surface'?" The tone was dubious.

Garrison shook his head. "We can go down deep, but we never figured how to bring one of us back up until that one is good and ready."

"And how long do you go 'deep'?"

Craig shrugged. "Hours, days, a week or more."

"Lovely," said the con man in a voice that said it was anything but.

Garrison moved to let him past. The con man did not see the humorous shake of the officer's head. Craig had to admit his entire family had more than a few quirks. And that wasn't counting the ones in Italy. After twenty minutes he was wondering what was taking his second so long in the shower. This was a military hospital, so he figured the man wasn't having his back scrubbed by a willing nurse. But then it was Actor, so maybe he was.

Finally, the man returned with a smile on his face. Not the kind of smile he usually had after certain activities, but a smile of relief. The dark hair had been towel-dried and was plastered to his head.

"Delightful," said Actor. "Absolutely delightful."

"Did you leave any water?" asked Craig wryly.

"Oh, there is plenty of water. Hot water."

Tired as he was, it took Craig a moment to realize the man was not carrying the parts of German uniform he had wearing.

"What did you do with what you had on?" asked Garrison warily.

"Trash." Actor looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Did you wish to keep them?"

"No." The officer couldn't wait to get out of his.

Actor took a seat beside the bed. Garrison had removed his clean clothes from the duffle bag already. Picking them up from the end of the bed, he left the con man to watch Terry and headed for the shower.

The Italian had been right. There was plenty of hot water. After scrubbing himself, Craig stood beneath the shower head, allowing the water to cascade over him. Now he could think more clearly.

Casino seemed to have taken the lead with the other two of his men. Craig couldn't fault them for arriving late. They were taking care of what needed to be done while the two leaders were unable to. Casino taking the lead did not really surprise him. The man had a brain, he just didn't use it before speaking.

Actor. Now there was one. For someone who supposedly had no connections in England, he had some kind of involvement with a man of dubious background. And Terry knew this Paolo. Craig wasn't too concerned about Terry in that regard. She might be American but was quite familiar with the tendencies of Italian men. Even Mafia men. Craig hoped Actor never found out their mother's side of the family was mafioso in Rome.

The water was beginning to cool. Reluctantly, Garrison turned off the taps and pulled the shower curtain aside to step out on the towel on the floor in front of the tub. He took another towel and dried himself off. No, he could not fault Actor for taking his time. The water felt so good. And there was more of it than there was at the Mansion. After dressing, Craig followed his second's actions and dumped the German uniform in the trash.

While waiting for Garrison to return. Actor stood up and leaned over the bed, his face close to the girl's ear. He spoke in a whisper.

"Teresa. If you are hiding in there, please come out. You are safe now. And we need to know you are all right. Wake up, cara."

There was no response, so he took his seat again. Apparently, he did not have any more ability to bring the girl to wakefulness than her brother.

GGG

The afternoon wore on with no change. Neither of the leaders were about to leave the girl's bedside. That wasn't the same for the other men. Casino eventually appeared at the door to Terry's room. He leaned against the door jamb and eyed the tall Italian.

"Hey, Actor, how about gettin' us our room at the Windsor?"

Both men turned to stare at the safecracker.

"And just how do you expect me to do that?" asked Actor. "You brought our clothing, but not our money. Just how do you expect me to pay for a suite?"

"You're the count," smiled Casino with derision. "Can't you run a tab with the place? Or they know you well enough not to trust you."

Actor's mouth pinched together. Garrison turned his head to look at the con man with an expression telling him to do it. Shaking his head, Actor stood up.

"I'll take it out of their drinking money," promised the Lieutenant.

Now both cons stared at him. Obviously, the man did not know the cost of the suite.

"That would take an entire year," muttered Actor.

He knew he would end up paying for it, but if it kept Casino out of their hair, it would be worth it. Skirting around the end of the bed, Actor stopped and glared at the safecracker until the man stepped aside to let him pass.

Casino helped himself to the con man's chair on the opposite side of the bed from Garrison. His demeanor sobered. "Any change in her?" he asked.

Garrison shook his head.

Uncharacteristically optimistic, the cracksman watched Terry's face. "Well, Beautiful was out cold for three, four days. He was a little screwed up when he came to, but he got over it. Maybe she will too."

"I hope so," said Craig.

Both men sat in silence until Actor returned. The con man glared at Casino.

"I have secured the room for you," he said. "And I assured them you would be no trouble." The threat of retribution if that wasn't the case was evident in his voice.

"This ain't no vacation, Babe," said Casino as his form of agreement. He stood and walked around Actor. "We'll keep in touch. Any change . . ."

"We'll let you know," assured Garrison.

Actor took his seat again and watched Casino disappear down the hall.

"Thanks," said Garrison.

"It's really no problem," said Actor. "I doubt either of us has much patience for him right now."

The clatter of a cart barely drew their attention, until two nurses entered with food trays. They had not thought much about eating, though both men were hungry. They had not eaten in two days. Without money, they figured they would be living on water and what coffee they could beg from the staff. It was hospital food, but it was still food and after thanking the nurses, both men dug into the meat and vegetables with good appetite.

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