5 Tutti Frutti (10 page)

I picked up my cell phone and wallet at the property desk. I phoned Louie and had to leave a message. I phoned Heidi for a ride and left a
nother message. Then I phoned Candi.

“Hi
, Dev. What’s up?”

“You busy?”

“Sort of, we’ve got to do some setup for the party tomorrow tonight. I heard you’re coming.”

“Party?”

“The victory party for Gino D’Angelo. I guess he’s going to have charges dropped or something, I don’t know, anyway, there’s going to be a big celebration. You’re coming aren’t you?”

“Yeah, yeah
, sure. Look, I’ve been busy the last day or so. Um, I’m wondering if I could hop a ride with you?”

“That pimp mobile you drive
finally die?” she giggled.

“No just towed, I need to get it out of the impound lot before I get charged for another day.”

“Where did you leave it parked?”

“
It wasn’t exactly a parking offense. Can you break away and pick me up?”

“
Yeah, I guess so. Just tell me where to meet you and I’m on my way.”

Chapter Nineteen

Candi
drove me to
the impound lot with the windows down. Apparently Manning wasn’t kidding; I really did need a shower. On the way over I explained to her how suddenly Swindle Lawless was my client and I had to get information on her former agent Dudley Rockett.

She didn’t seem
at all surprised.

“
If I might offer a little warning here, let’s just say Swindle always has a number of issues on her plate at any given time and leave it at that. I’m sure whatever she’s gotten herself into this time will require more than one form of professional help.”

“You mean she’s someone who always seems to be in trouble?”

“I mean she’s someone who always seems to be a real pain in the hole.”

“Oh
, great.”

“So you chased this
Rockett guy down and the police arrested you?”

“Well, that’s sort of one way to look at it. I’d prefer to say I was just trying to talk with him for a few minutes when everyt
hing sort of went slightly out of control. Anyway, I never even talked with the guy.”

“
And I suppose now you can’t talk with him because he filed a restraining order.”

“I haven’t been officially served yet
, so I might have a day or two to track him down. Hell, I don’t know, maybe I should just wait for the guy on his front steps.”

“I’m not so sure
that would be such a good idea. Maybe just phone him if you have to talk with him,” she said then pulled over and parked in front of the impound lot.

The
zigzag sidewalk leading to the building had concrete barricades along both sides that were topped with about four feet of concertina wire. The place looked like something out of the Middle-East.

“This
joint looks creepy. You want me to wait for you?” she asked, not sounding all that sincere about the offer.

“No, I’ve done this once or twice before, it’ll be fine. Thanks again,
Candi.”

She leaned over and planted a kiss on my unshaved face. “Hmm-mmm
, you know I like it rough,” she smiled then kissed me again. “Okay, you better get out before I drag you into the back seat and forget I’m supposed to be at work.”

“Want to think about that
, it wouldn’t take too long and…”

“Get out,
but call me tonight okay?” she said then gave my inner thigh a very suggestive rub.

“I pro
mise. Thanks, Candi.” I climbed out of the car, waved as she drove off then went inside to retrieve the Fleetwood. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, this was not my first time at the city’s impound lot. Twenty minutes later I was driving home for a long, hot shower.

I wasn’t out of the shower two minutes when my phone rang.

“Hi, Dev, Louie. Hey, I had some cryptic message on my phone from you last night. You okay?”

“Yeah. No thanks to y
ou, I spent the night locked up.”

“At
Candi’s?”

“No the police,
Manning jacking me around on some kind of a speeding charge to be precise.”

“That doesn’t sound like something they lock you up for, was there somethin
g outstanding like a warrant or an old ticket?”

”
Let’s just say I wanted to get a jump on the Swindle Lawless deal and it sort of backfired. I’m going over to wait for Dudley Rockett to get home and ask him a couple of questions. I’m still not sure about Swindle’s case.”

“I
magine that.”

I hung up with Louie, got dressed
, and drove back to Dudley Rockett’s house. The place looked just as dead as yesterday morning. I knocked and rang the doorbell, but no one answered. When I glanced through the little window in the front door I could still see the TV playing on the kitchen counter. Once again the place looked empty.

I drove down the street
, turned around, and parked a couple of houses away. I settled in and waited for Rockett to show up. I must have dozed off sometime after midnight because I suddenly jerked myself awake. It was dark, close to two in the morning when a groaning muffler woke me. The pair of headlights shooting past momentarily blinded me. I got out of the car, stretched, and thought what the hell? I walked up to Rockett’s house pounded on the door and got the same result, nothing. The house itself was dark and I couldn’t see the TV in the kitchen.

I decided to leave my
card in the door. I was going to write something on it like “call me” or “just want to talk”, but thought that might not be a good idea. By the time I got home I figured it was too late to call Candi, and so went to sleep.

Chapter Twenty

At seven the following
morning I was once again parked across the street from Rockett’s house. This time armed with four large coffees from Nina’s. By eight I was sipping the last coffee and had nibbled my way through half of what was supposed to be my lunch. Not long after that the same high school kid came walking down the block.

O
nce he backed out of the garage, I started my car and pulled over to block the driveway. He gave me a funny little wave as he walked past my car then glanced over his shoulder at me and continued down the street.

I was in desperate need of a bathroom
by nine and knocked on Rockett’s door. When he didn’t answer I walked along the side of the house to a corner more private than not and relieved myself then walked back out front. Rockett’s Toyota was still parked in the driveway. I noticed a fairly recent oil slick on the concrete but it didn’t seem to be coming from the Toyota. I waited another hour then gave up. By the time I got to my office I’d finished my lunch and it wasn’t quite eleven.

“Any luck talking with Dudley Rockett?” Louie asked when I walked in
to the office. He was seated at the picnic table stuffing the last of a chocolate donut into his mouth. A lone donut remained in a package that had once held six. Chocolate crumbs littered the open files scattered in front of him.

“No
, I can’t find the guy. Well, actually I sort of can, but he keeps slipping away. I left him my card in the door last night hoping he might call, but nothing. I hung around there this morning wasting a good part of my life that I’ll never get back but he didn’t so much as stick his head out.”

Louie nodded, grabbed the last donut and crammed maybe a third of it into his mouth.

“Mmm-mmm-mrumph, we’ve got to go to that victory party tonight. Cazzo will be there and he’s not the kind of guy who does well with disappointment.”

“I don’t know what to tell him, other than Rockett’s dodging me. I’ll think of something.
By the way, I sort of got the lowdown on Swindle Lawless from Candi and Aaron. Apparently the woman is a first class pain in the ass.”

“No surprise there,” Louie said then stuffed the rest of the donut into his mouth.

“I thought you were supposed to be in court this morning on Gino D’Angelo’s hearing?”

“They called and
moved it back on the docket to one this afternoon. Some schedule conflict with the judge. It’s a slam dunk anyway. You can ride over with me if you want.”

“Actually
, I sort of hadn’t planned on going. I don’t want to see Cazzo any sooner than I have to, the longer I can avoid that guy the better.”

“He’ll be okay. I’m heading over around
noon we can ride together.”

“I’m not sure I want to be there
,” I said.

Chapter Twenty-One

So much for good
intentions. Against my better judgment I was sitting in the back of the court room when the deputy gave the “All rise”.

The courtroom, one of a number
on the fifth floor of the courthouse, was paneled floor to ceiling with burled wood. An oak leaf garland was carved along the top of the panels and wound around the entire room. In each of the four corners the garland was offset by a large gold wreath. The place was impressive and, depending on your reason for being there, maybe even intimidating.

Once everyone was seated
, the judge looked down from the bench and spoke in a no nonsense voice.

“In the matter of
Ramsey County versus Mister Gino D’Angelo, are you ready to proceed?”

The
blonde county attorney jumped to her feet, cleared her throat and spoke in a barely audible voice.

“Your honor, in the interest of justice at this time we wish to drop all charges against Mister D’Angelo.”

“Council for the defense, Mister Laufen.”

Louie’s wooden chair scra
ped against the marble floor as he rose to his feet. He cleared his throat then said, “Your honor, we have no objections.”

“I would think not, Mister Laufen.
” The judge flashed a smile for all of a half second meant to deliver anything but a positive note. “Very well, in the matter of Ramsey County versus Mister Gino D’Angelo, the charges are here by dropped. Good day,” she said then slammed her gavel and was on her feet halfway to her chambers before the deputy called out.

“All rise.”

Tommy D’Angelo and Joey Cazzo were suddenly swarming the defense table. They quickly shook Louie’s hand then Tommy hugged Gino while Cazzo patted Gino on the back. For his part Gino looked like he didn’t have a clue about where he was or what had just occurred.

The c
ounty attorney stuffed a stack of files into her briefcase, smiled at the D’Angelo clan like she was the only one in on the joke and strode out of the courtroom.

Cazzo
continued to slap Gino on the back, laughed, and flipped the finger at her as she walked past.

That reminded me
that coming down here was probably not the best idea I’d had. I followed the county attorney out the door into the polished marble hallway. Aaron LaZelle, Detective Manning, and four uniformed officers were standing outside the courtroom doors. Aaron nodded at me then indicated with a slight shake of his head to get out of the way. Manning was focused on the doorway cracking that ever-present wad of gum. He seemed to look right through me.

You could hear the celebratory noise growing as the
D’Angelos approached the rear of the court room. A moment later the ornate twelve foot double doors burst open and a raucous, laughing, back slapping group flowed out into the hallway.

“You showed ‘em Tommy, you showed the bastards,” Cazzo yelled above the noise.

For the first time I noticed Swindle Lawless. She was a couple of paces behind Tommy D’Angelo desperately trying to keep up in heels that were too high and a black leather skirt that was too tight.

The lau
ghing came to a sudden stop when they came face to face with phalanx of police officers.

“Come to
say you’re sorry?” Cazzo joked then looked around for support.

Manning’s face was flushed and the top of his bald head gleamed like a stop light. Aaron gave him a nod
and Manning stepped forward.

“Mister Gino D’Angelo
, we’re placing you under arrest for the attempted murder of Dudley Rockett.” Two of the uniforms moved in.

“What the fuck?
” Tommy shouted and took a step toward Manning.

A very large
uniformed officer blocked his progress.

“Tommy?” Gino asked
, looking confused and facing his brother.

Manning began to read Gino his rights as the uniforms took
hold of his arms. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you.”

“Do
something, fatty,” Tommy shouted at Louie.

For his part Louie looked about as confused as Gino.