Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
F inally, we reach the ridge. The Olympic mountains rise over the gleaming blue and silver surface of Puget sound, winding around downtown Seattle, from the Space Needle to the harbors and marinas.
He’s showing me his wealth, power, and vision. His reach. All this is designed to impress me and overwhelm me. And it does.
Standing on top of the ridge, one foot up, like Napoleon, or even like a rock star, he stretches out an arm. “From Portland to the North Cascade Mountains, from the Pacific ocean, three hundred and sixty miles to Idaho, this state is a jewel.” He’s making an expansive pitch. Why is he making it to me?
“A massive treasure of natural beauty and resource. Even with all the marinas, the parks and trails, the glittering entertainment, we have hardly even begun to take hold of the opportunities we have for tourism in the evergreen state.”
I wonder if he’s trying the speech out. He can’t have brought me here just to hear him say all this. This seems an unlikely angle to start a takeover bid. Is he aiming to seduce me, or is he trying to sell me something?
By the time he starts to intone, “Since the city of Seattle took its name from the great native American chief,” I’m tuning out. Is he trying to be a history teacher or moonlighting for the Convention and Visitors’ Bureau?
He turns to me with a smile and holds my eye with his. “There’s an association of enterprise, a solid group of families all over the USA, from coast to coast. But here in the Pacific Northwest, we’ve always been on the outside of that group of families. Left out of all the family occasions and excluded from the benefits of cooperation and synergies.”
Okay. Now I know what he’s talking about. He sure took a scenic route, but the destination for this little chat will be Chicago.
“There are a lot of stories about why the Commission’s writ never ran this far. People tell tales that go all the way back to the wagon trains, but I believe that’s all bunkum. I think they just never made it this far.”
He gives me a confidential twinkle. I’m more charmed than I should be and it unnerves me. In a low voice, he says, “This business with the Dancing Lion Park Foundation,” he says, “You know that Don Pucci is playing a game.”
I turn to face him.
He lowers his chin. “He will lift the price, just a little at a time. Always with a charming story. Just a little more. Until you reach a point you can’t endure. Like a frog in boiling water.”
“And then?”
“Then, most likely he’ll take the whole thing away from you. Or he’ll spin it some other way to his advantage. Has he asked you to play backgammon with him?”
I wait. And the I smile. “Did you mean to call me a frog?”
His eyes dart from side to side quickly. He wants to know if anyone else heard his careless mistake. He seems reassured that all the men were too far away and out of earshot.
He’s told me a lot already. My eyelids dip and inside, I’m grateful for Carlo’s voice in my head. When I hear the voice of one of my princes that way, I never know how much of it is really them, or whether it’s just all my imagination. But it doesn’t really matter. I trust it and I’m grateful for it.
The air is fresh and clean up here. But thin. We must be at twice the altitude of my new house.
“I believe you’ve extended your territory. As well as the Benedetti’s, and, of course, the Fortunas I believe that the Crespi’s interests are now in your power.
“Protection, Don Romano.” I give him a smile. “The Crespi’s businesses operate now under our protection. The protection of the Benedetti and Fortuna family enterprise.”
“The Benedetti and Fortuna family enterprise sounds good.” He smiles and lets out a chuckle. His laugh is attractive and it takes me by surprise. There’s something disarming and hard to resist about such gentle playfulness, when it comes from such a brute.
“It should be on a logo.” He smiles, holding a curled hand aloft, “ The Benedetti and Fortuna Family Enterprise. A little bit of tweaking and you’ve got a good name for a Wall Street bank.”
As he laughs I can’t stop myself smiling back. Here comes his second proposition. The first was going to be about the charity, but I headed him off.
“Is that your plan, bella Donna ? Do you want to take your families into the corporate world?”
I’m sensing a destination approaching.
I tell him, “We’re business people, Don Romano. All of us. We will do the best business that we can in any situation.”
His eyelids lower as he looks at me. “The race for the governors mansion is wide open. We should get together and make sure that we have a candidate who’s going to be most suitable for our interests.”
And you think we’re going to be able to agree what those interests are, Romano?” I ask him. “Those interests of ours that you are talking about.
“I don’t think it will be hard for us to find some thanks. Things in the scope of this thing of ours.”
“I don’t involve myself in politics, Don Romano. I don’t trust politicians. I’m always keep to know more about the people who run our civic affairs, and the contenders, but I won’t express a view.”
He gives me a sly look, but I’m not going to be drawn. “My father said that if you give encouragement to a politician, all you’re doing is feeding a snake. You’ll have to deal with a snake when he’s in office, whether you like it or not. It’s not wise to nourish him before he even gets there.”
The Don is about to speak. I cut him off. “That means it’s not wise for me. I would be acting outside my code. With your philosophy, I’m sure it is prudent for you to encourage your man.” I smile. “We all must live by the lights that we trust. those that have guided us here.”
“You’ve shown me your wealth and culture, Don Romano. You’ve given me a glimpse of your skills and accomplishments. And your power.” I dip my head a little. “Very impressive they all are. As well as kidnapping me,”
“I prefer to think of it as an invitation. Forceful, perhaps…”
“When I kidnap you, Don Romano, you can tell me how you’d like to think of it. Meanwhile, what I’m trying to figure out is whether you did all this to seduce me, or woo me, or if you’re preparing the ground for a takeover bid.”
He spreads his hands. “We could co operate more.”
I tell him, “That would be nice.”
Then Don Romano mentions, “What everybody is calling ‘the Chicago Offer.’”
Everybody? Uncle Jerry really has been putting himself about. Has he been around, shopping a deal, I wonder?
He takes a step closer. “Look, I’m going to put my cards on the table. If Chicago wants a piece of the Pacific Northwest action, I’m all for it. Expansion is a great thing. But it has to go through the right channels. Normally, you would expect that to be Pucci, but I think his focus is in other areas. His mind is on other things and his head’s not in the game right now.”
“Too busy boiling frogs, you think?”
Don Romano presses on. “I say, if we can come to an understanding, you and I, then why would we need him. Right?”
I lift an eyebrow. He says, “I can deal with Chicago direct. You can work alongside me. We’ll have this whole district, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, the entire Pacific Northwest region to carve up between us. There’s more than enough to go round. Am I right?”