CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Roz walked gingerly down the hall inside the penthouse and peeped into the family room. Duke and Jackie were seated on the sofa, with Jackie’s head laying on her brother’s shoulders, as Duke ate a big bowl of cereal and they watched a movie.
“You can tell me the ending if you want,” Jackie said to him.
Even Roz was shocked. Duke was too. He glanced at his twin. “But you hate when I do that.”
Jackie didn’t respond. She was so relieved to have her brother back that she’d give him the world if she could.
Duke was touched. He felt the same way about her. “Thanks, but no thanks,” he said. “I won’t spoil it for you. I don’t do that anymore.”
Jackie smiled. Roz did too, and then left them feeling as if she was on top of the world herself. She went back up front.
But she could hear tense conversations coming from Mick’s office as she walked up the hall toward the front. When she entered the office, she saw Teddy, Nikki, and Big Daddy, along with Reno and Sal as they all stood around Mick trying with all they had to get Mick to stand down.
But Mick was already suited up in his long, tricked-out white coat, his black trousers, and his black turtleneck. And he had his arms case open and was packing his person with various weapons of war.
Roz’s heart dropped. “What are you doing?” She hurried over to Mick.
“Maybe you can talk some sense into him, Roz,” said Big Daddy, “because we can’t.”
“Mick, what are you doing?” Roz asked him again urgently. She grabbed him by his muscular bicep and turned him toward her.
Reno and Sal flinched when Roz grabbed Mick so aggressively. They just knew he was going to pull out one of those handguns and put it to her forehead the way he would have done anybody else in that room who dared to handle him that way. But with Roz, he let it slide.
“What are you doing?” she asked him for the third time.
“Monk sent me a message by snatching my son,” Mick said, “now it’s my turn to send a message to his ass.”
“By doing what?” Roz asked. But Mick continued to suit up. “By doing what, Mick?” she asked him again.
“But Pop, I thought you said Frankie wouldn’t kidnap Duke and then just hand him back five hours later,” Teddy said. “You said that.”
But Mick didn’t respond.
“Answer him, dammit,” ordered Big Daddy just as Robby Yale came into the office. The fact that he didn’t knock surprised everybody. Especially Sal Gabrini, his boss.
But Robby’s entire attention was on Mick. “Mick?”
Sal frowned. Why would his underboss look past him to talk to Mick? “What are you talking to him for?” Sal asked. “What do you want?”
They could tell Robby seemed rattled. Reno used to think his emotional states were because he was a gay man in the very non-gay friendly mob world and had to work doubly hard to suppress his feminine tendencies, but Sal told him that was a bunch of bunk.
Robby took everything to heart. He loved the Gabrini/Sinatra clan like they were his own family.
That was why any crisis they were going through affected him too.
But when Robby spoke his next words, they all also understood why he looked so rattled. “Monk Paletti’s here,” Robby said.
When he said those words even Mick stopped what he was doing. But Teddy was angry. “What are you talking, Robby? What kind of sick game are you playing at?”
“Robby don’t play games,” Sal said. Sal Gabrini used to be the most homophobic and racist member of the entire family. Now he was married to a black woman and was Robby’s biggest defender. “If he says Monk Paletti’s here, then Monk Paletti’s here.”
“He’s where?” asked Big Daddy.
“He’s downstairs,” Robby said. “The man is downstairs in the lobby right this very moment.”
They couldn’t believe it. They started looking at each other for clues on what they should do next.
But Teddy was still doubtful. “You’re certain it’s Frankie?” he asked Robby.
“Of course I’m certain, Teddy. Even down to that gotdamn hat he always wears, and those oversized suits. It’s him. It’s Monk Paletti!”
It was great news to all of them, but concerning news too. “Why would Monk just show up like this when he made clear already he was not interested in any truce?” Teddy asked. And they all looked to Mick.
Mick was still standing there, taking it all in. But then he continued to arm himself to the teeth.
Big Daddy took over. “Bring him up, Robby,” he ordered, “but under heavy guard.”
“I got his heavy guard alright,” said Reno. “I’ll go down and bring his ass up personally.”
“And I’ll go with you,” said Sal.
And both men hurried out with Robby.