175001.fb2 Payback - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 30

Payback - читать онлайн бесплатно полную версию книги . Страница 30

Chapter Twenty-nine

Martin Marshall sat alone at Ben amp; Jack’s Steak-house on East 44th street in one of the six private rooms behind etched glass windows off the main dining room. He tapped his fingers on the table and waited impatiently for DeFrancisco to arrive. He hated waited for him because he was never on time.

There were times when Marshall wished that he’d never gotten involved with DeFrancisco, If I had to be honest about it, I don’t like him. Aside from being always late, DeFrancisco was arrogant and rude, had the worst table manners of anyone he’d ever known, and to top it off, his breath stank. But he had to admit that with all of his shortcomings, he had come in very handy over the years. However, lately, DeFrancisco was getting shaky. Always worried about things that didn’t concern him. He was even reluctant about setting up the sting on Mike Black. Wanted to know why, but who could blame him? Marshall had asked DeFrancisco to commit a considerable amount of resources solely on his assurance that it was important. But he wasn’t about to tell him that it was necessary to cover for somebody’s fuck up.

Finally DeFrancisco arrived at the restaurant without any sign of an apology for being late.

"Have you ordered yet?" DeFrancisco asked.

"No, I hadn’t planned on eating. I asked you here because I needed to talk to you," Marshall replied.

"Well, you don’t mind if I do? I haven’t had a thing all day and I’m starved." DeFrancisco motioned for the waiter and told him to bring the biggest steak they had, medium well. "And a gin and tonic."

"Anything for you, sir?" the waiter asked Marshall.

"Dewar’s on the rocks," Marshall said, knowing that he was going to say what he had to say and be gone before the steak arrived.

Once the waiter was gone DeFrancisco asked. "So what do you wanna talk about?"

"I need an update on the Black operation."

"What do you wanna know? The operation is just getting started. The cop, Kirk reported to them, he seems to be cooperating. By the end of the week they should be up and running with wire taps on all of his operations, they’re working on picking up cell phone frequencies now and around the clock surveillance on the major players. All that based on the briefing they got from Kirk."

"Make sure they pay close attention to Wanda Moore."

"Who is she?" DeFrancisco asked as the drinks arrived.

"She’s their lawyer. Wanda has her hands in everything, both their legal and illegal businesses."

"All that is fine, Martin, but you still haven’t told me what this is all about."

"I’ve told you all I can tell you and that is as much for your protection as it is for ours. But I will tell you this, the success of that operation may weigh heavily on your future."

"What’s that supposed to mean?" DeFrancisco asked, pressing for information.

"Look, I’ve told you all I’m going to tell you. You know damn well what I’m saying to you, both your bank account and your freedom are at stake here. If you can’t handle it, I’ll get somebody who can."

"Right. You know there ain’t nobody gonna do the things I do for you, so let’s cut the crap. You need me."

"You’re right. We need you to do this and do it right," Marshall said as DeFrancisco’s steak arrived. Marshall finished his drink and started to get up.

"There is one more thing I been meaning to tell you," DeFrancisco said as he prepared to dig into his steak.

"What’s that?"

"That pain in the ass reporter called me again last week."

"What did she want?"

"If DEA had any knowledge of drug money being involved in your latest investigation."

"What did you tell her?"

"Same thing I always tell her, I told her to go fuck herself," DeFrancisco said with his mouth full of steak.

"That’s one pain in the ass that neither one of us will have to be bothered with." Marshall stood up, straightened his tie and left the room.