Going for the Juggler
2
Vanishing Act
DINNER WAS EXCELLENT. Paolo was vigilant. Even I could see that there were others watching us. I didn’t think all of them were on Gino’s team. We knew Wilson and his men were out there somewhere, but they were holding off until after tomorrow’s test. I had a feeling that some of the soldiers of the third party were out there, too. The ones who didn’t want either Wilson or Cadence. We’d never met them.
A young guy, about my age, I guessed, approached our table at the restaurant. Paolo was immediately between him and us. The kid raised both hands and allowed Paolo to search him. Then Paolo stood back and let him approach.
“Ms. Pesciano,” he said, offering his hand. Cadence shook his hand and he lifted it to his lips. “A pleasure. I am Ari Ribaldi. Yes, my father was very fond of opera and I benefited. I am happy to meet the granddaughter of our Boss.”
“I take it you are one of the capi?” Cadence asked. “Of what business, Mr. Ribaldi?”
“Oh no! Mr. Ribaldi is my grandfather. My father goes by just Ribaldi. I am simply Ari. My grandfather is the Capo of Weston Electronics, the area’s finest source of computer motherboards and memory.”
“Then please give my greetings to your grandfather as well. I hope we will be able to work well together,” Cadence said.
“Yes. That is a problem. My grandfather is very old school. He loved Big Al and would lay down his life for the man, but he is torn about having a woman take the lead in the company.”
“So, he is among my opposition.”
“Yes and no. He believes he has a solution that would work to your benefit, and now that I have met you, I believe to my benefit as well. Please hear me out. He proposes a marriage.”
“I think I’m a little young for your grandfather,” Cadence scoffed.
“Certainly. Not to him. To me. It would bind our families together and, while you would remain the owner of all your grandfather’s assets, it would establish an Italian male at the head of our family. We have had no opportunity to get to know each other, Ms. Pesciano, and I know this comes to you abruptly, so please do not respond immediately. I assure you I am a man of good character who has been groomed to take over the business from my grandfather when he is ready to retire. He is only sixty-two now and is instructing me in every aspect of the business. I hope, however, that if we are able to reach an agreement, it will be because you and I have found something more in each other than a business arrangement. You are likely to receive other proposals, all well-meaning. But I assure you, of all you receive, mine will be the most heartfelt. You are a strong and beautiful woman, Ms. Pesciano. I would be a good man to have at your side.”
“Ari, please extend my gratitude to your grandfather for sending me such an… attractive offer,” Cadence said. Her smile melted her suitor and raised my hackles. “As he knows, however, Wilson and I must endure the challenge tomorrow, whatever it is. It may be that the decision will be moot at that point. Nonetheless, I hope that I will be able to count you among my friends long into the future. If you would excuse me now, though, I am dining with my fiancé and would like to finish my meal.” She slipped that in like a dagger between the ribs. He caught his breath and stood.
“Of course. My apologies for interrupting. I wish you much success tomorrow,” he said. He turned and left the restaurant.
“That might not have been the smartest thing to say,” I said. “I think he was quite sincere.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she said. “Would you mind if I married him? I could still have you as my bit on the side.”
“You’re an evil woman, Cadence. Just remember, we need to be as careful here as we will be on Chaos.”
“Yes. But first and foremost, we need to get a portal built and get to Chaos. All that I care about otherwise is surviving. I have all I need with you, love. I don’t need to own or control all my grandfather’s assets.”
“I wonder if there is enough money on that debit card Gino gave you to buy some precious metals,” I whispered.
Tuesday morning Paolo escorted us to the office of Pesciano Holdings. It was at the top of La Cittadella in the middle of town. Paolo and two of his men rode the elevator with us. When it stopped at the top floor, we stepped into an Italian Renaissance wonderland. The paintings were magnificent. The carpet deadened footfalls. There was a receptionist and a hall with several doors. When we approached, she simply pointed down the hall. We passed the open doors, each with a different face looking curiously at us. At the end, Paolo knocked at the only closed door.
“Avanti,” came the voice from inside. Paolo pushed the door open. Gino was sitting behind a huge desk in a spacious room. It had a large oak dining table for a conference table with ornate chairs and velvet upholstery. Tapestries hung on the wall on either side of the door. That was the only wall that wasn’t windows overlooking the city.
“Grandfather seems to have had a grandiose opinion of himself,” Cadence muttered. Paolo gasped. Gino started laughing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I never actually met him,” Cadence said. Gino barked out another laugh.
“It’s not that,” he said. “This is my office. Al’s is on the other side of the reception desk.”
“Oh, god! I’m sorry,” Cadence said.
“It’s okay. I deserved it,” Gino said, still chuckling. “Al encouraged us to maintain a certain amount of opulence. He felt it kept the capi respectful. And he was right. I thought it would be better for you to wait here than to wait in his office. It would be best if you enter last.” His phone rang and he had a short conversation. “Wilson’s lieutenant is here. Lincoln, we should go. Paolo will stay with you, Cadence. We’ll take Tomas and Bernardo. Are you ready?”
I nodded and followed him out using my canes to hobble along. At the moment, I didn’t want anyone suspecting that I was more than a crippled lieutenant of the heir. The five of us went down in the elevator to the bank on the first floor. Gino was greeted by a guy in a suit that was slightly more tasteful than the common black worn by the soldiers and I assumed he must just be a normal banker. He led us to a room next to the safe and after Gino signed in, produced his key. Gino handed him the match and the banker opened the depository door to retrieve a flat box, a foot across, four inches high, and two feet deep. I held back a chuckle as I thought of my safe deposit box on Chaos and the fact that it held a saddle, weapons, and a bag of gold coins. Wouldn’t quite fit in this bank. The banker set the box on the table between us and left. Gino opened the lid.
Inside were several books that looked like ledgers—maybe Al’s personal account books. There was an envelope on top of everything with bold lettering that said, ‘The Test.’ Gino removed that envelope and laid it on the desk while he replaced the lid and called the banker.
“What about the rest?” the other guy asked.
“The rest is not relevant to our purpose. Whoever becomes the Boss will be placed on the signature card and can access the rest,” Gino said. He turned to put the box in the slot and take his key. While his back was to us Wilson’s lieutenant reached for the envelope. The crack of my cane as I hit the table across the envelope made him jerk his hand back. He scowled at me but didn’t say anything. Gino didn’t either when he turned to us and retrieved the envelope. He put it in his pocket and we returned to the elevator with our two bodyguards.
When we got back to the office, Gino turned to the right instead of the left. There was no hall here, just big fucking double doors. Gino used his key and opened the doors, leaving them wide. Holy shit! Alfonso’s ‘office’ occupied the entire other half of the floor. If Cadence thought Gino’s office was opulent, she’d have a fit when she saw this.
The foyer was paved in white marble. It was too big to just say it had a marble floor. Parking lots this size have to be paved! An elegant desk and chair sat in the middle. No one was at it, but the doors beyond stood open. The desk was just the receptionist’s desk. It was interesting to note that although there was plenty of room in this waiting area, there were no chairs. Apparently, Big Al’s guests were expected to stand while waiting. Wow! Talk about manipulating the little people.
Our two bodyguards that had accompanied us to the bank stopped at the doors behind the reception desk. They would prevent any guests from entering before the appointed time. Gino led us on. We entered what could only be described as an audience chamber. To our left, a desk sat facing a room that would easily accommodate thirty people. It was actually raised a step above the rest of the room. The only thing on its surface was a green shaded desk lamp. It was open around the sides and front, showing the leather chair behind it. Beyond that, heavy draperies were pulled across the windows. There was only room in the desk for a single drawer in the center.
Gino went to the desk and turned on the lamp. He laid the letter from the safe deposit box in the center of the desk as if Big Al would reach out and read it. Then he motioned us to the other part of the room. This part held a conference table that would seat at least twenty. I suppose that any meeting here would also include secretaries, errand-runners, and probably a couple of bodyguards. This was where Al would meet with his capi. I wondered if he ever sat at the table himself or if he stayed at his desk, looking down on his people. Gino motioned Wilson’s lieutenant to the second chair on the right side of the table, leaving one massive leather chair vacant. He pointed me to the second leather chair on the left side. I figured it out pretty quickly. Cadence and Wilson would have the first chairs. It was ten feet across the table between us. Gino continued around the table and sat at the foot. I noticed the table tapered in slightly toward him so everyone had a clear view of the desk. And there we sat. Gino didn’t say a word and when the lieutenant started to speak, he was motioned to silence. Unlike the foyer, the audience chamber was thickly carpeted. Drapes hung behind Gino as well. The walls were decorated in frescoes that showed a piazza in Italy with a colonnade of arches culminating in a church or cathedral at one end. It was beautifully done and the perspective made the room look twice its actual size. I sat in the chair and held my canes in front of me. I was not letting them out of my hands.
It was an exercise in patience. On Chaos, I’d had to lie still and wait for hours while on watch and I let my body relax into that same watchful mode. The lieutenant fidgeted, turned his chair back and forth, drummed his fingers, and tapped his feet. Even his little noises were absorbed by the acoustics in the room.
Forty-five minutes after we were seated, there was a loud knock on the door. Gino stood, walked around the table and opened the double doors. It was noon.
Fifteen men seated themselves at the table. I assumed these were the capi, the presidents of the various corporations that Al held. Half a dozen aides and secretaries bustled about as they got settled. They brought water to the table with a pitcher at each occupied seat. Ashtrays appeared, as well, and I knew Cadence would be changing that in the near future. Our two bodyguards stood at the door and Wilson walked in with another of his soldiers. Gino gestured him to his chair and the soldier stood a couple of steps behind him. Wilson immediately engaged his lieutenant in a conversation. It was hardly noticed with the other conversations that were going on. They all ceased, though, when Cadence and Paolo walked through the door.
I had to admit, she was a show-stopper.
In honor of all the black suits expected in the room, Cadence also wore black. Her black skin-tight leathers. The vest was laced across her bosom, but it was obvious that she had nothing on beneath it. Her muscles rippled and she walked silently as a cat in soft black moccasins. Her black leather cap sat on her head and was adorned with a raven’s feather. The tight leather trousers conformed to every curve of her body and her butt and legs were spectacular. I’d have laid bets that some of the old men in the room were getting their first spontaneous erection in a decade. She glided to the chair next to me and Paolo held it while she seated herself. He stood back a couple of feet from us. I realized the subtlety that Gino had used in the procession into the meeting room. It had progressed from the least to the highest ranking. Whether they accepted Cadence as Boss or not, she owned the company.
Our two guards closed the doors and stood in front of them. Gino stepped to the center of the room about halfway between the desk and the conference table, leaving his seat at the end of the table vacant.
“Big Al is dead. Rest his soul,” Gino said and crossed himself. Everyone at the table bowed in respect and many crossed themselves. I put that on my list of things Cadence would have to learn about. “The capi met after his death and we sealed Al’s chambers until the reading of his will was completed. That was completed yesterday, and per his instructions, I opened the doors to this chamber this morning in the presence of both Wilson’s and Cadence’s lieutenants.” So, I was a lieutenant. I suppose that’s how I was acting. “There is no question regarding the terms of the will. Cadence Reynolds Pesciano is the sole heir to Big Al’s estate. She owns all of Pesciano Holdings, which includes all the businesses you run.”
There was a lot of murmuring and cross-conversation that Gino let go on for a few moments and then called them back to order.
“The terms of the will are very specific. Wilson is the secondary beneficiary. If Cadence does not survive thirty days after Al’s death, he gets everything. That’s a state law. We are now at eleven days and counting. However, if he challenges the terms of the will, he forfeits everything and is no longer eligible to inherit.” Well, that was like painting a big target on Cadence’s back. She had to live nineteen more days with Wilson trying to kill her. I watched Wilson as he stared at Cadence and clasped his hands together as if they were around her throat.
“The matter of inheritance taken care of, Al recognized that there was still the question of leadership to deal with. An owner does not necessarily have to be the boss, as each of you knows. Therefore, he directed that this meeting be held. A test of both courage and wits is to be held. This morning in the company of the lieutenants, I retrieved the envelope with the test in it from the safe deposit box and brought it to this room. It has sat on Al’s desk since we arrived and all three of us stood vigil to see that it was not disturbed. All I know is that Wilson and Cadence must stand the test. The first to succeed is Al’s designated successor as boss. If both of them fail or withdraw, then those in this room may essay the challenge or designate their heir to do so if desired. I will call the three senior capi to join me in opening and reading the challenge.”
The three men seated nearest to Gino’s seat stood and joined him. The rest of us watched as they gathered round. Gino slit the envelope open and they read it together. There was some shaking of heads and disagreement, but finally they all nodded.
“Wilson and Cadence, bring your lieutenants and stand before us.” We moved and I was sure to place myself between Wilson and Cadence. It would be just like him to try something right here in the gathering. “It seems that Al neglected to indicate which of you is to go first,” Gino said.
“I am,” Wilson said immediately. “I have age and experience and I’m a man. Whatever Al thought his granddaughter might be able to do, I know I can.”
“Ever try bearing children, stepfather?” Cadence shot back. “Let him go. His incompetence is almost as great as his cowardice.”
I was glad I was between them. Wilson turned to take a swing at her and I slapped his hand down.
“Save it for crawling around in dark places and sneak attacks, Wilson. You aren’t up to a face-to-face,” I snapped. He growled and was ready to keep going, but Gino called our attention back.
“It is agreed that Wilson will go first. We have read the terms of the challenge and note, because of their unusual nature, I am simply going to read them and then let you proceed,” Gino said. He held the letter up where the other three could see it and began to read aloud.
You stand at a crossroads. Before you are two paths that might be taken. One plunges our organization back into the bad old days of murder and mayhem. The other leads you into a new future that will be uncomfortable for some and intolerable for others. Since I cannot trust old heads to make young decisions, I have created this challenge. I predict that you will choose the future rather than the past, but like that prophetess of old Troy, I expect you will not believe my prediction until it has come to pass.
You, who assay this challenge, shall take my ring back home. In doing so, you will bring back the answer to this riddle. In the Chaos of my life, what have I left as a true legacy? You will find the answer in an envelope held by one I trust to make you see sense. Bring it back.
Now the specifics. Behind my desk is a passage. You will cross that threshold bearing my ring. You will take as long as it takes, and discover what is necessary. You will further return within fifteen minutes. No one is to move forward with the leadership of our organization until those fifteen minutes have passed. You may take a trusted lieutenant with you to help on this journey if he dares.
Cadence reached over and gripped my hand as we watched Gino remove Big Al’s sapphire ring from his hand and lay it on the table. She looked at me and I winked.
Big Al was a hero.
Wilson snatched the ring off the table and jammed it on his hand. “Open the passage,” he commanded. I thought I saw Gino grin. Great. Maybe Wilson would go to Chaos and get himself killed. He’d be back in fifteen minutes as a corpse and we could go get Lisa and solve the riddle. It was going to be all I could do to keep Cadence from diving through the portal before Wilson got back.
Gino pressed a button on the desk and the drapes behind began to open. What an incredibly beautiful view of our cityscape from the forty-first floor. Once the drapes were fully open, he motioned the three capi around the desk and moved to the side while Wilson and his lieutenant stepped up on the low dais.
“Where?” Wilson said. “Where’s this passage?”
Gino pressed another button. There was a pop and a hiss. My ears plugged. It was like the room was being depressurized. I looked at the windows and one of them was opening. It glided to the right leaving a gaping hole between the room and a forty-one-story drop. Cadence gasped and gripped my hand harder. Wilson stared at the opening and pulled himself and his lieutenant back away from the windows as the wind began to whistle through. Had the window popped out all at once, he’d have probably been sucked right outside. He turned around, hands gripping the desk. His lieutenant moved around to the other side. I took off my jacket and laid it aside. My wallet, license, and credit cards were in the inside pocket, along with a couple ceramic shuriken I wasn’t sure would go through to Chaos.
“Very funny! What’s the real test? This is a fake. Big Al’s big joke. See if Wilson is dumb enough to jump out a window. Well, I’m not. Whether you like it or not, I’m the boss now. And before the month is over, I’ll be the owner, too. Al promised me this when he saddled me with this brat and her frigid mother. I am going to collect,” he fumed. Cadence took a deep breath and dragged me up on the dais with her.
“If you are too much of a coward to go through with it, Daddy dearest, give me the ring.”
“You’re not going to jump out of the window either. Though you are welcome to. It will make inheriting that much easier for me.”
“The ring, coward,” she demanded.
“I’ll collect it from your ashes if you are stupid enough to do this.” He put the ring on the desk and Cadence snatched it up.
“Don’t do it, Cadence! I’ll go for you!” shouted a young man from the table.
“Ari!” one of the three capi with Gino shouted.
“If this is what it takes, I’ll do it. If I survive, I will be your husband and trusted lieutenant,” Ari said, stepping around the conference table to approach us.
“Thank you for your kind support,” Cadence said. “I think you have the makings of a hero in you. But this trip is for me and my fiancé. We will be back in fifteen minutes. Don’t go away!” I took her hand and we turned back toward the window and approached the opening.
“Now there’s real stupidity at work,” Wilson said. “A Darwin Award in the making.”
Cadence gripped my hand tightly and we jumped.
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