Page 49 of Wolf's Whistle
Frankie Ferone arrived exactly at seven. Julien served drinks. Isabel served canapés follow by shrimp scampi along with white and wild rice. They didn’t talk business over dinner, it was too good. Afterward, they adjourned to Julien’s study.
Julien didn’t hesitate. “Has your father found out who Stawski was protecting?”
“No, but I did—his brother-in-law is a button man in the mob. It seems he owed a quite a bit of money to Kasun and didn’t want to pay up. Kasun’s goons roughed him up, and he got angry and committed murder. Stawski’s sister begged him to take care of it, so he grabbed on to Richard because Richard had seen him just before Kasun died.”
“But Richard wasn’t the last person to see him, Bill Lutz and the patrons of the bar were,” Julien said stiffly.
“As you’ve already proved. Now that Chicago is in full possession of the facts, Stawski is going down for corruption and the brother-in-law for premeditated murder. Stawski has nothing to lose. A warrant for his arrest has already been issued in Chicago, and they are coming to New York to get him but this time, working through proper channels. Unfortunately, he’s gone to ground. But I’ll ferret him out. I have more patience than he does.”
“Why go to all this trouble for us, Frankie? Especially when you father would not approve.” Richard took another sip of his Diet Coke.
“I like you. You treat people with respect, despite our occupation even my old man who is one wily son-of-a-bitch. You’re gay as I am but able to be out and proud. I have an MBA from Harvard, and I thought that I was going to help Dante go legit. That turned out to be a flight of fantasy.” Frankie sighed.
“That dose of reality must have hurt.” Richard patted Frankie’s arm, and Julien emitted a low growl. Remembering what the other Mates told him about jealously, he quickly moved his hand away.
“I went to work for Dante because no one would hire a Ferone. I’m very good at business. I run a tight ship. My men are loyal to me, but they are used to my father’s type of life, not the life I want to live. I was sort of hoping that you’d put in a good word for me with Mr. La Marche, that maybe he’d examine my résumé and see past the name Ferone. I’d change it back to Fitzgerald but that would devastate my mother who adores Dante, and he adores her, which is why he tolerates me.” Frankie took a sip of his martini.
“That’s a heavy burden to carry, expectations that you can’t meet because of your own moral code. I had that problem at Switched Power Design. I could have kept quiet and kept my job, but I was incapable of letting the troops fry so that Switched Power could save a few dollars on each component.” Richard leaned back in his chair.
“So, you fell on your sword…nobility has a price.” Frankie mused.
“Richard, you’re going to fall on your ass if you keep leaning back on the chair like that.” Julien laughed.
Richard gave him a frosty stare.
Julien turned serious again. “Garou has a delicate relationship with Don Ferone. Wouldn’t hiring you upset the balance?” Julien asked.
“I don’t think so. I’m a thorn in Dante’s side. I disapprove of his lifestyle and his business and don’t want any part of either, or his secrets. He keeps me on for the sake of my mother. He’d really be glad to see my back…” Isabel entered the study with a tray of dessert. Frankie picked up a piece of strawberry cheesecake. “But if I have nowhere else to go, that would make my mother very unhappy which he refuses to do.”
“So you and your men get the assignments that stay within the confines of the law.” Julien stroked his chin. “I’ll speak to Armand, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
“I’d be happy to get an interview. I know you can’t promise me a job.” Frankie’s eyes got a little misty. “I’ve heard Mom say it was different with Dad. We didn’t have a lot, but he loved me. Dante adopted me when I was two, I came as part of the package, the price he pays for loving and marrying my mother. I told him I was gay when I hit puberty. He didn’t like it and told me that if I wanted to stay whole, I wouldn’t flaunt it in front of his people. He couldn’t do anything else, Mom wouldn’t let him.”
“You’re in the closet?” Richard’s jaw dropped.
“No, I wouldn’t let him do that to me. I still go to the clubs. I just don’t push my dates under Dante’s nose.” Frankie took a bite of cheesecake. “This is marvelous.”
“I’ll tell Isabel. If you don’t mind me asking, how old are you, Frankie?”
Richard sat up straight. Why was Julien so curious?
“I just turned thirty-three, why?” Frankie asked the question Richard wanted to hear answered.
“If I’m going to fix you up, I should know that.” Julien sipped the last of his coffee. Denis poured him another.
“I suppose you should.” Frankie chuckled. “I better get outside. I see Isabel has brought the men some coffee and is rotating them in for something to eat. You didn’t need to do that Julien, but I’m grateful and so are they.”
§ § §
Julien’s townhouse
Early Monday Morning
There was a knock on the bedroom door. Julien glanced at the clock. It was only five. “Alpha, Frankie Ferone is downstairs with Stawski. I’ve already called Murphy.” It was Denis.
Julien woke Richard. “We have to get dressed. Frankie has Stawski, and Denis called Murphy. We have to go downstairs.”
Richard sat up all sleepy-eyed.
