Page 29 of Teddy Sinatra: Go Your Own Way
Mick leaned his head back. It was a massive number. “Damn,” was all he could say.
Then he looked at Nikki. “Any leads?”
“No sir. We’re waiting on forensics, but those assholes were under water. They planted that bomb underwater. I don’t see how they could find anything usable in that case.”
“Me either,” Mick said. But Nikki noticed how Mick continued to stare at Teddy although he was talking to her. Then he sat down beside Teddy, putting Teddy in between Mick and Nikki.
“How are you?” Mick asked him.
It shocked Teddy and Nikki both. That was not Mick’s kind of question ever.
But Mick was genuinely concerned about his son’s mental health. Because despite their differences, he knew Teddy better than anyone alive. He knew how a tragedy on this scale was affecting him.
“I’ve been better,” was Teddy’s answer.
“You made a call. It didn’t work out. Move the hell on.”
Now that was the Mick they knew and even loved. He didn’t mince words. You knew exactly where he stood. But when he added, “This wasn’t your fault,” they both were shocked.
Teddy looked hard at his father. “What do you mean it wasn’t my fault? I made the call. How could it not be my fault?”
“You didn’t plant that bomb. Your error was stopping those ships from sailing to begin with. Yes, that was an error. At least you can look at it that way. But I don’t anymore.”
Teddy and Nikki felt some weird energy coming from Mick. Just last night he was castigating Teddy for letting those ships sit. Now he was claiming the fact that he didn’t let them sail was no big deal at all?
“You’re talking through both sides of your mouth, Pop,” Teddy said boldly. He was the only member of the family, other than Roz and Big Daddy, to talk to Mick that way.
But Mick didn’t lash back. “You shouldn’t have let them sit. That’s the truth. But I guarantee you that bomb was already there. Had you sailed a week ago, the same thing would have happened. There would have been an explosion, only sooner.”
Teddy seemed to take some solace in what Mick was saying. “You think so, Pop?”
“I know so. I spoke with our sonar guys. They actually looked into it after that phone call you received that suggested the bomb was planted beneath the boat. There was activity in these waters, serious activity right around our largest ship, and it was happening the same night, right around the same time, that our three capos were murdered. They undoubtedly planted that bomb then and there. There probably would have been a full roster here that night, ready to set sail, which would have been triple the casualties. Your delay saved lives, Teddy. Not the other way around.”
Nikki stared at Mick. Was this some ploy to appease his son? But everything about him wouldn’t do that. He was telling the truth.
But it was going to take more than words to convince Teddy. “What are you saying Pop? That I didn’t fuck up?”
“Oh you fucked up. You fucked up when you decided not to rope me in. But would that have saved more lives? No. It wouldn’t have.”
Teddy was still staring at his father. Because it made sense to him. Or he needed something to hang his hat on, and the one man that could give it to him had given it to him. That deep affection he had for his father, Teddy suddenly realized, was still there.
That was when Mick’s look changed. “Does Nikki know?”
Nikki looked at Mick.
“About?” asked Teddy.
“Rarsi,” said Mick.
“Yes. Do you know?”
“Rarsi told me that you’ve been meeting with him, yes.”
“I was weighing my options, Pop. I meant no disrespect.”
Mick frowned. Nikki and Teddy both thought he was about unload on Teddy. But he did the exact opposite. “My actions were running you away. I know that,” he said.
Teddy just sat there. But Nikki knew this was their opportunity for this shit to get resolved once and for all.
