Cold Steele - and Mrs. Robinson Ch. 04

Matt Steele continues on his quest for justice for Mrs. Robinson.

Please read the previous chapters to have a full understanding of this one.

Thanks for your interest. Comments, critiques, and emails that are constructive are very welcome and appreciated.

********************

"Okay Jasper, I'll call an ambulance for you." I was lucky to get the information from Jasper before he went into shock. Dialing 911, I reported the shooting and requested an ambulance for the wanna be kidnappers. Next, I called Frank Wends.

"Do you enjoy waiting until I'm sleeping to call Matt?" Frank said in a raspy voice.

"I just shot two guys outside of the Dive Bar. They were trying to kidnap me. I've already called 911."

"On my way," Frank answered; the sleepiness was gone. "Don't say nothin until I get there."

The police arrived and I laid my Glock on the hood of my truck as the patrol car pulled up. I didn't want to get shot and I especially didn't want to get shot by mistake by an over eager patrolman. The EMTs were next on the scene and called for a second ambulance. About ten minutes after the medics arrived as they were treating the men, an unmarked police car pulled to a stop behind the attempted kidnapper's car. Frank made good time, I thought.

"Are you okay?" Frank asked. "What happened Matt?"

"Those two," I said pointing at the two being tended to by the EMTs, "ask me to go with them. I refused their invitation and they took offense to my rejection of their hospitality."

"C'mon Matt, get serious."

"I am serious Frank. The big one, that's Jasper, told me to get in their car. He said his boss wanted to see me and then he threatened me with that gun." I pointed to the evidence envelope that the first on scene patrolman was holding. "I gave them a chance but they thought they were better than they are. The patrolman's got the other guy's gun as well."

"Who's their boss?" Frank asked. I shook my head. "Matt, I know you. I'd bet my pension you 'persuaded' them to give you his name." I shook my head again, refusing to answer. "You know as well as I do that now that they are being medically treated they'll clam up. Give me a break here."

"I'll let you know when I can Frank. If I tell you, you'll have to go investigate. That will just warn the guy and he'll get away or lawyer up and you guys will get nothing. My way, we got a chance at putting this guy away." I put my hand on Frank's shoulder. "Promise, I'll let you know as soon as you can make an arrest and make it stick."

Before Frank could continue arguing with me, another unmarked police car pulled to a stop behind Frank's car. I knew Frank would be lead detective on the case but because it was a shooting, the watch commander would get involved too. I couldn't believe who the commander was when he got out of the car. This night can't get any better, I thought as I saw Captain Joe Harper come toward us. Harper was the cause of me losing my marriage and my job.

"My how the mighty have fallen," I said as Harper walked over to where Frank and I were talking. "Being a Captain and all, you must be on someone's crap list if you have to come out at midnight to cover a shooting."

He refused to answer me and questioned the patrolman that was first on scene and then talked to Frank. After talking to them for a few minutes, Harper turned to me. "What did you do Steele?"

"I told the patrolman, I told Detective Wends, and I'm done talking until my attorney gets here."

"Still hate me don't you Steele,"

"I don't want to bust your bubble Harper but I haven't thought of you more than once or twice in the last five years. You're not important enough to remember or hate."

"You put those men in the hospital," Harper protested as I started walk away.

"It could have just as easily been body bags," I replied. "Now unless you're gonna arrest and charge me, I'm going home." I turned and walked back to my truck, noticing the bullet hole at the top edge of the door. Guess Jasper wasn't as bad as I thought, I said to myself.

I was surprised to see Abby sleeping on my big couch when I got to my apartment; apparently she'd been waiting up for me and didn't make it. I slipped off my boots, got behind her and spooned against her back. She woke up a little.

"I fell asleep," she said in a fogged over voice. "Sorry, I'll make you some coffee and you can tell me about your night."

"Tell you in the morning," I replied as I pulled her back against me. "Go back to sleep."

"Love you," Abby said. She snuggled closer to me and her breathing deepened again. A few minutes later I fell asleep too.

********************

Abby poured us an after breakfast coffee the next morning. "What's going on in that devious mind of yours Matt? You've been staring at the wall for a couple of minutes now."

"I'm gonna ask you to do something that I know you won't like. But I'm asking you to do it and please don't give me any grief about it."

She looked at me for a couple of seconds and then nodded for me to go on saying, "Okay, I'll do it. Tell me what you want and why."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." Abby reached across the table and took my hand. "I know you'd never do anything to hurt me so yeah, just like that. What's going on?"

"You know I've been looking into Jonathan Robinson." I waited for her nod and continued. "Last night two men pulled guns on me and tried to make me get into their car; said their boss wanted to see me. They said if I didn't do it they'd grab you to make me do what they wanted."

"What happened to them?" Abby asked with a grim smile. "I know you don't take well to being threatened or being told what to do and I would bet you went absolutely ballistic when they threatened me."

"They're in the hospital; at least I think they made it to the hospital. I did get them medical help." I took a drink of coffee. "Anyway I think their boss told them to say that and my CI says this is a serious guy...so I'd like for you to go visit your folks for awhile until this thing is over."

Her parents lived in the small south central town of Eminence Missouri. It was a small farming community that had developed a tourist economy because of the Jack's Fork River that flowed past the southern portion of the town. The area was in the heart of the Ozarks with tree cover hills and clear spring fed streams.

Abby started to argue but I interrupted her. "You've got vacation time coming from work, you even threatened to take it when you got back from this last trip. Your folks would love to see you; you've always loved that country life and you deserve a break." I took her hand. "But mostly, I won't worry about you if you're with your dad."

I waited and after several seconds, that seemed like minutes, Abby leaned across the table and kissed me. "Let me get packed and I'll leave this morning," she said.

After throwing a suitcase into her car, Abby waved as she started her three hour drive to her parent's house. Returning to my office, I called Frank Wends. This time he sounded wide awake.

"You get tired of disturbing my sleep Matt?"

"Thought I give you a break Frank. Listen I got some info you oughta know about. I don't think you can do anything but I wanted you to know where I'm coming from."

Frank lost the joking tone and said, "Tell me what you got."

"Some of this you already know, some is new to you. You know I followed Mrs. Robinson at the request of her husband. She met George Hamilton for lunch and a dinner or two; nothing sexual but she was meeting the guy just the same. I told her husband and over the next few weeks they seemed to have worked it out. And then..."

"Then what Matt?"

"Hamilton died in a boating accident and a few weeks later Mrs. Robinson was killed."

"Yeah, you called me about that," Frank replied.

"I told you then something didn't add up and I was right. A friend of mine found out that Cynthia had all the money and she was planning on divorcing Robinson; he would have become a poor man if the divorce went through. I started asking questions through another of my CIs and he told me a guy named Wiley Thornton was bragging around town that he did the hit on Hamilton and Cynthia. One of those two from last night said Thornton ordered them to come get me and take me to Thornton. As you know, I decided not to go with them."

"How much more do you know Matt?"

"I know who Thornton's boss is and I think I know where I can find Thornton."

"Let us handled it," Frank said; his tone was almost an order.

"You guys can't do it Frank. You can't go where I'm going and do any good. So I'm gonna talk to Thornton and get him to admit who his boss is."

"And then?"

"I'll play it by ear. But that asshole Thornton threatened Abby and nobody does that. If he and his boss go easy, I'll call you in."

"What if they don't do it easy?"

"That's the question, isn't it Frank? I'll call you as soon as I can."

"Matt...Matt." I hung up without answering him.

********************

Abriana's Deli is a sandwich and coffee shop on the corner of Shaw Ave. and the frontage road beside the Kingshighway overpass in the heart of the historic Italian neighborhood called The Hill. In the days before political correctness the area was known as Dago Hill; the Deli is on the same block as Rigazzi's so I knew it well.

Abriana's is notable for two reasons. Its sandwiches and thick dark Italian coffee are the best in St. Louis. The other reason, although not known by the general public, is that Abriana's is the working office of Vito Sigliaire. Vito is the head of the mob or crime boss of St. Louis.

He is a study in contrasts. Vito runs an organization that is involved in most of the criminal activities of the city. Gambling, loan sharking, and some labor unions are aspects of his empire. About the only thing he doesn't have a hand in is the drug trade. Vito has always felt that drugs were a plague on the people and children of his neighborhood.

"People are gonna gamble, people are gonna over extend themselves and need help and the workers need to be protected from the rich business owners," Vito explained his operations. "I might as well benefit from their wants and needs."

The contrasting Vito is one that will do almost anything to help his people of The Hill. He made weekly donations to St. Ambrose Church and special gifts to the building fund. If a widow needed help Vito would help. If a wife needed financial help for her children because her husband drank or gambled away his paycheck, Vito would give the lady money and have a word with her man; the husband would quickly see the error of his ways after a talk with one of Vito's men.

I thought of everything I knew about Vito Sigliaire as I walked into Abriana's. It was early evening but he was already holding court at a large wooden table in the back corner of the deli and I made my way toward him. Vito had two of his men sitting with him. Those guys aren't as big as a bus, I thought; more like dump trucks. There was one other man sitting at a nearby table only a few steps from Vito; that man was Rudy Cassidy.

Vito wasn't totally old school; he hired whoever could and would do the job he needed if they were Italian or not. Rudy was just such a man. Vito needed someone he trusted to watch his back so he hired the nephew of a lifelong friend and Rudy was more than just a body guard. He was known as a shooter and his duties were just what that his title meant. Rudy looked like he was sleepy; he was sitting slumped down in his chair but his eyes moved back and forth and missed nothing.

Rudy and I had crossed paths when I was investigating his boss a few years previously. We had danced around each other without really coming to a confrontation. We treated each other with respect; one professional to another.

I nodded at Rudy and stepped in front of Vito. "I'd like to talk to you Mr. Sigliaire, if you have the time," I said in a respectful manner. I wasn't afraid of Vito but there was no need to poke a bear in his den. He looked at me for several seconds and I thought he was going to tell one of the trucks to throw me out. Instead he pointed at the chair across from him.

"I haven't seen you since you tried to hang that gambling rap on me a few years ago. What'da you want Steele?"

"As I remember we couldn't get the evidence to arrest you. You were too smart for us," I said with a smile.

"Some would have manufactured evidence just to put me away," Vito replied.

"We...I could have but I wanted to arrest you according to my rules and I wanted your arrest to stick. If I'd done anything else you might have walked." The smile went away as I said, "I want to talk to a guy that hangs out at The Hard Case Tavern."

"So why come to me?"

I grinned at Vito. "C'mon Mr. Sigliaire, every cop in town knows you run most of the places on the South side and the Hard Case is one of them. If you don't own it you have controlling interest in the place. I don't want any trouble with you or your men." I nodded at the two trucks and then at Rudy. "This guy has been bragging to your manager, Sammy Hands, about a job he did. He's trying to impress Sammy and go to work for you."

"Who is this jamoke?" The term jamoke was an insult; meaning idiot or fool. Vito was old school enough to believe you didn't talk about your work outside of the family.

"Guy named Wiley Thornton. I know he's never worked for you but the only place I can get to him is at The Hard Case."

"What's your interest in this Thornton?"

"A man hired me to get some information and because of it he hired Thornton to get rid of two people. I want Thornton and I want his boss."

Vito stared at me for what seemed like a long time and then nodded. "Steele, you were always straight up with me and always treated me with respect; even when you were trying to nail me. Go ahead and talk to Thornton, I'll call Sammy and tell him as long as you don't bother one of ours and it doesn't interfere with our business to stay out of it."

I stood nodded my thanks, turned to leave but Rudy stepped in my way. ""If you need some help Steele, give me a call. I don't like nobody trying to take my job," he said with a grim smile.

Shaking my head I answered, "Thanks Rudy but I got this." I continued out to my truck thinking that I really wouldn't want Vito and Rudy mad at me.

********************

"How are you? When can I come home?" Abby asked. Her voice sounded both anguished and hopeful.

It was only 8PM, after leaving Abriana's and my meeting with Vito, so I'd called Abby at her folks. "I'm fine honey. As to coming home I think another three or four days should do it. When's it's over I'll catch a bus to your parent's and we'll spend a few days boating on Jack's Fork, exploring the area and maybe go fishing."

"I'd like that, but why don't you come now and let Detective Wends and the police handle those men?"

"Frank doesn't have anything to go on. Those two that jumped me aren't gonna roll over on their boss cause all they're facing is assault charges. If they were charged as accomplices to the killing of Cynthia or Hamilton, he might have leverage to get them to talk."

"But..." Abby started to say and I cut her off.

"I'll call Frank and tell him most of what I know and what I'm going to do. If he can come up with something I'll follow his lead." I paused and added, "I'll be careful girl, I promise." The rest of the call we talked about the things we'd do when I came down to join her.

At 9, I called Frank. "Wends," he answered.

"Did I wake you up? If I didn't I could call you back later."

"Some people have crosses to bear," he replied. "I guess your mine although I don't know what sin I committed to be saddled with you." He chuckled at his own wit. "What'da you need Matt?"

"I'd like to talk to Jasper."

"You mean the guy that tried to kidnap you? They are refusing to talk; said they'd take their chances in court. Why do you want to talk to them?"

"Just go with me Frank. I'm gonna make you a case on a double murder."

"You mean that Hamilton, Mrs. Robinson case you've been harping about? When are you gonna give up on that?"

"Frank, I told you before there's something off kilter about Mrs. Robinson's murder and it makes me think Hamilton was a hit as well."

There was silence on the line for almost 10 seconds before Frank replied. "Okay, tomorrow, 9 AM, hold over cells for the 16th Precinct. "And Matt, you better be damn sure of yourself cause the boss ain't gonna like you hot dogging around."

********************

"Why should we help you?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, why?" Boyd parroted.

"Shut up Boyd," Jasper ordered and turned back to me. "Why should we help you Steele? You're the reason we're in here."

Here was what was considered a prison ward at St. Alexius Hospital which was near Precinct 16 in south St. Louis. There were three hospitals, St. Alexius, Barnes-Jewish, and Christian, that had a prison ward of some type. They nurse had just left after warning us not to upset her patients. Jasper and Boyd had been brought to St. Alexius after the paramedics treated them because it is the closest to where I had shot the two would be kidnappers. I'd just asked the two men to testify against their boss, Wiley Thornton.

Jasper's face showed he'd just come up with an idea. "Can you get us outta this?" This being the charges that were going to be brought against him and Boyd.

"No, can't do that," I answered and shook my head. "From what I hear you two are going to be charged with assault with a deadly weapon, attempted kidnapping, and attempted murder. That's too many serious charges for the Police to let you guys slide."

"Then why should we help you?" Jasper repeated.

"What I can do is see that you're protected a bit while you're in prison; or as protected as you can be. You know Vito Sigliaire?" I didn't wait for him to answer. "Well he's not happy about Thornton and if you help put him away I'm pretty sure Mr. Sigliaire will put the word out that you have his protection. That would give you a lot of clout in prison and most will leave you alone. If you don't help me you'll just be fresh meat for the animals to fight over."

"Works for me," Boyd said not waiting for Jasper's answer. "What'da you want us to do?"

"Tell the DA what Thornton said about Robinson when he ordered you to come get me."

"That's all?"

I nodded and added, "Just tell what he said. Don't embellish it."

"Embellish?"

"It means don't make anything up; just tell the truth. If you guys do that I'll have a word with the DA, maybe he'll reduce the charges because of your help. I'll also have a word with Mr. Sigliaire and that will definitely make your life easier in the joint."

I called Frank into the hospital room. "These boys have decided it was their civic duty to cooperate so they got something to say. Take their statements and get hold of the DA." I looked at Jasper and Boyd. "Make sure and tell him these guys are trying to do what's right."

Frank took out his cell phone and started making calls. I left the room, walked down the hall and outside. As I drove away in my truck, I saw Frank waving at me before I left the parking lot. He walked very quickly to where I'd stopped.

He leaned on my door and said, "Those two implicated Wiley Thornton; both for ordering the kidnapping and for the Cynthia Robinson murder. Hell, they even said Thornton was involved in Hamilton's death. How did you get those guys to belly up?" He asked.

"I simply told them that Rudy Cassidy was a mite upset with them. I told them Mr. Sigliaire would help them when they went to prison; that I would get him to put them under his protection." "You think he will? I mean he doesn't know these guys?"

"Vito doesn't know these guys but he does know and respect Rudy and doesn't want him to get in trouble over the likes of Thornton. I think he'll convince Rudy to back off so I can get to Thornton. In addition, Mr. Sigliaire is not happy that Thornton is bragging that he's gonna work for Vito. So yeah, I believe Vito will do what I ask; not for those two but to keep Rudy out of trouble they don't need."