Judge & Jury - James Patterson [30]
“And Thomas Mussina,” the prosecutor prodded, “he agreed with this?”
“What could he do? The Boss had given a direct order.”
“So what did you do, Mr. Denunziatta? You promised Stevie you’d take care of him, right?”
“I did.” The witness reached for some water. “I think he was staying at his sister’s. I had someone get in touch with him and tell him to pack a bag and meet us at Vesuvio’s, this place we all knew in Bay Ridge. I told him he couldn’t say a word to anyone about where he was going. Even to his mother.”
“Go on.”
“So we met him there. I got Larry Conigliero and Louis DeMeo. Stevie got out of his car with this dumb little travel bag. He asked how long he’d have to be away, and I told him maybe a couple of weeks or so, until it all died down.”
“You were lying to him, right? You had no intention of helping him get away?”
“That’s correct.” Ralphie nodded, taking a swig of water.
“So what happened, Mr. Denunziatta, after Mr. Mannarino got in that car?”
“They drove away. They took him to Larry’s garage. They told him they wanted to pick up some tapes there or something, for the drive. Larry told me Stevie never had a clue. He turned around and shot him in the backseat. Then they had to cut him up, like Mr. Cavello said. They wanted to follow his orders just in case. Then they drove him to the Poconos. He’s still there today, for all I know.”
“So you reported back to Mr. Cavello,” Joel Goldenberger said, “that the murder he ordered was done.”
“I reported back to Tommy.”
“And shortly after that, you became a captain yourself?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “After about two months.”
“And did Mr. Cavello say anything about why you had been made a captain in such a short time?”
The witness stared across the room. Toward Cavello. “He made a joke that I wouldn’t be buying any property in the Poconos anytime soon.”
Even now, Cavello seemed to find the line amusing.
“Thank you, Mr. Denunziatta.” The prosecutor closed his notes and went to his seat. “One more thing.” He turned back. “Did Louis Machia ever find out what became of his buddy?”
Ralphie lowered his eyes. “No, Mr. Goldenberger, Louie never knew what happened to Stevie.”
Chapter 32
ANDIE TRIED TO RELAX in her motel room that night, but it wasn’t happening.
She found Denunziatta’s testimony that day pretty unsettling. The more she heard, the more she was developing an intense hatred for Dominic Cavello, even though she knew she was supposed to remain objective. She lay on her bed, leafing through a Vanity Fair, but her thoughts went to Stevie, the trusting wannabe, with his toothbrush and a change of shorts in his little travel bag, thinking he was going to the Poconos to lie low. Cut the fat fuck up and stuff him in a can for all I care.
She was feeling so alone. Some detective show was playing low in the background on the TV. She reached for the phone and dialed Jarrod at her sister’s.
“Hey, hon,” Andie said, brightening already.
“Hey, Mom!” Jarrod answered. It was great just to hear his voice. Talking to Jarrod always cheered her up. They were buddies.
“How’s it going, guy? Auntie Rita treating you okay? She feeding you?”
“Yeah. Everyone’s real nice here. The food is great.”
“So it’s not so bad after all, staying with your cousins?”
“I guess. It’s just that . . .” Jarrod’s voice grew soft. “Why do you have to be there, Mom?”
“Because they’re making us stay out here so we can really concentrate on the case. So no one will interrupt us.”
“People at school are saying it’s so this Mafia guy doesn’t come after us. Try to hurt us.”
Andie sat up and flicked the TV off. “Well the people at school are wrong, Jarrod. No one’s coming after us.” It was one thing if she had to be out here, totally separated and alone. It was another thing for her nine-year-old to be sucked into this.
She tried to lift his spirits. “Anyway, how many kids get to ride in a police car with a real FBI honcho?”
“Yeah, I guess. That was