The Last Don - Mario Puzo [180]
“The Don thinks it’s true,” Cross said. “He investigated.”
Lia reached for one of the Havana cigars and the glass of brandy Cross had set out for him. “I would never contradict Don Clericuzio,” he said. “But let me kill Losey just to make sure.”
“And what if the Clericuzio were behind him?” Cross asked.
“The Don is a man of honor,” Lia said. “From the old days. If he killed Pippi, he would have killed you. He knows you. He understands you will avenge your father and he is a prudent man.”
“But still,” Cross said, “who would you choose to fight for? Me or the Clericuzio?”
“I don’t have a choice,” Lia said. “I was too close to your father and I’m too close to you. They won’t let me live if you go down.”
Cross for the first time had brandy with Lia for breakfast. “Maybe it’s just one of those foolish things,” he said.
“No,” Lia said. “It’s Losey.”
“But he has no reason,” Cross said. “Still, we’ll have to find out. Now I want you to form a crew of six men, those most loyal to you, none from the Bronx Enclave. Have them ready and wait for my orders.”
Lia was unusually sober. “Forgive me,” he said. “I have never questioned your orders. But on this I beg you to consult with me on the overall plan.”
“Good,” Cross said. “Next weekend I plan to fly to France for two days. Meanwhile find out all you can about Losey.”
Lia smiled at Cross. “You’re going with your fiancée?”
Cross was amused by his politeness. “Yes, and with her daughter.”
“The one with the quarter of her brain missing?” Lia asked. He did not mean to be offensive. It was an idiom in Italian that also included brilliant people who were forgetful.
“Yes,” Cross said. “There is a doctor there who may help her.”
“Bravo,” Lia said. “I wish you all the best. This woman, does she know about Family matters?”
“God forbid,” Cross said, and they both laughed. And Cross was wondering how Lia knew so much about his private life.
CHAPTER 17
FOR THE FIRST time Cross was going to watch Athena work on a movie set, to see her act out false emotions, to be someone other than herself.
He met Claudia in her office at the LoddStone lot, they would watch Athena together. There were two other women in the office, and Claudia introduced them. “This is my brother Cross and this is the director, Dita Tommey. And Falene Fant, who is working today in the picture.”
Tommey gave him a searching look, thinking he was handsome enough to be in the business except that he showed no fire, no passion, he would be stone cold dead on the screen. She lost interest. “I’m just leaving,” she said as she shook his hand. “I’m very sorry about your father. By the way, you’re welcome on my set, Claudia and Athena vouch for you even though you’re one of the producers.”
Cross became aware of the other woman. She was sort of dark chocolate with an outrageously insolent face and a terrific body, which her clothes flaunted. Falene was far less formal than Tommey.
“I didn’t know Claudia had such a handsome brother—and rich, too, from what I hear. If you ever need somebody to keep you company at dinner, give me a call,” Falene said.
“I will,” Cross said. He was not surprised by the invitation. Plenty of the showgirls and dancers at the Xanadu had been just as direct. This was a girl who was naturally flirtatious, aware of her beauty, and not about to let a man she liked the looks of escape because of social rules.
Claudia said, “We were just giving Falene a little more to do in the film. Dita thinks she’s talented and so do I.”
Falene gave Cross a big grin. “Yeah, now I shake my ass ten times instead of six. And I get to say to Messalina, ‘All the women of Rome love you and hope for your victory.’ ” She paused for a minute and said, “I hear you’re one of the producers. Maybe you can get them to let me shake my ass twenty times.”
Cross sensed something in her, something she was trying to hide, despite her vivaciousness.
“I