Dirty Money

Chapter 34 - Crumbling

            “You ready Al?” Mike called from the bottom of the stairs.

            “Coming!” Albert said, as he walked out still buttoning his heavy jacket over his vest.

            “Alright,” Mike said, sneaking another pastry before Albert could see him.

            “You call everyone?” Albert asked.

            “Yeah they’ll be there,” Mike said, rolling his eyes.

            “Good.” Mike quickly wiped his mouth and opened the front door, as Albert’s footsteps grew louder down the stairs.

            Albert took hold of the door as Mike walked outside and surveyed the car park of Albert’s home; they were alone. He took out the keys and pressed the button unlocking the nearest blue car. He walked toward it and opened the passenger side door open for Albert and the boss climbed in.

            Willow’s was a little quieter with the only business being from the local tradesmen on their lunch breaks. Four Irishmen in workers uniforms stood at the bar drinking beer and chatting up the barmaids as Albert and Mike arrived.

            Mike took a seat at the bar on the opposite side waiting was Vincent, Carlos’s new driver. Sin walked through the front door accompanied by Alonzo Junior who immediately walked over to Vincent to wait for the bosses meeting.

            “One steak please,” Mike said, holding up a finger to the barmaid.

            He glanced around looking for anyone else out of the ordinary but it all seemed to be the usual day at the pub. If the Irishmen got any louder they might have a problem but other than that he went on watching the front door.

            Two tables were joined together at one end sat Albert, and the other Alonzo Senior; either side were Sin, Carlos, and Eddie. “So Eddie’s going to be taking over most of the concrete with the new towers getting built, but he’s going to split that with Sin’s guys seventy percent to Eddie, and thirty percent to Sin.

            Sin nodded respectfully it was more than fair. “What about the Premillo’s Plumbing?” Alonzo Senior asked.

            “That gets divided four ways, twenty-five percent each to me, you, Carlos, and Domenic. Domenic needs to get on his feet when he’s out.”

            “Sounds about right,” Alonzo Senior said.

            “Don’t forget you got Giuseppe Trucking, which coincides with everything else,” Albert said.

            “The committee,” Donny said, hobbling toward the table on a cane.

            Albert laughed, “What the hell are you doing, you should be laying up. Someone get him a chair.”

            Donny shook his head, “I’m just coming down for some medicine,” he rested his hands on the bar, supporting himself.

            “You finish that last lot already?” Albert asked.

            “I need a speedy recovery,” Donny said, as one of the barmaids brought over an unopened bottle of Irish whiskey.

            Albert waited for Donny to limp off again before leaning into talk quietly again, “So any one have any concerns to bring to the table?”

            “Where are we at with the remnants of Chuck’s family?” Eddie asked.

            “They’re finished. Besides I have a feeling Rai will be taking over that front and the only time we had trouble with him is when he was siding with Chuck.”