Dirty Money

Chapter 31 - Property

Albert put his half finished cigar out directly on the table, leaving a nice burn mark and tossed the lighter over the balcony of his home. “How the fuck did they know about the truck?” He asked, furiously.

Sin and Alonzo Senior sat equally bewildered. “They had to be watching it from the start,” Sin said, angrily. He had half a share of the profits that would have come out of the sale of the stolen fridges.

“Fucking crooks,” Alonzo Senior spat.

“So what now, every truck we get is going to be seized?” Albert asked.

The underboss and the captain offered no answers.

“My guys have been making progress taking back some of our old territories this week,” Alonzo Senior said, trying to deliver some positive news.

“How’s that been?” Albert asked.

“Slow, but we’re getting there. A few people had to be smacked around until they remembered who really runs this city,” Alonzo Senior said.

“Yeah Kim, and us” Albert scoffed.

“You want him gone?” Sin asked.

Albert wiped his glasses with a handkerchief, “That would be nice, but we’re barely getting back on our feet, we’re still at a crawl and that whole war with Chuck only made his grasp stronger. For now he’s not a threat.” 

“What about Michael?” Alonzo Senior asked.

“He can live, with that little piece of territory we allowed him to have to survive. He accepted the terms and if there’s any sign of the fat fuck expanding we’ll shut it down,” Albert said.

The sliding door began to push open and the three bosses stopped talking as Mike entered the balcony, “Whole bunch of Rai’s guys got raided this morning, they also hit Chuck’s…well Michael’s, and a couple of our businesses got shaken down,” Mike said, as pleasantly as he could.

Albert’s frowned again, “Well that has to be expected, Contro Chronicles have been shitting all over the police for the last two weeks." 

“But Al, first the truck and now this? I think there’s a few people talking out of school,” Alonzo Senior said.

“Oh there’s definitely some rats on this ship. Find the rodents and then drown them,” he ordered.

“I’m on it,” Sin said.

“Good man,” Albert said.

“How’s my boy doing over there?” Alonzo Senior asked.

“Good…that’s something I wanted to talk to you guys about,” Sin said.

“What about it?” Alonzo Senior asked.

“I wanted to propose him for membership, he’s made his bones and he’s a good earner,” Sin said, confidently.

“That he has,” Albert said, scratching his head, “In time he will, but for now the books are closed.”

Sin was sure he saw a look of disappointment on Alonzo Seniors face briefly shine through and then fade away.

“Al, I’m thinking for now, with all this shit going on— we should make sure all the top guys are careful about what they say. If people are talking, some of them are probably recording our fucking conversations,” Alonzo Senior said.

“Agreed.”

Salvatore and Sin sat in the van parked on a quiet suburban street, under the cover of shadows thrown off by a large tree on the sidewalk. Children played games on the footpaths, elderly residents gossiped, people walked their dogs. “What are am I looking at?” Sin asked, bemused.