The decoy

Chapt 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Corrine lived in an apartment not too far from where Grace lived. She was too shaken up by the death of her boss to drive so she left her car at the office. Sebastian convinced her that she should let him drive her home. He would return later with her car.

"I'm sorry that you had to deal with all that this morning," he said. "I'm sure it's hard for you. How long have you been working for Cory Pezzo?"

"It hasn't been that long," She took a breath and said, "I have never seen a dead body before. I didn't know what to do. I thought of you and the FBI right away.

I walked around behind the office after I couldn't get in and saw Cory. It really scared me."

She paused again.

"I have been working for Cory for about six months. I mean I know he's involved with some strange people but he's .... I mean he was a very nice man."

She started to sob a little.

"I thought he was a nice guy too but you are right he is involved with some very shady people," Sebastian said.
            "When I came here it was just a job and he was so nice," She said. "He's sort of classy. It was a good place to work and he pays a lot more than the grocery story. I was a cashier ever since I finished high school at McMasters Food and Drugs.

I loved this job. I could dress nicer. I used to wear a stupid green apron thing and when you are on cash you can't wear heels. I like to dress up for work. You know, wear nice things.

Cory liked to keep the office tidy and he was so respectful. He even wanted me to buy fresh flowers for the office every week. What man insists on fresh flowers in the office?

At first I just thought it was a garbage collection company. Then some people showed up and they were low class mostly those people from Denver.

Mr. Rappelo isn't as nice as Cory. He wears expensive stuff but he is not as refined as Cory. He swears all the time and he touches you. Always wants to put his arm around you. Cory was never like that."

"Tell me a little about the business if you can," Sebastian asked.
            "Well I'm sure you know they were here to buy that garbage business that Paul Vail had. I had a feeling that Mr. Vail wasn't interested in selling. He came to the office a couple of times but Cory always seemed frustrated with him.

But Mrs. Vail liked the offer. That was obvious. She used to call the office every day before her husband died. She really wanted to sell.

One time I heard Cory on the phone. I think he was talking with Mr. Rappelo and he said something like, "I'm getting through to the wife. She wears the pants in the family and she's hot to make the deal."

Sebastian said, "So just working in the front office you could tell Paul Vail wasn't selling but Jessie wanted to."

"Oh yes. Jessie Vail came to the office all the time. Cory took her to lunch a few times. Twice she brought lunch here and once she even brought flowers for the office. She was so nice but she really wanted to sell the business. She wanted the money."

"What do you think happened to Paul Vail?" Sebastian asked.
            "I don't know. I mean I know the police came around at first but there is no way Cory could do something like that. Maybe Mr. Rappelo could do it but not Cory. He wasn't like that. He was just here to buy the business. He wasn't like the others that came with Mr. Rappelo. Those guys were trouble you could tell that.

It was awful after Paul Vail died. Even Mrs. Vail was different. She never came around any more and she would hardly return Cory's calls. He waited a little while, maybe a month, you know to be respectful and then he offered to buy her business again but she was sort of avoiding him."
            They stopped in front of Corrine's apartment.

"What happened yesterday between Rappelo and Cory?"

"Mr. Rappelo was swearing. I heard him say I want my money Cory. He kept saying find the fucking money and then shut this shit down."

"Do you think Cory Pezzo killed himself?"
            Corinne looked confused.

"What do you mean? He hung himself. Didn't you see the belt on the ceiling."
            "It looked that way," Sebastian said. "Do you think he would do that?"

"I can't believe it," she said. "I know that Mr. Rappelo was very angry and I know that Cory was in some trouble with his uncle but I couldn't believe it when I saw that. Cory never seemed like the kind of guy who could do that."

"Do you think maybe Peter Rappelo could do that to Cory?"
            Corrine thought about the question and became angry.

"Yes Mr. Rappelo was a thug," She said. She started to cry again.

"Cory and he were family but I am sure Mr. Rappelo was mad last night. He was yelling about money."

Sebastian left Corinne at her apartment and drove slowly back to Cory Pezzo's office. He turned things over in his head and listened to music. The sun was still shinning brightly although it would be sinking from the sky in another hour. He couldn't see very well and wished he had brought sun glasses.

It had been a long afternoon. Sebastian felt that this was a very strange turn of events.

Cory Pezzo was the first suspect in Paul Vail's murder investigation. Sebastian had been sent there to snoop around and try to provide enough evidence to reopen a wire tap on Pezzo. Kelly had been following Pezzo and saw him as the most likely suspect in the death of Paul Vail.

He had to talk to Kelly and let him know that whether or not Pezzo had arranged the death of Paul Vail he was now out of the equation and Sebastian believed someone else had orchestrated Pezzo's death. He had been sent to find out who killed Vail and now he had to learn about Pezzo.

He parked in the lot where earlier that afternoon dozens of police from around the county had been swarming. Now it was quiet. The body was gone. The landlord had had a new lock installed on the door that Sebastian had broken to get into the office.

He climbed out of his truck and walked towards the little red sports car still parked with the convertible roof down.

Sebastian was tired and the sun was dazzling or he might have noticed the figure behind the wall. As he walked to the car he was unaware of the man who stepped out and hurried towards him.