THE MILAN CATHEDRAL, home to the Archbishop, was only about a twenty minute walk from where Montey Greene was staying. But he opted for the complimentary Vespa scooter he was given access to by the woman who was still sitting in one of the chairs in front of the building when he boarded it. She handed him the keys to it a couple of days earlier. Said it came with the flat, as did the stack of euros and preloaded credit card that were in an envelope taped to the refrigerator.
Montey had no idea how he was going to pay his friends back. He told them that a couple of weeks earlier when Annette and Daniel were in the States. They had already gifted him the Tag Heuer watch he was wearing for his birthday. Then Marley suggested Montey should take a trip to clear his mind of all his worries. Suggested they all should go—Marley, Daniel, Annette, Caesar and Montey—to an island somewhere. Sip on Redbull and chill. Celebrate his birthday for a month.
Caesar had even given Montey a card to an escort service. Said he paid for all the hoes to give Montey all the mafungo-dungo he could handle. Getting a piece of ass wasn't one of Montey's concerns, getting a job to give him some piece of mind was.
Daniel and Annette told Montey they knew a woman back in Europe, in Milan to be specific. She was like a mother to them. Always had vacancies in a building she owned. Wouldn't mind the company. They were heading back there. Told their reluctant friend to keep checking his e-mail. Now here Montey was handing that woman postcards before he pulled out into the early afternoon traffic.
"Oh, could you take care of these for me?"
Maria shuffled the four postcards, "Marley Williams. Caesar Cortines. Spider, Clinton Correctional Facility. No last name?"
"None needed," Montey said. Then he opened the throttle on the scooter and was gone.
Ten minutes later Montey Greene crossed the red cobblestone intersection of Piazza della Scala, braking to a stop in the parking section reserved for scooters in front of La Scala Opera House. He dismounted then doubled back across the street, crossing the tram tracks milliseconds before the electric charged rail cars of an era long gone whizzed by; spotted Annette and Daniel amongst the people standing by the monument of Leonardo da Vinci in the center of the square.
They were a good pair, Annette and Daniel. Though Montey often wondered how he kept up with her.
Daniel cleared Montey by four inches as he was six-foot four, with slightly stooped shoulders. If he ever straightened out his spine Montey swore Daniel would be six-five easily. He had a narrow elongated shaped head with a protruding jaw line. The landscape of his ashen white face was dotted with freckles and the chill in the late morning air made it appear as if it was in desperate need of facial lotion. His dark brown beady eyes were set close to the bridge of his nose and the buzz cut that he favored made him look more menacing than he actually was. A gray pea coat draped his wiry frame and he wore gray tweed slacks, a gray zip up sweater and brown suede rubber soled oxfords. A half smoked cigarette dangled between the two thin lines above his chin perpetrating as lips.
Annette on the other hand was a full foot and two inches shorter than Daniel standing five-foot two in her black comfortable rubber soled walking shoes. On this brisk day she wore fitted black pants, a red turtle neck under a black waist length leather jacket. She was half black and half Italian with a round face framed by small ears which peeked out from under the geometrical haircut that she sported. She didn't smoke or eat red meat.
"Annette. Daniel."
The Coopers spun around.
"Montey," a happy Annette said as she embraced him.
Daniel looked at this watch. Flicked his cigarette to the ground. Extinguished what was left of the burning down cancer stick with the toe of his shoe. Shook Montey's hand while blowing cigarette smoke in his face.
"Bastard," Montey said through a cough as he pushed him away.
"Good to see you too chap."
"How do you like your flat?" Annette wanted to know.
"It's tight. She actually thought Marley and Caesar were coming too."
"We told her that was a possibility."
"I actually thought they would have made it. Sucks for them," chimed in Daniel as he pulled a little brown bag from his pocket. "Here's your medicinals."
Montey took the bag. Opened it. Took a nice long whiff. "Ahhh, a little sweet, a little pungent, that's wassup."
"You thought I forgot didn't you? Alaskan Thunderfuck G-13," Daniel noted.
"Sounds like a damn fighter jet. How far away am I from where you guys are staying?"
"Not far," Daniel offered.
"It's called the Navigli District. Over by the canals. A lot of nice quaint cafes. Have you made it over there yet?" asked Annette.
"Nah."
"We should go there now to grab a bite," Annette paused. "Did you get the envelope?" she wanted to know.
Montey hesitated to answer.
"It's okay, he knows."
"Yeah I got it. I can't thank you guys enough. Don't know how I'm going to repay it, but..."
Annette then asked, "Patricia? The kids?"
"She knows," Montey quickly and unconvincingly answered.
"He didn't call her," Annette and Daniel said to each other simultaneously.
"Look, I'll call. Right now I'm just enjoying my head space. Do they do that siesta thing out here?"
"Riposo?"
"That's what they call it, Riposo?"
"Yes. Why?" Annette responded.
"Because, I wanna swing back by that store you told me about. I saw something that Patricia may like, I wanna get your opinion."
"Okay suit yourself," Daniel chipped in as he checked his watch. "It's not going to save you from the ass whipping you have coming from the Mrs. for not calling...but, they should have reopened by now."
"And then can we please grab something to eat, I for one am famished," pleased Daniel's better half.
"Well let's eat first then, it ain't like you can afford to lose more weight," Money joked. "What's good around here?"
"Café Bifi," she suggested, "it's right there in the galleria."
"It's not one of those bougie places where you gotta wait forever to get in is it? 'Cause I'm not tryin' to wait in nobody's line."
"No," Annette answered.
"Bet. That's wassup."
The three friends headed to Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, the famed shopping arcade covered with a glass and iron roof.