Things were looking up for Carmine LaFrenza, president and owner of Orange County Auto Used Car, Towing, Parts & Repair. On September 7th Carlos had put to a City Council vote the proposal he had drawn up to assign the $1.35-million no-bid city contract to Carmine's company. It had passed with only one dissention, which had been duly noted at the time, and was addressed shortly thereafter, by a member of Vinnie's gang. By all accounts that councilman would recover.
With the land swap being concluded on May 11th, about three months ago, Carmine had all the real estate he needed to expand his operations and address the backlog of dirty cash.
He was happy.
Carmela was happy.
Vinnie was happy.
And the Mayor would be happy as well when Vinnie bought back the property at 14981 Ballou Circle through a shell corporation his new accountant, Sue Ellen Spradley, had set up for him.
Even the guys holding paper on the Mayor would be happy.
Carmine had to hand it to Vinnie, hiring that hick broad was a stroke of genius. Who figured an MBA from Oral Roberts came in such a hot package? And that hillbilly sure knew her shit. So much so that Carmine was thinking of turning his books over to her as well.
'Why not' though Carmine. 'Vinnie's got the rednecks by the balls now that his boy Cotton had delivered the custom 'police tracker' software to the Lopers, soes they could keep themselves safe from the State Police and the Feds. The locals only bothered him and the Lopers when Vinnie allowed the DA and the Sheriff's department to, just enough soes residents felt like their elected officials were managing the gang and drug 'problem' as best as possible.'
'Yeah' considered Carmine, pulling out his glass pipe and packing himself a bowl, 'life in the late summer of 2017 was looking pretty nice.'
Now Carlos Santino Campana had been cheating on his wife even before he had married her in 1997, about one year before he passed the California bar and joined the District Attorney's office. It wasn't because she wasn't attractive or didn't take care of him.
It was only because he could.
When he returned to the city people still remembered him around the neighborhood, and Santa Ana Mothers looked to him as a success story. A boy from the hood making good. A college graduate with a personality as big as all outdoors. Rumors were, he was headed to the DA's office if all went well.
The moms as much as pimped out their own daughters to him.
"Meet my daughter Camila. She's single Carlos. Has her own apartment. Here's her number."
"Sofi Maria just turned 21. Such a beautiful girl. You should take her out. Here's her number."
"Gabriela just completed her yoga teacher training. Such a body. Here's her number."
He called them all and dated them all, until they bored him, or a fresher face was thrust upon him by another mother.
And it hadn't stopped ever since. In fact, each time his fortunes took another turn upward there was another wave of willing women. But now they offered themselves of their own accord, in the full knowledge that he was married, hoping perhaps that he might consider them as a new mate worthy of taking on his last name.
The benefit; no, more than that, the right of being a successful man.
Maria had always berated him when he came home from a tryst. Crying. Yelling. Pouting. But eventually succumbing and once again assuming the mantle of the 'good wife'.
She was there when she was required for photo opportunities. The supportive partner. The fit homemaker.
That was until early November 2017.
She'd gone to a gallery opening sponsored by the World Environmental Initiative and had returned home a different woman. Somehow lighter. Less burdened. He had even thrown her some 'red meat' by leaving a pair of silk panties where she could find them.
She had just picked them up and had thrown them away without a word.
As if she didn't care.
And that wasn't a good sign.
Vinnie had told him a 'future Mayor' needs to project a stable home life. There wasn't room for any problems.
He had said the plan was in motion and potential public emotional outbursts or marital problems weren't acceptable.
"Talk to the wife, Carlos. Get her in line" instructed Vinnie.
"I might need some help with that" answered Carlos.
Vinnie just smiled and nodded.