A Father's Wrath (9 page)

Joe went back into the bedroom, ready to jump
out the back window. He heard the machine gun fire a few shots,
then it stopped. Joe looked out the window. Both of his dogs were
laid out on the grass, not moving.

He turned and went back to the top of the
staircase. With his gun out in front of him, he peeked over the
staircase, into the living room. The fourth man was not
there.

Joe tiptoed down the steps while keeping his
eyes on the smashed open front door and the entrance to the
kitchen. At the bottom of the stairs, Joe heard a car outside
screeching away.

He peeked out the front door. No one was there.
The street was silent. The sound of Sade singing continued in the
background from inside the house.

Joe went back in. All three men on the floor
were full of bullet holes.

He hurried to the backyard to check his dogs.
They were unconscious, but alive. They must have tranquilized
them.

Sirens got louder as Joe checked the rest of
the house to be sure no one else was there.

He stepped out the front door and took his gun
permit from his wallet as a cop car pulled up onto the front yard
with sirens blaring.

The cops pointed their guns at Joe.

He raised his hands. “They attacked me in my
house. My gun is on the coffee table inside. Here’s the
permit.”

They approached cautiously.

Michelle pulled up in her Maxima. She parked on
the street and got out. “Joe? What happened?”

“It’s okay, baby. Just stay by your
car.”

Two other cop cars skidded down the street and
screeched to a stop in front of Joe’s house as the neighbors peeked
out their windows.

CHAPTER 29

Joe and his mother had a guest for Sunday
dinner, Uncle Timothy.

While eating, they spoke about current events
and the weather.

After dinner, they all settled down in the
living room and polished off a couple six-packs. They talked about
memories, good ones and bad ones, and they did a lot of laughing.
Disco from the ‘70’s played in the background.

Joe was happy that his uncle the congressman
was still enough of a regular guy to have some beers and some
laughs with his family.

Uncle Timothy pulled a wooden pipe from his
pocket. “Sorry, sis, but I need a smoke.”

“Just don’t do it in here.”

Timothy stood and turned to Joe. “Come outside
and keep me company.”

Joe followed his uncle out the sliding glass
door to the backyard.

The white plastic furniture on the back porch
had a thin sheet of ice and didn’t look very clean, so they
stood.

The air was cold, but the lack of wind made it
comfortable.

Timothy packed his pipe with cherry tobacco,
then, before lighting it, he said, “Tell me everything . . . from
the beginning.” He lit his pipe and began puffing away.

Joe told him about finding the raped boy at the
fundraiser and explained everything that had happened since
then.

Timothy said, “Yates Pharmaceuticals is a
multi-billion dollar a year business, and The Republic of Tan Guk
Van recently granted them exclusive rights to eighty percent of the
country’s opium poppy fields.”

Joe said, “That explains a lot.”

Timothy let out a big cloud of smoke, then
removed the pipe from his mouth and said, “Do you believe Detective
McCoy took a bribe?”

Joe nodded. “I do.”

Timothy took another puff, then asked, “Do you
know what today is?”

Joe didn’t like smoking, but he did enjoy the
smell of cherry tobacco coming from a pipe. He answered his uncle’s
question, “Sunday.”

He lit his pipe again, then said, “Today is the
Ides of March.”

“The day they killed Caesar.”

Timothy nodded. “I’m going to arrange a meeting
with this Mr. Bedford.”

“You think you can get him to offer you a
bribe?”

“It shouldn’t be so hard. Everyone thinks all
politicians are on the take anyway.”

CHAPTER 30

After learning of Wayne Norman’s botched
assassination attempt, Bradley wondered if it wasn’t time to get
into a different line of business, but then again, Wayne’s
mercenaries might come after him, just because he knows too
much.

When Congressman Scott contacted him at his
office this morning, Bradley became even more worried. He knew that
Congressman Scott was Joe Martello’s uncle, and after what had just
happened, that put him in a very bad spot.

Bradley had spent the entire day in his office,
on his computer, making sure that there wasn’t any incriminating
evidence against himself, Wayne, or David. He didn’t even stop for
lunch.

“Damn you, Wayne Norman.” Bradley checked his
watch for the hundredth time.

The intercom on his desk buzzed.

Bradley pressed a button and answered,
“Yes?”

A woman’s voice answered, “Congressman Scott is
here to see you.”

Bradley glanced at his watch again and said to
himself, “Fifteen minutes early.” He adjusted his silk tie, then
pressed the button on the intercom and said, “Send him in,
Lois.”

Congressman Scott stood a couple inches taller
than Bradley. He had a full head of thick white hair and pale blue
eyes.

They shook hands.

“Have a seat congressman.”

The congressman sat and displayed a big perfect
smile. “Call me Timothy.”

Bradley knew the congressman had spent
hundreds, if not thousands of hours practicing his smile. He knew
from experience that the more trustworthy a politician seemed, the
less trustworthy he really was. “Can I get you something to drink .
. . Timothy?”

“No, thank you. I really don’t have time to
stay. I just stopped by for a quick chat.”

“Okay. Chat away.” Bradley waited for him to
talk about the attempt on his nephew’s life. He knew his replies
had to be good to bullshit a bullshitter.

“It’s about my nephew. The truth is, he’s a
good kid, but after his father was killed three years ago . . .
something just changed. He doesn’t seem to be as sharp as he once
was. Personally, I believe that’s the reason he quit law to become
a cop. Of course, I could never tell the kid what I think. It would
break his heart.”

Bradley was still waiting for him to talk about
the attempt on Joe’s life. “So . . . how can I help
you?”

“We’re both worldly men, Mr. Bedford. My nephew
is not. He’s still young and naïve enough to believe in truth and
justice. And he’s stubborn, too. The only people he ever listens
to, other than his father, god rest his soul, is his mother and
myself.”

Bradley said, “I still don’t understand what
this has to do with me.”

“My nephew tells me you offered Mr. Carson a
substantial sum of money, as well as paying off Detective
McCoy.”

Bradley’s heart began to pound. He wondered if
his office was bugged. He tried to think if anyone had worked over
the weekend. Maybe that’s when they got in and bugged the
place.

Timothy said, “You look nervous. Don’t be. I’m
not here in an official capacity.”

“Oh?”

“No. I’m actually working in a fundraising
capacity at the moment.”

“I see.” Bradley knew it was a set-up now, and
he wasn’t going to fall for it. “I’d be happy to help. Just see my
secretary on the way out and she’ll cut you a check.”

“I was hoping for cash.”

Bradley’s palms began to sweat. He wondered
where the microphone was. Under the desk? In his intercom? Maybe
the congressman had it on him. “Sorry, Congressman . . . Timothy .
. . I don’t keep any cash in the office.”

“I’ll just take the package you had in the
trunk of your car. The one for Mr. Carson.”

“I’m sorry, sir. But I have no idea what you
are talking about.”

Timothy just smiled, showing his big white
teeth.

Bradley stood. “It was very nice meeting you
though.”

Timothy kept his perfect smile while standing.
He shook Bradley’s hand and said, “If you want to play hardball Mr.
Bedford, be advised that I am not new to the game.”

Bradley stood and watched the congressman as he
turned around and opened the door.

Before leaving, Timothy turned back to Bradley
and said, “By the way, I will be heading the new congressional
committee on pharmaceutical manufacturing standards outside the
United Sates. It’s a shame we couldn’t be friends.” Timothy walked
out the door.

Bradley wondered if the congressman was
bluffing. Were they really forming such a committee? Was this
really a set-up or just another greedy politician on the take? He
knew that this man could get Joe Martello to leave things alone,
and more importantly, he could make things go very smoothly for
Yates Pharmaceuticals in Asia.

While pacing around in his office, Bradley
considered making the deal. If it was a set-up, he’d go to jail.
But then again, if he was somehow convicted of bribing McCoy, he’d
also go to jail. Either way, the company would probably have him
killed to silence him.

Bradley powered off his computer and grabbed
his coat and hat. He was ready to go have a nice dinner, fuck his
Russian mistress, and forget about things for a while.

On his way down the hall, Bradley tried not to
think about Congressman Scott and his deal, but that’s all he could
think about. He knew the congressman already had something on him,
and had unlimited resources to investigate with. It was easy to
picture himself in televised congressional hearings like Jimmy
Hoffa.

Now that they were on to him, he had a feeling
they would get him anyways, so he decided to make the deal and take
his chances. If things went well, he’d have another congressman in
his pocket, not just a congressman, but the head of the
congressional committee on pharmaceutical manufacturing standards
outside the United Sates. An invaluable ally.

Just as he approached the elevators, Bradley
turned around and hurried back. He hoped it wasn’t too
late.

He approached his secretary’s desk and said,
“Lois. Tell security to stop the congressman. I need to speak with
him again.”

She picked up the phone. “Yes. Hi, it’s Lois on
twenty-two. Please tell Congressman Scott that Mr. Bedford needs to
speak with him again.” She waited a second, then turned to Bradley
and said, “He already went into the garage.”

“Well, call the garage and tell them to stop
him. I need to talk to him. It’s important. I’ll meet him in front
of the garage entrance.” Bradley hurried to the elevator and got in
with a few other people.

Finally, at the lobby, Bradley exited the
elevator and hurried to a door on the back wall. The security guard
opened the door to let Bradley in.

He hurried down the concrete stairs and then
made his way to the opposite side of the garage full of parked
cars.

He was already out of breath. He stopped and
looked at the concrete ramp that led up to the street.
“Fuck.”

Just as he was ready to go up the ramp, he
heard a horn beep at him.

When he turned around, he saw Timothy siting in
a restored classic Corvette. Not what Bradley would have guessed
the congressman drove.

Timothy pulled over into an empty spot and got
out of his car. He approached Bradley and said, “You are in
terrible shape. You really should join a gym.”

In between breaths, Bradley said,
“Thanks.”

Timothy said, “You wanted to see
me?”

“I changed my mind. I want to make a
contribution.”

Timothy put back his trademark
smile.

Bradley said, “It’s on the lower
level.”

“You sure you can make it?”

“I’m fine.” Bradley headed back to the
staircase and went down another floor while Timothy followed
him.

Bradley approached his limo and tapped on the
driver’s side window.

The window rolled down. The driver looked like
he’d been sleeping. “I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t know you were ready
to go.”

“Never mind that. Just pop the truck and wait
for me.”

“Yes, sir.” The driver leaned over and pressed
a button that opened the trunk.

Bradley and Timothy went to the trunk of the
car. Bradley pulled back a blanket and then opened a briefcase.
Inside were stacks of brand new hundred dollar bills.

“You kept all this money here like
this?”

“It was in the safe upstairs until this
afternoon. I was supposed to try to pay off Mrs. Carson tonight,
but now that you and I are friends, I’d appreciate it if you could
smooth things over with Mrs. Carson, so I don’t have to deal with
her.”

Timothy said, “I can see this being the start
of a very happy friendship.”