Honor Thy Mother & Thy Father Ch. 07

Stephano got into a car with two men from the FBI. They were headed towards downtown Boston, when he saw a Bank of America branch, and he asked them to stop, so he could make a withdrawal. He walked inside, and wrote out a draft for $20,000 with his account number on it and brought it to the window. The clerk asked him why such a large amount of money in cash and he replied, "I am going to be backpacking the Midwest. They do not have may branches of your bank there. "If you would like me to go outside and bring in one of my friends from the FBI to verify who I am, I would be more than happy to. Would you please cash my check, I am in a hurry.

The teller called the manager and told her about the withdrawal and the manager asked to see extra identification.

Stephano said, "Stand right where you are; do not move or I will have you arrested." He walked outside the bank and asked one agent if he would walk inside with him, and verify his identity. The agent walked up to the counter, showed his ID and asked, "Is there a problem with Mister Valentino's identity?"

The manager said, "No, sir, none at all. We will take care of his request right away. We're sorry for his inconvenience."

The only time $20,000 left a bank faster was during a robbery, and even then it may have been a tie.

The agents took Stephano to a safe house in South Boston where he spent the evening trying to figure out what to do with his life, until he could testify at a trial that could be years down the road. His mind often drifted to Patricia, but that was out of his hands. There was nothing else he could do. He had access to money all over the world, until the Feds seized it all from his father. He decided it would be best if he moved it into his own name, because he would need something to live on while he was underground. He started doing that from the comfort of the safe house.

22. A Quiet Dinner for Two

The Attorney General and the Director of the FBI did not often go out to dinner together. They were not friends; they were colleagues, so the invitation caught the Attorney General off guard. There was something in the tone of the Directors invitation that intrigued the General and he accepted."

They dined at the exclusive Hay-Adams restaurant, which again piqued the Attorney General's interest, because it was way above the Directors normal budgetary interests.

He said, "Okay, Michael, are you going to wine me, dine me, grease me up, and fuck me here in the restaurant, or are you going to take me to bed, and do it?"

"Clark you stab me in the heart. I thought we were here for general conversation and a good time."

"Michael, you wouldn't know a good time if it smacked you in the face. What is on your mind?"

"We have a problem Clark and I believe it is in your office. I hope to God I am wrong, but the information I received today sticks to him like peanut butter sticks to bread."

"This sounds very interesting, Michael. What have you heard and who is it?"

"It is your law clerk, Fred. I believe he is a snitch for the New York mob. The information came in today, from Stephano Valentino himself. It is irrefutable, but we have to catch him, with his hand in the cookie jar, to prove it."

"What has he done, let me change that; what do you think he has done?"

"The trial we lost in New York was given away by him. He knew our mole was Alan Robbins. Fred found out Robins' was in the middle of a divorce and told his people about it. They got the wife a high-priced lawyer that drove him into a bottle. He never knew what hit him. I had it checked out today. She had no legal bills. The lawyer is a big-time mob lawyer. We think he got to Alan's lawyer also, but that will take time to prove. The problem we have right now is Bruno Valentino. Did you mention or leave any information about where Bruno is for him to see?"

"No, I was not in the office at all today."

"Wonderful, we caught a break. Maybe we can work this to our advantage. Let's schedule an emergency meeting for Saturday. Tell Fred he doesn't have to come, that you can handle it yourself. He works so hard during the week; you know butter him up. He will insist on coming in, and you insist on him taking the weekend off. He will show up anyhow to show his loyalty to you. You will be so gracious when he shows up, because you won't know what to do without him. Make a big thing about the envelope William Zabo gave you that is in your safe. Say how important it will be when we get these men to trial. As long as the seals are not broken on the certified letters they are admissible in court as true records of the events that happened twenty years ago. Take them out of your vault, put it on the table, pound on it, and say we got the bastards, and then put it back into your vault and lock it. We will talk about where we have Bruno and how we guard him, because he is sick and we have to keep him close to hospital. We will talk about, Stephano and how we are hiding him in Maine. Alan Robbins is dead as far as they are concerned, so if everyone keeps their mouth shut, no one will look for him in Arizona, while he is recuperating. I wish I had a mountain, I could drop on Patricia, to keep her safe, but she will not listen to anyone, not even her father now, because they have had a falling out. So we will handle the things that we can handle, first, and let the chips fly where they may on the others. The first thing we have to do is to find out if Fred is really as dirty as I think he is."

"Michael, I have known that boy for thirteen years. I watched him graduate from Harvard and then Yale law School. He was offered jobs from law firms all across this nation and he turned them down to serve this country. I hope with all my heart you are wrong."

"Clark, if they are paying him millions of dollars a year under the table, he is making more money than he would at any law firm."

"I hope this fine dinner you are paying for makes my stomach feel better."

"As long as you don't order the scallops, I will pay."

"You know I love scallops. Did you also know that they make a Beef Wellington here that is to die for?"

"It is probably the most expensive thing on the menu."

"No, the veal chops are."

23. Take It or Leave It

Steve, Patricia, and a group of professors and students were in the student union discussing what they had done during the day and how they should continue working together in the future.

The Professors reminded them to remain silent on their part in this operation. Their safety was paramount to the school, parents, and their interests. Going around boasting about what they had accomplished would provide fodder for other gangsters to come to the school and prove that a bullet could damage the entire school as much as it could damage one student. The message was not lost on any of them.

Steve was very attentive to Patricia. He told her that he had been in touch with Sandi's parents and many of the parents that had been killed in the explosion. They were a close-knit group now, having suffered a common loss. He expected that soon, with the knowledge that she was alive, and that Bruno Valentino had acknowledged his culpability in the act that had killed their children, they would become more vocal in seeking justice for them in Massachusetts.

Patricia said, "I do not care where they put them in jail, as long as they never get out. I don't want them to hurt anyone else. I don't want anyone else's child to suffer the way they are suffering now. I have cried so much, I have run out of tears."

While they were walking on the Quad, Steve said, "Patty, after what you and our teams did today, you deserve to smile. You promised me in the hospital, that I would get to see the other half of you. When you feel happy, I am going to hold you to that promise."

"I never promised you that Steven and you know it. You tried to imply that I said it, while we were in a conversation on the computer. The only place it actually happened was between your ears. So put one finger in each ear, and close your eyes. Maybe you'll come up with a vision of what you are looking for."

"Why did you send me money, Patty?"

"I want you to make a success of your business. I didn't want you to have to go back to work for some big company, because of money worries. You have the talent; you just need time to produce a good, marketable product. I did not want your dreams to get cut short because of a paycheck. We were good friends, and I had money to give you."

"You were as tight as every one of us, month-to-month, at school. Where did all this money come from?"

"My mom kept me on a very tight budget, at school, to teach me how to manage money. It did not mean that we did not have money. We have a ranch, and we do have money, so I gave you some."

"$1,000,000 is not some money, Patty; it is a lot of money."

"When you are rich and famous, do the same thing for someone who is aspiring to become rich and famous, Steve. It is just like that movie, "Pay It Forward." It will make you feel good."

"So you're saying you gave me the money, because we are friends; you want me to succeed; and not because you want to jump into bed with me?"

Patty laughed. "As exciting as that sounds Steve, no, I do not want to jump into bed with you. I am not in love with you."

"Then, would you mind if I made a suggestion to you?"

"Do I have to pay for it, or is it free?"

"It is definitely for free, but I have a feeling you're going to smack me after I say it."

"Okay, go ahead I will warm up my hand."

"As much as I hate losing you, especially you; why don't you go to him now and say 'Yes' to his question. You are head over heels for him. I know you're conflicted. I know you are confused. I know it is very complicated in your mind, but have you seen your mind lately? All of us are confused by it; even the professors. But Stephano did not kill your mom. He did not kill our friends. He even looks like a nice guy; even though I hate him. I have never seen a man look as down in the mouth as he was, when he walked away from you. Give him a break. Give him a chance; he could even wind up being better than me; although I doubt it. If he is smart, he will cement you on top of a pedestal, with a chair and a long electric cord for your computer."

"It is not that easy, Steve."

"Look at me, Whitey. From the top of your snow-capped head, to the bottom of your twinkle toes, life is never easy. I got $1,000,000 check from a chick. When I asked her why; she said she likes me. I like my goldfish, and I don't give it $1,000,000. I like my sister, and I don't give her $1,000,000. I have a friend she gives me $1,000,000 and you know why? She likes me. You want to talk about life not being easy; you figure that one out. I'll be in my psychiatrist's office asking her."

"Come on, Steve. It is not the same thing."

"Okay, let's try this one. A girl types a message to a boy that is in love with her; and tells him about a boy that she loves desperately, who is not him. She knows that the boy on the other end of the computer has a hard-on the size of a baseball bat for her. Does she stop and give him mercy? No, she does not. She continues her message and tells him that this man has proposed marriage to her, and she said 'No,' thereby giving the man at the other end of the computer hope for his future. When they finally meet, and he asks her about this, what does she say, "No, we are friends; I do not want to jump into bed with you, pressing a knife deep into the heart of the man, who was on the other end of the computer. Do you see what I mean, Patty?"

"Steven, do you think you could lend me a couple of thousand dollars. I'm running a little short on cash."

"Do you have any collateral?"

"No, just this." She reached over and kissed him. It was not a brotherly kiss either.

"God dammit, Patty, you do it every time. I am calm and you pull a classic 'get the dick up' routine like that. How do you expect me to walk to the bank now?"

"Steve, it is 11 o'clock at night, I don't know of any bank that is open at this hour. Do you have a hotel room I can bunk in tonight?"

Steve looked up into the sky and said, "Lord, why doesn't she just kill me now and get it over with. She will go into the room and probably say I need a shower; I will be right out. She'll come prancing out wrapped in a towel and say I forgot my razor; I have to shave my pubes."

Patricia laughed. "Steve, stop it. I only shave my pubes on Mondays."

Steve feigned falling down backwards onto the grass. When he landed softly, Patricia kicked him in his butt, told him to get off his lazy ass and to show her where she would be sleeping that evening.

They walked arm in arm to the Hyatt, and when Steve playfully put his hand on her ass, he found out that Patricia had the sharpest elbows in the tri-state area.

The following morning, Steve gave Patricia, $10,000 from a local branch of his bank, and they parted company. He was taking Amtrak back to New York. She was going to find Stephano and see what life would bring them.

She called the number on the card given to her by the FBI agent and he told her that Stephano left for the airport, nearly an hour and a half ago. When she asked him where was he going, and on what airline he was not sure. He thought he was flying out West, but he could not guarantee it. On her way to the airport she decided to call him and ask where he was going.

"Hello!"

"Hello. You weren't even going to call to say goodbye?"

"I thought we did all that yesterday."

"Have you decided where you're going and what you're going to do?"

"I have fond memories of the Phoenix area, so I was going back there and do some hiking and looking at some caves."

"You better take some sunscreen with you, you will burn very easily."

"I will get some when I get there."

"What airline are you flying?"

"Continental, I'm flying first-class. I got some money out of the bank before I got here."

"You got tired of flying with us regular folks."

"No, I wasn't going to be very good company, so I decided to leave everyone else alone and peaceful."

"That was quite considerate of you, but then again you always were a very nice guy. Steve says hi and wishes you all the best."

"Tell him thanks; I think you guys will be happy together."

"Thank you for planning my life for me, I really appreciate it. It takes the stress and strain off my shoulders. I have no more decisions to make."

"What would you like me to say, Patricia?

"You wouldn't even ask me."

"You would have said no."

"So what, at least you would have tried."

"It hurt too much to hear that word. Every time I asked, I either got a 'No' or no answer. No matter how much you love someone, if it is not returned, you have to stop trying."

"I told you I love you."

"Yes, but you also said it was inconvenient, and that you would not marry me, because of my family. There is nothing I can do about my relatives."

"Stephano how long before your flight departs?"

"Forty minutes."

"Okay, you will be boarding soon, I will not keep you. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

She knew she was a bitch on the phone. She had caused this fight with him, and she knew why she did it. Her mind wanted to run away from him. Her body rebelled against it. She got out of the cab she found herself walking towards the Continental ticket counter. She asked how many tickets they had sold in first-class to Phoenix. The agent responded saying they had sold only one first-class ticket to Phoenix.

"Would it happen to be my boyfriend Stephano Valentino?"

The agent said, "We are not supposed to give out that information."

"The only reason I ask is I just got in from overseas and he doesn't know I'm home yet. If it is him, I would like to order a bottle of champagne for us for the flight."

The agent smiled at her and said, "Yes, it is him. Do you have a particular type of champagne you would like?"

"He normally orders for us, but could you order us a very good one, please; $200 or $300 for a bottle."

"Yes ma'am will take care of it right away." She gave Patty her ticket and called down to the boarding area to make sure they waited for her to get there, before they closed the doors to the aircraft.

The gate attendant was already standing at the door when Patty came running up with her ticket in her hand. She walked down the Jetway, and into the aircraft. When she gazed down upon him, he was looking out the window, but seeing nothing.

She said, "I guess she got away."

He tried to get up, but he was buckled into his seat. He sat back down unbuckled the belt stood back up and hit his head on the overhead compartment.

"What are you doing here?"

She laughed at him and said, "Would you like to ask me again or should we start over from the beginning?"

"I do not have the strength to start over from the beginning, Patricia. So if you don't mind, Patricia Garrett-Parent will you marry me?"

The lone flight attendant stood there shocked, and waited for an answer to come out of Patricia's mouth.

Patricia smiled at Stephano and said, "I'll think about it."

Stephano reached for her neck and said, "I am going to kill you before we reached the runway."

She smiled and said, "I didn't say no."

"Patricia, you have five seconds to say the right answer."

"Stephano, you can't take a joke anymore."

"Five four three two one..."

"Yes, I will marry you. I even ordered the champagne."

"You put me through this torment and you ordered champagne, before you got on the airplane?"

"Yes I did."

"Woman, you are going to get such a beating when I get you alone."

"You big oaf, you haven't even kissed me yet."

"I am thinking about it."

"What? You have been pleading for months to kiss me, and now you're thinking about it? Just wait until you want to take the next step. You will be waiting for a very long time."

"Patricia, I asked you to marry me. In front of this witness, you said, YES. You are proud to say you never lie. I expect you to keep your promise. I never said, when I would marry you, and I never set a date for our wedding. I never said I would be celibate, during our engagement period. You must keep your virginity intact, until our wedding night. When you become frustrated enough, you can beg me to set a date for our wedding, and to quote one of your favorite answers to me, "I will think about it."

He had beaten her for a third time, and she hated to lose. She had fire in her eyes, and her heart was beating furiously. She had two choices, she could concede, or she could get off the plane. She decided to get off the plane.

She said, "I will wait for your call. Goodbye." She turned around and walked towards the door of the aircraft, and found it was closed

She heard him say, "I guess he got away?"

She whirled around, "I told you, Stephano, you confuse me. I do not know how to deal with you. One moment I love you, and the next minute I hate you. What you said in there hurt me. The thought of you with other women was too much for me to take. It was complicated enough before you said that, and now I do not know what to do."

"Patricia, think for a moment. What did I say to you when we were at the restaurant? Put your emotions aside, and think for a moment; WHAT DID I SAY?"

She was so upset, she was hard pressed to separate her rational from her the emotional self.

The flight attendant came to the door and said, "I am sorry Sir, but we have to prepare for departure. Please take your seats."

Stephano begged, "Please give her one minute more, just one minute more. Our future depends on it."

Patricia's eyes opened wide as she remembered what he said to her. "There will be no one else for me, Patricia; not now, not in the middle, not ever."

She ran to him, with tears in her eyes, and threw herself into his arms. "You are the only person that can confuse me so much that I cannot think. I love you so much it hurts. This is going to be a very trying relationship, but I will make it work for us."