The Crusader Ch. 04

"Made it official did you?" Frank asked.

"Not really. I only work by referral and won't take just any case."

"Can't be too picky about your cases. That's not conducive to making money Rollie."

"Frank, you should know I don't care about the money. Think about what I charged you for finding your daughter."

Rossi's nodded his head in understanding. His daughter, Angela, had faked her kidnapping to get money from him to go to Europe with her friends. But her boyfriend took over and really did kidnap her. He'd demanded $250,000 for her release. Rollie had found her and brought her home. He had a tape recorder with Angela admitting her part in the scam but Rollie destroyed it to protect Rossi's reputation. The only fee charged was $100 to replace the recorder.

"Well I still owe you for that Rollie. If those boys are local, I'll find out about them."

Rollie nodded his thanks and walked toward the front door. "See ya around Leo," he called out as he left. Leo gave him a dark look as he walked past. I shouldn't rattle his cage like that, Rollie thought. But I just don't like him.

He drove back to his apartment and found Jessica in the kitchen making a sandwich. Dr. Jessica Talbert had been Rollie's therapist when his wife Susan committed suicide. They had been thrown together again when Jessica worked as a profiler for the St. Louis Police on the "Campus Rapist Case"; Rollie was the lead detective on the case. Rollie persisted and she had finally gotten over her ethical concerns about dating a patient. He had pointed out that he was no longer her patient and wore her down. Jessica had moved into Rollie's place after the case of the kidnapped daughter.

"That looks good," Rollie said as he kissed her hello.

"I make a pretty good sandwich," Jessica replied. "You want one?"

"Oh yeah, a sandwich. That looks good too." Jessica smiled and swatted him on the shoulder.

"I'll grab a shower and be right back," Rollie said. As he came back into the galley style kitchen, Jessica was putting sandwiches, chips, and drinks on the breakfast bar.

"Thought you'd still be with Ted and Donna," Rollie said.

"No need with those two behemoths you've got outside Ted's door." Jessica hesitated. "I know you were rushed but couldn't you have found guards that didn't look so out of place. Todd and Joey are sweethearts but there's no doubt what they are. I mean they wear suits and all but you can see the bulge of their guns. They look like what they are; armed guards."

"That's exactly the look I was going for," Rollie explained. "I couldn't use uniformed police so I got the next best thing. If the Daltons are stupid enough to beat a prospective client the way they did, they might be stupid enough to visit Ted in the hospital. The guards will warn them away just like cops would."

"You can be a devious man Rollie Chambers, a devious man," Jessica said. Then she got serious. "Are you going to find those two gorillas? And if you meet them at the bar, what are you going to do? How will you explain your involvement?"

"I'll tell them I'm Ted's partner and since he's in the hospital they'll have to deal with me. If I can get them on tape trying to shake me down, I can call in the police."

"If you can't record them what will you do?"

Rollie looked down for a few seconds in thought. "Jess, I'm going to bring their plans to a halt. With the police's help if I can, but I will stop this." She started to protest but he held up his hand to stop her. "I know what you're going to say, you're going to talk about rights and legalities and letting the authorities handle it." He took her hands in his. "Sometimes you have the right to protect yourself and people you care about... I promise to let the police handle it if I can."

Jessica looked into Rollie's eyes and knew he would put an end to the Daltons scheme; one way or another. "I want to be there when they come," she said. Now it was her turn to hold up her hand to silence Rollie. "Maybe I can get a feel or handle on them." She smiled. "Besides it's a free country and I can go where I want to."

"Won't do me any good to ask or tell you to stay away, will it?"

"Nope."

"If trouble starts, if they get aggressive, you have to do as I say and do it with no questions. Agreed?"

"Okay," Jessica said. "Now what was looking so good to you earlier?"

Rollie smiled, took her hand, led her to the big comfortable couch in the living room and showed her what he meant.

********************

Frank Rossi called Rollie. "Can't find out anything about those two guys; they must be from out of town. I'll keep checking and let you know if I find anything."

So three days later, Rollie was working behind the bar at First Squad. During those three days Rollie checked around the neighborhood and found four other shops and restaurants that were paying the Carondelet Redevelopment Association. They were reluctant to talk about it but Rollie knew what was going on. It's not just Ted that's being hurt, Rollie thought.

Jessica sat on a stool at the end of the bar. In spite of Rollie's objection, she had refused to stay away from the bar that particular night. "Ted and Donna are my friends too," she stated leaving no room for debate.

Directly across from Rollie, against the wall Tully took up space in one of the booths. Tully had also refused to be left out of the meeting. "Ain't fair you getting to have all the fun, Rollie. Besides you can't stop me from going to have a drink and relax at my favorite bar."

Rollie glanced at a blank faced Jessica thinking she ratted me out to Tully. Then he smiled at her.

Rollie had put a sign on the front door: "Closed from 7:00 until 10:00 for private party" the sign read. He'd hoped to keep away any of the cops that normally came to the bar. Rollie wanted the Daltons to feel safe enough to come into the First Squad that evening and talk openly.

"Not much of a party," one of the two men said as they came into the bar.

Rollie looked up. This must be the Daltons, he thought; there's not many men that big in St. Louis. They match the descriptions Ted gave me. Me and Tully aren't small but those two almost make us look like runts.

"Where's Ted?" The bigger of the two said.

"Who's asking?" Rollie answered.

"I'm Riley Dalton, this is my brother Shawn. We've got business with Ted. Who are you?"

"Rollie Chambers, I'm Ted's partner. Some bastards put him in the hospital so I've got to work the bar"

Riley didn't like the term Rollie used. "I wasn't aware that Ted had a partner."

"Right after he bought the bar, he needed money for renovations. I gave him money for a 30 percent share of the business." Rollie wiped some glasses like bartenders had done forever. "If you got bar business with Ted, you'll have to deal with me."

"Perhaps we should come back when Ted is back at work," Riley said.

"Nope, I'm in charge now. You'll have to do business with me."

Riley stared at Rollie for several seconds. His eyes darted around the room taking in the other two people in the bar. He ignored Jessica at the end of the bar. Shawn had turned toward Tully and was watching him with almost a sneer on his face.

"Very well Mr. Chambers, we will deal with you." Riley unbuttoned his jacket, showing the butt of a gun in a shoulder holster and rested his hand just below it. "We represent the Carondelet Neighborhood Redevelopment Association. Ted's membership fee, and now yours, is $1000 a week."

"What do I get for $1000 a week?"

"We 'protect' your business by making sure no one robs you or throws bricks through your front window. We also make sure none of your customers are assaulted or robbed as they leave your bar."

"We also make sure what happened to Ted doesn't happen to you," Shawn spoke for the first time.

"Basically you're shaking us down," Rollie responded. "We pay you 'protection' money or bad things will happen, right?"

"I guess you could put it that way," Riley said. "We prefer to call it insurance." The tone in his voice changed to a demand. "Now give us the first weeks dues," he ordered.

Rollie caught Tully's eye and said, "We don't need or want your services Riley. But I tell you what I'll do." Rollie pulled his Glock .45 from under the bar and pointed it at the Daltons. "I'll give you one chance to drop your weapons on the bar. Believe me you won't like the consequences if you don't."

Tully also had his pistol pointed at the Daltons. Riley and Shawn were surprised to see that even the woman at the end of the bar had a pistol pointed their way.

Riley tensed and then sort of relaxed. Slowly, using two fingers, he pulled his weapon from his shoulder holster and carefully laid it on the bar. Shawn's face showed an excitement, almost anticipation, and he made no move to disarm. Riley stepped next to his brother.

"Shawn, you don't stand a chance."

"You think this old man can stop me?" Shawn asked with bravado pointing at Tully.

"You're gonna be real embarrassed telling everyone this old man kicked your ass," Tully said as he stood up.

After several seconds, which seemed like minutes, Shawn seemed to deflate. He reluctantly followed his brother's lead and put his pistol on the bar. Rollie secured the weapons and set them under the bar while closely watching the Daltons. Tully frisked the brothers one by one, with his pistol stuck under their chins. He stared them in the eye the whole time. The look in Tully's eyes left no doubt that he would blow their heads off if they resisted.

"Sit down boys and let's talk," Rollie invited and pointed to the booth that Tully had vacated. The Daltons sat and slid around to the back of the booth. Tully stood at one side and Rollie at the other.

"I can't find any information on you two," Rollie said. "From your accent I'd say you're from New York or Boston."

"So what. You got nothing on us," Riley bragged. "It's your word against ours."

"No, it's your own words against you," Rollie replied. He pulled a small digital tape recorder out of his shirt pocket, rewound it and pressed play. Riley Daltons' admission to the protection scheme echoed through the bar. "Add that recording to our testimony and you boys are going away for awhile."

Riley settled back into the booth. "What do you want Chambers? If you were going to just turn us in, you'd have already called the cops."

"Don't have to call them; the police are here." Rollie pointed at Tully. "Let me introduce you to Sergeant Tully of the St. Louis Police Department. He'll be the one making the arrest."

"So what do you want?" Riley asked for the second time.

"You didn't just blow into town and decide to start a criminal empire. I want to know who put you up to your scheme."

"We ain't tellin you nothin," Shawn said. "And when we get out, I'll be comin to see you."

"Shut up Shawn," Riley ordered.

"Maybe you'll want to see me but you won't have the chance," Rollie said. Turning back to Riley, Rollie asked, "You know who Frank Rossi is Riley? He's not going to very happy with you two for horning in on his business."

Riley's face lost its color and he took a deep breath. Rollie could see by his reaction that Dalton knew about the Rossi family.

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll talk Frank into letting you two off. Frank and I have a relationship and he'll let you walk as a favor to me." Rollie looked Riley in the eye. "Don't give me what I want and I'll let Rossi deal with you."

"If we're in jail Rossi can't touch us," Shawn said with belligerence in his voice.

"Shut up Shawn," Riley ordered again.

"You're not as smart as your brother Shawn," Rollie explained with a grin. "Riley knows that Frank Rossi can get to you no matter where you are. He's got connects everywhere; including jail. There's always some con that wants some more luxuries or whose family needs help. It's easy for Frank to make a deal with one or more of them."

Riley had a belligerent look on his face and a cocky tone in his voice. "We'll be out on bail before the cops get all the paper work done; we've got protection."

"Don't count on it Riley," Rollie said. "No one can protect you from Rossi forever."

Shawn grinned, it wasn't a pretty sight, and said, "Vito will take care of us. He said..."

"Shut up Shawn," Riley repeated. "You talk too damn much."

"What's Vito got to do with this?" Rollie growled.

"I'm done talkin and so is Shawn," Riley vowed. "Call the cops. Arrest us or let us go."

"There is a third option. We could dump you in the Mississippi River." Rollie paused for effect and said, "Tully oblige these gentlemen. Call your friends and have them come and take out this trash." Turning back to the Daltons he added, "You would be well advised to leave Ted and us alone. If we have to have this conversation again, that third option I mentioned will come into play."

After the police arrested the Daltons and took them away, Rollie poured three shots of Gentleman Jack for Tully, Jessica, and himself.

"Did you hear Shawn's slip?" Rollie asked. "Vito Rossi is in this up to his eye brows. But I don't know why."

"You think Frank lied to you about being involved in protection?" Tully asked. "Maybe he and Vito decided to add an income stream to the family business."

"I don't think so. Why would he bother lying to me? There's not much I could do if he was involved except tell my suspicions to the Bunco Squad and they're already after Frank for his other interests. Anyway, I got a sense that he wasn't happy with the Daltons."

"Maybe Vito's tired of being the number two man, the little brother," Jessica suggested. Rollie and Tully both looked at her in surprise.

"What makes you say that?" Tully asked.

"Rollie, you said that everyone thinks Vito is the head of the family. When you worked on finding Frank's daughter you realized that he was really the guy in charge of the family. Maybe Vito wants to be the big cheese in fact, as well as in perception. The added income could be Vito's way of proving that he deserves to be boss."

"Would Vito take that chance? I tell you Frank was really bent out of shape that someone was doing business behind his back," Rollie said. "I don't think Vito being his brother would make much difference to him. He'd see it as a betrayal and a threat."

"This is getting too heavy for an old Gunnery Sergeant," Tully said to lighten the mood. "If we're off duty, I'll have another drink and head home." He took the offered drink from Rollie and threw down the shot.

Then he said "By the way did you hear what Tina did when you sent someone over to guard her?"

"No. What happened?"

"She told the guy to get the hell away from her. Said a guard would crimp her style with men. When the guard insisted she pulled out that .357 snub nose she carries and said she could take care of the likes of the Daltons."

Rollie and Jessica laughed. "Tina is a force of nature," Jessica said.

"One more thing before I go," Tully said. "You think you ought to keep the security guards with Ted and Donna?

"As far as Ted goes I don't think we need to keep the security detail," Rollie answered. "With Ted it's his word against the Daltons; there were no witnesses. We're the ones they have to worry about. There are three of us that heard their try at extortion; plus the tape. Makes no sense for them to bother Ted again."

Riley Dalton was right. He and his brother walked out of the downtown jail the next morning almost before Rollie could finish his statement to the Bunco Squad. As Rollie left headquarters he saw Riley and Shawn getting into a limo. Shawn waited until Rollie got closer and pointed his finger with his thumb held up like a pistol. He pretended to shoot three times, all the while grinning at Rollie.

"Bring it Shawn," Rollie said. His voice was cold and hard and his blue eyes bore into the big man like a laser.

Shawn stiffened and started to step away from the car but Riley grabbed his arm. "This ain't the time or place Shawn. Get in the car," the older brother ordered.

"Riley." When Rollie got the older Dalton's attention he said, "If you come after me, you better dig two graves. It's going to be costly." He turned and continued to his truck.

********************

"Yeah, I heard something about them a couple of nights ago," Antonio Rigazzi responded to Rollie's question. Tony was the owner of Rigazzi's, a landmark Italian restaurant in the middle of the Italian neighborhood known as "The Hill". He was also Rollie's good friend. They had met years ago while then Patrolman Rollie Chambers had stopped two men from robbing Tony.

"I heard they beat the hell out of Ted Crowe last week," Tony continued.

"How'd you hear about that?"

"Sometimes people talk when they come to eat. Sometimes they talk about things here that they wouldn't talk about out on the street." Tony smiled. "Sometimes I listen." Tony stopped while one of his waiters refilled their coffee cups.

"I also heard that you and Tully braced them at Ted's place and arrested them for extortion." Tony smiled and added, "I even heard that Jessica helped.

"Tully arrested them; I was just doing my civic duty by assisting him." Rollie smiled. He saw Jessica returning from the lady's room. "Let's table this until later."

Rollie and Tony stood as Jessica got back to the table. Tony with a big smile and a flourish pulled out her chair to seat her.

"My, my, such manners. Makes a woman feel special," Jessica said.

"You are special Jessica and I don't understand why you're still with this broken down old police officer," Tony said as he took Jessica's hand. "When are you going to let me take you away from this clown and treat you like the princess you are?" Jessica laughed and patted Tony's hand. His invitation was a standing joke between the three friends.

"As soon as you get your wife to agree, I'll run off with you. But I don't think Adrianna to wants to share."

"No, my angel is very possessive." Tony laughed. "She told me I could run away with you but I had to leave the deed to Rigazzi's and my soul with her. I might give up my soul but never my restaurant."

"So what do you know about the Daltons?" Jessica asked, surprising Rollie and Tony.

"Who?" Tony asked. "I don't know any..."

"Tony...I was born at night but it wasn't last night," Jessica interrupted him. "You hear about most everything that happens on the West side. Besides the place is really busy tonight and you wouldn't normally sit down with us for this long unless you had some information for Rollie. So what do you know?"

Rollie laughed and Tony looked embarrassed. "Guess I'm not the only detective in this group," Rollie said. "I'll tell you later Jess; let's order dinner."

Tony motioned for the waiter and stood to leave.

"We'll start with the toasted ravioli," Rollie ordered. "The lady will have the Veal Scaloppini with mushrooms and zucchini. And I'll have the Mostoccioli all you can eat special."

"Still trying to put me out of business," Tony complained. "When you gonna order a regular entrée?" This too was a standing joke between friends. Rollie usually ordered an all you can eat special and Tony always complained that he lost money every time Rollie ate at Rigazzi's.

"So what did Tony have to say?" Jessica asked on the way home after dinner.

"Not much that we don't already know. We still don't know who brought the Daltons to town. It has to be someone with clout and power." Rollie was quiet for a couple of blocks and said, "But you heard what Shawn let slip. I think Vito is in this up to his neck."

********************

Riley and Shawn Dalton were sitting at the bar in Lombardi's Restaurant on the border of the Hill. A man with slicked back hair walked over to them.

"Leo says to meet him at the south entrance to Tower Grove Park in an hour," the young hood said. Then he turned and walked out of Lombardi's.