MURDER TAKES TIME

Chapter 30

Reunion

Brooklyn—3 Years Ago

The train pulled into Penn Station and I got off. I must have looked like a hick from West Virginia by the smile on my face and the gleam in my eyes. I couldn’t help it. This was my first time in New York. 

After wandering around a bit, I made my way to a phone and called the number Rosa had given me for Tony years ago, not expecting it to work and surprised when it did.

“Hello?”

“Tony?”

“Who’s this?”

I paused. It was damn good to hear his voice again. “Is this Tony ‘The Brain’ Sannullo, the dumbest prick I know?”

A short silence followed, then exuberance. “Rat. Don’t tell me this is you. They actually let you out?”

We both laughed so hard nothing else was said for half a minute. “Where are you?” 

“Train station. Just got in from Wilmington.”

“I’ll be there in half an hour. Maybe less. Stand outside.”

I walked out of the station with a large crowd, two small bags in my hand. I stared at the mass of people milling about, then up at the buildings. People were right. New York was unlike any other city. I could feel the excitement in the air. 

I don’t know how long it took Tony to get there, but before I knew it, a maroon Coupe de Ville cut across lanes and pulled to the curb. I knew it was Tony. When the passenger door opened, Paulie stepped out, dressed to the nines in a black pin-striped suit.

“Nicky the Rat.” He opened his big arms, and I ran to greet him. I would have recognized him anywhere, even though he’d put on about fifty pounds. Not fat, just bigger. Paulie had always been big, towering over us by five or six inches, but he was thick and meaty, too. 

“I see you finally got that suit, Suit.”

“That I did, Nicky. Got a bunch of them, thanks to Tony.”

A few seconds later, Tony came over and punched me on the shoulder. “I think he wears a suit in the damn shower.” He hugged me, just like a brother would. “Can’t believe it’s really you. It’s been a long time.”

Tony had changed since I last saw him. He still had the rugged good looks the girls liked, and the same quick smile. It wasn’t as genuine as Paulie’s big laugh, but the way it lit his eyes gave him charisma. “See you managed to keep your hair. You’re looking good.”

He seemed embarrassed for a second. “Yeah, I’m off the drugs now. Had trouble for a while.” We chatted for a few seconds, until the horns started beeping, then Tony hollered to Paulie. “Suit, get the trunk so Nicky can put his bag in there.”

Paulie popped the trunk, then came back to rearrange a few things. Sister Thomas’ remark about him hanging on Tony’s coattails came to mind. Tony always did like being the boss. Problem was, neither me nor Bugs listened much to anybody. I wondered how he was going to react now, because, if anything, prison made me worse and I felt certain that being a cop wouldn’t have softened up Bugs. Either way, it didn’t matter. I threw my bags inside then got in the back seat. 

“Where to?” I asked.

“First we get a few drinks,” Tony said.

I rubbed my hands across the leather. “Where the hell did you get this Caddy? It’s sweet.”