مافیا میرسه

Chapter ten

The Mafia Arrive

The photos in Wednesday’s newspaper were from the Willow Road schoolbook. They were a year old, but they were the best Slick could find. Under the photos were their names. Mark Sway. Ricky Sway. The story told more about Clifford’s death, and said Ricky was in shock at St Peter’s Hospital.

The story also said a lot about Mark - how he called 911 but didn’t give his name, about his fingerprints in the car, and about the FBI wanting to talk to him.

‘You’re famous,’ said a nurse, giving Mark the newspaper.

‘What is it’ said Mark, suddenly seeing his own face. He read the story slowly. ‘This is bad,’ he thought. ‘Now the Mafia knows where to find me.’

Mark was on his way to the cafe for breakfast. He gave the paper back and walked to the lift. The door opened and he stepped in. It was empty. It was still early.

At floor number eight the lift stopped and a man stepped in. He wore a white coat and jeans. Mark didn’t look at him. He was tired of meeting new people.

The door closed and suddenly the man grabbed Mark. He had a knife. He pushed his horrible face near Mark’s.

‘Listen to me, Mark Sway,’ he said. ‘I don’t know what Jerome Clifford told you, but if you repeat a single word of it, even to your lawyer, I’ll kill you. And I’ll kill your mother and your little brother.’

Gronke was doing his job well. Mark was white with fear.

‘I know where you live,’ continued the man. ‘And I know where you go to school. You can’t escape me, understand?’

Mark’s eyes were suddenly wet. He nodded yes, yes, yes.

The lift was stopping again. ‘And if you tell anyone about me I’ll get you,’ said the man, and he disappeared.

Reggie reached her office at nine. Clint made her a cup of coffee and gave her the morning newspaper.

‘Coffee’s excellent,’ she said, as she opened the paper and saw Mark’s picture. Suddenly Mark himself was in the room, wet from the rain and out of breath.

‘What’s the matter, Mark’ she asked. ‘How’s Ricky?’

‘He’s okay,’ said Mark. ‘Have you seen today’s paper?’

‘I’ve just read it,’ she said. ‘Does it worry you?’

‘Of course it does.’

Clint came into the room with a hot drink for Mark. Mark thanked him and warmed his hands on the cup.

‘Are you ready to meet the FBI at ten’ asked Reggie.

‘I’m not sure I want to talk to them.’

‘Okay, you don’t have to. You look frightened. Why?’

‘What would happen to me if I never told anyone what I know?’

‘You’ve told me.’

‘Yes, but you’re my lawyer. And I haven’t told you everything - not where the body is.’

‘I know, Mark.’

‘So what happens if I never tell?’

Reggie had been thinking about this all night, but she still had no answer. Yesterday afternoon, when she met Foltrigg, she saw that he would try everything possible to get Mark to talk. A lie could save Mark. One simple lie. But she was a lawyer and she could not advise him to lie. Poor kid.

‘I think they’ll try to make you talk,’ she said at last. ‘It’s very rare, but I think the law can make you tell what you know to a judge.’

‘And if I refuse?’

‘Good question, Mark. If you were an adult, you could go to prison. I don’t know what they’d do with a child. But if you lie to the judge you could be in big trouble.’

‘If I tell the truth, I’m in bigger trouble.’

‘Why?’

Mark didn’t answer.

‘Mark, at the hospital last night you told me you were ready to talk to the FBI and tell them your story. Now you’ve changed your mind. Why? What’s happened?’

Mark gently put his cup on the table, covered his face and began to cry.

Until ten o’clock, Roy Foltrigg was in an excellent mood. All yesterday afternoon his men had been finding information about Reggie Love. They knew she used to be married to a rich doctor. They knew the doctor had left her. And they knew that she had started drinking heavily and taking drugs, so the doctor was able to take her children from her. Now she had no husband, no children and no money. And a new name. Roy Foltrigg thought he could use this information against Reggie.

Foltrigg’s job was to prove that Barry Muldanno had killed the senator. He was sure that Mark knew something that would help him. Then he would win the case, and have his face on the front pages of the newspapers again.

At ten o’clock Foltrigg returned to Reggie’s office, ready for the promised meeting with Mark. Clint opened the door to him.

‘I’m sorry, Mr Foltrigg,’ he said. ‘Reggie and Mark have nothing to discuss today.’

Foltrigg shouted angrily, then left, banging the door. He went straight to the FBI office and shouted some more.

‘I want the kid followed,’ he said angrily. ‘We know Gronke’s in town. He mustn’t get to the kid. Watch the lawyer too. And I want you to prepare papers to take to a judge. We’re going to make Mark Sway talk.’