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Chapter fourteen

No Other Way

Slick s story of Mark’s courtroom appearance was in the newspaper on Friday morning - front page news again. Gronke took the first plane to New Orleans and called The Blade.

Look, Barry he said. I can’t do much when the kid’s in prison, can I? But he hasn’t talked yet. Think about it. I got to him with a knife. I burned the trailer. The kid’s too frightened to speak.’

‘I don’t know, Gronke,’ said Muldanno. ‘The kid knows something. Sure you can’t get to him?’

‘We can’t kill the kid, Barry. Everyone’s watching him.’

‘What about his mother or brother?’

Gronke said nothing. He was tired of Muldanno’s game.

‘What about his lawyer?’

‘Why do you want to kill his lawyer?’

‘Because I hate lawyers,’ said The Blade wildly.

‘No, Barry,’ said Gronke, wondering if Muldanno was going mad. ‘I’m not in the mood to kill anyone just now.’

‘That’s fine,’ said Muldanno. ‘Another man can do it.’

When Judge Roosevelt read Slick’s story his eyes grew cold. In the children’s court everything was private. How did Moeller get his information? He would call Moeller to the court today to explain. It was going to be another busy day, but at the end of it his sons would take him fishing for the weekend. He smiled at this pleasant thought.

The courtroom story made Foltrigg angry again. But the papers to call Mark to the court in New Orleans were nearly ready. He took a call from the local FBI.

‘Mr Foltrigg, we thought you’d like to know that Gronke’s back in town. He arrived this morning. And we have a recording of a phone conversation with Muldanno.’

‘Let me hear it,’ said Foltrigg.

‘Good,’ he said when he’d heard it. ‘Send it to Memphis. I want Judge Roosevelt to hear it today. It will make him keep Mark Sway in custody for the weekend. Tonight we’ll send papers to call Mark to New Orleans. The courts are closed until Monday, and by that time we’ll have the kid here where we want him.’

Slick’s story made Reggie sad. With newspaper reports like this, the Mafia knew everything that was going on.

She sat with Mark now, trying to explain about the witness protection programme.

‘What does Mom think’ asked Mark.

‘She’s not sure,’ said Reggie.

‘I’m not sure either,’ said Mark. ‘I saw this once in a film. Someone told the truth about the Mafia and the FBI helped him to disappear. He got a new face, even a new wife. He went to Brazil.’

‘What happened?’

‘It took the Mafia a year to find him. They killed his wife too.’

‘It was just a film, Mark. There’s no other way. It’s the safest thing to do.’

‘Of course I have to tell them what I know before they’ll do all these wonderful things for us.’

‘That’s part of the agreement, Mark.’

‘The Mafia never forgets, Reggie.’

‘You’ve watched too many films, Mark.’

‘It’s easy for you, Reggie. You’ll be fine. But we’ll live in fear for the rest of our lives.’

‘There’s no other way, Mark.’

‘Yes there is. I could lie.’