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“You can’t stand there,” the receptionist told him. “This isn’t a waiting area.”
“Well.” Ma
“He usually gets in at nine o’clock.” She juggled a few calls, then said, “If you have his number, I would try him at home.”
Ma
“I don’t have his number on me. Can you look it up?”
She answered after taking a phone message. “I’m sorry, sir, but we can’t give out any private information.”
“This is an emergency.” Fear turned to anger, and his voice was getting louder. “Just give me the number and I’ll go.”
A security guard tapped Ma
“All right. All right.” Ma
On the street in front of the Breaking News, taxis and limos splashed up and down the wet streets. People rushed past on the sidewalk, fumbling not to impale him or one another with the metal ends on their umbrellas.
Ma
Ma
Tony wasn’t hard up for money. He’d been banking his vigorish all those years, and he always made good on his bets. Everyone trusted Tony.
Half an hour after standing in the chill, Ma
“No luck.” The receptionist looked up between calls. “Tony never came in.”
“Well, can you find out if he’s sick or something? Did he call someone? His boss or his secretary? I just need a little help here. Tony doesn’t answer his cell phone. He’s not at our usual haunts. He just up and disappeared.”
The receptionist squinted. “It’s only been a day, you know. Call tomorrow morning.”
“Hey.” A young redheaded guy stepped up to the reception desk. “You a friend of Tony’s?”
Ma
“I work with him on the sports desk.” The guy frowned. “Did you try him at home?”
Ma
“That’s ancient history, pal.” The copyboy shook his head. “Tony moved in with his mom near Riverside Park. She was taking care of him after they found his tumor.”
“What tumor?”
The guy backed up and lowered his palms like he was pushing down the trunk of a car. “You knew he had cancer, didn’t you?” The guy led Ma
Ma
He rang the buzzer next to Tony’s last name.
“Yes?” A woman’s voice came through the box.
“Hey. I came to see Tony. Is he okay?”
“Who are you?”
“Ma
“Oh, I know exactly what you mean.” She said, “I’ll be right down.”
A minute later she was standing in the doorway with him. Slim and petite, she was too darn sexy, Ma
“Oh, another charmer like my Tony.” She looked Ma
Ma
“The police won’t help because it hasn’t been twenty-four hours since he went missing, but he didn’t come home last night. I have a bad feeling, Ma
Ma
“I found this on his dresser. It’s got your name on it, see?” She held out a wooden cigar box.
Ma
Her eyes glistened with urgency. “You can come upstairs if you want to open it inside.” She shifted in place. “I’m dying to know if there’s anything in there about where he went, and my friend Sal told me I should look through everything, but I just-do you know Sal? He has been so nice lately, but since my Tony left this with your name on the package, I couldn’t open it and go rifling…” She stopped and smiled sweetly. “I just made coffee. Why don’t you come up?”
“Thanks.” Ma
“Are you sure?”
Ma
Disappointed, she pursed her lips together. “Don’t forget. Maria Morelli. I’m in the book.”
He sprinted down the sidewalk, sneakers splashing in the rain.
Ma
He cut through a public passage and came out on the next street. He looked behind him. Not only was the guy still there, but now Ma
He tripped over a crack in the sidewalk.
The box clattered open. Its contents scattered on the ground.
Ma
The guy with the silver tooth stood over him, rain dripping down his face. “Those things are mine.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ma
“The name is Sal, and this game is now over.” Sal flipped out a pocketknife and held it in front of him. “Tony could never pay his debts, see? I bet he didn’t tell you how I broke two of his fingers the last time he tried to be cute.” Sal knelt down and sat on his haunches. “Now, give me my money.”
“Hey.” Ma
Sal’s shoulders rose in a kind of shrug. “Don’t worry about it.”
Ma
“Shit!” Sal fell to the ground and grabbed his crotch.
“Tony would want me to have this.” He flashed the blade so it gleamed in the light. “Game over.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Sal sneered as he pushed himself up from the sidewalk, but Ma
“Don’t worry about it.” Holding the knife out in front of his hip, Ma
Sal waved a fist in the air. “You can’t hide from me, punk. I’ll find you, and you’ll end up like your friend.”