Going for the Juggler
Devon Layne
Going for the Juggler
A story in Lazlo Zalezac’s “Damsels in Distress” Universe
Devon Layne
Elder Road Books Lynnwood WA
Copyright ©2016 2020 Elder Road Books
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher.
Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be submitted online to: Elder Road LLC, ElderRoadBooks@outlook.com.
Design by Nathan Everett
Cover art by Cool_Photo, licensed from Shutterstock, ID: 367513337
ISBN 978-1-950183-75-3
Going for the Juggler is available in print as part of the single volume
The Hero Lincoln Trilogy, ISBN 978-1-950183-67-8
Cast
HERE IS A LIST of the continuing characters in this tril- ogy and of the new characters in this episode.
On Earth
Lincoln: the hero. Former paraplegic. Actor, singer, guitarist, juggler, magician.
Lisa: the earthly caretaker. Lincoln’s sister-in-law and Cadence’s mother. Disguised as a man, she is known as Master Lees on Chaos and manages the circus on Lincoln’s behalf.
Cadence: the companion. Lincoln’s niece and lover. Revealed to be Al Pesciano’s granddaughter and heir. Can’t wait to get to Chaos and rescue her mother!
Wilson: the Earthly villain. Lisa’s ne’er-do-well husband and Lincoln’s older brother. Now seeking the fortune that Al has left his granddaughter.
Al Pesciano: the boss. Dead. Cadence’s real grandfather who leaves her as heir to his somewhat shady business enterprises.
Mrs. Smith: Lincoln’s next-door neighbor. Elderly grandmother type with a quite bawdy sense of humor.
Gino: Al Pesciano’s consigliere.
Paolo: Cadence and Lincoln’s bodyguard.
A lawyer, a judge, and various capi and lieutenants.
On Crossroads
Persephone: Lincoln’s caretaker on Crossroads, advising him regarding missions, loving him when he is present, healing him when he returns, and facilitating his impregnation of the damsels he rescues. Brilliant teenage intellectual with degrees in several areas.
On Chaos
Gabe and Raphe: the innkeeper brothers on Chaos who work for Linc.
Legs: the dancer. Short for Allegra, niece of Niccolò.
Saul, Melody, and Harmony: the kids. Brother and two sisters forced to be cutpurses but now in the employ of Lincoln’s Show.
Thorin: Allegra’s bodyguard. Trained by Duke Niccolò.
Duke Niccolò: Runs the citadel High Castle and trains troops to guard the southern frontier.
Lord Chang: Danny Sun’s former companion. Stranded on Chaos when Sun was killed in the slaver war. Now a warlord in the South.
Khan: Bandit lord and former associate of Chang’s.
Various brigands, performers, guards, and colorful characters.
1
Keeping My Balls in the Air
“MY MOTHER IS TRAPPED on an alien world. Do something!” Cadence demanded. We stood in the wardrobe in my bedroom, which refused to move us to Crossroads.
Well, shit, yes. What am I supposed to do? Lisa had chosen to stay on Chaos so I could come back unencumbered to do battle with her husband—my brother, Wilson—and rescue Cadence. No one expected Wilson to try to destroy the wardrobe with an axe and instead damage our portal. What was I supposed to do?
“Lincoln,” Cadence moaned. She collapsed into my arms and sobbed. I retrieved our hotel room key from the bedside table and pulled her with me to the back door. In front, I saw a car cruise slowly past.
“We need to get out of here, love,” I said. “We’ll go back to the hotel and put a plan together. Right now, we need to stay safe from Wilson.” She nodded and I looked out the door. There was a shadow moving in the alley behind the house. Shit! We needed to get out of here. I dragged Cadence to the break in the hedge and we slipped up to Mrs. Smith’s back door. I didn’t dare knock for fear of attracting one of the watchers. I tried the door and it was unlatched. I breathed a sigh of relief and pushed Cadence through the door.
I heard the bolt of an old-fashioned shotgun engage.
“Take one more step and I’ll blow you to Kingdom Come,” Mrs. Smith growled.
“Mrs. Smith!” I whisper-shouted. “It’s us! Cadence and Lincoln.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so?” she demanded. “Get in here.”
“Why don’t you have any lights on?” Cadence asked. “We thought you weren’t home.”
“There are prowlers around. I don’t want them to know I’m here.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “I think it’s Wilson’s people. Why wasn’t your door locked?”
“That door? The lock on that door hasn’t worked in thirty years,” she laughed.
We slept in shifts with one of us always watching out the windows. It was a drama fit for Chaos. We’d see a shadow moving in the alley and a police car out front. Then a dark car would slowly creep past and a police cruiser would come down the alley. The timing was perfect. No one intersected with anyone else. I suspected the lawyer who was handling the will might have had someone out watching as well.
“How do we get out of here?” Cadence asked over breakfast.
“Oh, that’s easy, dearie,” Mrs. Smith said. “Where do you want to go?”
“We should go back to the hotel,” I said. “Our lawyer has bodyguards watching for us there. We can order room service. And… the box is there.”
“How can you get us there, Mrs. Smith?” Cadence asked sweetly.
“We’ll take Christopher. He’s in the garage.” Mrs. Smith opened the door from the kitchen to the garage and swept her hand toward a canvas-covered vehicle.
“You have a car? I thought you took taxis everywhere,” Cadence said.
“Neither Cadence nor I have our drivers’ licenses with us,” I said.
“Oh, I have mine. You don’t want to be seen. You should lie down in back. I’ll drive.” I was a little doubtful of the frail old lady, but we didn’t have many choices. I went over to pull the canvas off the car while Cadence and Mrs. Smith busied themselves moving boxes and cans from between the car and the garage door. I uncovered a perfectly mint condition, navy blue, boxy little car.
“This is beautiful,” Cadence said. “What is it?”
“1966 Corvair Monza,” Mrs. Smith said proudly. “Only driven by a little old lady to church on Sundays. Air cooled, rear engine. Six cylinders and all the pickup and go it had fifty years ago. The only hump in the backseat is what you do when you’re back there.”
“Isn’t this the car Ralph Nader wrote about in Unsafe at Any Speed?” I asked.
“You’re so cute, Lincoln,” Mrs. Smith said as she pinched my cheek. “When I’m driving all cars are unsafe at any speed. Get in and hide on the floor in back. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do. Which means have lots of sex. That’s what I did in the backseat when I was your age.”
We did as she said. Sort of. If she had lots of sex in this back seat, she must have been dating midgets. Crowding as tightly as we could, we could still barely get below the level of the windows.
The car started right up and Mrs. Smith raised the garage door.
It was a good thing Cadence and I were packed in so tightly. We’d have been lying on the pavement someplace otherwise. ‘Unsafe at any speed’ did not apply to the car! We stayed low for our own safety until Mrs. Smith pulled into the hotel parking garage. This was one of those hotels that had a conference center and meeting rooms on the second floor, so we took the elevator from the garage to the second floor and switched elevators to the penthouse from there.
A guy was standing outside our door and turned to look at us, puzzled. We rushed him.
“Wait! I’m a good guy!”
Shit! How were we supposed to tell? Everybody wore black suits. I was thinking I needed to buy one so I’d blend in.
“Who are you?” I demanded as I lifted him off the floor by his neck. Adrenalin was pouring through my body and my strength surprised even me. Cadence already had the guy’s pistol out of the shoulder holster. I don’t think she knew how to use it. She was just waving it around.
“Gino sent me to watch out for you. I thought you were inside. Honest!”
“Who is Gino? Was he following us around my house last night?”
“Gino is Big Al’s Consigliere. I don’t know who was following you since we thought you were inside. Everybody is on edge. Please put my gun down. I won’t touch it until you get inside, but you’re making me nervous.” Cadence was making me nervous, too, but she laid the gun gently on the carpet on the other side of the hall. The adrenalin was washing out of my body and I relaxed my grip on the bodyguard. “You two are fast. Thank you for not killing me.”
“We’re going to order room service,” I said. Cadence and I unlocked the door and went into our room, closing the bodyguard in the hall.
“First you are going to service me!” Cadence said. “As soon as the adrenalin started wearing off, my pussy started dripping. Is it like this on Chaos?”
“All the time, honey.”
“I’m gonna get fucked so often, I’ll be begging Mom to spell me,” she sighed. Her clothes came off and I was on top of her, in her. If the bodyguard was listening, he might have thought we were being attacked.
“Room service.”
I opened the door and let the guy pushing the cart into the room. I knew immediately this was no hotel employee. He wasn’t even trying to disguise it. He was wearing a black suit like the lawyers and bodyguards did. Apparently, it was the uniform of the day on Earth.
He was an older guy and I could see the bulge under his jacket before he reached into his pocket. I slammed the door shut behind him and slipped one of my canes between his legs and twisted. He stumbled forward and Cadence caught him by one arm. With a quick twist he was on his stomach on the floor with Cadence sitting on him. He didn’t move. Didn’t even struggle.
“All right. Who are you?” I demanded.
“If you already knew I wasn’t the room service guy, why did you bother opening the door?” he laughed. Laughed?
“We need some information. We’ve been waiting to capture someone. Now you are going to give us answers,” I said.
“Maybe. Depends on if she’s who they say she is,” he said.
“Who do they say?” Cadence asked. She had a cord stretched between her hands ready to slip it under his neck. Where the hell did she get that?
“They say you are Cosimo Pesciano’s daughter, Al Pesciano’s granddaughter.”
“That’s what my birth certificate says. Are you here to try to get me out of the way of my stepfather?”
“Wilson? That piece of shit? If you are truly Cadence Pesciano, I’m here to help you.” I nodded at Cadence and she flipped over to the right, pulling two knives out of her belt. She was ready to throw them if he moved wrong.
“Have a seat and tell us a story,” I said, nudging him with my cane.
He rolled over slowly and levered himself into a seated position leaning against the sofa.
“I’m getting too damned old for this,” he moaned. “I brought dinner. For three. How about a nice civilized meal and a little talk?”
“How about you lay your gun over on the table by the door, very slowly, first,” Cadence said.
“This?” he said, opening his jacket. “I left it outside with Paolo. He wouldn’t let me come in armed.” His shoulder holster was there, but there was nothing in it. “May I serve dinner now?”
“Sure,” I said. “Just to keep it interesting, though, who are you?”
“I am Gino. I am or was Al Pesciano’s consigliere. I was also Cosimo Pesciano’s best friend. I’m very happy to see his daughter has such skill as a fighter. And you…” he said, pointing at me. “His son-in-law?”
“To be,” I answered. “Unfortunately, I have the stench of being Wilson’s brother on me as well.”
“I’d heard you were crippled,” Gino said. “I’m glad to see you are well. You don’t really need those canes, do you?”
“They are handy and will travel with me to places more conventional weapons cannot.” I glanced at Cadence, looking for the garrote she’d had in her hand. Wherever she concealed it, it was gone now.
“Good. Good. Let me get the food on the table.” He set up our table quickly, opened a bottle of wine, and sat at one side. Cadence and I sat on the other. The chicken cacciatore smelled delicious. That wasn’t what we’d ordered from room service. “I was bringing dinner with me from Al’s kitchen when I encountered the delivery boy. I gave what you ordered to Paolo. He’ll eat anything.”
“So, you know our bodyguard outside?” Cadence said as she bit into the delicious food. “Mmm.”
“I’m his boss. The lawyer called and said he sent you here. I put a crew on you right away.”
“So, you’ve been following us?” I said.
“Not me personally. And not following you. Following Wilson and his soldiers. Following the cops. I have thirty men and women on the job. I just needed to come personally and confirm that it was true. I can see in your eyes, Miss Cadence, you are his daughter,” Gino sighed, shoveled a mouthful of food, and washed it down with wine. “Try the vino. This was Al’s favorite.” I took a sip. It was so dry you almost needed a drink of water afterward to wet your mouth. “Sagrantino di Montefalco,” Gino said. “Al despised the wines of Tuscany as having been over commercialized. I think it was all just a part of his native Umbrian pride,” he laughed. “God, I loved that man.”
“We found out about Big Al’s death on Sunday night,” I said. “Two guys brought a letter for Lisa, Cadence’s mother. The next morning, she sent Cadence away on a kind of treasure hunt that would keep her away from the house for a day or two. That night, I found Wilson beating Lisa and trying to kill her. I… got her out of the house to where she can recover. But Wilson has kept up his search for Cadence. What Lisa put on Cadence’s treasure hunt was the things she needed to present to the lawyer when Al’s will is read on Monday. When we went back to the house last night, we discovered Wilson had destroyed our… some important things and we were still being followed. We got away again,” I said simply. I couldn’t tell him I took Lisa to Chaos or that Wilson had destroyed our portal.
“You have it? What you need for Monday?” he asked.
“Birth certificate, will, and high school diploma,” Cadence responded.
“Perfect. Then all we need to do is keep you alive until you can take over,” Gino said.
“That sounds ominous.”
“Here is the simple story,” Gino said. “When Cosimo died, it almost destroyed Al. I was thankful he… brought me back. Our little family business here is not connected to any of the big families. Our town is not big enough to concern them and for all the power that Al wielded here, we’re still only a business. He divested himself of nearly all the illegal or shady things to make sure that what you inherited would be pure. Your… stepfather, who Al fired two years ago, has been reopening all those businesses and wants the rest of Al’s legitimate businesses to hide them. We are on the brink of a war.”
“How can Cadence prevent it?” I asked.
“There are three camps. Wilson drives the dirty side. His people just want the power and the money and he won’t stop until he gets it,” Gino said.
“He’s an idiot,” I said flatly.
“That is one of the reasons neither of the other two sides wants him to succeed. But those two sides only agree on that one thing. It isn’t because the business is dirty. It’s because Wilson is not Italian that he’s unacceptable. Both his enemies agree that there has to be blood on the throne.”
“And Cadence has the blood,” I said.
“Which makes her acceptable to one of the other two sides. To the other side, forgive me, it is unthinkable to let a woman take over the business. So, you see, there is contention.”
“And where do you sit in this battle, Uncle Gino?” Cadence asked softly. He smiled at her.
“Cosimo Pesciano was my best friend—my boyhood partner—my brother in arms. He married my sister, so, in fact, I am your uncle in a way. I also have more than a little sway with the soldiers. They all know me as Consigliere. The largest of the three groups will follow me. And I will follow Cadence Pesciano.”
“That helps,” Cadence said.
“Yes,” he answered. “Unfortunately, though, the largest group is not the majority. We have others to win over. And there will be a test that you might not be able to pass.”
“If I’m supposed to impregnate somebody’s daughter, then I’m toast,” Cadence laughed. “Otherwise, bring it.” Gino looked at her intently.
“I hope it does not come to that,” he said.
I held Cadence in my arms as she clutched me in bed Sunday night. It was the first night since I’d recovered the use of my lower extremities nine months ago that she hadn’t wanted to make love.
“Are you frightened about tomorrow?” I asked softly.
“No. Yes. A little. It’s just going to an office and hearing the lawyer give me my grandfather’s estate. Piece of cake,” she said.
“I hope so. Gino made it sound like there would be some less official meetings held, too.”
“He scares me a little. I have my own gangster army. Crap!”
“He said that Al had cleaned out all the illegal businesses. It’s only my brother who has a gangster army,” I laughed.
“Right. I have a corporate security force. It’s just organized like a mob family and half my businesses are run by men who would rather report to a non-Italian than to a woman. While those who do support me do so because Wilson rates only slightly higher on their race and sexism scale than a Mexican. They figure they can at least control a woman and their clean businesses won’t get muddied up with Wilson’s underworld activity again. Can’t we just go to Chaos where we can kill the bad guys and rescue the damsel?”
“That’s really the problem, isn’t it?” I asked.
“I want my mommy,” Cadence cried. “She’s supposed to be here with me. I’m not supposed to have to do this alone.”
“You aren’t alone, darling. And as soon as we get this taken care of, I have an idea that will let us go get Lisa.”
“What? Lincoln, how can we go get her without a portal? Why haven’t we done it already?” she demanded.
“Gently, love. I’ve been studying it the past couple days when Gino wasn’t bringing us reports. Or you weren’t jumping my bones. In that old Heroes’ Rulebook there are instructions for building a portal. As soon as it is safe to go back to the house, we have an example of the proper layering of the seven metals and insulating them. I have no idea what gold, platinum, and electrum film cost, but if what Gino says about your impending wealth is true, you can afford them. We’ll repair it or build a new portal and go back,” I said confidently. I wished I felt as confident as I sounded.
“We can do that? Oh, Lincoln. We have to get through tomorrow and get our portal built. Anything could be happening to mother on Chaos. We have to go rescue her.”
“That’s going to be interesting. We have to rescue a damsel and a caretaker. I hope Sephie is up to planning this expedition.”
Monday at ten o’clock our escort arrived. Gino told us he couldn’t be seen with us, but Paolo, our assigned bodyguard, had a small army around us. They wanted to take no chances that Wilson could get a shot at Cadence or kidnap her.
I knew Cadence was armed. I seldom had less than a couple of knives and ceramic shuriken on me. And wherever she kept that garrote. Shit! Gino had an idea, but none of the soldiers surrounding us realized how dangerous she was. Of course, I looked like a weakling, dressed in a baggy black suit with my two canes. Gino had insisted that I appear to simply be her aide and blend in with the other soldiers. So, our charade was not only for Chaos.
Cadence had chosen red. Gino had suggested that she might want something that played down her obvious feminine traits rather than the tight-fitting leathers she had constructed for her image as a warrior, but Cadence was determined to show strength and pride. Gino shook his head and muttered, “Just like your father.”
The lawyer’s office looked like a fortress. There were more black suits there than I’d ever seen gathered in one place before. Cadence stood out like a beacon in her red leathers. We were escorted to a conference room and were allowed in. Only the two of us. The lawyer and another man were sitting at the head of the table. Gino sat at the foot. In each of the four corners of the room, a guy in a black suit stood watching the proceedings. Gino motioned to the chairs at the right and Cadence and I sat waiting.
“I need your identification, please,” the lawyer said. We each handed him our driver’s license and he recorded the information, showing it to the man on his right. He handed them back. “Yours, too, Gino.” Gino handed him his license. There was a bit of a commotion at the door and Wilson was admitted.
“There’s the bitch,” he growled. “This isn’t over, daughter.” Cadence grimaced at him.
“Please don’t use that pejorative term when referring to me, stepfather,” she growled.
The lawyer handed Gino’s license back to him and turned to Wilson and his lieutenant, who sat opposite us. “Identification.”
“You know who the hell we are,” Wilson barked.
“You will be removed if we do not have your identification,” the lawyer said calmly. “Just follow the procedures, Wilson. There will be time enough for you to act like a peacock later.” Wilson and his lieutenant handed him their licenses. While the lawyer was entering the information and confirming it with the guy to his right, Wilson scrutinized me.
“When did you get out of the wheelchair, kid?” he asked. “Or was that all a fake to get the insurance and house?”
“There’s only one member of the family who has ever practiced fraud,” I said. “Look in a mirror. I got some advanced medical treatment a few months ago and have been in physical therapy ever since. It’s working.” The licenses were given back and the lawyer started the meeting.
“As this is a contentious meeting during which we will read the Last Will and Testament of Alfonso Pesciano, I have asked the judge to sit in and verify the terms and identities of the beneficiaries and to validate the will. Judge.”
“In my hand is a certified will filed with the courthouse on May seventh. Does anyone have a will attested at a later date?” the judge asked. Wilson and Cadence both slid envelopes to the judge. He examined both. He tossed the first one back to Wilson. “This will is ruled invalid. Witnessing signatures are dated May fifteen. The testator’s signature could not have been witnessed after his death.”
“Big Al died on the sixteenth,” Wilson protested.
“That was the date released to the newspapers,” the lawyer responded. “His death certificate was signed May fourteen.” He pushed a copy of the death certificate over to Wilson.
“You lying sons of bitches,” Wilson growled. “This is all a set-up.”
“This is the reading of Al Pesciano’s wishes for the disposition of his estate,” the judge said. “The certified copy that Cadence Reynolds has given me is identical to the copy on file with the court. We deem this will to be valid.” The judge gave the will to the lawyer and the lawyer began to read.
“Last Will and Testament of Alfonso Pesciano. I, Alfonso Pesciano, declare that this is my last will and testament. I revoke all prior Wills and Codicils. I am not married, having lost my wife over forty years ago. I have no living children on this Earth, my son having died suddenly seventeen years ago. I have one grandchild on this Earth, Cadence Reynolds, the biological offspring of my son, Cosimo Pesciano, and his lover Lisa Fiore Reynolds. I declare said granddaughter to be my heir, provided she has attained the age of eighteen years and that she has graduated from high school. If she has not fulfilled these two requirements at the reading of this will then her assumed father, Wilson Reynolds, will become my heir and hold my assets in trust for my granddaughter.”
“Ha!” Wilson exploded. “Too smart for his own good. You didn’t graduate. I was there on Sunday to watch my little girl receive her diploma and she didn’t show up. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of your assets.”
“In your continued brilliance as a father and a businessperson, you have overlooked the fact that commencement is not the same as graduation,” Cadence said calmly. “Here is a copy of my official diploma. I am a high school graduate.”
“Son of a bitch,” Wilson swore. The lawyer handed both Cadence’s diploma and birth certificate to the judge.
“Having reviewed these documents, including the birth certificate that lists Cosimo Pesciano as father and the official diploma issued by the high school, I find Cadence Reynolds Pesciano meets the terms of this will and is affirmed as the primary beneficiary,” the judge said.
“To continue with the will,” the lawyer said. “I appoint Gino Todi, my trusted advisor and consigliere, as the Executor of this my Will. No bond or other security of any kind will be required of any Executor appointed in this my Will.”
There followed nearly half an hour of reading the listing of Big Al’s assets and the affirmation that each one was to become the property of Cadence when appropriate taxes and debts had been discharged. The list was impressive and cited exactly what rights and responsibilities Gino had in managing the estate through probate. There was a final Codicil and Wilson perked up.
If any beneficiary under this Will contests in any court any of the provisions of this Will, then each and all such persons shall not be entitled to any devices, legacies, bequests, or benefits under this Will or any Codicil hereto and such interest or share in my estate shall be disposed of as if that contesting beneficiary had not survived me. However, while ownership of my assets shall be the undisputed right of my one heir, I acknowledge that management of that business may not be within her capability at this time.
Therefore, the beneficiaries of this Will shall meet in my office under the guidance of my consigliere and the Executor of this my Will, in the presence of the capi of the various businesses described herein to be tested according to instructions I have left in my safe deposit box, the key to which is in the hands of my Executor. Whichever of the beneficiaries is able to pass the test will become the manager of my businesses until such time that the board of directors deems it appropriate to replace him or her. Failing either of the beneficiaries passing the test, my capi will proceed in order of seniority to attempt the test as well. Be it known that the one who passes this test is my choice to run all my enterprises and will have authority to direct all my private security to enforce my choice.
Wilson gleamed at that. It was a little depressing. What did Cadence know about actually running Big Al’s businesses? Wilson was the obvious choice and he knew it. I was pretty certain that once he had control, Cadence would see no benefit from her inheritance. What a convoluted bunch of crap the old man had put together.
The reading concluded with each of the three witnesses being called to confirm that they had witnessed this document and it was their signatures on the page.
“I declare the matter of probate to now reside in the hands of Gino Todi, Executor of the Will of Alfonso Pesciano,” the judge said. “Protests and contests of this Will must be filed in my office within thirty days. As in all probate proceedings in this state, beneficiaries must survive the decedent by thirty days. Mr. Todi.”
“I will proceed to the bank tomorrow morning at nine o’clock to retrieve Big Al’s instructions,” Gino said. “Each beneficiary may have a witness accompany me. We will gather in Big Al’s office at noon with the capi of the businesses to witness the opening of the envelope and to conduct the test.”
The meeting was adjourned. Cadence and I stayed in our seats while everyone else left except Gino. He wanted the office cleared before we left to make sure there were no confrontations.
“I advise that you stay in the hotel again tonight and not return to your home. I don’t trust Wilson any more than you do. I’m afraid Big Al did not do you any favors with the test tomorrow. It is not multiple choice. It killed your father, Cadence. In some ways, you are better equipped to pass the test than Wilson from what I’ve witnessed so far. If you let him go first, maybe it will kill him and you can pass. Unfortunately, I don’t think either of you will get that far and I’ll have to go through the list of the capi. If you do succeed, though, you might want to consider ditching the old Italian order and adopting today’s business terms for the positions like president of a corporation,” he laughed.
“What do I know about running a business?” Cadence sighed. “I don’t stand a chance.”
“You’ll have time to learn. Probate on an estate this size will take a couple of years. Go to school. You’ll be able to afford to. Insurance policies don’t go through probate. Neither do retirement funds that have a beneficiary statement. They are simply transferred to you. Even if you hadn’t become the beneficiary in Al’s will, he made sure you would be taken care of. Paolo has his team ready to take you back. He has instructions to take you to a very good restaurant for a late lunch before you go back to the hotel. If there is anything you need, you can go shopping. I think the bone Al threw to Wilson will keep him away from you for now, so as long as you have Paolo and a couple of the boys with you, you can relax this afternoon.”
“Thanks, Gino. Should I accompany you to the bank tomorrow morning?” I asked.
“That would be best. Cadence, you should come to the office before Lincoln and I go to the bank. That way Paolo can stay with you where it is safe until we return.”
2
Vanishing Act
DINNER WAS EXCELLENT. Paolo was vigilant. Even I could see that there were others watching us. I didn’t think all of them were on Gino’s team. We knew Wilson and his men were out there somewhere, but they were holding off until after tomorrow’s test. I had a feeling that some of the soldiers of the third party were out there, too. The ones who didn’t want either Wilson or Cadence. We’d never met them.
A young guy, about my age, I guessed, approached our table at the restaurant. Paolo was immediately between him and us. The kid raised both hands and allowed Paolo to search him. Then Paolo stood back and let him approach.
“Ms. Pesciano,” he said, offering his hand. Cadence shook his hand and he lifted it to his lips. “A pleasure. I am Ari Ribaldi. Yes, my father was very fond of opera and I benefited. I am happy to meet the granddaughter of our Boss.”
“I take it you are one of the capi?” Cadence asked. “Of what business, Mr. Ribaldi?”
“Oh no! Mr. Ribaldi is my grandfather. My father goes by just Ribaldi. I am simply Ari. My grandfather is the Capo of Weston Electronics, the area’s finest source of computer motherboards and memory.”
“Then please give my greetings to your grandfather as well. I hope we will be able to work well together,” Cadence said.
“Yes. That is a problem. My grandfather is very old school. He loved Big Al and would lay down his life for the man, but he is torn about having a woman take the lead in the company.”
“So, he is among my opposition.”
“Yes and no. He believes he has a solution that would work to your benefit, and now that I have met you, I believe to my benefit as well. Please hear me out. He proposes a marriage.”
“I think I’m a little young for your grandfather,” Cadence scoffed.
“Certainly. Not to him. To me. It would bind our families together and, while you would remain the owner of all your grandfather’s assets, it would establish an Italian male at the head of our family. We have had no opportunity to get to know each other, Ms. Pesciano, and I know this comes to you abruptly, so please do not respond immediately. I assure you I am a man of good character who has been groomed to take over the business from my grandfather when he is ready to retire. He is only sixty-two now and is instructing me in every aspect of the business. I hope, however, that if we are able to reach an agreement, it will be because you and I have found something more in each other than a business arrangement. You are likely to receive other proposals, all well-meaning. But I assure you, of all you receive, mine will be the most heartfelt. You are a strong and beautiful woman, Ms. Pesciano. I would be a good man to have at your side.”
“Ari, please extend my gratitude to your grandfather for sending me such an… attractive offer,” Cadence said. Her smile melted her suitor and raised my hackles. “As he knows, however, Wilson and I must endure the challenge tomorrow, whatever it is. It may be that the decision will be moot at that point. Nonetheless, I hope that I will be able to count you among my friends long into the future. If you would excuse me now, though, I am dining with my fiancé and would like to finish my meal.” She slipped that in like a dagger between the ribs. He caught his breath and stood.
“Of course. My apologies for interrupting. I wish you much success tomorrow,” he said. He turned and left the restaurant.
“That might not have been the smartest thing to say,” I said. “I think he was quite sincere.”
“I don’t doubt it,” she said. “Would you mind if I married him? I could still have you as my bit on the side.”
“You’re an evil woman, Cadence. Just remember, we need to be as careful here as we will be on Chaos.”
“Yes. But first and foremost, we need to get a portal built and get to Chaos. All that I care about otherwise is surviving. I have all I need with you, love. I don’t need to own or control all my grandfather’s assets.”
“I wonder if there is enough money on that debit card Gino gave you to buy some precious metals,” I whispered.
Tuesday morning Paolo escorted us to the office of Pesciano Holdings. It was at the top of La Cittadella in the middle of town. Paolo and two of his men rode the elevator with us. When it stopped at the top floor, we stepped into an Italian Renaissance wonderland. The paintings were magnificent. The carpet deadened footfalls. There was a receptionist and a hall with several doors. When we approached, she simply pointed down the hall. We passed the open doors, each with a different face looking curiously at us. At the end, Paolo knocked at the only closed door.
“Avanti,” came the voice from inside. Paolo pushed the door open. Gino was sitting behind a huge desk in a spacious room. It had a large oak dining table for a conference table with ornate chairs and velvet upholstery. Tapestries hung on the wall on either side of the door. That was the only wall that wasn’t windows overlooking the city.
“Grandfather seems to have had a grandiose opinion of himself,” Cadence muttered. Paolo gasped. Gino started laughing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I never actually met him,” Cadence said. Gino barked out another laugh.
“It’s not that,” he said. “This is my office. Al’s is on the other side of the reception desk.”
“Oh, god! I’m sorry,” Cadence said.
“It’s okay. I deserved it,” Gino said, still chuckling. “Al encouraged us to maintain a certain amount of opulence. He felt it kept the capi respectful. And he was right. I thought it would be better for you to wait here than to wait in his office. It would be best if you enter last.” His phone rang and he had a short conversation. “Wilson’s lieutenant is here. Lincoln, we should go. Paolo will stay with you, Cadence. We’ll take Tomas and Bernardo. Are you ready?”
I nodded and followed him out using my canes to hobble along. At the moment, I didn’t want anyone suspecting that I was more than a crippled lieutenant of the heir. The five of us went down in the elevator to the bank on the first floor. Gino was greeted by a guy in a suit that was slightly more tasteful than the common black worn by the soldiers and I assumed he must just be a normal banker. He led us to a room next to the safe and after Gino signed in, produced his key. Gino handed him the match and the banker opened the depository door to retrieve a flat box, a foot across, four inches high, and two feet deep. I held back a chuckle as I thought of my safe deposit box on Chaos and the fact that it held a saddle, weapons, and a bag of gold coins. Wouldn’t quite fit in this bank. The banker set the box on the table between us and left. Gino opened the lid.
Inside were several books that looked like ledgers—maybe Al’s personal account books. There was an envelope on top of everything with bold lettering that said, ‘The Test.’ Gino removed that envelope and laid it on the desk while he replaced the lid and called the banker.
“What about the rest?” the other guy asked.
“The rest is not relevant to our purpose. Whoever becomes the Boss will be placed on the signature card and can access the rest,” Gino said. He turned to put the box in the slot and take his key. While his back was to us Wilson’s lieutenant reached for the envelope. The crack of my cane as I hit the table across the envelope made him jerk his hand back. He scowled at me but didn’t say anything. Gino didn’t either when he turned to us and retrieved the envelope. He put it in his pocket and we returned to the elevator with our two bodyguards.
When we got back to the office, Gino turned to the right instead of the left. There was no hall here, just big fucking double doors. Gino used his key and opened the doors, leaving them wide. Holy shit! Alfonso’s ‘office’ occupied the entire other half of the floor. If Cadence thought Gino’s office was opulent, she’d have a fit when she saw this.
The foyer was paved in white marble. It was too big to just say it had a marble floor. Parking lots this size have to be paved! An elegant desk and chair sat in the middle. No one was at it, but the doors beyond stood open. The desk was just the receptionist’s desk. It was interesting to note that although there was plenty of room in this waiting area, there were no chairs. Apparently, Big Al’s guests were expected to stand while waiting. Wow! Talk about manipulating the little people.
Our two bodyguards that had accompanied us to the bank stopped at the doors behind the reception desk. They would prevent any guests from entering before the appointed time. Gino led us on. We entered what could only be described as an audience chamber. To our left, a desk sat facing a room that would easily accommodate thirty people. It was actually raised a step above the rest of the room. The only thing on its surface was a green shaded desk lamp. It was open around the sides and front, showing the leather chair behind it. Beyond that, heavy draperies were pulled across the windows. There was only room in the desk for a single drawer in the center.
Gino went to the desk and turned on the lamp. He laid the letter from the safe deposit box in the center of the desk as if Big Al would reach out and read it. Then he motioned us to the other part of the room. This part held a conference table that would seat at least twenty. I suppose that any meeting here would also include secretaries, errand-runners, and probably a couple of bodyguards. This was where Al would meet with his capi. I wondered if he ever sat at the table himself or if he stayed at his desk, looking down on his people. Gino motioned Wilson’s lieutenant to the second chair on the right side of the table, leaving one massive leather chair vacant. He pointed me to the second leather chair on the left side. I figured it out pretty quickly. Cadence and Wilson would have the first chairs. It was ten feet across the table between us. Gino continued around the table and sat at the foot. I noticed the table tapered in slightly toward him so everyone had a clear view of the desk. And there we sat. Gino didn’t say a word and when the lieutenant started to speak, he was motioned to silence. Unlike the foyer, the audience chamber was thickly carpeted. Drapes hung behind Gino as well. The walls were decorated in frescoes that showed a piazza in Italy with a colonnade of arches culminating in a church or cathedral at one end. It was beautifully done and the perspective made the room look twice its actual size. I sat in the chair and held my canes in front of me. I was not letting them out of my hands.
It was an exercise in patience. On Chaos, I’d had to lie still and wait for hours while on watch and I let my body relax into that same watchful mode. The lieutenant fidgeted, turned his chair back and forth, drummed his fingers, and tapped his feet. Even his little noises were absorbed by the acoustics in the room.
Forty-five minutes after we were seated, there was a loud knock on the door. Gino stood, walked around the table and opened the double doors. It was noon.
Fifteen men seated themselves at the table. I assumed these were the capi, the presidents of the various corporations that Al held. Half a dozen aides and secretaries bustled about as they got settled. They brought water to the table with a pitcher at each occupied seat. Ashtrays appeared, as well, and I knew Cadence would be changing that in the near future. Our two bodyguards stood at the door and Wilson walked in with another of his soldiers. Gino gestured him to his chair and the soldier stood a couple of steps behind him. Wilson immediately engaged his lieutenant in a conversation. It was hardly noticed with the other conversations that were going on. They all ceased, though, when Cadence and Paolo walked through the door.
I had to admit, she was a show-stopper.
In honor of all the black suits expected in the room, Cadence also wore black. Her black skin-tight leathers. The vest was laced across her bosom, but it was obvious that she had nothing on beneath it. Her muscles rippled and she walked silently as a cat in soft black moccasins. Her black leather cap sat on her head and was adorned with a raven’s feather. The tight leather trousers conformed to every curve of her body and her butt and legs were spectacular. I’d have laid bets that some of the old men in the room were getting their first spontaneous erection in a decade. She glided to the chair next to me and Paolo held it while she seated herself. He stood back a couple of feet from us. I realized the subtlety that Gino had used in the procession into the meeting room. It had progressed from the least to the highest ranking. Whether they accepted Cadence as Boss or not, she owned the company.
Our two guards closed the doors and stood in front of them. Gino stepped to the center of the room about halfway between the desk and the conference table, leaving his seat at the end of the table vacant.
“Big Al is dead. Rest his soul,” Gino said and crossed himself. Everyone at the table bowed in respect and many crossed themselves. I put that on my list of things Cadence would have to learn about. “The capi met after his death and we sealed Al’s chambers until the reading of his will was completed. That was completed yesterday, and per his instructions, I opened the doors to this chamber this morning in the presence of both Wilson’s and Cadence’s lieutenants.” So, I was a lieutenant. I suppose that’s how I was acting. “There is no question regarding the terms of the will. Cadence Reynolds Pesciano is the sole heir to Big Al’s estate. She owns all of Pesciano Holdings, which includes all the businesses you run.”
There was a lot of murmuring and cross-conversation that Gino let go on for a few moments and then called them back to order.
“The terms of the will are very specific. Wilson is the secondary beneficiary. If Cadence does not survive thirty days after Al’s death, he gets everything. That’s a state law. We are now at eleven days and counting. However, if he challenges the terms of the will, he forfeits everything and is no longer eligible to inherit.” Well, that was like painting a big target on Cadence’s back. She had to live nineteen more days with Wilson trying to kill her. I watched Wilson as he stared at Cadence and clasped his hands together as if they were around her throat.
“The matter of inheritance taken care of, Al recognized that there was still the question of leadership to deal with. An owner does not necessarily have to be the boss, as each of you knows. Therefore, he directed that this meeting be held. A test of both courage and wits is to be held. This morning in the company of the lieutenants, I retrieved the envelope with the test in it from the safe deposit box and brought it to this room. It has sat on Al’s desk since we arrived and all three of us stood vigil to see that it was not disturbed. All I know is that Wilson and Cadence must stand the test. The first to succeed is Al’s designated successor as boss. If both of them fail or withdraw, then those in this room may essay the challenge or designate their heir to do so if desired. I will call the three senior capi to join me in opening and reading the challenge.”