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Antonio looked at the email Sullivan had sent him. It contained a photograph of a woman staring at her phone screen and basic contact information. The woman appeared to be in her late twenties and had a girl next door quality that Antonio found attractive. She reminded him of the girls he had known as a teenager in his hometown of Africo Nuovo, Italy. She also reminded him of the life had left behind.
He came from a poor family, but his father always managed to put food on the table and his mother always made sure that it was cooked to perfection. He had a soft bed to sleep in, friends to hang with, and boyish good looks that caused more than one of the girls in his neighborhood to vie for his affection. It was, by any stretch of the imagination, a satisfying life for a sixteen-year-old boy. That perception of life changed when his best friend’s mother died. The funeral was about as somber and religious as was humanly possible. That was to be expected. What was unexpected, was the return of her first-born son.
Johnny had been estranged from his parents for the better part of ten years. The fact that he dared to show his face at the funeral was, as evidenced by the expressions on the faces of the other mourners, not a pleasant surprise. Johnny had dropped out of school at sixteen because “You can't learn nothin’ sitting in a room.” The plain truth was that he wasn't school smart, but he was street smart and rumor had it that he had fallen in with the mafioso. The mafia considered abject poverty to be the perfect breeding ground for young boys looking for a “better” life. Judging from the size of the diamond in his pinky ring, the rumors appeared to have paid off better than the books.
Antonio watched Johnny walk over to his father. They talked briefly and then Johnny reached into his jacket pocket and took out an envelope. He handed it to his father who opened it, closed it, spit on it, and then shoved it back into Johnny's chest. Then his father turned his back and walked away. Johnny stood there for a moment before turning around and heading for the door. Seeing Antonio, he said, “Hey lady killer, tell Georgie I was here.” He took a few more steps and then stopped, turned back in Antonio’s direction and said, “Split this with Georgie. It's always good to have something for a rainy day.” He tossed the envelope to him, but the action took Antonio by surprise and the envelope landed at his feet. He bent down to pick it up and when he looked up, Johnny was gone.
Antonio opened the envelope and couldn't believe his eyes. It was packed with thousands of euros! There was also a business card, 'EUROCON ACCOUNTING SERVICES, J. Mancuso, along with an address and phone number. Antonio slipped the envelope into his shirt and the business card into his pocket. Always keep something for a rainy day seemed to be very good advice.
Two years later, Georgie was an assistant manager at the only pharmacy in town. He had a wife, a baby, and a track record of making bad decisions. Antonio decided that he was destined for bigger things. A week after his eighteenth birthday, he put some clothes and a few candy bars into a backpack. Walking into the kitchen, he kissed his mother goodbye and promised to write her when he got to Rome. He paused to watch the sun come up as the front door closed behind him. It was the beginning of a new day and, for him, a new life. He walked the almost two miles to board the first of three buses for the 700-kilometer trip to Rome.
One of the must-sees in Las Vegas is the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace. It's a little like Disneyland meets Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Cobblestone streets lead to high end shops and restaurants under an arched ceiling that goes from day to night several times an hour; There's even a rotunda with animatronic Roman gods putting on a thunder and lightning show for the always enthralled onlookers. With all these distractions, it's also the perfect place to pick someone's pocket.
Antonio studied the faces of passersby with the expertise of a plastic surgeon. When he found one with an acceptable similarity to his own, He slipped on his sunglasses and set a collision course for the man.
“Excuse me,” he said as he grabbed the man’s arm with one hand and picked his back pocket with the other. “I guess I shouldn't be wearing sunglasses when the sun goes down in here.”
“Don't worry about it,” his victim said with a chuckle.
Antonio followed the man as he left the show and window shopped for another ten or fifteen minutes, before going into the Bacchanal buffet.
He took a quick inventory of his victim’s wallet before sticking it in his pocket and walking over to a nearby car-rental desk.
“Can I help you, sir?”
“I’d like to rent a compact car, please.”
“That's not a problem. And your name, sir?”
“Milton Irvin. I'm here for the Minnesota teacher’s union convention.”
“And how long will you need the car for, Mr. Irvin?”
“Just a week. I'm heading back to the salt mines on Saturday. And call me Milt.”
“I think I can give you our convention rate. I'll just need your driver's license and a credit card. Will there be anyone else driving the car?”
Antonio handed him Irvin’s license and credit card “No, just me. My wife died last year. It was a tragic elk accident.
The reservationist was curious but too polite to ask about the events surrounding the tragic elk accident.
“I’m sorry to hear that, Milt.” he said as he typed in the license information and handed it back to him.
The reservationist went over the fine print before having Antonio sign the rental agreement. A minute later, he handed him the car keys and a printout of the document.
“Just go to the parking garage and follow the signs to the rental car pickup. Enjoy your stay in Las Vegas.”
“Thank you. I know there’s not much to do here, but I’ll try to keep myself busy,”
Antonio said with a wink.
He turned and walked over to the Bacchanal Buffet. Once inside, he spotted Milt Irvin sitting alone at a small table. He walked past him and dropped Irvin’s wallet on the floor by his foot. He left the buffet and headed for the parking garage. After finding his car, he exited the garage and headed for employee parking. He pulled into a nearby parking lot and waited for his target. He didn’t have to wait long before he saw her walk into employee parking and get into a white minivan. He pulled in behind her as she turned onto Frank Sinatra Drive.
Twenty minutes later, his target pulled into the parking lot of a Vons supermarket. Antonio drove down an adjacent aisle and pulled into a parking space that had an unobstructed view of the front of the market as well as the white minivan she had just exited. He watched her walk into the store, then unfastened the seat belt and pulled a candy bar out of the pocket of his hoodie. He wondered what this woman had to do with Sullivan. He lived in a world of don’t ask and don’t tell, but he was always curious as to why people hired him. He took a bite of the candy bar and waited for her to exit the store.
Weary from the eight-hour bus ride, Antonio polished off the last of the candy bars as the driver announced that they were entering Rome’s city limits. He pulled Johnny’s business card out of his pocket. His plan was to find Johnny and ask him for a job. He would have to be extremely persuasive because he had no Plan B. It took him over an hour to find the address on the business card. It was a small building in the center of Rome. He walked through the front door and was greeted by a young and very pretty receptionist.
“Can I help you, sir?”
Antonio wasn’t used to being addressed as sir, especially by someone who wasn’t much older than he was.
“Yes, hello. I’m looking for Johnny.”
“Johnny?”
“Mr. Mancuso?”
“Do you have an appointment?”
“No, but he knows me.”
“I’ll see if Mr. Mancuso is available. And your name, sir?”
“Antonio, uh, Georgie’s friend.”
She picked up the phone handset, pressed a button and said in a low voice, “Mr. Mancuso, there’s an Antonio to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he said to tell you that he’s Georgie’s friend.”
Antonio thought about telling her to mention ‘lady killer’, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself.
“Okay, sir. I’ll tell him.” The receptionist hung up the phone.
“Mr. Mancuso is on a phone call. He asked that you make yourself at home. Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you.”
Antonio walked over to a couch that looked like it was designed more for show than for sitting. He removed his backpack and set it on the floor next to him. He sat down on the edge of the couch and glanced at the magazines fanned out on the coffee table in front of him. They all dealt with finance. He picked up the end magazine and started leafing through it. He stopped about halfway as if he was reading an article that interested him. He was trying to figure out what he would say to Johnny that would explain his unexpected visit to Rome.
“Hey lady killer, what are you doing here? Wanna give me some pointers?”
Johnny gave a quick glance in the direction of the receptionist as he came out of his office. She smiled as if they were sharing a private joke, which they were. Antonio looked up and blushed at being called ‘lady killer’ in front of the receptionist.
“Hi Johnny.”
Johnny noticed his reaction and decided it might be better to continue this reunion in his office. He motioned for Antonio to follow as he turned and gave a wink to the receptionist.
“Diana, would you please bring us a couple of coffees?”
“Right away, Mr. Mancuso. Do you take anything in your coffee, Antonio?”
Antonio picked up his backpack before answering. He never drank coffee, but he didn’t want to embarrass himself again by telling that to the receptionist.
“No, just black,” he said, thinking Johnny would like that.
Once inside, Johnny closed the door and pointed to an overstuffed chair before leaning back on the edge of his desk.
“Tell me, Antonio, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?”
“Well... you see...”
“Spit it out, kid, before I reach retirement age.”
Antonio chuckled. “I left home, and I was hoping I could work for you.”
There was a long pause as Johnny just stared at him. He was beginning to think this might not have been a great idea, after all, and contemplated the long bus ride back home.
“So you left home. I can understand that. I felt the same way at your age. But I quit school. You're smarter than me.”
“You’ve done okay.”
“Sure, now. But it wasn’t always that way. When I first got here, my life was pretty dicey, and I had to do some things I wasn’t very proud of. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“I heard rumors.”
“Unfortunately, so did my father. I guess you saw what happened at the wedding.”
“But you tried to help him with the money.”
“It's not always about the money, kid. Sometimes, it’s about what you had to sell to get the money.”
“But look at all you have.”
“I'll tell you a little secret, lady killer. The things are nice, but they won't last forever. The other day, I was walking down the street. I passed this homeless guy sitting against a building and I decided to stop and talk to him. It turned out that he was well read and knowledgeable about world events. Before I left, I reached into my pocket and gave him 100 euros. Instead of thanking me, he grasped my hand in a firm handshake. When I looked into his eyes, it was as if they were saying “Be careful. I once was you.” There are times when I think that the only thing the money buys me is a little time.”
“I'll do anything, Johnny. I can run errands or anything else you need done.”
“Let me give it some thought, kid. How did you get here?”
“I took the bus.”
“That's a long trip. Tell you what, Let’s get some dinner. Afterwards you can crash in my guestroom. Does your mother know you came to see me?”
“I told her I was visiting friends; in case it didn't work out.”
Johnny pointed to the telephone. “Let her know that you're okay and with me. We’ll work out the details tomorrow.”
Tomorrow turned into months. Johnny gave Antonio a roof over his head and a job delivering paperwork to and from clients. They discussed the possibility of continuing Antonio’s education. He had always been interested in studying business, but he knew that higher education was nothing but an out of reach dream for a poor kid from a poor town.
Johnny also gave him friendship and advice. The day that Georgie called to tell him that his mother had suffered a fatal heart attack, it was Johnny who drove back home with him and paid all the funeral expenses. Their pasts had brought them together except that Johnny was trying to hold on to his and Antonio was trying forget.
It was 5:30 in the evening, two days before Christmas and Antonio had just finished the last of his deliveries for the year. It was going to feel good to not see his bicycle or mass transit for a week or so. Johnny had taught him how to drive in his spare time. His New Year's resolution was to get a driver’s license. Johnny was on the phone when he arrived back at the office.
“Don’t worry about the money. I can get it back. It's just that the holiday season makes it more difficult. Just give me until the end of January.”
In all the months he had known him, this was the first time that Antonio had ever seen Johnny rattled about anything.
“Okay, I’ll meet you for drinks at 6. We can discuss it.”
Johnny hung up the phone without saying goodbye. Antonio guessed it was because the person at the other end had already ended the call.
“Is everything alright, Johnny?”
“That? Sure, kid. You know how it is. A client loses more money than expected and they take it out on the hired help,” he said with a reassuring smile.
He wrote something down on a pad and handed it to Antonio.
“Meet me there at 7 and we’ll do some last-minute Christmas shopping.” He pulled out his wallet and handed him a 20-euro bill.
“Take a taxi,” he said as he headed out the door.
Antonio settled into Johnny’s chair and leaned back. He picked up the remote and aimed it at the television. The news came on with, not surprisingly, a story about the hottest toys for Christmas. He parents never had money for the “hottest” toys. His father worked the kiln at the nearby cement factory. It was hard work under poor conditions and probably contributed to his father dying of lung cancer about a year before he left home.
His father's death was partially responsible for his decision to leave home. The company paid death benefits, but they were barely enough for one person to survive. He didn't want his mother to worry about having to take care of him. He had started sending money back home from his weekly paycheck. Johnny was teaching him investment counseling and he had planned to send more money back as soon as Johnny felt he was ready to work inside the company. His mother’s sudden death had left him feeling slightly guilty for leaving her.
He was feeling antsy just sitting around the office, so he decided to go window
shopping until Johnny was finished with his meeting. He turned off the television and picked up the phone.
The cab dropped him off about four stores down from the bar where Johnny was having his meeting. Antonio paid the cab driver and got out. It was an upscale men's clothing store. The window mannequins were wearing designer suits. He had never owned a suit, but he always believed that a man in a nice suit meant that he was worthy of respect. One day, he would be able to buy that respect. At least he could admire that which he couldn't afford. He started to walk into the store when he heard what he thought was a car backfire. He turned in the direction of the noise and saw two men run out of the bar and jump into a waiting car. The car tires screeched as it tore away from the curb. Antonio ran to the bar and pushed his way past the people running out. He glanced at the empty barstools and then over at a cluster of nearby tables. That's when he saw Johnny lying on the floor in a pool of blood. He ran over and dropped to his knees as he cradled Johnny’s head in his hands. His friend’s eyes were half closed.
“Johnny, it’s Antonio.”
“Hey lady killer,” Johnny was trying to talk, but his voice was weak and raspy from coughing blood. “It looks like I won’t be buying any more time.”
Antonio told him to stop talking and that help was on the way.
“Leave but don’t go home,” were the last words that Johnny ever said.
Antonio slowly lowered Johnny's head as his eyes welled up with tears. He could hear the police sirens in the distance. He reached into Johnny’s inside jacket pocket and took out his wallet. Then he slipped the diamond pinky ring off his finger. He stood up and took one last look at his mentor and friend. He ran out the door as the police sirens got closer.
Antonio ran for almost two blocks before slowing down to a walk. Ducking into an alleyway, he took out Johnny’s wallet and removed the cash. There was close to 5,000 euros inside. Johnny always carried a lot of cash. Antonio had figured it was because pulling out a fat wad of euros was more impressive than using a credit card. But after what he had just witnessed, he realized that it was because Johnny didn’t want to be tracked through credit card transactions.
He looked up and noticed a homeless man huddled around a burning garbage can for warmth. He walked over and handed him twenty euros before tossing the wallet into the fire. He stuffed the rest of the money into his inside coat pocket and walked down the alleyway towards the street. When he reached the sidewalk, he felt the blustery winter wind against his face. He buttoned his coat and pulled the collar up around his neck. He no longer had a home to go to, a friend to confide in, or much of a future. Holiday shoppers were scrambling to hold on to their packages before going home to family and friends. He looked down at the ring he had slipped on his finger. Then he walked into the wind and became a nameless face in the crowd.
His target had just exited the store. She was pushing a shopping cart loaded with groceries. Antonio removed the diamond pinky ring and stuffed it into one of the pockets of his jeans. From another pocket, he pulled out a tiny box. Inside was a plain silver ring. He removed the latex glove from his right hand and slipped it onto his ring finger, making sure that a tiny burr faced upward, then returned the box to his pocket. After pulling sweatpants up over his jeans and the hoodie over his head, he exited the rental car without taking the keys. He slammed the car door shut and removed the glove from his left hand. He walked over to the shopping cart return station and pulled an empty shopping cart free from the neatly nestled row of carts. After crossing over to the next aisle, he started walking towards the store. His target had just opened the rear door of the minivan. He pushed the empty shopping cart in her direction. It crashed into her cart with a metallic thud.
“I am so sorry,” Antonio said in a thick southern accent as he hurried over to retrieve the shopping cart. “I went to answer my phone and the cart just got away from me.”
“That’s okay,” said his target. “It just startled me, that’s all.”
“Here, let me help you with those.”
Without waiting for a reply, Antonio grabbed one of the bags and placed it in the minivan. As he did, he noticed a six pack of juice boxes. He told himself that it was just a job but, deep down, he hoped she wasn’t a single mother. After loading the rest of the bags, he rotated the ring before turning back to face his target.
“You have a nice night, ya hear,” Antonio said as he extended his hand. She shook his hand, never realizing that it was the last human contact she would ever have. “I’ll take care of your shopping cart. You just drive safely.”
“Thank you,” she said smiling.
Antonio retrieved both shopping carts and walked back to the cart return station. He wiped down the handles with the hoodie sleeve and then headed towards the sidewalk as his target drove off. The minivan made a right turn onto the road. Antonio turned left at the sidewalk and kept walking. He had only walked a few feet when he heard the screeching of tires, the sound of a collision, and a continuous car horn. He kept walking without looking back to see what had happened.
About a block away, he found himself in front of a small apartment complex. He made his way to the rear of the buildings and noticed a walled-in trash dumpster. There was a pedestrian opening in the back. He was grateful that people didn't like to look at trash dumpsters because the enclosure gave him the cover that he needed to remove his hoodie, sweatpants, fake mustache, and goatee without worrying about surveillance cameras. He also removed the silver ring, wiped it with the hoodie, and discarded everything into the dumpster. He pulled the empty ring box and used latex gloves out of his jeans pockets and tossed them into the dumpster, as well, before puncturing a kitchen trash bag and emptying its contents over everything. The dumpster was overflowing which meant that pickup day was near.
Antonio left the trash enclosure looking like a clean-cut thirty something in a sport shirt and jeans. He headed for the front of the building and, out of habit, surveyed the surroundings before continuing down the sidewalk. At the corner, a homeless man was holding a sign that read ‘God Loves You’. Antonio pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket, peeled off five twenty-dollar bills and handed them to him. Tears rolled down the man's weather-worn face.
“Bless you, sir, bless you.”
The walk light turned green and Antonio stepped off the curb. He was just buying time.