Page 28 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

“What same boat? Am I trying to snatch your guys like you’re still trying to snatch mine?”

“What still? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Bullshit, Dela. You’re still pulling those hit and runs. Trying to find out what I’m doing. Which you’ll never find out.”

“That’s why I’m telling you I’m not doing it. If they claim I am, they’re lying. We have a truce, Sal. Why would I mess that up? What do I look like? Stupid?”

“Are you saying you didn’t try to get any of my guys to snitch on me?”

“I’m saying it happens on the regular and you know it does. You do the same to me and don’t say you don’t. Your guys, my guys, we spy on each other all the time. It goes with the territory and you know it, Sal Luca. You aren’t new to this game. You’re the leader of the pack. Why you so sensitive all of a sudden?”

Sal frowned. “Sensitive? Fuck you, Dela!” Then he exhaled. This was going nowhere. “Just cut that shit out or I’ll rip this truce up so fast you won’t know what hit your ass.Capese?”

And before Delarosa could say another word, because Sal just didn’t want to hear it, he pressed up his window and his driver drove him away.

And Gemma got no response to her text message and then the judge entered the courtroom. And that was that. She knew she had a trial to handle and that was exactly what she did. She’d deal with Sal after the trial was over. Right now, she was about to give it her all.

She had already presented to the judgein camera, which was held in a private session in the judge’s chambers, all of the exculpatory evidence regarding their key witness. And then, in the courtroom, she requested a summary judgment. Just dismiss the charges against her defendant because somebody else had confessed. But the judge, as Gemma expected, would not grant such a request. He was not about to conclude Mason was innocent based on some death row guy’s jailhouse confession. But he did order the prosecution to interview the man and let him know, by close of business that day, if they found him credible or not.

The prosecution, as Gemma also expected, claimed the guy wasn’t credible, the trial proceeded the next day, and the death row inmate was called in Gemma’s case-in-chief.

The next day, after closing arguments in a trial that lasted only two days total, the jury was given the case by the judge. The jurors apparently believed that Gemma’s star witness, even though he was on death row, was more credible than the prosecution tried to make them believe. And since the prosecution had no evidence at all, just a lot of conjecture, they deliberated and reached a verdict in less than an hour. And Mason was found not guilty on all counts.

Mason was so happy at that defense table that he lifted Gemma in the air and gave her a big bear hug that nearly took her breath away. But she understood his excitement.

“Friday night,” Mason said to her, “I am throwing a party in your honor for this great thing you just did for me. And it’s going to be a blast! I’ll send you the guest list. You will be impressed I assure you. Be there, Gemma. It’ll be in your honor. You simply must be there!” And then he was engulfed in hugs and kisses from his huge contingent of stars he represented as an agent, and other well-wishers.

Gemma wasn’t thinking about being anybody’s guest of honor. She was just happy they prevailed. But she found herself looking around the courtroom just the same. She was at least hoping Sal would have made the thirty-minute flight to San Bernardino, where the murder took place and where the trial had to be conducted, to hear the verdict. But no such luck. She was alone just as she usually was at her trials. No family was there with her.

But after she left the courtroom, with her beefy bodyguards right alongside her, and got into the waiting SUV, she was shocked and happy and angry to see Sal sitting inside that SUV. She had all kinds of emotions. But mostly she was happy to see that he was okay, and that he still cared enough to come and see about her.

But she could tell he was still pissed.

And he was pissed. He had been getting daily status reports about Gemma from his guys, and called himself giving her some space. Especially after she claimed he was being so needy. Can you believe it, he thought. A man like him needy? She was out of her fucking mind. That pissed Sal off more than their argument at her office. Which was the real reason why he hadn’t bothered to phone. She didn’t like her man to need her ass? Then fine! He gave her what she wanted. Who was acting needy now, he wondered. “What woman?” he asked her.

Gemma couldn’t believe that was the first question that came out of his mouth. “I texted you about that woman five days ago, Sal. And today you decide to answer me?”

“Today, yesterday, what’s the difference? What woman were you talking about?”

“The one you wined and dined.”

Sal looked her dead in her eyes. “Which one?” he asked her.

Gemma was hurt he said those words to her, as if he was some player from way back. And her anger flared too. “Fuck you, Sal,” she said, and turned away from him.

Sal felt bad he had gone there, but a part of him wanted to hurt her back for calling him needy. He knew it was petty, and he knew it was wrong. But he was tired of people using him and abusing him and kicking him around. He wasn’t taking it any longer.

During the entire ride to the airfield, neither said another word. Until Gemma’s cell phone rang. When she saw on the Caller ID that it was Mason, she answered. At least he was happy with her. At least she hadn’t let him down.

“Hey, Mace, what’s up?” she asked over the phone. She did not put it on Speaker either. And Sal didn’t ask her to.

When Sal heard Gemma say Mason’s name, his outward demeanor didn’t change. But inwardly he stiffened, and was listening to her every word.

“I just wanted to thank you,” Mason said over the phone.

“You already did.”

“That was just the warm up,” said Mason. “I want to give you a proper thank you Friday night at my house. I want to honor you fancy-like.”

---