Page 39 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

“Who was the guy?” Sal asked.

“I don’t know him. Never seen him before in my life.”

“Did Markie know him?”

Pauley was shaking his head. “No, sir. He was a stranger to us.”

“Then how would Markie be able to get in touch with some stranger you claim you guys didn’t know?”

“He gave us his card.”

Even Gucci, in his distress, found that astonishing. “Hewhat?!! And after what happened last night you didn’t think it made sense to share that information with the group?”

“What information, Guch?” asked Pauley. “I got nothing on the guy. After what happened last night, I found that card and called that number. It was no longer in service. Didn’t have no name on the card or nothing else. I got nothing!”

Sal ran his hands through his thick hair. He was getting tired of this shit. Not knowing who was after what and what was after him. Especially now that they roped Gemma into it. Now that his own guy followed them to California and tried to do what? Take him and Gemma out? Take Kidd Curry out? Take Reno and Trina out? Take somebody else at the party out? He had no clue!

“I got nothing on the guy,” Pauley said again, “except for one thing.”

Everybody looked at him when he said those words. “One thing?” asked Sal. “What thing?”

Pauley held up his cell phone. “I took his picture.”

Robby stood erect. “You got his picture?”

Even Gucci was amazed.

“But I ran background on it,” said Pauley. “I got no hits, nothing.”

“And your stupid ass didn’t think Boss needed to know that?” Robby asked Pauley.

“What are you jumping all over me for, Robby? I told you nothing turned up. Why would I bother Boss about nothing?”

“A photograph is never nothing,” said Robby.

“Show it to me,” Sal said.

Pauley stood up and began searching through his phone as he walked over to Sal. Gucci and some of the more senior capos got up too and went and stood behind Sal. When Pauley handed Sal his cell phone with the picture on it, they all looked closely at the photo. Even Robby walked over and took a quick look.

“He look familiar to you, Boss?” Robby asked.

“No.” Sal was staring at the photo.

“Anybody else?” asked Robby.

Nobody else recognized him.

“Send a copy to everybody’s phones,” Sal said to Pauley, and Pauley pulled up their group text and did just that.

“Guch,” Sal said, “get our guys at the Vegas PD to put a Bolo out on him.”

“Yes, sir, Boss. Though it wasn’t cool what you did to me.”

“Fuck you!” Sal said angrily, looking Gucci dead in the eyes.

Gucci knew to back off. He knew Sal could be your biggest supporter, but he could also be your biggest nemesis if he chose to be. Since Gucci was eyeing Robby’s job now that Dommi was gone, he knew he had to watch himself. “Yes, sir, I’ll get right on it,” he said, and pulled out his cell phone to do what he was ordered to do.

“Robby, shoot that photo to our guys on background,” Sal said. “See what they can come up with beyond what Pauley’s country-ass called himself doing.”

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