Page 73 of Sal Gabrini: Man on Fire

“Billy Hawkins,” Dela said. “My only son. That’s who!”

“Billy Hawkins?” Gemma remembered that name. “Billy was guilty as sin. The prosecution had boatloads of evidence against Billy. Johnny Cochran wouldn’t have been able to get him off.”

“He died in that prison!” Dela yelled and banged his fist on the table. “Don’t you talk to me about guilty. He died in that prison that your sorry representation put him in! I knew I shouldn’t have listened to all those capos telling me to go with Sal Gabrini’s old lady. She gets everybody off. Yeah, right. Everybody except my boy.”

Dela was getting emotional. Gemma decided to play on that emotion, to keep him talking. Reno was trying to figure a way out.

“Why did Elsie kill Mason Curry? He did nothing wrong.”

“He loved you,” said Dela. “That’s what he did wrong. Besides, he’d do anything for money. Elsie, my old friend, called me after my son died. She and all of my friends from across the country called me when my boy died. Did your husband call me? Did you call me to apologize for what you did to him? No! But Elsie called. I told her of my hatred for you and all the things I wanted to do to you. She told me about Mason’s love for you, and all the things he wanted to do to you. She also told me Mason need cash and will do anything for money. Don’t let that smile and that big house in the Hills fool you. I offered him big money and he did whatever I needed doing. Including wooing you,” he added.

Gemma stared at him, shocked. “I don’t believe you.”

“Don’t believe me then. But he did it. He impersonated an FBI agent also, which is a crime by the way. But he did that, too, for a fee. That’s how I got the mob bosses to wear wires. That’s how I got Pauley and Markie to do my dirty work. Kidd Curry, the one-time actor, pretended to be Fed. He sold them a whole story about how they were to blame this guy name Jovie for everything and to lie and tell Sal that their mistresses and children were being kidnapped. It was all lies. Jovie just wanted Sal’s territory. I just wanted his woman. That’s why that second lady was found in the Santa Ana river. I ordered that hit too. To keep you involved in Kidd Curry’s life. He knew nothing about it. He was as shocked as anybody when he heard about that warrant for his arrest again. But that was me too. So me and Kidd partnered up, and me and Jovie partnered up.”

“To what end?” asked Gemma.

“Your destruction,” said Dela. “That’s what end!”

Reno looked at him. “You touch a hair on the head of Sal Gabrini’s wife and it’ll beyourdestruction,” he said.

“My boy is dead,” said Dela. “What happens to me now? I don’t give a fuck.”

Then he was about to stand up just as the front door was kicked in and then the backdoor was kicked in and then shots were fired from Sal and Robby coming in through the front and Mick coming in through the back. Reno grabbed Gemma and threw her under the table and then he pulled out his weapon, shot and killed Elsie, and then held his weapon on Dela before he could make a move. Dela tossed his gun on the table.

Because they had the element of surprise, Sal and Robby were able to rush in firing, picking off capos in rapid succession even before they could lift their guns to fire back.

Mick walked in, and picked off the rest. It was what they called a clean hit.

But Barney Delarosa was still alive. And no way, after the destruction he caused, was Sal allowing that. He wanted one-on-one time with that asshole.

“Get Gemma out of here, Reno,” Sal said, and Reno, understanding, grabbed Gemma and began hurrying with her toward the exit.

Sal sat his gun on the table and began walking slowly toward Delarosa, the man he made a truce with. The man that betrayed him too.

But as soon as Sal began heading his way, Dela leaned back in his chair so that it fell backwards and plunged him to the floor. Then he grabbed a gun from one of his capos, causing Reno and Mick to pull up their weapons ready to fire again. But Delarosa shot himself through the head. A clean hit too.

Everybody stopped in their tracks. Including Gemma and Reno when it was all done. And then Gemma broke away from Reno and ran to Sal. Sal pulled her into his arms, both of them suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. It was all over now. It was done. That silence that suddenly overtook the room wasn’t just the sound of silence anymore. It was the sound of relief.

EPILOGUE

“Thatta boy!” yelled Sal as he stood to his feet. “That’s how you do that shit!”

He and Marie were at the ballpark sitting in the stands along with a few other parents and siblings watching Lucky’s team practice. Ever since they got out of that craziness and his syndicate was back at full strength, Sal had not missed one single practice nor game his son was in. Because Lucky was back to full strength too. And even better if you asked Sal.

Lucky had just hit a homerun, his second during their practice game, and Sal couldn’t stop bragging.

“You brag too much, Daddy,” said Marie with a smile.

“Brag? Did you see that homerun? Reggie Jackson couldn’t hit one that far!”

“Who’s Reggie Jackson?” asked Marie.

Sal looked at her amazed. “Who’s Reggie Jackson? You don’t know who Reggie Jackson is? Mister October for crying out loud? The best homerun hitter that’s ever lived in my opinion. Are you kidding me? I thought your ass was a student of the game.”

Marie laughed. “I’m kidding you,” she said and Sal couldn’t help but smile. He and Marie had a bond. He pushed her lightly. But she was so small she fell sideways, and they both laughed.

The other parents looked at them and shook their heads. Sal was just too loud for their taste. But Sal always told them, whenever they mentioned it, what they could do with their taste.

---