Page 60 of Near Miss

“Greco, you say? Not sure if he still does, but at one time he worked for at least one of the Greeks,” Stone said.

“The Russians? Oh, shit.” Joan took her .45 from her desk drawer. “I’ll be ready,” she said.

Greco was sitting in the chair across the desk from Stone’s, drinking a cup of coffee. He was, indeed, wearing a nice suit—Savile Row, Stone surmised.

“Good morning, Egon,” Stone said. Greco’s original name had been Egon Pentkovsky, and his brother Anton had been the head of the Russian mob. Anton’s demise had opened the door for Serge Gromyko, and then Alexei Gromyko, to take over. “Did Joan offer you something stronger?”

“Not before lunch,” Greco replied. “And it’s not Egon anymore. I go by Peter now. I thought if I was going to change one name, I might as well change both.”

“Peter, then. I heard that Islesboro suddenly lost its attractionto you and your family.” With Stone’s assistance, Greco and his family had moved into a home on the island. Word had recently come to Stone that the Grecos had left Islesboro as quickly and quietly as they’d arrived.

“That is so. I wish I could have given notice, but there was no time to lose, given the position I was in at that moment. I thought I owed it to you to explain what had happened, but I had to wait to see you in New York.”

“All right, shoot.”

“Not the word I would have chosen,” Greco said. “As you might remember, when I tried to disassociate myself from the family business, Serge Gromyko interpreted my actions as hostile to him, though I felt no hostility toward him, at that time.”

“I recall. But didn’t his passing solve that problem for you?”

“It did, in a way. But after his death, the new Greek contacted me and simply assumed I was still part of the operation. That’s when I realized his brother had taken the knowledge of my betrayal to his grave. I was able to use the excuse of my own brothers’ deaths to lessen my workload and move into more of a consultant role. I thought once I achieved that, I would be able to ease my way out completely, without causing any waves.”

“Let me guess. It’s not turning out to be so simple.”

“That is an understatement. A week ago, I called him and told him that the time had come for me to branch out on my own. He did not take it well. As you might imagine, I have witnessed too much, and Alexei Gromyko does not tolerate witnesses. But that isn’t the true problem.”

“What is?”

“I am a Pentkovsky. My brother started the family. I now realize in Gromyko’s mind I will always be a threat. If I were tostay in the family, he might not kill me right away, but he would eventually find a reason to do so. And I fear he’ll do the same to my wife and daughters. I will not put my family at risk.”

“So, you’re still going to leave the mob?”

“I’m already out. They just don’t know it yet.”

“I see. But surely, he will be even more motivated to kill you than if you stayed. How do you propose to avoid the Greek’s wrath?”

“Is our conversation being recorded?”

“Not unless I press a button, and I have not done so.”

“You are the person who, along with me, has the most to gain from his exit from the planet.”

“I am prepared to meet hostility with hostility, if it comes to that.”

“It may very well come to that.”

“You sound like you know something I don’t.”

Greco smiled without humor. “As you know, my original role in the organization was that of chief financial officer. I no longer hold the title, but I still have sources there who tell me things. And apparently a select few are aware of your involvement in the death of Gromyko’s nephew.”

Stone stiffened, but only slightly.

“So, it’s true, then,” Greco said.

“I will neither confirm nor deny.”

“Lucky for you, that information has not been passed on to Gromyko. Yet. Not to put too fine a point on it, but when he does find out—and don’t think he won’t—your life will be at risk every time you walk out your door.”

“I’m not sure you could put a finer point on it. Any notion on when the odds of my impending doom will increase?”

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