The Stray

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"Each employee is free to keep them wherever he wishes. It goes without saying, however, that they should always be at hand, so most keep them on the dashboard."

"Suppose, Mrs. Darden, that someone wanted to keep these records safe. Where would he hide them?"

"If there was anything in them that had the potential to get me into trouble, I would burn them."

Mason instinctively thought back to the ashes in the Perkins' stove.

"What if I didn't want to destroy it because, for some reason, it might come in handy?"

"In every man's castle, then: the house."

"But they should always be at hand, don't forget that."

"The taxi."

"Entrust it to one of the family?"

"For as long as Samuel Perkins worked for me he never mentioned anything that reminded him of her. The only leave he ever requested was for his wife."

"I see. But a man with a taxi can go anywhere without having to explain himself."

"Not quite, Detective. A company that gave its employees that much freedom would go bankrupt in less than a week. We periodically check the mileage against the mileage on the books."

"How do you know that a driver has not stopped somewhere to take a break?"

"We calculate the distance of the last run with that of the area where drivers stop. Generally their home."

"But there's still a margin of error. A mile today, another half tomorrow, and in no time you create a fairly large grey area."

"Every week the kilometres, approximated by excess, which do not turn out and which cannot exceed a certain limit, are marked. "'Frozen', if you will."

"You've thought of everything."

"I am pleased with your admiration. Is there anything else?"

"I bet he wants to get his car back."

"Samuel was a freelancer. The car was his. We just provided him with the equipment and signs. In such cases Sunshine Cab 'leases' the vehicle to the owner, who becomes our employee. Obviously, the cars have to be above certain standards to work with us. It's a question of image."

"A free hitter, then."

"Within certain limits."

"Did he have an area of expertise?"

"All our drivers must have it or areas would form with an overabundance of service and others totally abandoned. You understand it would be chaos. Samuel was assigned Grand Central."

"What kind of vehicle are we talking about?"

"A Checker T."

"What kind of man is Samuel Perkins?"

"Tim didn't tell you enough?"

"I like to have a choice."

"If you want to hear that Sam was capable of doing everything that is being attributed to him I am forced to disappoint you. He was no saint, that must be clear: he had his good temper tantrums too, and frequent ones, but that's part of the job, especially in a city like this. He was a hard worker with all the strengths and weaknesses of all of us. No more, no less. no more, no less."

"Did he know his wife?"

"Not well. She came over a few times, maybe at Christmas, to bring Sam lunch. Something special. Yeah, Sam always worked at Christmas. It's the time of year when the real money is made."

"Why do you think he worked so hard? They both had good jobs and no children."

"I never get involved in private matters. I see what you're getting at but, I'm sorry, I didn't know anything about their married life, so I ignore whether they were on the rocks, whether Sam preferred to spend more time in his taxi than with his wife. I don't think so, Detective, but if I can give you a professional opinion, street kids who manage to grow up and, miraculously, stay out of trouble, become tireless workers. I know a thing or two about that."

"I don't want to take up any more of your time, Mrs. Darden."

"Duty."

"One last thing: is there a Mr. Darden, by any chance?"

The woman, who had already returned to the papers in front of her, looked up at him.

"I imagine it's relevant to your investigation."

Bump in the road

Mason Stone crossed the Washington Bridge in the direction of New Jersey. The sun shone raw, lacking in cheerful tones, the sky emotionless. That morning the traffic was hiccupping, stuck in the tired rhythms of those who don't want to but have to.

The address found in the Sunshine Cab's phone records was in Leonia, a neighbourhood for those who were not blatantly rich but could afford to have a front garden. And in that time of financial crisis, there weren't many of them. Moving slowly forward amidst the honking horns and rumbling bonnets, Mason left Manhattan behind. He was following a truck that he could have easily overtaken, but because of the narrow roadway and oncoming traffic, he decided not to rush.

Within a couple of blocks there was a queue three blocks long.

At an intersection, a dark green Chevrolet Six pulled up behind Mason, and as the driver realised the poor timing he had encountered, he started punching the horn. Mason signalled for him to pass, but he continued to follow without stopping barking. Stone then slowed down to make it easier for him to overtake. Nothing.

Maybe there was a rookie behind the wheel of the truck that wouldn't give way, stiffened by the fear of making a mistake on the first day and earning an earful. At the umpteenth angry blast of the horn, Mason tried to make out the Chevy owner's face in the rereview mirror. The shadow of the fedora he wore made it difficult, but he could still make out a clean-shaven chin and a pair of hollowed-out cheeks. A screech of tyres in front of him forced him to let go and brake. The lorry had hit the kerb. The impact caused the body to swing so far that one side of the truck jerked up off the ground.

As Stone slowed down, the driver of the truck accelerated to keep the pachyderm on its feet. If he failed, Mason would be crushed by the load. As the truck towered over him, he shifted into reverse. Immediately a double set of high lights flashed in the rear-view mirror: the man in the green Chevrolet was gesturing angrily and urging Mason Stone on. Meanwhile, the trucker's attempt had brought the right-hand tyre train crashing back onto the pavement. The structure embarked determinedly.

The Ford's engine screamed violently. The Chevrolet occupied almost the entire carriageway and advanced without giving Stone a chance to move. The truck, now out of control, ended up blocking the opposite lane. The clamped brakes locked the wheels, which left a long, dark trail on the asphalt and white smoke rose from the tyres. The trailer whined furiously. Mason knew from the noise that he would not last long.

Pushed into the arms of a terrible fate, Stone considered crashing his car into the truck and settling his fall, now certain. His car would crumple like a tin of sardines. On the left, a row of lampposts would have provided him with no better service: the old Ford was not agile enough to avoid them all. There were too many people, anyway. He wasn't going to risk their lives for his. On the other side, the deep waters of the East River.

With yet another blast of the horn, the Ford's cockpit filled with light. Stone gripped the steering wheel and lowered his chin until the brim covered his view of the Chevy's high beams. The trucker cursed in panic: the steering wheel was pulling his arms off.

Mason stepped back sharply. A dull thud preceded the clang of scrap metal. The bumpers of the Ford and Chevrolet had engaged. The engine in reverse was at its rev limit. The Ford pushed away HollowCheeks’ car which was pushing it towards the crash. The tyres of both cars groaned. Then the truck's trailer collapsed, taking the load and the tractor with it, just as the space Mason had created became enough for him to shift into first gear and drive to the right. On impact with the kerb, the Ford spun upwards, but it was in that way that it was barely grazed by the lorry, losing only a mirror. A cloud of steam rose from the truck's radiator like the mushroom of an explosion. The dust and goods scattered on the ground enveloped the truck and the bystanders.

Mason Stone overcame the incident and pulled over to the other side.

A huddle of curious onlookers and alarmed good citizens gathered. At the windows there was a luxuriant flowering of heads. Mason left the car mumbling in neutral and opened the door to get out. He only had time to get an inkling of a rapid movement behind him, but it was enough for his instinct to lift his foot. One more moment and he would no longer be able to kick anyone. The green Chevrolet, which had made its way as far as he had since the disaster, had missed him and the Ford by a whisker.

HollowCheeks nailed it sideways, blocking what might have been an escape route for Mason. Through the Chevy's rear window Stone saw him moving to get out, so he mounted the wheel cover and leapt off the Ford's bonnet.

He threw away his cigarette. The two faced each other with a hard grunt in the midst of the commotion. The guy reminded him of a big dog: the drooping cheeks on his skinny face, the deep wrinkles, the big sad eyes, the long-crooked nose. The grey suit fell over him, as if dressed by an old hanger. The long raincoat fit him like a corpse. HollowCheeks e towered over him by more than half a span. His hands were not those of a starving runt, they were strong.

As soon as he got a better look at his attacker's face and breathed in his garlic breath, Mason Stone knew who he was up against an Italian-American named Frankie D’Angelo, a soldier in the Colombo family, under the direct orders of Dominick Petrillo, a man of honour in the New York Mafia.

"What's wrong with you, man?" Mason chose to attack. That tone had the impact of a slap: Frankie's yellow eyes widened and his lips revealed long, crooked teeth. Cursing aloud, he clapped both hands on Mason's chest. They were too close for him to reach into his coat and pull out his gun as he wished. He had to back off at least a step, just enough for Stone to pounce on him.

"Do you know who you're up against?" growled Frankie D'Angelo.

"A bad driver?"

"You see this car?" the mobster asked, pointing to the Chevrolet that had kicked him out.

"I've been eyeing it ever since it tried to push me into a truck-sized headache."

"That's Mr. Profaci's personal car. Look what you've done!"

"If he cared so much, he shouldn't have entrusted it to such primates."

“What?"

"What, did I talk too fast? One whinny for yes, two for no."

"You don't seem to care much for life, clown."

"I like to keep it light." Mason gave him a sardonic smile, almost an invitation to reply. But Frankie D'Angelo wasn't that kind of man: he was a doer, an arm, he didn't need dialectical skills. "'So, nothing brilliant to say? Do you want to get back in the car and try again?" he pressed him again.

Mason felt himself being lifted off the ground; Frankie had grabbed him by the jacket. The ease with which he'd managed it confirmed that he was all brawn underneath that long amount of clothes. But Mason was also quite massive and did not let himself be carried around like a puppet: quickly, the strong hand passed through Frankie's arms and closed around his neck. He tensed his muscles, making it harder to sink into the carotid artery. Under his fingers, the beating of his heart. Frankie gritted his teeth; Mason increased the pressure.

"Finished flexing?" asked Mason through gritted teeth.

D'Angelo loosened his grip on the lapels of his jacket and Mason came back firmly on his legs.

"You'll regret this," whispered Frankie breathlessly, filled with rage.

"Are you threatening, you wop?" Mason shoved him against the Chevy after making him half turn around. "Do I let you go or do you want to dance some more?"

"You better finish me now."

"I'm very tempted." Mason released Frankie D'Angelo. On his neck, his fingerprints would turn purple. "But you're not worth my time, mister."

Before leaving, Mason gave him a long look. He decided he wasn't going to take any chances by turning his back on him. Frankie D'Angelo was a bloodthirsty mobster, but he wasn't going to kill some poor guy in front of dozens of people and with help on the way. It wasn't even his turf: it was the Lucchese's turf. If they had been on Staten Island, Mason Stone would not have met a better end than surfacing a week later in the net of some fishing boat. A soldier, not yet affiliated, who killed a policeman, or one who had been one, would have found no place in any Italian-American family. He might still have made his way into the Irish or the Jewish ghetto gangs, but there was no honour in those. And he wouldn't have lasted long.

"Laugh now while you still can! We'll take everything away from you!" retorted Frankie, adjusting his suit.

"Let me give you an advance!" Stone didn't turn to look for her face, but his fist still found the tip of her chin.