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My Kind of Town Don Chapman |
Three Amigos’ house call
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It was Johnny Casino's policy never to be present when the people he brought together did their business. He never saw money, drugs or guns trading hands, never saw the roll of dice or the dealing of a blackjack hand. Like a broker or agent, he took a cut, but witnessed nothing illegal.
He was also a filter. If Johnny Casino said a guy was OK, he was OK. Johnny made a call to a second-floor apartment across the complex. "The Three Amigos," he said, code for Seth and his cousins Tai and Wili. "Same like before ... OK, 30 minutes."
Ending the call, he turned to his visitors. "They got to weigh and package it up. But the fight's about to start. You wanna beer while you wait?"
They said no to the beer, yes to the fight, the first nationally televised bout for Wayne Simons, the Kahala Brawler, a former Bank of Hawaii investment banker turned professional fighter. On the undercard of the Tyson-Holyfield rematch, the "Kahala Brawlah" knocked down Julio Rey Sanchez in the first round, twice in the third, opening a huge gash above the right eye, for a final time in the fourth, winning on a TKO. The announcers said a Simons-Dela Hoya match was in the making. "Simons is a guy Oscar cannot take lightly," Sugar Ray opined.
Johnny's cell rang. "OK, they're on the way."
Johnny had a minimum fee, but above that worked on a percentage -- his commission. Seth handed Johnny two Benjamins. Not bad for two phone calls and watching the fight.
As on their previous visits to Mario's apartment, Wili carried a black UH gym bag. As on previous visits, it contained packets of money. This time it contained something different. Two canisters, the safety seals removed, ready to do their work with a quick twist of the wrist.
It helped that they'd been there before, knew Mario and a couple of his boys, knew the layout of the place. They'd even met the other target, but -- like police and prosecutors -- had never learned his name. Now they knew it was Kenny. That would be used to their advantage. If previous visits held true, Mario and the others would be freshly high on ice. It was a matter of debate whether or not that was a bonus. While the drug muddled thinking, it did give the smoker a huge dose of paranoid aggression.
"Got to be quick," Wili said as they walked across the complex. "Take out target A, target B, anybody else necessary, and gone." As on previous visits, Wili entered Mario's apartment first, smelled the acrid smoke of crystal meth, followed by Seth and Tai. Wili unzipped the bag, tipped it, revealing the cash. As he turned to set it down, he reached inside, with one meaty paw clutched the two canisters.
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Don Chapman is editor of MidWeek. His serialized novel runs daily in the Star-Bulletin. He can be e-mailed at dchapman@midweek.com