Jimmy put marital thoughts aside and instead focused on meeting with Christine Beccali today down at the city courthouse. Cold had the original recording of Thirdsies’ interrogation placed on a flash drive and let Jimmy hear it through his laptop while they were getting ready.
It was honestly heartbreaking.
Thirdsies had been so young at the time, and the two officers who questioned him had been exceedingly cruel, not to mention manipulative.
The officers didn’t let up for a second, even when Thirdsies started to cry and begged for them to stop. They threatened to lock Valdemar away without access to his medicine, all but telling a thirteen-year-old boy that they were going to kill his grandfather if he didn’t cooperate.
Thirdsies finally broke and told them that he saw Marco Luchesi leaving the safe house with Rufus Corman and Boss Cold hours before he was reported missing.
As soon as he gave them that information, he was released.
“On the streets, by the way,” Cold added when they were done listening. “They didn’t bother contacting social services or his grandfather. We found Thirdsies the next day hiding in a dumpster.”
“Hiding? What was he hiding for?”
“He thought I was going to kill him,” Cold replied bluntly, adjusting his tie.
“Would you have?” Jimmy asked without meaning to.
“No,” Cold said with a firm shake of his head. “Thirdsies was picked up when the safe house was raided. He was already a Gentleman by then, but I should have never left him alone. He was still only a child.”
“Wait, he was a criminal at thirteen?” Jimmy scoffed.
“He was a criminal at eight,” Cold corrected.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“What the hell was he doing when he was eight?”
“Arson,” Cold replied. “He’s a little bit of a firebug like his grandfather. Always had a knack for mixing things and making them blow up.”
“Jesus,” Jimmy muttered.
“His parents divorced when he was an infant, and his mother kicked him out when he came out as gay,” Cold explained. “His grandfather took him in, and they eventually came to work for me. I’d already left the Luchesi family by then, and I wasn’t going to turn away such talent.”
“Who was your first Gentleman?” Jimmy sat down on the edge of the bed to tie his shoes. “Jules?”
“Yes.”
“Of course,” Jimmy chuckled. “Your childhood bestie, right? Hmm. Then who was next?”
“Tamerlane. But he was just ‘Mickey’ then. Ex-Special Forces, gun for hire, always had a table at Legends.”
“The old gay bar?”
“Mmhmm. The Italians hated him for it, of course, but couldn’t deny his results. Two of the Luchesi crew tried to stiff him on a successful job, and he killed them. He and his partner came to me for protection.”
“Lorre?”
“No. This was some time before Lorre.”
“So, who was his partner? Oh! It wasn’t Pym, was it? Because that would be super weird.”
“Someone else,” Cold said evasively, offering his hand to help Jimmy off the bed. “Someone you will never meet.”
“They’re dead, aren’t they?” Jimmy made a face as he stood up.
