As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he noticedthat the only chair, other than the one behind the desk, had a box on it filled with used auto parts.
“Ah, crap.” He grabbed the box and set it on the floor. “Sorry about that.”
They both sat.
“I don’t want to waste your time, so I’m going to cut right to the chase,” Gennaro said.
“That’s what I’ve always liked about you. No BS.”
“I need to put the fear of God into someone, and I can’t think of anybody better to help me do that than you.”
“Is this a business thing or a personal thing?”
“Someone has something that belongs to me.”
“So personal.”
“Very.”
“And you need the old Murray touch to get it back.”
“If you’re available.”
Murray leaned back in his chair. “That’ll depend on what and when.”
“The ‘what’ is hitting him in a way that will grab his full attention,” Gennaro said. He laid out his plan in general terms.
“Seems straightforward enough,” Murray said. “And the ‘when’?”
“That’s the tricky part. I want it to happen this weekend. Sometime tomorrow, preferably.”
“Why so fast?”
“I learned my target is leaving the country this morning and won’t be back for a few days. He’ll feel a hell of a lot more vulnerable if it happens when he’s not here.”
“Say I can work with your timeline,” Murray said. “It won’t be cheap.”
“I’m not looking for cheap.” Gennaro set a thick envelope on the desk.
Murray picked it up and opened the flap. “Twenty grand? That’s kind of light for what I do.”
“That’s twenty-five grand, and it’s a down payment. When I get back what I’m owed, I’ll give you another two hundred Gs.”
“Two hundred? This guy must have taken something pretty valuable.”
“You could say that.”
“And what if you don’t get back what you want?”
“I will.”
“But if you don’t?”
“Then I’ll pay you another seventy-five,” Gennaro said. It was a lie, but one he didn’t think he’d have to worry about since he was sure he’d get Fratelli to pay up.
Murray thumbed through the money, then set the envelope down and stuck out his hand. “You gotta deal.”
Chapter 20
