ROCCO CRUISED THE NEIGHBORHOODS around the Barton Street arena, looking for some sign of the six men. The workers at the arena only knew first names and they confirmed that the gang had been shaking down Pops McMillan for protection money for two years. Rocco knew they would be working other businesses but he didn't want to approach anyone to get more information. In no way did he want to alert the men he was looking for them. Eventually, the men would get back to business taking money from their 'customers'.
The sun was just setting on the third day when Rocco spotted one of the men. The same brown flat cap, dark wool shirt, worn dungarees and work boots
The man walked confidently and with an exaggerated toughness along the plank sidewalk and stepped into a small general store.
Rocco pulled over to the other side of the street and waited.
Ten minutes later the man walked back outside, a grin on his face and counting a number of bills in his hand. He turned left as he stuck the bills into his pocket and took up his strut down the street again.
Rocco watched over the seat for a moment as the men strutted away down the wooden sidewalk. Then he started the car and made a U-turn, following slowly at a distance.
The man turned into an alleyway and disappeared.
Rocco kept driving and tried to see where he went. As he passed the entrance way, he spotted the man standing near a rain barrel, twenty feet inside the alley. He was taking a leak. Rocco quickly parked the car and headed for the alleyway, checking up and down the street as he walked quickly. There were a few people on the sidewalk further down but they weren't paying any attention to him. Lights were just coming on now in the surrounding buildings. Rocco pulled his weapon, keeping it close to his body to shield it from prying eyes. He then peeked around the corner of the building into the alley. The man was still standing by the rain barrel, looking down. Rocco stepped around and approached lightly as the man was pulling his zipper up.
The man turned around to leave the alleyway and froze. Rocco's handgun was pointed directly at his face and not more than two feet away.
"Remember me?" Rocco asked.
The man licked his lips.
"And do you remember my friend? The one who's lying in the hospital right now because you guys put bullets in him? What did I tell you I would do...?"
The man swallowed. His mouth was dry with fear and he struggled to talk, "It...it wasn't my idea...it was Eddie."
Rocco took a menacing step closer, "You're a member of his crew. My friend told me he saw you."
The man brought his hands up, putting the palms flat together and pleading, "L-look...it wasn't part of the shakedown, I swear. We didn't go back like you told us not to–"
Rocco took a step closer, his jaw set hard.
"It was Eddie...he got a call...."
That caught Rocco's attention. "What are you talking about?"
"He got a call...from Toronto."
That surprised Rocco, "Who was it?"
"I don't know–"
"Who?"
"I swear I don't know. Eddie didn't say. All I heard him say was it was a call from Toronto–"
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
Rocco took a step forward and placed a gun right between the man's eyes, "Don't screw with me. Why were you guys told to shoot my pal?"
The man's hands were up and shaking now, "I swear, I don't know–"
"Why shoot the kid too? Because he was a witness?"
The man shook his head, "I don't know. Eddie was the first to shoot. I was surprised when he went for the kid instead of–"
"Where do I find Eddie?"
"He...he hangs out at the pool hall on Barton near Sanford–"
Rocco pulled the trigger. The handgun jumped and the man fell backward as the crack sounded along the alleyway. Rocco turned his back on the smell of gunpowder and headed back to the sidewalk, slipping the weapon back under his jacket and into the holster. He stopped at the corner of the alleyway, pulling his flat-cap down as he peeked to see if anyone had heard the shot. There was no one rushing towards the alleyway, there were no cries for help or to call the coppers. Rocco calmly slipped around the corner, keeping close to the buildings as he kept his head down. He slipped back into his car and drove calmly away.