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Two Weeks Later
Giachetti's Café
ROCCO AND TONY SAT in the corner booth against the window in Giachetti's Café, waving goodbye to Besha and Maria outside. Piling into a car driven by Tommy Giachetti, they waved back again as the car pulled out, heading for the dock distillery. The four trucks pulled out right after them, loaded with men and heading back to work at either distillery after the small gathering to celebrate Tony's release from the hospital. Several people from the neighborhood were still here, sitting at the other tables.
Tommaso Giachetti came hustling from the behind the counter, a fresh coffee in each hand. He set them on the table, "Make a fresh pot just for you."
His wife Rosa pushed her way back out of the kitchen door, holding two plates piled high with cannoli. She grinned as she brought them over and set them down on the table, "I'm sorry it took so long."
"Hard to get good help," Tommaso said as he made a what-can-I-do gesture.
Rosa slapped him on the shoulder, "Even harder to get a good husband."
The two broke out in grins for each other.
Rocco tapped the table, "And remember, we pay for this and all the stuff my guys just ate in here. Same with all those people from the neighborhood."
Tommaso shrugged, "I already told you, I charge you double."
Rosa put her hands on her hips, "Maybe it's better if I take it out in trade with these two young men."
"What are you trying to do," Tommaso asked, "scare customers away?"
Rosa slapped him again and the two left for the kitchen, joking with each other.
"Those two are having a good time with this place," Tony said as he watched the two play-bicker before they disappeared through the kitchen door.
Rocco nodded as he took a sip of coffee.
The two friends sat quietly for a moment, waiting.
The bell over the door sounded and Rocco glanced over. A police constable stepped into the Café, shutting the door as he scanned the faces at the tables.
Tommaso Giachetti came from the back and showed a look of concern when he realized a copper had come in.
Rocco looked at Tony and Tony turned.
The constable spotted Tony and headed for their table.
Tommaso Giachetti looked concerned and headed for the table as well.
Tony lifted a hand in greeting, "Hey, Hamilton."
"Hey, Tony." The constable slid a chair over from the next table and sat down beside him, "Glad to see you're out of the hospital. The boys were worried, we heard it was touch and go there for a while."
"Yeah, it was." Tony looked up as Mr. Giachetti approached the table, "Could you bring my friend here a coffee?"
Giachetti's face took on a happier look to know the copper and Tony were friends. He nodded and headed over to the counter.
"Sorry to hear you're off the force, too," Hamilton said. "And without any kind of a disability pension, the bastards."
"No problem," Tony said, "I'll do okay."
Hamilton nodded as he glanced across at Rocco.
Tony introduced them, "Rocco DeLuca, meet Jimmy Hamilton, the worst card player on the Hamilton constabulary."
The two men simply nodded at each other. Hamilton looked at Tony, "Not so much a bad card player, more like you're a good cheat."
Tony nodded, "Guilty as charged."
The two men laughed at each other. Then Hamilton grew serious, "You said you wanted to see me...?"
Tony nodded and then waited as Mr. Giachetti set a coffee in front of Hamilton and left. "I'll get right to it, no beating around the bush, Jimmy. You're a good copper. You walk your beat and do your job for $137.50 a month, just like I did. You made one mistake in not recognizing that bank robber a while back and you got heat all the way down from that prick Wherley himself, threatening to toss you off the job."
Hamilton nodded his head slowly but didn't reply. He just picked up his coffee and took a drink. Then he glanced across at Rocco before looking back at Tony, "So what's your point?"
"The point is this...my friend Rocco here started something that's made me a lot of money." Tony reached into his pocket, pulled out a small envelope and slipped it underneath Hamilton's coffee. "There's 200 bucks in there. You come in here and have a coffee the first of every month...and an envelope just like that will be under your cup."
Hamilton put his hands on the edge of the table and sat back, looking seriously down at the envelope underneath the coffee cup.
Tony moved his head closer to Hamilton and spoke in a low voice, "Two of the largest bootleggers in Hamilton are on your beat."
Hamilton nodded his head slightly, "Gil Bouchard and Lorrimer Urwin."
"Me and Rocco...we supply the whiskey," Tony said firmly. "I'm a bootlegger. Now you have something on me. All we're asking you to do...is not bust their balls, leave them alone...and tell us if any raid is coming down."
Hamilton glanced across at Rocco, "That's it?"
"That's it," Tony confirmed.
"For $200...every month...."
"Rocco only wanted to pay you $100 bucks but I told him you got two kids."
A little smile creased Hamilton's face, "You're a card cheat and a con man, Genovese."
"True."
Hamilton retrieved the envelope from under the coffee cup and slipped it into his pocket, "Well...I'm the one conning you now...'cause I never believed in those temperance people anyway. I just need one other thing from you, Tony."
Tony looked across at Rocco with a serious look on his face before looking back at Jimmy, "What's that?"
"Can you arrange to get me a bottle of whiskey every so often?"