CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

October 6^th 1972. Atlanta.

Barry Banner was angry. He was so angry he was sure that when he saw Ted Berry's smiling face in that fucking restaurant that he was going to smack him there and then.

Another meeting. And Ted wouldn't shift to Florida or talk over the phone. Something big needed to be discussed and there was no way New York would do it any other way than in person.

Three meetings in four days. All of them in Atlanta. All of them a huge trek. All of them bullshit. He wanted Proctor to call the shots and set up the meetings. Barry thought that Danno was still trying something on.

If it was all up to Barry, he would have cut the head off the snake and dealt with Danno a long time ago.

He pulled his car to the curb outside the restaurant and didn't even bother rolling his windows up. This was going to be short and sweet. He'd make sure of it. He wanted to be back in Jacksonville to see the boss finally take the belt later that night.

Barry slammed his door shut and checked his watch. He was fourteen minutes late, but just let Ted try and say something to him about it.

He pocketed his keys and stood out in the street where a battered, lime green 1960 Rambler hit him straight on.

Barry smashed, face first, off the windshield and got caught under the front of the car where his pelvic bone and sternum were shattered. The Rambler continued at pace until it clipped another parked car and its back wheel lifted as it drove over Barry's already crushed torso.

The Rambler continued on down the road at pace.

October 6^th 1972. Texas.

Annie made her way down to the hotel bar, carrying the rucksack. This was what she wanted: a piece of business to handle, to help her husband get through this.

The bar was quiet and mostly empty. She looked out for a man her husband had described as 'a really brown fucker with a white mustache and shaky hands.'

Annie browsed the room and ordered a drink. She noticed a man looking out the window by the door who fit the description. At least the first two parts of it.

“Curt?” she asked.

“Yes?” Curt answered, a little confused. He seemed nervous and edgy.

Annie offered a handshake and he obliged while standing up. “Hello. I'm Annie Garland. I think we met briefly in New York at a party.”

“Oh, yes. Mrs. Garland. Your anniversary party. I'm sorry; I wasn't expecting to see you down here. I was in a world of my own.”

Both Annie and Curt sat down. Curt seemed more confused as to why Annie would be joining him and Danno for a business meeting. “Has your husband been delayed?”

“He's not coming.”

“Excuse me?”

“As you may know, my husband is otherwise engaged tonight. Although he is anxious to complete the deal before the main event begins later.”

Curt stood up. “I'm sorry darling, but this is a slap in the face to me and a waste of my fucking time.”

“Sit down, Mr. Magee, or the deal will be pulled immediately,” Annie said, while opening the rucksack. She noticed an envelope on top that said, Sorry, in someone's handwriting.

“Excuse me?” Curt said.

“I said there will be no second go around here today or any other, Mr. Magee. My husband's offer expires the second you leave this bar.”

Curt struggled to contain his contempt for the power this woman seemed to have over him. “What's going on here? I thought we had a deal? I have a line of people who are looking for payments off me, Mrs. Garland. Going out of business is not a cheap pursuit.”

“We want to do a deal.” Annie said.

Curt slowly pulled his seat back out and lowered himself into it like a lobster being eased into a pot.

“And he gave you full permission to make the decisions to get this deal done?” Curt asked.

Annie was intrigued by the envelope and opened it under the table. Inside there were two ladies rings. One looked to be an engagement ring and the other a wedding ring.

“I don't want to prolong this humiliation any further, Mrs. Garland. Your husband promised me a cash deal here today.” Curt's nerves were beginning to show on his face. It looked to Annie like both of his hands were shaking now.

Annie quickly pocketed the rings and read the note that accompanied them:

I'm sorry boss. I don't have all the money. I will pay you back. I promise. I'm sorry. Lenny.

“Is there a problem?” Curt asked, starting to get nervous and a little paranoid as to what Annie was silently reading under the table.

Annie knew now she didn't have the money to make the deal. At a bar in Texas, both Annie and Curt were starting to feel the pressure of this deal.

Oct 6^th 1972. Florida.

Danno leaned over the hospital bed and kept a keen eye on the door. Gilbert was asleep in the bed. Danno knew that being there was a stupid move, to say the least, but he had to know.

“Hey?” Danno whispered into Gilbert's half-ear. Gilbert's eyes opened and immediately revealed fear.

“He didn't do what you said he did, did he?”

Gilbert opened his dry lips to speak, but Danno hushed him up. “Just nod. Do you hear me?”

Gilbert nodded.

“Lenny Long didn't fall asleep, did he?”

Gilbert nodded that he did. Danno leaned in closer. “I'm going to ask you once more, Gilbert, and then I'm going to take the results of your answer out on your old man. Do you understand?”

Gilbert nodded again. The monitor beside his bed began to beep faster.

“Was all this started by Lenny Long?”

Gilbert slowly shook his head. Danno felt a weight rise from his chest.

“Was the van crashing Lenny's fault?”

Gilbert again shook his head. The beeping was twice as fast as it was before Gilbert woke up.

“I feel better now, Gilbert. Do you?”

A tear rolled down the side of Gilbert's face.

“When I’ve done my business this evening, I'm going to ring my secretary and I'm going to tell her to put it in my diary that I'm to track you down in a couple of month’s time, Gilbert.”

Danno stood strong and fixed his appearance before leaving the hospital room. Gilbert's eyes widened when he saw what was coming next.