Chapter 65

 

 

-Chicago-

 

 

Joel is in Hank’s office and they are discussing the viewer response to the story that Sal Peralta arranged with his Italian journalist contacts to be included in the news programs of all the TV channels broadcasting in Northern Italy. Vigorously rubbing his face Hank says, “We’ve fired our last round of ammunition with this news blitz, Joel. If it doesn’t drive these animals over the edge of caution and prod them into making some serious mistakes, if it doesn’t generate some serious leads as to their whereabouts, we’re going to have to retreat back into a reactive strategy and hope that they will give us an opening to clobber them. So far, there’s been a lot of calls to the number we set up, but nothing we can hang our hat on.”

 

“Have the Rangers gotten anything useful out of the men they captured?”

 

“Just the name of the man they work for, Robert Feldman. We already were convinced that he was one of the players, but none of the men captured knew where he was hiding or who he is working with.” They’re just hired help and are useless to us.”

 

“Have you talked with the President since our day in the park? Is there anything new on that front?”

Before Hank could answer the phone rang. It was Vincent Torizzio. “Hank, I think this Last Resort crowd has just screwed up big time. I just got a call from a policeman friend of mine who’s a sergeant with the Polizia di Stato, the Italian state police. He’s stationed in an upper class ski resort area in the Italian Alps, Breuil Cervinia.

 

“There was a single car accident about 45 miles outside of the village and the driver was killed. The driver was George Palmer. My friend doesn’t think it was an accident. He said at first glance he assumed it was. It had been raining and wet roads coupled with excessive speed is the perfect combination for disaster. On taking a closer look, however, he came to a different conclusion. He said there were deep tire tracks and food prints at the site of the accident that indicated the car had stopped there and then was pushed over the cliff.

 

“This hasn’t been picked up by the Italian news stations yet, but it will be shortly. I contacted Alberto when we first determined that The Last Resort was hiding somewhere in Northern Italy and asked him to let me know if he came across anything that would help us catch these guys. I had emailed him copies of the pictures we have of these men so he recognized Palmer right away.

 

“With your permission, I’d like to go to this resort area and sniff around. These people are very rich and used to the better things in life. An upscale resort like Breuil Cervinia would be very appealing to them.”

 

“Where are you now?”

 

“I’m in New York running down some leads I picked up on the possible whereabouts of these people, but so far all I’ve run into are dead ends. This one looks very good, Hank.”

 

“Okay, how are you for money?”

 

“I’m okay.”

 

“I’ll cover your expenses when you get back. Keep me in the loop.”

 

Hank hangs up and shares the news with Joel. “It looks like our high pressure tactics are taking effect. These pricks are starting to make mistakes.

 

“To answer your question about my talking with the President, we talk on a daily basis, but until now there have been no new developments. I’ll call him now and you can go tell the others what has happened.”

 

Hank reaches for the phone and Joel heads for the door.