Chapter 3 - Nobody Touches Mickey Dolan
At 7:45 that evening, Vincent entered Sunny’s Plate again.
Clara nearly dropped the coffee pot.
“You cannot be serious.”
He sat in the same booth.
“Coffee.”
“You have coffee worth more than Gary's car in your office.”
“I prefer this.”
“You hated it yesterday.”
“I've reconsidered.”
She leaned closer.
“Are you babysitting me?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“Coffee, Clara.”
She poured it.
Vincent took one sip.
His expression tightened.
“Still terrible.”
“I told you.”
For the first time in days, Clara almost smiled.
Then the bell over the door rang.
Mickey Dolan entered.
Her smile disappeared.
Vincent didn't move.
Mickey walked toward the counter.
Clara put down the pot.
“What are you doing here?”
“Talking.”
“You were told to stay away from me.”
“I need thirty seconds.”
Vincent started to rise.
Clara pointed at him.
“Sit.”
Every trucker in the diner suddenly found his coffee fascinating.
Vincent slowly sat again.
Mickey stared.
“You order him around?”
“Apparently.”
“That's dangerous.”
“So was threatening my sister.”
Mickey lowered his voice.
“You don't understand what you're doing.”
“Explain it.”
“You embarrassed me in front of Saul.”
“You stole from me.”
“That's not how things work.”
“Then how do they work?”
Mickey glanced toward Vincent.
“Men like him make rules. Men like me enforce them.”
Clara shook her head.
“No. Men like you hide behind men like him.”
Vincent's eyes narrowed.
Mickey stepped closer.
“You think Costa will protect you forever?”
Clara's face changed.
Vincent stood.
This time she didn't stop him.
Mickey noticed.
Vincent walked over.
“No one touches Mickey,” Clara said immediately.
Vincent stopped beside her.
“I heard you.”
Mickey laughed nervously.
“See? She has you trained.”
Vincent's expression didn't change.
“You have fifteen seconds to leave.”
“Or what?”
Vincent glanced at Clara.
“Nothing physical.”
Mickey grinned.
Vincent continued.
“But tomorrow morning every bookmaker, club owner, card room and lender between here and Milwaukee receives your photograph and a notice that you no longer operate under Costa protection.”
Mickey's grin disappeared.
“You wouldn't.”
“I already signed it.”
“What am I supposed to do?”
Vincent looked at Clara.
She understood.
This was her choice.
“Get a legitimate job,” she said.
Mickey stared at her.
“You think you're better than me?”
“No.”
She lifted the coffee pot.
“I work here.”
That silenced him.
“I clean bathrooms. Carry trash. Scrape ketchup off plates. There's nothing shameful about honest work.”
Mickey's face tightened.
“Go to hell.”
He turned.
Then stopped.
“Your father wasn't innocent, Clara.”
Her hand froze.
Mickey looked over his shoulder.
“He didn't just gamble.”
Vincent's eyes sharpened.
“Mickey.”
“What?”
“What do you know?”
Mickey smiled bitterly.
“Ask Saul.”
Then he walked out.
Clara turned toward Vincent.
“What does that mean?”
“I don't know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
She studied his face.
He wasn't lying.
“Then we're asking Saul.”
“Tomorrow.”
“Tonight.”
“You've been awake—”
“Don't.”
Vincent sighed.
“Clara.”
“You spent three years telling me unfinished business creates vulnerability.”
“I hate when you quote me.”
“Car.”
He stared at her.
Then unexpectedly smiled.
“Bossy.”
“You hired me.”
“That may have been my first mistake.”
“No. Your first mistake was building an empire so complicated you didn't know what was happening inside it.”
The smile disappeared.
Clara regretted the sentence instantly.
Vincent didn't become angry.
He simply nodded.
“Yes.”
That answer hurt more.
Twenty minutes later they were inside the Maybach.
Vincent called Saul.
“Office. Thirty minutes.”
Saul began speaking.
Vincent interrupted.
“Thomas Hayes.”
Silence came through the speaker.
Vincent's eyes hardened.
“You know something.”
“Vincent—”
“Office.”
He ended the call.
Clara looked at him.
“You're angry.”
“Yes.”
“At Saul?”
“At myself.”
“You didn't know.”
“Stop giving me that excuse.”
“I wasn't.”
Vincent turned toward her.
Clara continued.
“You didn't know yesterday.”
His expression changed.
“But now you do.”
She leaned back.
“So what you become next is your responsibility.”
Vincent stared at her for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
May you like
“Fair.”
---
