Hooked

due to the meticulous way he did business. No one squealed on Russo. And lived.
    So Benny heard.
    A minute ago Benny was sweating. Now his fingertips felt like ice cubes. He dreaded this meeting because it meant Russo knew about Rick Martell and wanted to make sure nothing would leak from Benny’s end. Since the crime boss would unlikely rat out his own man, he and Benny had that in common.
    Charles called Benny when Russo arrived and ushered him to the apartment. Benny offered the old man a drink. He accepted. Scotch, like Benny. Only Benny bet he needed this drink more than his guest, who appeared calm and self-assured. Sure, Benny thought, why wouldn’t he be? Not many people picked a bone with a man who’d made his own bones multiple times over the years, according to the newspapers. Not unless they wanted to wind up in the foundation of one of Russo’s construction projects.
    The mob boss had aged considerably since that night at the restaurant, but he still controlled the space. With his custom-made suit and expensive shoes, he radiated an intimidating quality that defined his power. He spoke in a soft, cultured voice, not the rough New York/New Jersey dialect one would associate with a crime boss. No hint of Tony Soprano or John Gotti.
    “We have a problem, Mr. Cooper.”
    No shit . “If you mean Mr. Martell, there’s no problem, sir. The matter has been taken care of.” Russo’s smile curdled Benny’s blood. Only his lips moved; his eyes remained static and cold.
    “Mr. Martell received a call from someone who knew what happened. The caller’s voice was electronically disguised, and he asked for one hundred thousand dollars to keep the incident quiet. He said there was film.”
    Benny lost the ability to speak. Hot prickles shot through his body as if someone had jabbed him with a hot poker. “But…but that’s impossible, Mr. Russo. No one here would do that.”
    “Do you film your clients?”
    No point in lying. Russo’s people would come in here and tear the place apart until they found what they were looking for. “Yes. For self-protection. That’s all. We’d never use anything unless someone threatened to expose us. Surely you understand that, don’t you?”
    Russo smiled again, this time with his eyes. He nodded. “Yes, I believe in insurance. But you have someone working for you who lacks your common sense and ethics. That means either one of your girls or one of the two men who work here. Since I’ve done some checking, I have my suspicions. I expect you to find the culprit and deal with him, or her. If you don’t, I will.” Russo drained his glass and leaned forward. “Do you understand?”
    Benny swallowed hard. He needed a Xanax, maybe two. “I do, sir. Yes, I do.”
    “I’m going to let this one go, Mr. Cooper. Mr. Martell has a lovely wife. My wife’s niece, in fact. He should be lucky to have her. A man half the size of Mount Everest should be grateful for a beautiful spouse, and if he’s going to fuck around on her, he should be more discreet. I don’t want her embarrassed. But he is never to come here again. I’ll see to it on my end; you see to it on yours.”
    “Never again. He’s off limits.”
    “If I may ask, what happened to the unfortunate young woman?”
    The ice in his veins had melted, and now a trail of sweat trickled down Benny’s back. A million thoughts ran through his mind, but again, he wouldn’t lie. “I had someone remove her. I don’t know to where, but as you know, she hasn’t been found.”
    “Did you have anything to do with the woman who washed up in the harbor? What was her name? Sarah something?”
    “ Marshall . She worked here, but I had nothing to do with her death. I was shocked to read what happened.” Benny wiped the perspiration from his forehead, which had started to drip down the sides of his face. “This has not been a good time for me, Mr. Russo. First Sarah, then Cindi. Both deaths were truly tragic, but Cindi’s was an accident. A horrible accident.”
    “Mr. Martell is getting counseling for his problem. I don’t want something like this to happen again while he’s married to my wife’s niece.” He motioned for a refill, and Benny obliged with a shaky hand. “Good scotch.”
    “If you’re going to drink, I say drink the best.”
    “I agree.” He sipped his drink and sighed. “There’s another young lady, I understand. What are you doing about her?”
    “I’ve taken care of her too. She doesn’t