"Laura Resnick - The Vatican Outfit" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Laura)

can never be too careful. Sure enough, some blond broad was standing a little
too close to us. "Beat it, sister!"
Angie turned red. "Uncle Vito, you can't -- "
"Listen, kid. This is serious. Are you paying attention?" He nodded.
"We're pretty sure there's a hit out on your boss, and we think it may go down
tonight."
"A _hit? _ On my _boss?" _ He was talking real slow, like English was a
problem for him or something. "Whoa, hang on a minute, Uncle Vito. I think
you're confusing me with my brother."
"Well, not that you asked, but Joey's doing fine. In fact, he's up for
parole next month. And your mother would like to know why you don't call her
more often."
"The FBI wiretap just sort of took all the joy out of family phone
calls." He sounded a little pissed off.
"Here," I said, remembering the wad in my pocket. "Your father asked me
to give you this." I stuck a few grand in his hand.
"Vito! I can't accept this!"
"Go on, kid, take it. Your old man had a good year, and he knows that
this outfit don't pay you much."
"The Roman Catholic Church is not an out -- "
"And may the Blessed Virgin forgive me, but that's all the time I got
for family business. I need to see your boss right away."
"The Pope? You expect me to introduce you to the Holy Father?"
"Hey, I know this goes against protocol. If I want to offer a temporary
alliance to help stop a takeover, I should approach his _consigliere_ first.
Problem is, Angie, I think the _consigliere's_ in on it."
"The _consigliere_..." Angie's jaw dropped. "Are you trying to tell me
that Carmine Corvino sent you here because he believes that the Vatican
Secretary of State is involved in a plot to assassinate the Pope?"
"We ain't pointing no fingers at nobody. All I'm saying is that there's
gonna be a hit on the Pope, and except for you and me, nobody in this outfit
is above suspicion."
"That's impossible!"
"Yeah, and I'll bet that's just what Joe Bonnano said before the Banana
War started and he had to go into hiding."
Angelo's forehead got all wrinkly while he thought it over. He was
always a quick kid; one hour later we was having a sit-down with the Pope.
"Your Holiness," Angelo said, as we walked around some fancy little
garden, "I would never presume to interrupt your busy schedule like this if I
didn't believe this were truly a life-and-death emergency."




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 I was looking around, kind of nervous about being in such an isolated
spot. Frankie (the Noodle) Barone bought it in a place just like that garden.
"Carmine Corvino may be a racketeer, an extortionist, a narcotics
dealer, and a murderer, but he's no fool," Angie went on.
"Mr. Corvino is a perfectly legitimate businessman," I corrected.