don’t know who he is or my friend will get very annoyed.”
Hill peered out the window at Blues, who stared back before turning around and blotting out the window with his back. He looked at Mason, who gave him no room.
“What do you want to know?”
“All I know is that Rockley worked at the Galaxy and harassed your wife. She sued him. Fill in the blanks.”
“That fucking cousin of hers, the smartass lawyer. It was his idea.”
“You mean Vince Bongiovanni? Your wife’s lawyer?”
“Yeah. Vince said he was dying to pop the Galaxy on account of what happened after Ed got killed.”
“Ed who?” Mason asked.
“Ed Fiori. He owned the boat when it was called the Dream Casino. Got himself killed a few years ago. Hell of a thing. Galaxy bought the boat out of Fiori’s estate. Vince said they screwed Ed’s family on the deal.”
“Why does Bongiovanni care what happened to Ed Fiori?”
“Who the fuck knows? They’re all related. Carol and Vince are cousins; Fiori was their uncle. Anyway, Carol bitches to Vince that this guy Rockley is coming on to her at work. Won’t take no for an answer. Vince says how bad is it? Carol, she says it’s bad, but it ain’t so bad. Vince says the worse it is the more it’s worth. Next thing I know, she says the guy raped her. Vince, he says ka-ching.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m gonna cut Rockley’s nuts off. Vince tells me to sit tight ’cause there’s more than one way to get money out of a casino. So I go along like a dumbass and she makes a fool out of me at that hearing when that bitch lawyer gets her to admit that she was hosing one of the bartenders all this time I’m wantin’ to kill Rockley to protect her honor. Fuck her and the bartender and Rockley! You satisfied?”
Mason nodded. “Almost. When was the last time you saw Rockley?”
Hill tugged at his chin, stalling. “At the hearing. Guy’s a punk. Him and me ended up in the head at the same time. He sees me and grabs his crotch. Tells me you want some, come get some. Vince showed up or I woulda popped the little shit.”
“How about Carol? Did she run into him at work after the hearing?”
“She’s been off since before the hearing. Too much mental anguish,” Hill explained, not hiding his sarcasm.
“You don’t buy her mental anguish?”
“Hey, I’m buying whatever Vince and Carol are selling long as I get my share of the money.”
Carol’s claim against Galaxy included a claim on behalf of her husband for loss of consortium, a quaint legal term that meant loss of a spouse’s services caused by the defendant’s wrongful conduct. Services was loosely translated as sex. How frequent before compared to how frequent after. Then put a price on it. Carol testified that she and Mark screwed like rabbits until having sex with Rockley made her hate to be touched. Lari Prillman asked how she found the time when she was spending so much of it shacked up with the bartender. Mason doubted Mark would see a nickel for loss of his wife’s services even if Judge Carter weren’t being blackmailed. Rather than break that news to Hill, Mason changed subjects.
Lari Prillman had never identified the bartender by name during the hearing. Mason thought that was unusual but attributed it to Galaxy’s desire to avoid dragging another employee’s name into the case. Carol Hill didn’t volunteer her lover’s name, which made sense to Mason.
“The bartender. You ever get his name?”
Hill’s face reddened. “Johnny Keegan.”
“How about Keegan? You going to cut his nuts off?”
Hill looked away from Mason as his eyes filled. “I’m done talking. Lemme outta here.”
Watching Hill die a little more made Mason feel ashamed for kicking him when he was down. “Sure. Sorry we hassled you.”
“Right. You and everybody else.”
Mason opened the door, got out, and stood aside. Hill slid out, drawing his coat around him. Mason couldn’t tell if the tears on Hill’s checks were
Hill peered out the window at Blues, who stared back before turning around and blotting out the window with his back. He looked at Mason, who gave him no room.
“What do you want to know?”
“All I know is that Rockley worked at the Galaxy and harassed your wife. She sued him. Fill in the blanks.”
“That fucking cousin of hers, the smartass lawyer. It was his idea.”
“You mean Vince Bongiovanni? Your wife’s lawyer?”
“Yeah. Vince said he was dying to pop the Galaxy on account of what happened after Ed got killed.”
“Ed who?” Mason asked.
“Ed Fiori. He owned the boat when it was called the Dream Casino. Got himself killed a few years ago. Hell of a thing. Galaxy bought the boat out of Fiori’s estate. Vince said they screwed Ed’s family on the deal.”
“Why does Bongiovanni care what happened to Ed Fiori?”
“Who the fuck knows? They’re all related. Carol and Vince are cousins; Fiori was their uncle. Anyway, Carol bitches to Vince that this guy Rockley is coming on to her at work. Won’t take no for an answer. Vince says how bad is it? Carol, she says it’s bad, but it ain’t so bad. Vince says the worse it is the more it’s worth. Next thing I know, she says the guy raped her. Vince, he says ka-ching.”
“What did you say?”
“I said I’m gonna cut Rockley’s nuts off. Vince tells me to sit tight ’cause there’s more than one way to get money out of a casino. So I go along like a dumbass and she makes a fool out of me at that hearing when that bitch lawyer gets her to admit that she was hosing one of the bartenders all this time I’m wantin’ to kill Rockley to protect her honor. Fuck her and the bartender and Rockley! You satisfied?”
Mason nodded. “Almost. When was the last time you saw Rockley?”
Hill tugged at his chin, stalling. “At the hearing. Guy’s a punk. Him and me ended up in the head at the same time. He sees me and grabs his crotch. Tells me you want some, come get some. Vince showed up or I woulda popped the little shit.”
“How about Carol? Did she run into him at work after the hearing?”
“She’s been off since before the hearing. Too much mental anguish,” Hill explained, not hiding his sarcasm.
“You don’t buy her mental anguish?”
“Hey, I’m buying whatever Vince and Carol are selling long as I get my share of the money.”
Carol’s claim against Galaxy included a claim on behalf of her husband for loss of consortium, a quaint legal term that meant loss of a spouse’s services caused by the defendant’s wrongful conduct. Services was loosely translated as sex. How frequent before compared to how frequent after. Then put a price on it. Carol testified that she and Mark screwed like rabbits until having sex with Rockley made her hate to be touched. Lari Prillman asked how she found the time when she was spending so much of it shacked up with the bartender. Mason doubted Mark would see a nickel for loss of his wife’s services even if Judge Carter weren’t being blackmailed. Rather than break that news to Hill, Mason changed subjects.
Lari Prillman had never identified the bartender by name during the hearing. Mason thought that was unusual but attributed it to Galaxy’s desire to avoid dragging another employee’s name into the case. Carol Hill didn’t volunteer her lover’s name, which made sense to Mason.
“The bartender. You ever get his name?”
Hill’s face reddened. “Johnny Keegan.”
“How about Keegan? You going to cut his nuts off?”
Hill looked away from Mason as his eyes filled. “I’m done talking. Lemme outta here.”
Watching Hill die a little more made Mason feel ashamed for kicking him when he was down. “Sure. Sorry we hassled you.”
“Right. You and everybody else.”
Mason opened the door, got out, and stood aside. Hill slid out, drawing his coat around him. Mason couldn’t tell if the tears on Hill’s checks were
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