Joseph Tropiano (luckandchance) wrote in city_limits, @ 2009-04-20 22:45:00 |
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Current mood: | working |
Entry tags: | joseph tropiano |
On The Trail
One of Joseph's many talents was finding out things that a lot of people would rather be kept hidden. It had been a strength well used within his Mafia connections - he was the man sent in when nothing else could be wheedled from a reluctant mouth or when somebody had dug in every closet and hadn't come up with any skeletons.
Joseph rarely failed.
Currently he was in one of Chicago's seediest neighbourhoods, moving from place to place like a shadow, using the green bills of persuasion if somebody was reluctant to say too much or elaborate, and with his earlier quarries he'd used a very fine balance of torture, relief and eventual release with a promise that nothing would be said if they valued their lives.
Nobody sung better than a man with a gun held to his head or other places unmentionable.
Currently he had the attention of a nervous looking woman who had flinched when Joseph had mentioned a few details, he'd clocked her in a crowd of about ten, sitting a couple stools away from him in a bar. "He's... I mean, this guy, he's weird. He's like 80 and he's always got that fucking coat with him that smells like something unnatural died to make it. He's really creepy, like... old crazy man lives on his own too long kinda crazy." The woman dropped her eyes. "He never used to be around, just turned up outta nowhere with that station wagon of his."
"How long has been around?" Joseph asked, glancing over his shoulder as the sounds of a passing vehicle caught his attention.
"Couple of months," she said with a shrug. "You oughta talk to Adrian."
Joseph exhaled smoke out of the corner of his mouth. "And where can I find Adrian?"
"3 blocks over, he runs a small convenience store, but he knows stuff."
Joseph nodded his head, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans to produce his wallet. He counted out a couple substantial bills and handed them over. "Get outta town for a while, don't look back."
The money was snatched out of his hand and the woman scurried away, doing exactly what Joseph said.