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| A Time and A Place | Started by: Marietta on Aug 15, '08 00:54 |
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The chatter of the other bar patrons slowly washed out around her, becoming a blur of white noise as the bartender leaned over the marble counter towards her, sliding a martini glass into the woman's hand. She smiled, her eyes lighting up as much as they possibly could behind the glazed-over effect, her green eyes narrowing upon the three green olives floating in the translucent liquid. For me? she slurred, a giggle escaping her throat as her hand closed around the delicate stem of the glass. Bringing the cup to her lips she took a large sip, the vodka and vermouth sliding down her throat easily. Ahh, delicious. The man stood up from his leaning place, straightening his bartender's apron and giving her a crooked, gap-toothed smile. "Another drink, Miss. From that gentleman over there." He raised his meaty hand and pointed to a scrawny man, dressed in business attire and chewing, yes chewing, on the end of a cigar. She followed the line of direction, turning on her bar stool to size up the eighth man that evening to purchase her a drink. Noticing that they were speaking about him, the weasel-like little man raised his eyebrow and flashed a winsome smile towards the pair. Oh. Disgusting, Marietta Rossi muttered loudly, turning back towards the bar and shuddering at the image of him trying to run his greasy little paws over her body. The hulking figure of the man opposite the counter began to laugh. "Sure you haven't had one, or seven, too many? You doing alright?" Her face morphing into a scowl, the blonde sat up straighter upon her seat and placed both of her hands palm-down and flat upon the bar. I am fine, you thank very much! "You thank very much, huh?" the dark-haired man said, shaking his head with a chuckle and turning away to tend to a well-dressed couple that, to her, had materialized magically out of nowhere to be sitting in the two stools to the left of her. Finally, a moment alone. Slouching over the bar once more she placed her head in her right hand, her elbow cold against the counter top. Casually she dipped the tip of her pointer finger on her other hand into her martini glass, swirling it around before placing it in her mouth and licking the alcohol off. Marietta had originally come to the bar looking for peace and quiet that she wasn't getting at the offices of the magazine she helped to found and edit. Frankiee had been conducting a rather heated meeting with one of the reporters and an anonymous man who had a subject for an article in the office next to Mari's own; needless to say the shouting and gunshots had begun to make her desk rattle and the silence she sought was not to be found there. Grabbing her handbag and coat she had wandered down the street and practically fallen into the first decent bar she saw. She had only planned on having one drink, but soon enough she had started to get more and more from the bartender, either "on the house" or citing admirers who would wave her over for a conversation. Initially she tried to be polite, taking her free drink and waltzing over to introduce herself, only to find herself sipping up the alcohol heavily as she engaged in dull conversation with older men who were too boring to care about the passions of life and younger men who were passionate alright, but only about getting into her skirt. At this point, she wasn't even going to dignify the skinny man with a conversation. He had taken a chance and bought her a drink, sure, but that didn't automatically guarantee she was going to speak to him. Lesson learned for him. Maybe next time he'll actually approach the woman, instead of letting the bartender be his messenger. How lame of him. "Oh, it'll be easy as pie. I'm going to just drill through the vault wall right here this Friday. Then the team will come in..." Her ears perked up as she caught a voice close by, deep and masculine, talking about what... well, had she heard right? Marietta scrunched her eyebrows together and stared intently at her martini, straining to hear the voice against all the other chatter and see if she was right. "...crow bars. They'll force open the safety deposit boxes and badda-bing! We'll live like kings." A loud cackle echoed after the last statement and with a raised eyebrow she sat up straight and did an about face on the bar stool. There, sitting a few yards away at a cozy, vinyl booth was a man, his arm perched cockily over a set of bare shoulders belonging to a woman, who had a dress that was very short, very strapless and she herself was very bra less. Her expression looked as if she had just smelled something foul, and yet underneath the look of distaste Mari saw there was a simpering smile. The man in question had his head thrown back in the gesture of laughter, his other hand clutching a highball glass full of an amber liquid, and Marietta knew it was he whom she had heard. Was this the man who was actually planning a bank robbery... in public?! Turning back towards the bar she gave a small giggle to herself. What was this man thinking? Plotting a crime within earshot of, well... As she turned to look around the bar quickly she counted at least fifteen people before they began to blur together. A large handful of people had possibly heard. And now he was whooping it up to himself and his date, as if he didn't have a care in the world. Foolish, Marietta giggled to herself, immediately feeling a pang of guilt. The woman always had a complex when it came to doing the right thing, and at the moment her drunken logic was telling her to speak to the man. Warn him. Perhaps give him a heads up that people could hear and possibly tip off the cops. She froze, staring at the multitude of assorted bottles behind the counter. God damn it. Sighing heavily to herself, Marietta stood up from her stool, smoothing her black skirt and straightening her white blouse. She slowly grabbed her coat, throwing it over her arm and gathering up her handbag. With her free hand she reached for the remains of her martini, and throwing her shoulders back went sauntering over towards the booth. Halfway there the man caught sight of her, his eyes widening in pleasant surprise and the corners of his thin mouth curling into a creepy smile. Ew. Attempting to mirror the man's own smile she came to a halt beside the table, pausing to take a sip from her martini. 'Lord, give me strength,' she pleaded silently, fluttering her eyelashes. Got a moment? she said with a fresh bout of slurring. The man shifted in his seat, turning to look at the brunette sitting next to him. "Get lost, eh?" he said without so much as a second thought. With a sneer towards the man and Marietta, the woman scoffed, grabbing her drink and stomping away from the table towards the bar. With a tilt of his head he patted the seat next to him. 'I hate myself,' she thought for the millionth time in her life, sitting down and setting her drink in front of her. Setting her handbag on the floor next to her feet she quickly shoved her coat between the two of them. There, a small victory in the den of the lion. She could hear his breathing get heavier as he stared at her, studying her face and stretching his hand towards her. He grabbed a lock of her hair, leaning in close to mumble "I like blondes. What's your name?" Marietta controlled the urge to throw up, quickly taking her own hand and grabbing the man's. Slowly she guided it away from her face, placing it back on the table. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a detailed map of a well-known bank in New Orleans, seemingly the blue-prints for his bank job, a pen resting gently against the paper. Ahem, Linda, she lied in an attempt to seem like she was flattered and chuckling. Hello there. I couldn't help but overhear you from the bar... "Hear something you like, baby?" said the man, leaning back into the cushioned booth and giving her that smile again... the one that sent shivers of revulsion up her spine. ...Sort of. Were you... well, excuse my intrusion, first off. But are you planning a felony? ...In public? The man laughed again, sort of a barking sound. He smiled at her once more, taking a sip of his drink and waving his free hand at the bank plans laid before her. "Public? Not quite. This is a safe place. Family-owned and operated." Marietta inwardly rolled her eyes. Well that would be flawless logic and all, if there weren't people in here who are not in your 'family'. His eyes seemed to widen in alarm for the first time as he stared straight at her when she accentuated the word 'family'. "Wait a second... who's not in my family?" Pointing a finger at herself Marietta took another large gulp of her drink, chewing on one of the olives that landed in her mouth. "You... not in my crew... who's family are you from, then?" It was finally Marietta's turn to laugh. She gave a genuine giggle and attempted to tap the end of her nose several times with her finger. Unfortunately she missed by several centimeters, tapping her cheek knowingly instead. Did I say I was in a family? I merely said I wasn't in yours. Pausing for a moment her eyes scanned the blueprints once more before looking him straight in the eye. Besides, I'm not the loose-lipped type. He seemed to grow uncomfortable at that statement, turning away from her for a moment to stare narrow-eyed around the bar, surveying each person for a few seconds before moving on. At last he turned back to her, clearing his throat lowly. "I stand by what I said. It's a safe place. Besides, no one would rat me out to the cops." Ha! Marietta said, slapping her hand against the table as she laughed again. You're really that arrogant that you believe you're untraceable? "Whaddaya mean untraceable?" 'Ugh', she thought, realizing that her inner voice was telling her to explain everything to the man. Marietta thought for a moment, staring at the centerpiece to the white-table clothed table before turning back to the man. Untraceable. That no one can find out who you are, where you're from? Who you work for? A blank stare was her response. She felt like slapping the man for his idiocy. Twice. Right. So it's like this. We've already established that there are people in here that are not in your crew. True, they might not be looking to turn you into the cops, as that's just low for this... way of life. There's a code of honor to abide by. He started at her through the slits in his eyes. "I thought you said you weren't in a family..." I didn't say shit. Now listen, she said with a slur again, just because these people won't turn you into the authorities... doesn't mean they won't use the information they've learned against you in some way. A look of suspicion written across his face he scooted closer to her, his voice getting lower. "And how would they do that?" Marietta shrugged, draining the last of her drink and chewing thoughtfully on the remaining olives. Leverage. Blackmail. Some might use it to get the edge on you, and get ahead in the game of life. She waved her hand casually, sweeping across the room. All sorts of ways you can use information against someone. Be creative and use your imagination. Silence fell between the two of them as he stared once more around the room. "Naw," he said after several moments. "That wouldn't happen." Wouldn't it? she challenged, smiling smugly. There's a time and a place for everything, sir. Do you talk about your sexually transmitted diseases at dinner? No. Do you talk about the sins you've committed in Church? No. Do you swear in front of your mother? Hell no! "I don't see what you're getting at." You ever hear the phrase 'don't mix business with pleasure'? That's what I'm saying here. This is the last place you want to be discussing plans or plots. Bars, coffee shops, anywhere that there's a slight chance a rat could be residing, waiting to prey upon your information. Loose lips sink ships, you know. People repeat what they hear or see. They could be repeating what you've said right now. "Yeah? Then I'll fucking cut them." Ha! Well you go ahead and do that. But that won't stop the news that's already been passed on from traveling. If the wrong person gets this type of information, they tell another person and they tell another... soon enough your business is everybody's business. ...Suppose you were planning on whacking someone respectable. You innocently tell a few people at a bar, they innocently tell a few people at the barber's... next thing you know a rival Don is killing you for trying to attack one of his family. The man spluttered, taking on a serious look to his face. "Whoa," was all he could seem to say. Nervous about something? Marietta asked cheekily. He shot her a glare and began to tug at his tie uncomfortably. "So what you're saying is..." What I'm saying is, you have the ability to be your own worst enemy. Just by talking. Innocently. Mari gave him a bright smile, turning her head to look at the bartender. She took a deep breath before turning back to the arrogant man. He stared back for a moment before beginning to laugh. "Haha, get outta here! Shit like that don't happen to a guy like me. It just don't! You tell a good story, Miss, and you sure are pretty, but I'm thinking there's not much going on up there." Tapping her on the forehead a few times with his pointer finger he twisted his mouth into a smug smile. It had been a long time since she had felt this furious. So that's it, huh? You think you're untouchable? "I am what I am, toots. And so far life has been good to me." Biting her tongue Marietta swallowed the last spout of angry words she had for the man. Giving him a sweet smile she sighed exaggeratedly. Is this the only information you have on your 'job'? "Naw, I got tons more back at my office. Been planning this thing for months." The wheels worked within her head overtime. She took a small breath of air and exhaled it with a small frown. You know, I suppose you're right. Not much going on up here in my head. What a sad realization for me. She paused briefly, looking over at him with a coy smile. You know... the least you could do is pay my tab after destroying my self-esteem. Her eyes immediately went into overdrive as she fluttered her eyelashes sloppily. The man seemed to be taken in by the doe-eyed expression and stood, grabbing his wallet from his back pocket. "I'll be right back then, doll face." Wait, she called, I never got your name. "Lucio Mazzati. Back in a second." He gave a small wink and continued up towards the bar. She watched his retreating back for a moment before jumping into action. Grabbing the bank plans she folded them neatly, tucking it away into her handbag. Finding a spare nakpin she took a hold of the pen and scribbled out a quick note: "Lucio- There's a time and a place for everything. Hopefully you'll remember that. - Linda" Standing up Marietta looked towards Lucio's back, watching him chatting up another blonde at the bar counter. She shook her head, picking up her coat and handbag, and hastily scurried out of the building. The cool night air played across her face, having a semi-sobering effect. Her eyes immediately spotted a payphone down the road. Her high-heels clicked as she ran towards it, picking it up and digging in her purse for change. With her fingers flying as fast as she could allow them she punched in a number and waited for a moment. Lily? Yeah, it's Mari. Listen, I can't talk long, I might be followed. I need you to find all you can about a man named Lucio Mazzati. What's that? Oh, just some asshole. Lucky for us he was an asshole with a plan. We've got a nice and easy bank job lined up. We'll hit Thursday and lay the blame on him. That'll take the heat off of our guys for awhile. ...Aha, yeah. He was running his mouth. Like I told him, there's a time and a place for everything. But I'm not stupid. I recognize opportunity when I see it. Mmhmm, we're going to hit the safety deposit boxes and badabing! We'll live like queens. Call you later, darling. Gotta run. Hanging the phone up quickly Marietta darted down a side alley, running as fast as she could. She felt a tiny bit guilty about stealing the man's plan and framing him, but hopefully the lesson she had tried to teach would be learned. |
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Silk's eyes lit up as Lily asked her to help rob a bank in New Orleans. The words were like music to Silk's ears. She imagined everything she could buy with money, shoes, coats, purses, clothes, jewelery and so many other things. Her list was endless. Silk was thrilled Lily asked her to be a part of the robbery. You have no idea how much I need this job, Lily. You remember the life insurance policy my husband had? The insurance company wouldn't pay me because his body was burnt so bad he couldn't be identified. I didn't even recognize the son of a bitch in the morgue. Feeling no sympathy for her dead husband Silk didn't care Frankiee went overboard when she killed him. It cost Silk a big pay off from the life insurance, but at least she didn't have to put up with her bossy husband anymore. The freedom she had to do anything and go anywhere she wanted since he died was worth being broke. The bank robbery was already planned according to what Lily told Silk. It sounded like an easy job, Silk thought until Lily mentioned who Marietta took the plan from. Hearing his name made Silk nearly drop her cup of coffee. Oh my God! Did you say Lucio Mazzati? He's a hitman for his family. Last week I was at the Tangiers in Vegas and Mazzati was there bragging about how many people he wacked. You know the type of guy who can't keep his mouth shut about things he shouldn't be talking about. I couldn't believe he was telling outsiders about his kills. The idiot put a big target on his back by talking like that in public. He obviously doesn't know or care about the code of silence, Omerta. Silk put her cup of coffee down and opened her purse to take out a cigarette. She borrowed Lily's lighter and continued talking. If he finds Marietta he'll kill her. We should ask Frankiee to help us find him first. I don't think she'll mind doing a repeat performance of what she did to my husband. |
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| Reply by: Silk at Aug 16, '08 02:37 | |
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