Vince pulled up to the curb in his packard, making sure that he parked it somwhere where it was likely to get stolen.  He stopped only a moment and then pulled an ebony cane out of car. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with it now that he had it, and his boss had the gems that were in it.  It had belonged to Carlotta and now, with her gone, he wasn't sure what to do.

The man he wanted to see was waiting for him.  You said you had something to discuss?

Vince nodded and leaned the cane against his chair. He shifted in his seat to be able to reach into his pocket.  I wanted you to see this.  You were Carlotta's friend and so I felt you desrved to know.  She died this morning in a shootout.  He pulled the small golden rose pendant out of one of his pockets and presented it.  As soon as he had seen the real one, he had known its secret.      I found this on one of the men who had killed her.

Vince hadn't wanted to tell anyone what had happened, or why, but he had found himself in Jack MacLeods office earlier on a whispered word from Carlotta, and he had told him everything.

He had told him how he had gotten an urgent Telegram a few weeks ago about her being back in the hospital, the last place she ever wanted to be.  He had come to PBN to drop off his things in the small room she had behind the painting shop, but when he had entered the place he had known that something was very wrong.  most of the lights had been shot out, and the place had the cold,  eerie feel of the dead.  In a near panic he had gone to HairyBaby's casino, but the small door had been kicked or blown off its hinges.  No password would ever be needed for it again.

He had grabbed the first weapon that had come to hand and fled.  This time to the warehouse where he knew Carlotta and Sal had set up their operation.  When he had gotten there the place was full of carnage, and it was obvious what had happened.  Carlotta had been talking with HairyBaby when the gunshots had started, the first few hit sal, spinning him out of the doorway, he was dead before his shattered body hit the floor.

Behind the tommygunner two others came, fanning out from the door.  A single strafe and everyone was on the ground, but that wasn't enough.  The shooters had then gone from body to body checking for survivors.  And, by the fact that one of them lay across HairyBaby's body, a few of those on the floor had survived. 

When Vince had gotten there, he had checked them over, not expecting much.  His cousin Carlotta had been alive, barely, but the ragged line of gunshots told him she wasn't long for this world.  "Go to MacLeod" she had said before the coughing fit took her air from her lungs and her beautiful green eyes dimmed.

He had stopped only long enough to grab her cane and frisk the pockets of friend and foe alike.  Aside from a few thousand dollars he had found something else.  The Rose.  he had found what Carlotta had been seeking for most of her life.  And he had found it in a box bearing PedroRourke's crest.  it had fallen into the hands of PedroRourke, and he had never told HairyBaby about it.  That was why, all those times she had asked him for help, he had merely sent hairy.  He had known but couldn't figure out what the secret was that made the rose so special.

He ran to Jack MacLeod,  Just as Carlotta had asked, and still covered in her blood he had walked up to the MacLeod HQ and stated his case as a cousin of Carlotta.  He looked at the lawyer in front of him with some trepidition, he had, after all mistaken MacLeod's right hand for a common thug when on the street outside the HQ Declan had said 'Come join us."  Of course, he had been unaware of the fact that MacLeod knew he was coming.  He had heard of Carlotta's death during the war and told his people to be on the lookout. 

Someone I don't know just tried to recruit me."  He'd said to the leader as he was welcomed into the family.  Never really introduced themselves, never said hi, but just said, Come join our crew.  Vince shrugged.  I saw the notice on the street and figured you might want to know.

It was at that point that the person in question, Declan, had walked in.  Madon' Vince what have you done? He asked himself.

Declan laughed.  I must admit I was a little annoyed to be turned in by a thug.  But I didn't realize how the greeting might have come off, or that you had not recieved the letter that was delivered to your hotel room.

Vince pulled himself out of the memory, realizin that he had been sitting there with the rose in his hands for the last few minutes.  I know the secret of the rose.  Like the cane, the rose had a hidden secret.  He grasped the petals and gently turned it until he heard a small click.  The head of the rose came off to reveal a small gold key hidden in the end of the rose stem. This is how you know that it is the real one.

The lawyer nodded. He produced a small lock box into which the key fitted.  I have held onto this since Carlotta's mother had given it to me.

Vince put the key in the lock and turned it until the lock disengaged.  He opened the box to reveal....

(To be continued.)