at Ernesto’s high spirits.
The man sipped at the wine, his right hand still beneath the tablecloth. “But knowing all of that, and especially what happened to your friend, why would you be foolish enough to want to meet me?”
“Because I think you are a businessman, Signor Di Mauro, in an organisation of businessmen. The Camorra didn’t get where it is today by taking emotional decisions. I think you will do what’s best for business. You will make the most profitable choice.” He leant forwards. “Tell me. What did Curtis Patterson offer you?”
Ernesto laughed, shaking his head. “I do not think so, Signor Smith. Some things are not to be shared.”
“Whatever it was, we’ll double it.”
Ernesto stopped laughing.
“But they offered millions, Signor Smith.”
He didn’t flinch. “I’m sure they did.”
“And you will offer twice that? Why would you think we would believe you?”
“Because I’m here. Despite everything, I’m here, opposite you, with a gun pointing at my balls. I know the risk. I know if I can’t persuade you, you’ll kill me.”
“But here you are.”
“Here I am.”
“And you must be either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.”
“Neither. I’m just confident.”
Ernesto stared at him, frowning. This was it: if he decided that Milton was wasting his time, bluffing him, then he knew that the next few minutes would be messy and unpleasant. He was acutely aware of the man’s hand beneath the table, each flinch and flex of his arm.
He reached his right hand up. He slipped it inside his jacket and Milton saw a spark of light against a metallic object as his pistol was holstered. He stood and smiled down at him. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was predatory. “Very good, Signor Smith. You will understand that I need to speak to my associates. What you are proposing would amount to a significant change to our business. Such decisions are not taken lightly.”
Milton pressed home his hard won advantage. “That’s fine. I’d do the same. The offer is open until tomorrow. If you choose not to accept it, we will look at other suppliers. Mr. Patterson, of course, will need to be brought to heel.”
“Threatening him would be seen as an insult to us.”
“We would mean no disrespect, but his family is a competitor in a business that we intend to dominate. I know you understand that.”
Ernesto paused, as inscrutable expression on his doughy face, and Milton knew it could go either way. But then his little porcine eyes glittered with humour and his lips pulled up into a rictus smile.
“You are a confident man, Signor Smith. You have what we call coglioni . Balls. You have courage. That is good. I like that.”
Milton returned his smile, his eyes still cold.
Ernesto gestured to the wine. “Keep the bottle, Signor Smith. Your palate will benefit from the education. Be here again tomorrow. We will speak then.”
MILTON WAITED until the restaurant was empty. The waiters cleared away the plates, glasses and cutlery, removed the linen, turned the chairs upside down and slid them atop the tables.
He took a seat at the bar and ordered another gin.
“ È finito ,” the barman said to him, glaring at him.
“I’m waiting for Antonietta.”
“ Non qui .”
“Yes she is,” Milton said. “I’ll wait.”
She came out of the back five minutes later.
“What are you doing?”
“Would you like to go somewhere for a drink?”
She looked at him as if he was mad. “No thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
She hesitated. “You should be nervous, but you are not.”
“It takes a lot to make me nervous. One drink.”
“Why?”
“Because you are very pretty. And I’d like to talk to you.”
“You are foolish and I am tired.”
“Perhaps another night.”
“I do no think so.”
“Then lunch. Tomorrow.”
The girl smiled. “I thought Englishmen were supposed to be shy.”
“Then you’d be surprised.”
The waiter switched off the lights,
The man sipped at the wine, his right hand still beneath the tablecloth. “But knowing all of that, and especially what happened to your friend, why would you be foolish enough to want to meet me?”
“Because I think you are a businessman, Signor Di Mauro, in an organisation of businessmen. The Camorra didn’t get where it is today by taking emotional decisions. I think you will do what’s best for business. You will make the most profitable choice.” He leant forwards. “Tell me. What did Curtis Patterson offer you?”
Ernesto laughed, shaking his head. “I do not think so, Signor Smith. Some things are not to be shared.”
“Whatever it was, we’ll double it.”
Ernesto stopped laughing.
“But they offered millions, Signor Smith.”
He didn’t flinch. “I’m sure they did.”
“And you will offer twice that? Why would you think we would believe you?”
“Because I’m here. Despite everything, I’m here, opposite you, with a gun pointing at my balls. I know the risk. I know if I can’t persuade you, you’ll kill me.”
“But here you are.”
“Here I am.”
“And you must be either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid.”
“Neither. I’m just confident.”
Ernesto stared at him, frowning. This was it: if he decided that Milton was wasting his time, bluffing him, then he knew that the next few minutes would be messy and unpleasant. He was acutely aware of the man’s hand beneath the table, each flinch and flex of his arm.
He reached his right hand up. He slipped it inside his jacket and Milton saw a spark of light against a metallic object as his pistol was holstered. He stood and smiled down at him. It wasn’t a friendly smile. It was predatory. “Very good, Signor Smith. You will understand that I need to speak to my associates. What you are proposing would amount to a significant change to our business. Such decisions are not taken lightly.”
Milton pressed home his hard won advantage. “That’s fine. I’d do the same. The offer is open until tomorrow. If you choose not to accept it, we will look at other suppliers. Mr. Patterson, of course, will need to be brought to heel.”
“Threatening him would be seen as an insult to us.”
“We would mean no disrespect, but his family is a competitor in a business that we intend to dominate. I know you understand that.”
Ernesto paused, as inscrutable expression on his doughy face, and Milton knew it could go either way. But then his little porcine eyes glittered with humour and his lips pulled up into a rictus smile.
“You are a confident man, Signor Smith. You have what we call coglioni . Balls. You have courage. That is good. I like that.”
Milton returned his smile, his eyes still cold.
Ernesto gestured to the wine. “Keep the bottle, Signor Smith. Your palate will benefit from the education. Be here again tomorrow. We will speak then.”
MILTON WAITED until the restaurant was empty. The waiters cleared away the plates, glasses and cutlery, removed the linen, turned the chairs upside down and slid them atop the tables.
He took a seat at the bar and ordered another gin.
“ È finito ,” the barman said to him, glaring at him.
“I’m waiting for Antonietta.”
“ Non qui .”
“Yes she is,” Milton said. “I’ll wait.”
She came out of the back five minutes later.
“What are you doing?”
“Would you like to go somewhere for a drink?”
She looked at him as if he was mad. “No thank you.”
“Are you sure?”
She hesitated. “You should be nervous, but you are not.”
“It takes a lot to make me nervous. One drink.”
“Why?”
“Because you are very pretty. And I’d like to talk to you.”
“You are foolish and I am tired.”
“Perhaps another night.”
“I do no think so.”
“Then lunch. Tomorrow.”
The girl smiled. “I thought Englishmen were supposed to be shy.”
“Then you’d be surprised.”
The waiter switched off the lights,
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