Necessary Decisions, A Gino Cataldi Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

then continued the countdown. “Five…four…three…two…one…go!”
    They stepped quickly across the Marshalls’ backyard, moving to the sliding door and making their way inside. A young girl was at the kitchen table. Her mother was answering the door.
    Number Three moved quickly through the house and grabbed the mother. He held a knife to her throat. “Don’t make a sound.”
    Number Two had the girl. “Don’t scream,” she said.
    Boss walked quickly to the living room. Number Four had the servant under control.
    Boss turned to Number Two. “I’m going upstairs. “Five, come with me.”
    Marshall was still in the shower. Boss entered carefully, yanked the door open. A knife was in his hand. Knives scared people more than guns. The man screamed. Fright does that to people.
    “Try to keep quiet, sir. We have your family in the other room. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
    “What do you want?” He panicked, grabbing a towel to cover himself.
    Boss took it from him. “No need for that. We’re all family. Come with me.”
    “What do you want?”
    Boss pressed the knife into the man’s stomach, just enough to draw a little blood. By the time they got to the living room, Number Two had the son naked too.
    “I want all the jewelry and cash. And any valuables that will fit in these bags.” Number Three handed two bags to the mother and daughter. “If you try anything, the men die.”
    “Don’t hurt us,” the mother said. “Please don’t hurt us.”
    “Do as I say, and it will be fine.” Boss nodded to Two and Five, a signal to accompany them. “We don’t have much time.”
    They returned in a few minutes. Judging by the smirk shining from under Number Five’s mask, it must have been a good haul. Boss turned to the father. “Where’s the safe?”
    “There is no safe.”
    Boss nodded to Number Three, who struck the boy on the knee with a tire iron. He was a big kid, almost as big as his father, but he went down screaming. Three kicked the boy in the stomach until he gasped for breath.
    “No!” the mother screamed. She broke from Number Four, rushing toward her son. Four grabbed her. Number Five held the servant and daughter.
    Boss looked to the father. “If you want him to ever play football again, you better tell us where the safe is.”
    The mother screamed, “Tell them, Charles. It’s only money.”
    Charles Marshall lowered his head, embarrassed, but whether by his cowardice or his greed, Boss didn’t know.
    The boy grabbed Number Three’s ankles and yanked, bringing him down. Number Three scrambled to his feet. He struck the boy’s face with the tire iron repeatedly.
    “Number Three!” Two yelled.
    “That’s enough, ” Boss said.
    “The safe is in the bedroom!” the father screamed. He tried going to his son, but Boss stopped him.
    “Your wife can bandage the boy while you take me to the safe.” Boss grabbed an empty bag and followed Marshall, returning in less than five minutes. He nodded to the others. They used duct tape to secure all five of them in a circle on the floor. “Let’s go,” Boss said.
    They left through the back door, moving along the path at a leisurely pace. Near the end of the trail, Driver picked them up.
    As Driver pulled out of the neighborhood, Lonny screamed at Number Three. “Why’d you do that? You hurt that boy.”
    Number Three reached for him, but stopped dead when Boss’ gun pressed against his head. “Sit back, Three.”
    Three hesitated. Boss cocked the hammer. “Your share of the money can pay for cleaning the van. Your choice.”
    Three leaned against the wall of the van, glaring at Boss.
    Boss turned his attention to Lonny. “Four, if you ever question what was done on a job again, your share will go for cleaning up. Clear?”
    Lonny gulped. “Clear.”

Chapter 7

    New Case File
    I got the call around 10:00 PM. I was seldom asleep, but if the phone rang late at night, I worried if something was wrong with my son.
    Did he fall