Read Online The Third Figure by Collin Wilcox - Free Book Online Page B

wife.”
    “Yes.”
    “And he had two children, didn’t he?”
    “Yes.”
    “Did he ever talk about them?”
    “He talked about his girl, Charlene. Often.”
    “Was he fond of her, would you say?”
    “Yes, he was. They fought a lot, probably because they were so similar. But he loved her. It was obvious.”
    “Did she love him?”
    She shrugged. “If you’ll define ‘love’ for me, Mr. Drake, I’ll answer the question.”
    I smiled. “I withdraw the question. How old is Charlene?”
    “Twenty-six, I believe.” She thought about it, then nodded. “Yes, she’s twenty-six.”
    “Does she live here?”
    “She lives in Los Angeles.”
    “Is she married?”
    Momentarily she hesitated before shaking her head.
    “Is she a pretty girl?”
    “Yes. Very.”
    “Then why isn’t she married, I wonder.”
    Again came the intriguing hesitation. Finally she said, cautiously, “I wouldn’t know.”
    “I think you do, Mrs. Hanson.”
    She looked at me, then sighed. “Charlene is going around with one of Dominic’s associates. That’s the only thing he ever told me about his—his other business, when he mentioned Larry Sabella in relation to Charlene. Apparently Dominic had forbidden her to have anything to do with Sabella—or with any of those—men.”
    “But she defied her father. Is that it?”
    “Yes.”
    “Is Sabella married, do you know?”
    “I don’t know. I don’t believe so. That would’ve been the last straw, as far as Dominic was concerned.”
    “I see.” I decided to shift my ground. “Is Dominic’s other child a son?”
    “Yes.”
    “How old is he?”
    “Angelo is thirty, I think. Maybe thirty-one. He lives in Phoenix.”
    “What does he do, in Phoenix?”
    “I’m not sure. But I gathered that he might be in the—the same line of work that Dominic was in.”
    “He works for the Outfit, you mean?”
    She shrugged. She would say no more.
    “Did he get along well with his father?”
    Slowly she shook her head. “No, I don’t believe they got along very well together. I think—I’m sure, really—that Dominic wanted Angelo to go into some—other line of work.”
    “But he didn’t.”
    “No.”
    “Was Angelo capable, would you say? Intelligent?”
    “I’ve never met Angelo,” she answered. “But I’d say, offhand, that he probably isn’t as intelligent as Charlene. Nor as—as fiery. I gather that Angelo is a lot more sullen than his sister. Both of them were problem children as teen-agers. But, of the two, Dominic always thought Charlene was high-spirited. Angelo, apparently, was just mean. He’s even been in prison if I’m not mistaken. For manslaughter. Or at least he was indicted. Dominic never liked to talk about it.”
    “What kind of person was Dominic Vennezio, Mrs. Hanson?”
    She looked at me, surprised.
    “Didn’t you know him?”
    “I’d like to hear you describe him.”
    She looked at me speculatively. I wondered whether she might be considering some questions of her own. But finally she said, “Dominic was a simple, straightforward man. As long as you didn’t antagonize him, he was just like anyone else. But, once he was crossed, he was a devil. If anyone lied to him or tried to get the best of him, fairly or unfairly, Dominic would do anything to get even. That’s the way he operated in real estate, and I’m sure that in his—other business, he was even more ruthless.”
    “Was he intelligent, would you say?”
    “He was intelligent enough. He had a good instinct for which people he could trust. And he was very shrewd. It took him a long time to figure out something, but when he finally made a decision it was usually right. And, too, he had a tremendous vitality. When he decided to enjoy himself, he went all the way. He was a high liver and a big spender. He wasn’t ostentatious about it, especially, but he loved the feeling of being able to buy almost anything he wanted. And he did. I remember one time we were in a grocery store, and