Middle Man

Juan Migallon had heard his future brother in law Coldham Fintan Noose III needed a new middle man. Juan knew just the person. His cousin Adam Granato had opened his own business and was looking for clients.

Fin's reputation - as Coldham Fintan was nick named - had already spread and Adam was sceptical. "You want to get me killed?!" Juan replied: "No. You don't have anything to fear as long as you don't stab him in the back or threaten his family. Damien did both, so he got what he deserved." Juan didn't have any pity for Fin's former middle man. "Fin is also one of the best in his job and on the way to be THE best. It would be good advertising for yourself, if you would be associated with him." Adam was still not convinced. "You have a lot in common. Family goes above everything for Fin. He is married to my girlfriend’s sister and has a little daughter. She is slightly older than your own." Adam paused for a moment. "Set up a meeting, but I won't promise anything!" "Perfect. That's all what I'm asking for." Juan was pleased and sure once Adam had met Fin he would forget his doubts.

Juan arranged for a meeting of the two families in Ottawa. It was neutral ground.

Judy asked her husband Adam: "Are you really sure you want to meet with this Fintan guy?" "Well, yes, I'd like to make myself a picture and if Juan says the guy is good, who am I to doubt my own cousin?" "Alright. You don't think he's going to kill us..." "Honey, we're meeting at the lobby of the Fairmont Chateau Laurier! He brings his wife and daughter, so it's unlikely he would do anything stupid." Adam replied exacerbated. Judy sighed and acquiesced.

Fin and Frieda, Fin's wife, were also discussing Adam. Fin was a bit nervous, while Frieda took it cool. "Adam is related to Juan and you know what an important role Juan plays in our family. He's very supportive of Bobby and an outstanding left hand man." Bobby was Frieda's sister. She and Juan were groomed to take over the family business with Bobby at the helm.
"Yeah, but think about my own family. Nearly all are screwed up..." "Not all families are like yours and if you think Adam is crazy or unsuitable, just don't take him as your middle man." "You're always so wise, my dear." Fin kissed Frieda on the tip of her nose.

Fin, Frieda and Casey found Adam, Judy and Jerri already waiting at the lobby. Adam was around three inches smaller than Fin, had carrot red hair and green eyes. He looked very much different than his cousin Juan. Judy was eleven inches smaller than her husband and had hazelnut brown hair, her eyes were also green. Judy was a bit fuller around the hips, having not shed all the pounds she had gained during pregnancy. Frieda on the other side had been well proportioned to begin with. She had regained her figure ca. six months after giving birth. Fin was 6 ft 2 in tall, light ash blond and had blue grey eyes. His wife was reaching up to his chin, dark haired and had brown eyes and olive skin.
Jerri was also dark haired and had astoundingly blue eyes, while Casey was a miniature copy of Frieda.
Casey was nine months old and very good at crawling. She managed sometimes a few steps by holding on to furniture or someone's hand. In character she was similar to Fin. She was introvert, but a keen observer. Casey went through a phase, having fear of strangers.
She recoiled and tried to hide from the Granato's when the families introduced each other, burying her face in Frieda's neck. Casey hadn't noticed Jerri, who was fast asleep in her buggy. She felt the securest on her parents' lap. Judy liked children overall and would have loved to play a bit with Casey. Fin and Adam checked each other out. The women had their daughters in common, so the meeting wasn't awkward for them. Jerri was four months younger than Casey.
Fin and Adam found out they shared a passion for music. Both liked jazz and Madeleine Peyroux. Adam blushed a bit when he admitted he listened sometimes to Rosanne Cash. Fin didn't like county music, so he hadn't thought about the singer. "She doesn't only do Country. Some of her repertoire is pop and blues." Adam explained. "Hm, maybe I'll check it out." Fin said. "What are your favourites?" ""Take Me, Take Me", "So Fine", "Thoughts from the Train", Anybody's Darlin'", "Big River", "Down on Love" and much, much more... Rosanne Cash has so far recorded ten albums." "Wow, impressive." They enjoyed the tea and smiled about Casey's interest in Jerri. When the baby was awake, she had squawked to get attention. After being fed and the nappy had been changed Jerri was taking in her surroundings with big eyes. Casey was intrigued and urged her father to be let down. Fin complied and Casey was high speed crawling towards Judy and Jerri. She sat down in front of Judy and looked up to Jerri. Both stared at each other. "Jerri is a baby, darling, so be careful with her." Frieda explained. "Want to sit beside us?" Judi asked. Casey didn't like the strange voice and her face scrunched up. Curiosity won out, though, and she let Judy lift her up. Casey touched Jerri soft on the cheek. Jerri thought it was funny and gave a gummy grin, which delighted Casey in turn. They seemed to communicate silently.
The tea went well, so Adam and Fin agreed to meet the next day at Fin's room to discuss business.

Fin tried to make the meeting a pleasant one and organized a few things he deemed necessary to do just that. He took his daughter with him. Casey was fascinated by the Christmas decoration at the Rideau Center and scared by Santa. She cried while sitting on his lap and stopped only when she was safely back in her father's arm, still sniffling, but clutching the present Santa had given her. "Want to see what's in there?" Fin asked. Casey hadn't grabbed the concept of a gift yet. She protested vehemently when Fin tried to take the box from her. "Okay, then keep it." Fin shrugged. Maybe Casey's mother had more success later on. Finally having everything gathered, they returned to the hotel. On their room Frieda was already waiting. Casey gave Frieda the package. "Oh, is that for me?" Frieda took it and shook. "Hm, what's in there?" Frieda opened it and revealed a teddy bear. Casey grabbed it from her mother's hand and hugged the bear. "Oh, was the bear for you after all?" Casey nodded. "Okay. We should give it a name." They agreed to call it Polly.

Frieda and Casey were meeting with Judy and Jerri, while the men had their meeting.

Fin wasn't exactly looking forward to it. He had liked Adam and thought they would be able to build a meaningful partnership in the future. The problem was Fin had to convince Adam and most likely some explaining to do.

When Adam arrived Fin had everything set up. Adam's favorite cookies and apples were laid out on the coffee table. There was a bottle of Acqua Panna waiting as well. Soft music was playing in the back ground. Adam recognized the album immediately. It was "Rules of Travel" by Rosanne Cash. He was impressed to what great length Fin had gone to please and make him comfortable. Adam thought Fin behaved Hispanic and wasn't sure if Fin had always been that way or influenced by Frieda and her family. "Please take a seat. Would you like coffee? I can make it with the machine or order it from room service..." "I'd like to have privacy and go down to business, so the coffee machine will do." Adam was direct. Fin chose the capsule with the strongest coffee. He made himself a cup of green tea. While Fin prepared the beverages Adam asked Fin what he thought about Juan. Fin wasn't sure if the question was a trap or simply small talk, because Juan was the one person they both knew. Fin decided it was the latter and in any case to go with honesty. "I like Juan. He's growing on me and he has proven to be a good friend, but when we first met he decided to get drunk and make love with lamp posts..., so that didn't leave a too good impression. Now I can laugh about it." "Yeah, that sounds like Juan." Adam giggled. Balancing two cups and saucers Fin returned to the table. "Sugar or milk?" "Two sugar, please." Fin returned with two packets. They were quiet for a while, munching on the cookies and enjoying their hot drinks. The silence was companionable. Adam broke it. "If I'm going to be your middle man, what would you expect from me?" "Honesty, integrity, flexibility and that you give me jobs fitting my skills." "What can I expect from you?" Adam's face was unreadable. "Besides monetary compensation I promise I do whatever job you give me to the client’s 100% satisfaction. If I'm unhappy or my circumstances change I'll let you know." "What do you mean by changing circumstances?" "Frieda and I might want a second child, so I wouldn't be willing to take on jobs involving being away for long periods from Frieda during her pregnancy and around half a year after the baby is born." "I understand that. Familia comes first." Fin was glad. Damien hadn't. "Now, rumours have it you killed Damien, beating him to death. Why would you kill him and how did he die?" "He tried to black mail me. Threatening to kidnap my highly pregnant wife, in the hope I would take on a burglary in Australia. I took him serious and I won't accept black mail." Fin's eyes had turned blue. Adam was fascinated. "So you beat him to death?" "No, that's way too barbaric. I told him he had signed his death warrant, called Frieda and told her to go into hiding." "Was that all?" "No, I contacted a friend of mine, who's a contract killer." Adam was a bit impatient that Fin wasn't forthcoming. "And?" "My friend ambushed Damien and shot him." "Why didn't you kill him yourself?" "I'm sorry to say, but I'm a coward in that regards. I wouldn't have been able to do it." Adam was quite. He had to think. Did Adam believe Fin? Was he able to trust Fin and work with him? "I have to sleep over my decision. I'll let you know tomorrow." Adam got up, straightened his clothing and left.

Adam was waiting for the police report of Damien's murder. He had his contacts too. His acquaintance confirmed Damien had been killed by a gun wound to his head. Fin hadn't lied about it.
Adam spoke with former clients and people Fin had worked together with. The clients were very happy. Fin had always delivered; either quicker than expected or in a timely manner and was discreet.
Fin's contemporaries were of split opinion. He heard Fin was arrogant, stubborn and own minded, a loner, a narcisist and difficult to work with. Others said Fin was shy, focused, self-assured, creative, a perfectionist, straight forward and strategic thinking. No matter what fellow criminals thought about Fin they respected him.
Adam had still a few doubts if he wanted to work together with Fin. He had liked Fin, though. There was also the siren call of money and prestige. Adam weighed up what he had learned about Fin, considered his own feelings and asked for Judy's input.
Fin's demands were sensible. As long as he and Adam communicated and found a compromise or an agreement, Adam had nothing to fear, so Juan had been right.
Fin wasn't sure his pitch had worked. He hoped for the best. Since he had arranged for the murder of his middle man Fin had had difficulties finding new jobs.
 He didn't need the income, having earned a lot in the past and a friend had laundered and invested it cleverly, so it had grown. Fin missed the work, though. He believed he was born to be a burglar.

The next morning Fin and Adam met for breakfast. Fin was tense, but hid his nerves well. It was hard for him not to play with his food. "Have you come to a decision, Adam?" Fin asked. "Yes, I'd like to be your middle man." Fin was visibly relieved. They agreed to forge out the details on Adam's room.
They both gained from their partnership. Fin received more interesting and challenging jobs than before, rising to the occasions and being considered the best in his field.
In the beginning Adam got some flak for taking on Fin. He was warned Fin would destroy Adam's reputation or he would get killed if Fin didn't get what he wanted. Nothing came true.
Adam built a client base and thanks to Fin's ability gained also a reputation as the middle man to go to get the job done. Since Adam managed to angle interesting work other burglars and hackers wanted to come on board too.
Adam and Fin never regretted their decision to team up and if there were issues they spoke about them open and found solutions.


©2014

Break in

This story is inspired by an article I read about a blood soaked cloth - the blood was from Pope John Paul II - that was stolen from a church.

The only real person in "The Break in" is Pope Sixtus IV. There are rumors he was gay and had sex with attractive looking young men including his own nephew, who all profited by receiving benefits, like being made cardinal. 
The one night stand is fictitious as are the villages of Santa Trinita (named after Santa Trinita Bridge in Florence, Italy) and Villa Mattani, the church of San Michele and the Trattoria Capetta.

L'Aquina is the capital of the Abruzzo region.

Hope you enjoy! :)

Prologue

"I need to have it!" Cagney Brasileiro said fervently. His grey eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Make sure, I'll get it." He ordered his right hand man Lyn Rodriguez. They had worked together for around twenty years. Lyn sighed. His go to person, who took care of his boss' special requests, had recently died. Lyn needed to find someone else. He inquired discreetly for suitable candidates. Lyn and a Colombian American called Adam Granato, living in Vancouver, were immediately on the same wave length. They agreed to meet in person to discuss Lyn's little problem.

A few days later Adam touched down in Sao Paulo. He was meeting with Lyn at the Emiliano Hotel for drinks. After hearing what Lyn was looking for, he thought immediately about the right person for the job. He knew only one.


Rome, 1480

Lucio Gianetto picked up the alb. It felt cool and soft under his touch. Smelling it woke memories of entangled limbs, salty skin and soft kisses. The boy was slender, dark haired and had deep brown eyes. He was daydreaming and still cradling the alb, when His Holiness entered the room. It was lavishly decorated and had high ceilings with views over the roofs of Rome.
His Holiness had a sharp, beaky nose. He watched Lucio for a while, then walked over to him and kissed Lucio on the cheek. His stubbles scratched a bit. "You seem to like the alb." His Holiness said. After a moment’s hesitation the pope added: "Keep it as a memento of our night together." Before getting rid of Lucio the pope also threw a few coins into Lucio's lap. Sad Lucio got dressed and left the Papal palace, never to return.

Present day

Coldham Fintan Noose III was hit by the heat. He had arrived from Miami via London in Rome. He was tall, light ash blond and had blue grey eyes. His destination wasn't Rome, but he broke off the journey and stayed a night at the Eden.

Coldham Fintan Noose III spoke fluently Italian with an accent that was difficult to place.
He didn't like being called by his first name and was nick named Fin.

The next morning he rented a car to travel to Santa Trinita, a small village in the Abruzzi.
Fin had a certain target in mind. He checked into a B&B. When he showed his passport the female receptionist was delighted. "Oh, you are American! We have your sort very rarely here." She exclaimed. Fin didn't know if this was a good sign. The lady was nosy. "What is the reason for your stay?" "I'm here for your fabulous cuisine, especially the maccheroni alla chitarra and scrippelle 'mbusse." "That's true. We have the best cuisine in Italy. You should go to Trattoria Capetta. They serve the finest maccheroni in town." "Thanks for the recommendation. I will try it out."
The room was basic, but comfortable and airy. Fin napped for a few hours in the afternoon. On the way to the trattoria Fin checked out the building he was after. The security was low key and getting into it wasn't going to be a great issue.
Being hungry he tried the maccheroni (guitar pasta in spicy tomato sauce). It was delicious with simple, fresh ingredients. The owner was very proud of the dish, telling Fin the vegetables came from his brother's organic farm and the pasta was made in house daily. Having found a foreigner, who appreciated his wife's cooking, the owner decided to stuff his guest. The next course was crepes in chicken broth, also known as scrippelle 'mbusse. "Why don't you try the chicken? It's really good." Fin agreed. It had been roasted with peppers and onions. Fin loved the flavours. He refused the wine - not only because he had to drive the next morning. Fin wanted a clear head for his adventure during the night. The main course was followed by local cheese, a slice of almond cake and espresso. Fin was very full and thought he could never move again. Of course he managed to get up.

When everyone slept, Fin sneaked out of the B&B. It was a moonless night. He went to the old, crumbling house on Via L'Aquina. Fin used the back entrance. He had a torch and a few tools with him. Opening the door was child's play. Fin soon realized he had come too late. The complete content of the building had been removed. He wasn't upset, since he had a clue where to look next.

He called from his room. It was only early evening in Vancouver. Adam Granato picked up nearly immediately. "Hey, Adam, the house is empty. Could you do me a favour and send me the will? It should state who was receiving Pope Sixtus IV's alb." "No problem. Consider it done." Adam was good to his word. He had scanned in the document and sent it via email only six minutes later. Fin liked his new middle man. Dealing with Adam was much more pleasant than with his predecessor Damien.
Reading the will of Esposito Gianetto Fin found out the Pope's tunic had been given to a church called San Michele in a neighbour village. Based on that information Fin decided to stay a couple of nights more.

Beata, the receptionist, was delighted Fin liked the food so much he decided to extend his stay. He asked her what Villa Mattani had to offer. She suggested a few things he could explore and where to eat. One of the "must sees" was the Baroque church San Michele.

Fin pretended to be sightseeing and also ventured to the church. He tried to figure out where the community would keep such an important inheritance. The will had been only recently read, so there was a chance that no decision had been made what to do with the alb or it might was still with the lawyer, who was responsible to enforce the will.

As luck was having it Fin arrived just in time to see a group of older women surrounding a middle aged priest, bent over something, excited and curious. The priest told his congregation they were very lucky and that he would keep the alb securely in sacristy's safe. Fin pretended to be interested in the architecture and paintings of San Michele, but listened in carefully. It was easy to make out where the sacristy was and also to check what kind of security was in place. Gaining access required a bit more skill. Fin withdrew to the next bar to work out a plan. The entrance to the sacristy was walled in - only one way to get in or out. It could work to Fin's advantage or disadvantage, depending on the situation. At least it made detection of him more difficult during night. There was no CCTV, so that was good. Fin decided to break in within the next few days as long as there was New Moon.

"I'm looking for a night club." Fin told Beata, who liked the American. She advised him with a smile and they flirted a bit. It didn't matter Beata had a boyfriend or Fin was married.
The night club was Fin's cover, spending a few hours there, before going to the church. The gate leading to the sacristy had been locked, so Fin used his lock pick to open it. He did the same with the sacristy door. Each lock didn't keep Fin longer than a few minutes. He only used a torch to search for the safe. Locating it, Fin paused to find a solution how to break into the safe. It was an old one, so Fin used a stethoscope. It was tricky, but in the end Fin had the code broken. The alb was there. Fin took the whole content of the safe. He didn't want to make it too obvious what he had been looking for. Suddenly Fin heard someone approaching on the gravel outside the sacristy. Fin grabbed all his things and tested the door leading to the church. It was open. Fin went through. His heart was racing. He was thinking furiously what to do next. Fin found a hiding space, going up the stairs to the organ. It gave him an overview of the church. Fin switched off the torch. Fin's eyes needed a few seconds to adjust to the darkness. He knelt in the front pew; his eyes barely looking over the barrier. The door opened and someone used a torch; passing the light beam across the church. Fin ducked and held his breath. There were steps walking towards the entrance of the building. Fin heard the big gate rattling. The steps returned and stopped at the stair case. Fin swore silently. He didn't dare to move and hoped the person wasn't going up. He was unlucky, so Fin had to find a better hiding place. He stepped as quietly as possible behind the one end of the organ that wasn't facing the stairs. He prayed whoever was searching wasn't going to be very thorough. If not he would use the surprise momentum, tackle the stranger and throw him over the balustrade. Fin didn't like violence or killing someone, but he couldn't afford to be identified or caught. The steps approached and the torch lit up Fin. He was ready to action his plan, but stopped in his tracks. A second person called from the ground: "Hey, Charles, did you find any intruder?" Charles Harold Fox, another burglar and familiar with Fin, but not exactly a friend, replied immediately. "No. There's nobody. Damn, we have missed the chance to steal the alb!" "Ah, don't take it too hard. There are going to be other jobs. Are you coming down?" "Sure." Charles had turned and was about to leave. Fin whispered: "Meet me at Trattoria Capetta at noon." Charles didn't react.

Fin arrived a few minutes early and chose a seat on the terrace, so Charles hadn't problems spotting him. Massimiliano, the owner of the trattoria, was surprised by Fin's new seating arrangement. He normally preferred a table indoors. The unasked question was answered when a slight built man with green grey eyes and light brown hair in his thirties joined Fin. Massimiliano didn't speak English, but the body language of both his customer's was tense. "Don't you have some goods to deliver?" Charles asked. "It has a bit time." Fin replied. "Why have you invited me?" Charles' voice was harsh. "To gloat?" Fin shook his head. "No. First of all thanks for not letting on to your partner that I was there and second not trying to take the clothing from me." "I might not like you, but I'm a gentleman and follow the code." Fin's mouth quirked upwards. The feeling was mutual. They respected each other and that was what counted. "Yeah, I know. Come, sit down, have lunch on me and I have a proposal to make." When the two men seemed more relaxed, Massimiliano approached. Fin ordered a Garibaldi and Charles an Americano as Aperitivo. They shared an Antipasti platter and followed Massimiliano's advise to have the polenta with spicy sausage sauce. When the food arrived, Fin asked: "What about if I give you twenty percent of my earnings from this job? I'm indebted to you..." "Shove the money up your ass!" Fin wasn't too happy about Charles outburst. Fin had under estimated Charles' pride and was about to apologize when Charles continued: "You don't owe me anything, Coldham Fintan. When you found and kept my daughter save, I was indebted to you, that's settled now. Okay?" Fin nodded. "Alright. How is your family?" Charles glared at Fin. He had two daughters and two sons. The last thing on Charles' mind was discussing them with his biggest competitor. He was short. "Good. I've heard you have married your Latina... Congratulations." Fin knew Charles tried to aggravate
him and remembered Fin's wife's name. He didn't react - at least not as Charles expected him to. "Thanks. We have now a year old daughter. Her name is Casey." Against Charles' will his ears pricked. "What is she like?" He asked interested. "She looks like Frieda and takes after me character wise. She's a bit shy, but intelligent." Charles snorted. "Doesn't every dad believe their child is the cutest and most intelligent?" Fin laughed. "True." He admitted. "Please indulge me and have a look at a photo of hers." "Just one?" Charles asked. "Just one - I don't carry an album with me." Fin reassured Charles. Fin handed Charles the photograph. Charles had to agree. Casey looked very much like Frieda. Massimiliano had hovered in the back ground and now also commented: "Hai una bellissima figlia." Fin thanked the trattoria's owner. Massimiliano thought Casey was beautiful. After lunch Fin and Charles went separate ways.

There wasn't much left to do for Fin. He packed and told Beata he was leaving the next morning. She was sad.
Fin booked a flight from Rome to Sao Paulo to deliver the stolen item. At the airport he changed into a cassock. Fin was prepared in case customs wanted to check his luggage. His suitcase was packed with albs and cassocks. Everything went smoothly and Fin was treated with reverence.

When Fin met Lyn Rodriguez at the bar of the Fasano Hotel he was dressed in his normal outfit - Armani from head to toe and completely in black.
Lyn had been impressed. It hadn't taken more than a months from contacting Adam to holding Mr. Brasileiro's alb in hand. He was going to continue doing business with Adam Granato.

Cagney Brasileiro was happy as a child when he finally received Pope Sixtus IV's alb. He added it to his vast collection of Pope Memorabilia, some of the items were legitimate acquired, others not.

© 2014