It wasn't such a big crime in the scheme of things. As a bookkeeper he could have stolen so much more. He only took enough to cover his mother's debts after she passed away. He planned to pay it back slowly covering his tracks along the way. Its not that the mob didn't pay well they most assuredly did but Jeff was over extended in ways a bookkeeper shouldn't be. There were flashy cars and an out sized house. The kids went to an exclusive school. His wife had expensive tastes and nothing seemed to be easily trimmed from the budget. In short Jeff was living large and feeling the pinch. Still it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. That is until his employer hired a second bookkeeper to check his work. Jeff was found out immediately. Rather than denial or subterfuge Jeff threw himself on the mercy of his boss, confessing everything. His boss simply replied. "Mr. Gardner. We will discuss this over dinner at your house tomorrow."
Big Sal did not look angry. He did look hurt. Jeff understood instinctively that his boss took this as a personal affront. Somehow he did not fear for his life. Big Sal preferred humiliation and revenge over a simple hit. Not that he didn't employ those against his enemies. Jeff had seen it himself a courier who lost a shipment might get off with some broken bones for a first offense. If he redeemed himself on later assignments Big Sal rehabilitated him. If he screwed up again, Big Sal wrote the shipment off and the courier ended up being nabbed by some of Sal's friends in law enforcement. This kept the reach of lady justice at bay and had the effect of making Sal look much cleaner than he actually was
Big Sal was more genteel than most of his kin but he was nonetheless a thug through and through. Jeff understood exactly what he was getting into. Laundering the money and making it clean was something he never contemplated the ethics of. To him it beat slaving away for a bank or insurance firm and taking decades to earn the kind of money he was taking home with Sal from day one. It had been a good life thus far.
He knew he would have none of the things he currently possessed if not for Big Sal. His wealth had attracted Emma. Even after bearing two daughters she was still a stunner. 5 foot 6 with long brown hair, a trim figure, modest bust, terrific legs and a flawless complexion. She looked at least a decade younger than the 37 that the calender said she was. Their daughters aged 17 and 15 were virtual clones of their mother. In all the years of their marriage Jeff had never confided in her where his income came from. As far as she was concerned her husband worked in the city for a corporation. It was a fiction Jeff felt was harmless. Now he realized that his carefully constructed world was about to collapse.
That night he went home and tried to explain things to Emma.
"Emma, there is something you must know."
"What is it dear?" replied Emma.
"I don't work for the Trident Corporation. That is I DO work for them but they are a dummy corporation a shell. In reality I work for Big Sal Maglini the mobster."
In a halting, difficult confession, it all spilled out of Jeff. The fact that their lives were the rewards of criminality. That her wardrobe, house and cars came from ill gotten gains. That he had done a bad thing by crossing Sal. And that he should be fearing for his life.
Emma was not sympathetic. She was the sort of woman who put airs over others and liked to point out how perfect her life as Jeff's wife was. Her anger was intense.
"I should divorce you, Jeff!"
"If you did that ALL of us would go to jail. There is nothing that we own that isn't connected to mob money. Even if they did not send you to jail, you and the girls would be left penniless. Are you prepared to live off food stamps and food bank left overs? Imagine the girls going to the lousy local high school, No you and the girls are not that type. I don't think that Big Sal is going to kill me, that's not his way. I'm sure what he has in mind is not fatal but no doubt is rather humiliating. He may even let me keep my job after extracting his vengeance. He can't afford to kill me. The new guy he hired is smart but only I know the books so thoroughly. I know where all the bodies are buried both figuratively and literally."
Jeff explained that Big Sal was coming to dinner tomorrow. He wants to meet the entire family. Emma eventually cooled down. She helped the girls with their homework and even made a late snack for Jeff. Jeff was still consigned to the couch for the night.
Jeff went to work the next morning to find the new bookkeeper looking like the cat that ate the canary. God how Jeff hated the guy. Still if he were in the same position as the new guy he would have done the same thing. There was no better way to ingratiate himself to Big Sal. Jeff was blunt with the new guy. The books told only part of the story, Jeff knew the ins and out of big Sal's operation to a detail that the new guy could never hope to understand right away.
"We can either work together," said Jeff, "Or we can be a loggerheads and Sal's operation starts springing leaks."
The new guy was sharp as a tack but he understood that the only way to become Big Sal's right hand man was through Jeff's knowledge. They settled into an uneasy truce and checked and rechecked each others work.
Jeff left work as early as he could. He found Emma working on a fancy dinner. The girls were home in their school uniforms helping their mother. Jeff could tell that she was cool to him but she put on a false front for the girls sake. Emma cooked phenomenally well and made an impressive dinner of pasta and steak, something she instinctively knew that Sal would enjoy. It looked like there would be plenty of leftovers as well.
Emma was dressed in one of her finest dresses, a short blue number that always got Jeff hard. The girls were told to put on nice clothes and that their father's boss would be coming to dinner. Faith and Paula whined at first but did as they were told.
Even though he was their father Jeff really had to appreciate his daughters beauty. Faith had been dating for a year and Jeff had to field phone calls for her from all sorts of boys when he was home. Paula would not be allowed to date until she was sixteen but Jeff could tell that he would have his hands full with her as well.
Sal's big car pulled into the Gardner's driveway right at 8:00 P.M. Jeff was surprised to see Sal's youngest son Geno exiting the car as well. Geno was indulged by his father in everything. Despite this he was not spoiled. He shared his father's ruthlessness and was the most reliable of Sal's sons. Once Sal retired or was eliminated by a rival Geno would inherit the bulk of his father's operation. Geno stood six one, towering over his father. He also had a taste for the ladies and the high life. Most women found him devilishly handsome. Jeff had no idea why he was accompanying his father on what was essentially a nothing operation.
Big Sal entered the house with a nod and kissed Emma's hand. He introduced Geno as his protegee. After the preliminaries the six people sat down to dinner. Both Sal and Geno complimented Emma on her cooking and on her looks. The girls were practically flirting with Geno. However, to his relief, Jeff noticed that Geno didn't seem to be reciprocating his girls' flirtations.
After everyone had eaten. Sal told Jeff that it would be a good idea if the girls left the room now so that the remaining three of them could discuss some private business. The girls excused themselves and went to their rooms.
"Now we can talk Mr. and Mrs. Gardner," said Sal. "As you are probably aware of by now Mrs. Gardner, may I call you Emma? You husband has been caught stealing from my operation. It is not so much the size of the infraction but the principle which makes me angry. No one wants to get me angry. It is not good for their health. I'm not sure what your husband has told me about our operation but I have the power to make people disappear or suffer sudden injury. I also have to power to achieve certain ends if I desire. Now that your daughters are out of the room I can tell you that If I set my mind to it, I could reach them at the Cadwaller School they attend and have them hooked on drugs and turning tricks to fund their habit in a matter of weeks."
