Hush Money Read Free

sure, but if our bid isn’t lowest and best, to hell with us.”
    “Then what’s this about?”
    Joey lifted his hands palms out in a you-know-how-it-is gesture. “Some people aren’t as incorruptible as you, Carl. Your predecessor, for example.”
    “My predecessor?”
    “We had dealings with him. A lot of dealings. I guess you could call them extra-legal dealings. You see, it was a family thing. Mr. Grayson, your predecessor, was married to a cousin of ours and, well, a thing worked out where he sent some business our way and we kicked back some money to him.”
    “Why in God’s name are you telling me this?”
    “Because you’re going to find out anyway. You’re going to know. When you get settled down in Grayson’s chair and start examining his records, and then in about a year when those roads we laid down start cracking up like plaster of Paris, you’re going to know what was going on all right.”
    “And I’m going to have the makings of a large-scale political scandal. Not to mention possible indictments against members of the DiPreta family.”
    “Not to mention that.”
    “Well. Thank you for the nine holes, Joey.” Carl rose. “And thank you for the information.”
    “Sit down, Carl,” Joey said, pulling him back down to the cart seat with some force, though his voice stayed friendly and pleasant. “I’ll get you another beer.”
    “I haven’t finished this one and I’m not about to. Let go of my arm.”
    “Listen to me. All we want of you is silence. We will have no dealings with you whatsoever during your term of office, other than this one instance. My family is legitimate these days. This stuff with Grayson all took place back four, five years ago when Papa was still alive. My brothers and me are moving the DiPreta concerns into aboveboard areas completely.”
    Carl said nothing.
    “Look. The publicity alone could kill us. And like you said, it’s possible indictments could come out of it, and if indictments’re possible, so are prison terms, for Christ’s sake, and more investigations. So all we’re asking of you is this: Just look the other way. You’d be surprised how much it can pay, doing nothing. That’s what they call a deal like this: something for nothing.”
    “It’s also called a payoff. It’s called paying hush money, Joey, cover-up money.”
    “You can call it whatever you want.”
    “How much, Joey? How much are the DiPretas willing to pay to hush me up?”
    “You’re a wealthy man, Carl. You’re a banker. Your wife has money—her family does, I mean. Land holdings. It would take a lot to impress you.”
    “Yes, it would.”
    “I want you to keep in mind that an investigation would bring out your own contacts with the DiPreta family. We’ve been seen together this afternoon, for one thing, you and me. And those yearly Las Vegas junkets, on the last of which you and me were seen together . . .”
    “You’re really reaching, Joey. Tell me, how much to cover it up? What’s the offer I can’t refuse?”
    Joey leaned close and whispered with great melodramatic effect: “Fifty. Thousand. Dollars.”
    Carl was silent for a moment. “That’s a lot of money. Could have been more, but it’s a lot of money.”
    “A very lot, Carl. Especially when the IRS doesn’t have to know about it.”
    “Let me ask you something, Joey.”
    “Sure, Carl. Anything.”
    “Where do we stand on our golf scores?”
    “What? What are you . . .”
    “Humor me. How many strokes down am I right now?”
    “Well, uh, one stroke, Carl. I’m leading you by one, you know that.”
    “Good. That way you’re going to be able to quit while you’re ahead, Joey. Because this game is over.”
    Carl got up and out of the cart and began walking away.
    “Carl!”
    Without toning, Carl said, “Thank you for an interesting afternoon, Mr. DiPreta.”
    “Carl, today you were offered money. Tomorrow it could be . . . something else. Something unpleasant.”
    Carl kept walking.
    Joey