"When you get back," Genero said, "give my regards, huh?" Carella looked at him curiously. "To all the guys," Genero said. "Cotton, and Hal, and Meyer and Bert. All of us who were on the plant together."
"Oh, sure."
"And thanks again for coming up …"
"Don't mention it."
"… Steve," Genero ventured as Carella went out.
Di Fillippi's lawyer was a man named Irving Baum.
He arrived at the squadroom somewhat out of breath and the first thing he asked was whether the detectives had advised his client of his rights. When assured that Di Fillippi had been constitutionally protected, he nodded briefly, took off his brown Homburg and heavy brown overcoat, placed both neatly across Meyer's desk, and then asked the detectives what it was all about. He was a pleasant-looking man, Baum, with white hair and mustache, sympathetic brown eyes, and an encouraging manner of nodding when anyone spoke, short little nods that seemed to be signs of agreement. Meyer quickly told him that it was not the police intention to book Di Fillippi for anything, but merely to solicit information from him. Baum could see no reason why his client should not cooperate to the fullest extent. He nodded to Di Fillippi and then said, "Go ahead, Dominick, answer their questions."
"Okay, Mr. Baum," Di Fillippi said.
"Can we get your full name and address?" Meyer said.
"Dominick Americo Di Fillippi, 365 North Anderson Street, Riverhead."
"Occupation."
"I already told you. I'm a musician."
"I beg your pardon," Baum said. "Were you questioning him
"Steady, counselor," Meyer said. "All we asked him was what he did for a living."
"Well," Baum said, and tilted his head to one side as though considering whether there had been a miscarriage of justice. "Well," he said, "go on, please."
"Age?" Meyer asked.
"Twenty-eight."
"Single? Married?"
"Single."
"Who's your nearest living relative?"
"I beg your pardon," Baum said, "but if you merely intend to solicit information, why do you need these statistics?"
"Mr. Baum," Willis said, "you're a lawyer, and you're here with him, so stop worrying. He hasn't said anything that'll send him to jail. Not yet."
"This is routine, counselor," Meyer said. "I think you're aware of that."
"All right, all right, go on," Baum said.
"Nearest living relative?" Meyer repeated.
"My father. Angelo Di Fillippi."
"What's he do?"
"He's a stonemason."
"Hard to find good stonemasons today," Meyer said.
"Yeah."
"Dom," Willis said, "What's your connection with Tony La Bresca?"
"He's a friend of mine."
"Why'd you meet with him today?"
"Just friendly."
"It was a very short meeting," Willis said.
"Yeah, I guess it was."
"Do you always go all the way downtown just to talk to someone for five minutes?"
"Well, he's a friend of mine."
"What'd you talk about?"
"Uh music," Di Fillippi said.
"What about music?"
"Well uh he's got a cousin who's gonna get married soon, so he wanted to know about our group."
"What'd you tell him?"
"I told him we were available."
"When's this wedding coming off?"
"The uh sometime in June."
"When in June?"
"I forget the exact date."
"Then how do you know you'll be available?"
"Well, we ain't got no jobs for June, so I know we'll be available."
"Are you the group's business manager?"
"No."
"Then why'd La Bresca come to you?"
"Because we're friends, and he heard about the group."
"So that's what you talked about. His cousin's wedding."
"Yes, that's right."
"How much did you tell him it would cost?"
"I said uh it uh seventy dollars."
"How many musicians are there in the group?"
"Five."
"How much is that a man?" Meyer asked.
"It's uh seventy uh divided by five."
"Which is how much?"
"That's uh well five into seven is one and carry the two, five into twenty is uh four, so that comes to fourteen dollars a man."
"But you didn't know that when you asked for the seventy, did you?"
"Yes, sure I knew it."
"Then why'd you have to do the division just now?"
"Just to check it, that's all."
"So you told La Bresca you'd be available, and you told him it would cost seventy dollars, and then what?"
"He said he'd ask his cousin, and he got out of the car."
"That was the extent of your conversation with him?"
"That was the extent of it, yes."
"Couldn't you have discussed this on the telephone?"
"Sure, I guess so."
"Then why didn't you?"
"Well, I like to see Tony every now and then, he's a good friend of mine."
"So you drove all the way downtown to see him."
"That's right."
"How much did you lose on that championship fight?"
"Oh, not much."
"
"Ten bucks or so. How do
"Wasn't it more like fifty?"
"Well, maybe, I don't remember. How do you know this?" He turned to Baum. "How do they know this?" he asked the lawyer.
"How do you know this?" Baum asked.
"Well, counselor, if it's all right with you," Meyer said, "
"No, I think everything's been proper so far, but I
"I think that'll become clear," Meyer said.
