This Is Now
In his mind, Darren set out to make peace between the two. As he perceived it, Jake invented the feud for ’just in case’ purposes. But Jake’s fears came to be, and their rift had progressed to the point where it was causing serious repercussions. He was sent as the point man, to make it clear to them both that either they put an end to it by themselves, or others would be sent to settle the manner in far less delicate fashion.
He had known the two since childhood. In grade school, people in the old neighborhood took to calling them the Three Musketeers. Their monikers would become far more precarious as they grew up. Jake, Bobby, and Darren were inseparable for as long as anybody could recall. It was a rear occasion indeed when one would could spot any of the three without their two buddies. They were a unit, a singular brigade constantly covering each others back. Mess with one, you were messing with them all. And in the tough streets where they grew up, it proved quite effective in discouraging others from starting up with any member of this small gang.
But that was then, and this was now. From the streets of Hell’s Kitchen to the quiet restaurants of Little Italy, though quite close geographically, they might have well been located on distant continents. The rules of survival, what was expected of any particular member of a ’Family’, were as different as night and day. Jake and, or, Bobby were breaking the rules, and it had to be stopped. Darren was the logical choice to make the initial attempt. But he knew if he proved to be unsuccessful, far different methods would immediately be employed.
As it turned out, and it is highly questionable as to whether he himself was even conscious of it at the time, Darren set out upon this mission with his own singular agenda.
They were to meet at Callahan’s, a very public bar-restaurant on Forty Second Street, adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. This location was decided upon by their boss. He didn’t want violence to erupt in any manner, shape or form. If more extreme measures were eventually called for, it was to be on the Family’s terms. They would choose the time and place if need be.
It was agreed upon by the three old friends that Darren would be the first to arrive. He took a private booth in the rear, and ordered a glass of Johnny Walker Black on ice, with a Heineken chaser.
Darren mentally reviewed the facts. The organization had put the three in complete control over all drug distribution and gambling operations that went down in Hell’s Kitchen. Things went smoothly for about a year, until Jake decides that he’s not getting a fair cut of the action, and decides to lay the blame on Bobby.
Now Bobby is as straight as they come. And Darren knew that Jake didn’t truly believe that Bobby was cheating him out of his share. Jake had a bad gambling habit that was well hid from all but Darren and Bobby. And now he’s in to some guys from Atlantic City for some serious money. So he begins skimming, and points his finger at Bobby.
These guys in Little Italy don’t know Bobby like Darren did. All they knew is that the revenue from their part of town had been steadily declining. Someone was going to have to take the fall. One or more of them were definitely going down. There was no doubt about it.
Now Bobby tells Darren yesterday that he’s got no choice in the matter. He’s got to let these guys in on Jake’s gambling debts. It’s his only way out, he explains, because he’s just never been a good liar, and they were believing Jake’s story more and more each day.
Jake enters the bar and sits down opposite Darren in the booth. He starts telling him that Bobby’s to blame. Darren shuts him up real quick.
“You forgetting who you’re talking to?”, he tells him. Jake immediately stops trying to fool himself into believing he can get over on Darren. It was only his utter desperation that had led him to believe it was ever a real possibility.
Bobby arrives about five minutes later. He sits down, and the truth is laid out there on the table. Is there any way all of them can stay alive? That’s the focus of the three old buddies conversation.
This slice of The Life story ends quite predictably. Darren saw an opening, and he took full advantage of it. Bobby’s body was discovered in Queens the following day, Jake’s in Atlantic City the next.
All must now hail to Darren, the new, sole Devil King of Hell’s Kitchen.
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