City by the Sea Page #3

You wife beater!

You have to bring that up.

You had as much to do with it as I did.

There was never violence

in my family. Not like the LaMarcas!

You can't save him

by saying it runs in the family.

He made a choice to be there and kill.

Like you made a choice to be a b*tch.

Okay, Vince, you got it off your chest.

Nothing more to say now? So go.

Just tell him he's better off

turning himself in to me.

Hey, where you been?

I thought you got shot or something.

I'm sorry, I should've called.

Are you all right?

Rough day.

- Is something wrong?

- I'm just tired.

I just don't feel like-

- I just don't feel like talking.

- Okay.

- Chief.

- Close the door.

This is Commissioner Johnson and

Vanessa Hansen from the mayor's office.

- Actually, Deputy Assistant Mayor.

- Take a seat, Vince.

We wanted to meet you,

see how to spin this for the media.

- Spin what?

- They know about your old man, Vince.

We need a story on how the son

of an executed child-murderer was...

- ... promoted to homicide detective.

- One of the best.

- The best.

- Of New York's finest.

My father didn't kill the kid.

It was a stupid accident.

Yes, but the 11:
00 news will be

all over this. We want to be ready.

- They'll want to know how you got started.

- I didn't kill the kid.

But you were hired by Police Captain

McAuley, your father-in-law...

- ... who shepherded you into Homicide.

- What about him?

He arrested my father and

he took a big, big chance with me.

I know. I'm just saying that this

is how the media will frame it.

After the execution, I had nothing.

That cop saved me, taught me everything.

He was the kindest guy I ever met.

Make that part of your story.

How's this:
"Detective LaMarca

is in no way responsible.

He's had a long and honorable career

despite his father's violent past-"

- He wasn't violent. What is this?

- "- and that of his son. "

- Excuse us.

- "He has fought criminals... "

- Something like that?

- Yeah, that would work.

I have to take you off the case.

- I should reassign you too, Reg.

- I want him on it.

- It's your call.

- I don't know.

I want Joey brought in safe.

I know you'll do that.

Okay, all right.

Rossi!

You're working with Reg on this.

Take the rest of the week off.

- I don't need a week off, sir.

- This isn't a democracy.

I'll take you home.

Put my ex-wife's place

under surveillance. A wiretap too.

He may have killed a guy. It's easier

the second time. You know that.

Whatever you have to do, you'll always

have my respect and friendship.

I'll do everything

to bring him in safe.

You want company?

- How come you're not at work?

- Took a few days off.

I'm not used to seeing you

in the daylight.

I look different?

I'm sorry about yesterday.

I'm sorry I didn't call you.

Well, we're not in high school, right?

- I just had a tough day, you know?

- No, actually, I don't know.

I just don't like talking

about work, that's all.

Okay.

You got your place, I got mine.

No complications, and that's okay.

I'm 43 years old,

I like to keep it simple.

I don't want to marry you.

I just want to know you.

I think I know you,

then something happens...

...and I realize

I don't know you at all.

You gonna say anything?

What's there to say? It's my problem,

not yours. Why make it yours?

You see?

That's exactly what I mean.

- What's up? I got something for you.

- How much you looking for?

At least a grand.

I need some traveling money.

- Where you going?

- Florida.

Really? What you gonna be doing

down there?

Well, my old man manages

a hotel down there.

He'll get me a job tending bar.

One of those beach bars. You know,

palm trees. Right on the f***ing sand.

- I'll give you a grand for your Nova.

- How will I get to Florida?

- I can't sell my Nova.

- This is all sh*t.

Look, I got a silver-plated.45.

Bring me the piece, we'll talk money.

- See you later.

- Dude, we never close, baby.

- Yeah?

- Mr. LaMarca?

You Joey LaMarca's father?

- Who's this?

- Friend of Joey's.

- Who are you?

- I'm Gina.

Okay, come on in, Gina.

Sit down.

You want something to drink?

No.

So where's Joey?

- I don't know.

- You don't know?

When was the last time you saw him?

I got something that belongs to Joey.

I was thinking I'd leave it here

with you. It's just stuff Joey saved.

- Kind of like a scrapbook, you know?

- How did you know to come here?

Joey brought me once.

One day he said he wanted to see you.

- And where was I?

- I don't know.

He chickened out.

Wouldn't even push the doorbell.

Just like Joey.

He wouldn't let me either.

How do you get

in touch with him?

I told you.

I don't know where he is.

Keep asking questions like that,

you'll have to read me my rights.

You live in Long Beach?

Yeah.

I borrowed a friend's car to get here.

I gotta get it back.

You drove into the city

just to give me this?

Joe's gone.

That stuff was real important to him.

I didn't know what else to do with it,

and his mother don't like me, so...

So, what do you expect me to do?

Just, like, be his dad, you know?

I gotta go. I'm gonna get a ticket.

Gina?

Thank you.

Sure.

I'll talk to you later, okay?

Cheesecake?

- That you?

- That's me.

Mom, dad?

- Connie. His name was Angelo.

- He's handsome.

My old man was executed

at Sing Sing in '59...

...for murder.

I was 8.

What happened?

He was a moving man. Moved rich people

into mansions out in Locust Valley.

Somehow he got himself into debt. I guess

it was bad. He had this idea to fix it.

This brilliant, idiotic, stupid idea:

Kidnap a baby from a rich family.

Leave a ransom note.

They'll pay, no sweat.

He kidnaps the baby. While he's waiting

for the ransom in his car...

...the baby gets tangled in a blanket

in the back seat and suffocates.

First murder in Long Beach,

and it was my old man.

Just a little kid,

that must've been hell.

You get through anything

when you have to, but it was...

What kept me sane was the cop who

arrested my old man kind of adopted me.

Captain McAuley, he was a good guy.

But this...

- ... is the ex-wife?

- Yeah, that's Maggie.

Who's this?

That's my son, Joey.

You have a son?

I'm sorry I lied to you when I said

I didn't have any kids. I'm sorry.

- Why did you lie to me?

- I don't know.

I hadn't seen him in a long time.

The divorce was a mess.

Maggie had been

seeing this guy and...

I don't know, I just...

- I lost control of the situation.

- Lost control? Is that cop talk?

We fought a lot, shouting and

yelling. But it never got physical.

And then one day, it did.

I lost control.

I, of course, regretted it.

But we never got over that.

On top of that, I think my son

might've killed a guy the other night.

- What?

- I'm just trying to tell you everything.

Yeah, okay. Okay.

Why haven't you seen him?

I tried at first,

but Maggie made it difficult.

I had supervised visits with a social worker

watching. Like I was a criminal.

Like I was back going to prison

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