Memories Of Another Day Part 52

"Do we get any special consideration for coming in early?"

"You can put a man on the investment committee."

Hoffa laughed. "A lotta good that will do us. I got those a.s.sholes on my committee and I still have to make every decision myself." He leaned back in his chair. "For fifteen million bucks we ought to get some extra points."

Daniel shook his head. 'That's exactly what I want to stay away from. This is going to be a public fund. I don't want politicians to be able to turn this into another political football. We're going to play this one by the rule book."

"Okay, Big Dan," Hoffa said. "We go by the book."

"Five million dollars," Lewis said thoughtfully. He glanced across the desk at his a.s.sociates. "What do you think, Tom?"

Kennedy nodded his head. "It has good possibilities."

"Tony?" Lewis asked.

"I think it could do what Big Dan says. It opens the door for all union members to get in on the American market for peanuts, and it makes good p.r. for us to a.s.sociate with it."

"Five million dollars is a lot of money," Lewis said.

Daniel was silent. Considering that Lewis had bought a Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C., bank for the U.M.W. which now had a.s.sets of over two hundred million dollars and that the U.M.W.'s cash deposits in that bank were in excess of fifty million dollars at this very moment, the old man was doing a good job of poor-mouthing it.

Lewis leaned across the desk. "How much capital have you already got committed to this project, Mr. Huggins?"

Daniel smiled. "If you give me the five, I'll have twenty million dollars to start up."

"And if I don't?"

"Nothing," Daniel said flatly.

"Where are you getting the other fifteen?"

"From the Teamsters."

Lewis's voice held disbelief. "Dave Beck?"

"No, sir. Central States. Jimmy Hoffa.''

"So if I don't give you the money, Jimmy Hoflfa won't?"

"No, sir. He attached no strings to his investment. It's just that if you don't come in, I won't take his money."

"Why not?"

"Ineed a broader base in the labor movement than just one union. I want to begin something that transcends all union lines. Something that could be of benefit and opportunity to every union member, no matter what union he happens to be part of."

John L. Lewis looked at him. "That sounds idealistic."

"It might be, sir. But there's nothing wrong with ideals. If you hadn't had them, the mine workers would still be where they were when I first went down into the mines as a boy forty-five years ago."

Lewis nodded slowly. "That's true. We sometimes forget the struggle that made all this possible. A struggle that will never end, one that will forever demand our vigilance." He turned to Tom Kennedy. "Tom, work out the arrangements with Mr. Huggins. In my opinion, he's embarking on a very constructive step for the labor movement in America."

least six to ten months will go by. I don't want to wait that long."

"I don't know any way to speed it up," Jack said.

Moses, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "I know how it can be done." He turned to Jack. *'You weren't around here when Big Dan traveled the country picking up members.h.i.+ps for C.A.L.L. when we were starting out. He's the greatest salesman in the world. They love him out there. He's one of them."

Daniel looked at him. "I don't know. This is something else."

*'It's the same thmg, Big Dan," Moses said. *'You got to go out there where your strength lies. You let them see you, they'll follow you."

''It will still take time," Daniel said.

*'I can set things up. You can cover the whole country in two months," Moses said. "We still have a lot of friends out there. And if we sweeten the deal by offering officers and stewards a ten-percent commission payable in shares based on the subscriptions by their locals, we can't miss."

Daniel thought for a moment. "How long would it take for you to get that program in motion?"

"I can have you on the road as early as next week," Moses said. "In two months you'd be back here with all the shareholders we need to make everybody happy."

"I have to be here by the middle of next month at the latest," Daniel said. "Margaret's expecting the baby about then."

"We can work our schedule around it," Moses said. "It's up to you."

Daniel looked at Jack. "Do we have any druthers?"

Jack shook his head. "I don't know any other way."

Daniel thought for a moment, then finally agreed. "Okay," he said. "Start working on it. But remember, keep the middle week of next month open." He looked at his watch. It was after seven o'clock. "I'd better be getting home. I promised Margaret I wouldn't be late for dinner."

There were two men waiting for him as he came down the steps into the lobby of the office building. He recognized one of them as Lansky's bodyguard, the tall blond man he had first met at the Miami Airport.

*'Mr. Huggins," the blond man said politely. ''The boss would like to see you."

"Fine," Daniel said. "Ask him to give me a call at home. We'll set up an appointment."

"He wants to see you now," the blond man insisted.

"I'm already late for dinner," Daniel said. "My wife is expecting me."

"So is the boss," came the noncommittal answer.

Daniel looked at him- "He'll have to wait."

"No, he won't."

Daniel looked down and saw the outline of a gun in the man's pocket. It was aimed at him. Daniel laughed. "I guess he won't."

"We have a car outside." The other man led the way to the black limousine parked in front of the building, the blond man staying at Daniel's side. A driver was behind the wheel. The two men climbed into the back seat with Daniel. The car pulled out into traffic.

Daniel looked back out the rear window and saw the blue Dodge sedan move out after them. He turned to the blond man. "Mr. L. is not going to be too happy about this," he said. "You're taking the Feds right to his door."

"What are you talking about?" the blond man asked.

"Look back," Daniel said. "The blue Dodge sedan with government plates. F.B.I. They've been tailing me for weeks."

The blond man looked at him, then at the driver. "Lose them."

"I wouldn't do that either," Daniel said. "They've already got your plate number. The minute they don't see you, they'll put out an All Points."

The blond man looked worried.

"I think you better get to a phone and let Mr. Lan-sky know what's happening," Daniel said.

*'Okay, hold it," the blond man said quickly. ''Pull over to the drugstore on the comer."

As the car came to a stop, he got out of the car. "Wait here with him," he told the man sitting next to Daniel, then went into the store. He was out in a few minutes and got back into the car.

He looked uncomfortably at Daniel. "Mr. Lansky says for us to take you home."

"That's more intelligent," Daniel said as the car moved out into traffic again.

"He says he will call you later tonight."

"I'll be in," Daniel said. "I'm not going anywhere."

Fifteen minutes later, the car came to a stop in front of Daniel's house. Daniel got out. He turned back to the blond man. "Thanks for the lift."

The blond man scowled silently.

Daniel smiled. He didn't seem to move, but suddenly the gun was in his hand and he pushed it into the blond man's face. "The next time you come for me," Daniel said softly, still smiling, "you'd better come shooting. Because the minute I see your face I'm going to blow your head off. Tell Mr. Lansky that for me."

The gun disappeared from his hand as he slammed the door shut and, turning his back on them, walked up the path to his front door. By the time he went inside, the car was gone.

The telephone began to ring as they sat down to dinner. Mamie answered it. "They's a Mr. Miami on the telephone for you."

Daniel looked up at her. "Tell him I'm just sitting down to dinner, to call me back in an hour."

Margaret looked at him. "Who's Mr. Miami?"

Daniel cut a piece of his steak. "Lansky."

"Why doesn't he use his real name?"

Daniel shrugged.

''What docs he want?''

Daniel glanced up. *'His pound of flesh.''

''I don't understand," she said in a puzzled voice.

"He's probably heard by now we're starting a mutual fund," he explained. ''He figures he's ent.i.tled to a piece of it."

''Is he?" she asked.

"No."

"Well, that settles it," she said. "You'll just tell him."

Daniel controlled his smile. "He's not the easiest man in the world to say no to."

Margaret was silent for a moment. "Daniel, you're not in any kind of trouble, are you?"

"No."

"I've read about this Mr. Lansky in the papers," she said. "He's a gangster, isn't he?"

"That's what they say."

"Then why are you doing business with him?"

"My business is legitimate. Whatever else he does is none of my business."

"I wouldn't do any more business with him if I were you," she said.

He smiled at her. "I don't intend to." He finished his steak and pushed it away from him. "That was good."

She got heavily to her feet. "Go into the living room and put your feet up. I'll bring you the coffee."

She leaned over him, picking up his plate. He patted her belly. "Won't be long now."

"Eight weeks, the doctor said."

"Watching your weight?" he asked.

"I haven't gained an ounce this last month."

"Good," he said. He went to the sideboard and took out a bottle of bourbon and a gla.s.s. "Bring some cold water with you," he said as he walked into the living room.

He sat in the chair, the half-empty whiskey gla.s.s in his hand, while she put the coffee on the c.o.c.ktail table in front of him. "Fm starting a series of meetings around the country next week."

She was surprised. ''What's that all about?"

''I have to sell the mutual fund to the different unions and locals."

"'Doyou have to do that? Couldn't Moses or Jack?"

*7 have to do it," he said. 'Tm the only one they'll come out for."