Part 24: Louis DeNonno

New Music: Resolution


What gives, man? Why you gotta come in here?

We need to talk.

Yeah? Well, you might wanna talk, but I don't wanna listen.

I told ya, man, I wanna leave everything in the past. So just...leave me alone, dig?

Can't do it. I gotta talk to you, Louie.

Aw, man! What now? You gonna hassle me about old times again or what?

When I mentioned Nile, you looked like you were going to be sick. Why is that, Louie? Speak up. I can't hear you.



Too bad, Louie.



Oh, you'll talk to me.

Oh, you're gonna talk. You'll talk, or we'll go 'round and 'round.

I AIN'T TALKIN'! Kick me around or whatever. Makes no difference, man.

I know the score, Louie.

You don't want to tell me your dead pal was neck deep in Nile's business. That's it. Isn't it?

Wha-? Dammit, man! How'd you know that?!



Yes, that's a red question. It means that this is serious business, if the new music didn't tip you off already.

I got bad news, Louie. Nile's looking for you.



What is it?



That's what LAPD says.

That's the straight skinny from LAPD.

Man! Why this crap gotta happen now?



When your boy Danny took the big sleep, a lot of cash went missing. Nile thinks you have it. Thinks you bolted town with a briefcase full'a dough.



Keep calm, Louie.



Did you take the money?

So did you boost the dough or what?

Get off my case, man!



Nile thinks you're a patsy. And until they know who the big man is, they'll keep watching you. You hear what I'm saying?

...They're not gonna kill me? At least, not right now?

That's it, right?

That's it.

...This is a trip and a half, man.

New Music: On The Rocks


I won't show the reactions for notes and items now since it'll break the flow. I'll show it at the end of this update.

Who killed Danny?

I think I know who killed Danny.



I don't think Louie is the type to kill anyone.

I don't think it was you.

It wasn't you, was it?

'Course not! There's no way I'd kill him!

So who was it?

C'mon, man...

Talk, Louie. If you didn't kill Danny, who did?

...It was J.

J?

Yeah, that's what Danny called him, all right? J.



Unlike previously when we always ask questions from top to bottom, for interrogations we'll pursue each line of questioning until the end before moving on.

Who's J?

Who's J?

Some cat what works for Nile. He and Danny used to run together.

Ever met him?

No. Just heard about him from Danny.

Said J was some kinda insurance-fraud pro. He'd get an art collector to insure something for a ton of cash, yeah? Then Nile would steal the piece, and the insurance money would roll in. When it was over, Nile sold the art back to the mark for big money. Danny was baggin' the money from one of those sales.

Was Danny working with J when he got whacked?

That's what he told me.



Why was Danny killed?

Why was Danny killed?

...He got suckered.

Suckered?

Yeah. Danny was gonna lift this angel painting from Nile's hideout, ya know?



Well, that ain't exactly right...

It wasn't his idea to boost the painting. It was J's.

What's the angel painting?

What was this angel painting?

No clue, man. That's just what Danny called it. Some big painting he found in Nile's warehouse. He was crazy 'bout the stupid thing. Said it was worth a fortune. Said if we could score it, we'd be set for life. Cars, clothes, babes, everything.

Ever see the painting?

Naw, just heard Danny run his mouth about it.

Who stole the money?

I bet I know who stole the money Danny was carrying.



Louie would've fled the country if he actually took the money, not hiding out in some hotel.

I don't think it was you.

And it wasn't you. So who took it?

Man, it was... It was the guy who killed him!

Why'd you leave the city?

Why'd you leave the city? Let me guess.



Since he didn't stole the cash, that leaves one answer.

'Cause Danny got killed.

Was it because Danny got killed? Had to get outta the city 'cause your buddy got cut down? That why you left? Why you fled a crime scene?

Don't tell me that had nothing to do with your little cross-country trip.

...Had everything to do with it. We had a plan, ya know? A good plan. If Danny's job went OK, we were gonna blow outta there.

Drop everything and run?

Yeah... Least, that was the plan.

Why?

I'll tell ya, but you won't get it. Danny and me were a couple'a poor suckers from the street. No family, no nothing. Just two punks with no future.

Problem is, neither of us had the nerve to make it as big-time crooks.

So... We were gonna go someplace else, ya know? Become new people with new lives. Yeah... What a couple of losers, right?

What happened?

We needed some serious bread to get outta the city. Danny was gonna get the money by doing one last big job.



I tried to stop him, man. Told him it was too risky. But he wouldn't listen...

He always was an idiot.

What was the job?

So what was the big job?

At first, it was just lifting this painting, yeah? But things started gettin' outta control fast. He started talkin' about takin' all kinds of art stuff they had stashed.

He wanted to steal Nile's entire collection? Not smart.

You tellin' me, man?

But look, Danny didn't come up with this on his own. He was just sucked into J's plan.

J's plan...

Music: Resolution


(Shakes his head)

...What?

You don't get it, do ya? You don't understand a damned thing! Not about Danny, and not about Nile. You're a total washout, man.

You sayin' you do?

Yeah, man. More'n you at least!

So enlighten me, Einstein. Tell me how smart you are.





Music: Rainy Night
Night Danny died? I was trippin' out 'cause he never showed at the restaurant, right? So I head over to check out Nile's warehouse. Soon as I walk up to the door... BANG! Somebody inside fires a gun. I duck down, scoot over to the door, and take a peek inside... Know what I see, man?



Then I look past him...



It's Danny. Guy shot him dead. That was three years ago. December 24th, 1976. I'll never forget it.

The guy who shot Danny...

It was J. Danny was just lying there, bleedin' and cryin' and... dyin'. But I had nothin', man. No gun, nothing. Just had to wait for J to split.

By the time I got to Danny... Too late, man. Guy could barely talk, but he managed to tell me one thing... Said he'd been tricked. ...Said J was a cop.

Then he actually apologized to me. Said he was sorry he couldn't get us the money. Dammit, Danny...

...Louie.

Officer Hyde... What ya told me earlier in the lobby? You know, about workin' the Nile case? The part about the guy working undercover's what done it. I figured it out, man.

What?

Music stops
Look at this picture.







The guy on the right...



Music: Rainy Night
You dig? You get it now? ...It was YOUR friend, man. YOUR partner.

That's who killed Danny! The cops used him, man. Just a tool in their little investigation. They used him, and then they killed him when they didn't need him anymore!

And nobody cared, right? Just some dead street punk. What's that worth to the cops? Nothin', man. Less than nothin'.

...

Your partner gettin' shot on the docks? That was justice, man.

He screwed up his case and got popped by Nile. Got what he deserved. That's the reason ya got canned, ain't it? Your partner blew it, and the Nile investigation went out the window.

Music stops
...No.

No? What d'ya mean, no?

I mean you're wrong. About Bradley... Nile didn't shoot him.

But...

I did.

Music: Insomnia


Bradley was a busy boy. He double-crossed a lot of people. Including the police.

When I heard, I went after him.

Music: Midnight








Music stops
Bradley took a dive in the Hudson. Body never turned up. I took the heat for the shooting and quit the force.

But...

New Music: Violet Sky


That's a crazy story, man. That dirtbag... He screwed everybody, didn't he? Even you. You must really hate him. Wait...you don't think he's dead. Do ya?

I get it, Officer Hyde! Yeah, I get it now! THAT'S why you're some loser salesman! You're looking for J! I mean, Bradley.

(Nods)

Wow... What a trip... Listen, Officer Hyde, why don't we team up?

Team up?

If your story's on the level, Nile's watchin' me and they want me dead. And I've never even smelled their damn money! Your partner framed me good, man. It's all his fault.

So if Bradley's still alive and kickin'? I say we grab him and hand him over to Nile.

You serious?

Yeah, man. Now that we're on, like, the same team... I'll do whatever, ya know? Just give the word.

Lemme think on that, Louie. I'll talk to you later.

Kyle exits the room.



(Why the hell would he do it? Could it be this angel painting? Did he betray us all for a damn piece of canvas? Bradley... OK, hold on, Hyde. Take it easy.)

(I gotta get my ducks in a row here...)

We'll do the quiz next time. For now,here's Louie's reactions.

Read note
What ya lookin' at?
Write note
What ya writin'?
Show crowbar
Planning a little B&E, Officer Hyde?
Show men's magazine
Now THAT's what I'm talkin' about! Awwwooooooo!!
Show cash
I hear you, brother. I could use more of the green stuff, too.