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“Last thing I would’ve expected from a retired mobster,” I said.
“That’s why it’s important not to stereotype,” Jack said, parking the Tahoe in front of the house.
The porch lights were on and so were the lights in the front rooms. We could see the flicker of a television behind billowy white curtains as we walked up the porch steps. The front door cracked open before we were at the landing.
“Oh, it’s you,” Denaro said. He opened the door a little wider. “We’re not used to getting visitors out here.”
I could see the shotgun in his hand as he pushed open the screen door.
“We were hoping to catch you at home,” Jack said. “Got a few minutes to talk?”
“Sure,” Denaro said. “Come on in. The wife is upstairs giving the kids baths. I heard about Bobby. Saw it all on the news. He was a good kid. Struggling I think with some PTSD. But he always showed up for work on time and was real friendly.”
“Why’d you send the attorney for Darnell?” Jack asked.
Denaro smiled. “How’d you know he was mine?”
“I’m a cop,” Jack said.
“Y’all come in here,” Denaro said, leading us through the kitchen to a big farmhouse table. “It’s quiet back here. Want something to drink?”
“No, we’re good,” Jack said, taking a seat at the table.
I took the chair beside him and Denaro sat across from us.
“I’ve known Moretti a long time,” Denaro said. “And I know Darnell didn’t have anything to do with any of this. He’s barely twenty years old. He can’t walk in a straight line without tripping over his own feet. There’s no way he could be part of this.”
“Then why would he be meeting Pickering?” Jack asked.
“I don’t know,” Denaro said. “You should ask him that.”
“We tried, but your bulldog won’t let him answer,” Jack said.
Denaro grinned again, his square face expanding wide like a jack-o’-lantern. “Moretti is good, eh?”
“You’ve got to understand why we need to question you,” Jack said. “You’re right in the middle of this whole thing. You knew the victim and you employed our primary suspect, whom we never got to speak with. And you also employed the man he was meeting.”
“You didn’t mention my mob ties,” Denaro said, his smile fading.
“I don’t need to,” Jack said. “Everything else is more than enough to question you on.”
Denaro harrumphed. “I guess I can see how it would look coincidental from your end. But I didn’t have nothing to do with nobody’s death. Bobby was a good kid, and I’m sorry he’s dead. I hope he wasn’t involved. But the way I see it, it’s probably not such a loss about the other guy.”
“Did you know Bobby or Darnell before you hired them?” Jack asked.
“Nope,” Denaro said. “I’ve got a connection at the construction company they all work at. He recommended both Bobby and J.D. and they came in to interview. And then Bobby was the one who recommended Darnell. I think they were living in the same apartment complex at the time and Bobby felt kind of sorry for Darnell. Apparently he comes from a not so great home life. I like to help a guy out, so I gave him a job. Sue me.”
“We appreciate the time,” Jack said.
“Hey, anything I can do to help the law,” Denaro said. “I’m a real supporter. Anything you need you let me know. And I’ll tell Moretti to ease up on the kid. Darnell didn’t have anything to do with any of this. I’d bet the farm on it.”
* * *
“So now what?” I asked once we were back in the car.
“Now we go see if Darnell Watkins has had his fill of jail,” Jack said. “I want to know why he was meeting Bobby Pickering.”
“That’s the million-dollar question,” I said.
