THE TAINTED TRUST (Volume 2 of The King Trilogy)

CHAPTER 29

    New York. Thursday, February 23, 1989.

Visconti paced back and forth in front of his desk, his telephone receiver pressed tightly to his ear. His lips were compressed as he waited for Miles Dennis to answer his telephone. His trigger finger and wallet were at the ready.

"What's happening Louis?" Dennis asked.

"Crude just went north of twenty. It's time to roll the dice."

Dennis recalled the advice he had given Visconti in October of the previous year. He had implored him to wait until crude rose above twenty dollars a barrel. "I thought you had forgotten all about that insane plan. I hope you're not telling me you're still interested in a big short?"

"Damn right I am! I want to do it now, and don't give me any reasons why I shouldn't."

"Give me one hour. Then come to my office."

"I'll be there," Visconti promised.

Forty-five minutes later, Visconti entered the office of Iacardi & Sons. Inside the reception area, he smiled and waved at the camera mounted on the wall.

Dennis saw Visconti on the video monitor in his office and buzzed Kerri. "That's Louis Visconti, Kerri. Would you show him in? Be nice to him. He's about to be a very important client."

Kerri, conservatively dressed in a gray knee-length skirt and pink silk blouse, hurried to the reception area. "Good morning, Mr. Visconti," she said, then exposed her irresistible smile. "Mister Dennis has asked me to show you in."

Visconti, instantly captivated by Kerri's stunning beauty, stared shamelessly at her young body. "You could show me anywhere," he said with a wink and a lecherous smirk. "What's your name?"

"Kerri," she replied, her smile gone. "Would you follow me, please?"

"With pleasure," Visconti said, then followed Kerri to Dennis's office, never once taking his eyes from her perfect body.

As they entered Dennis's cramped and cluttered office, Dennis stood and extended his hand to Visconti. "Hi, Louis. How are you?"

"Fine and ready to roll," Visconti declared, his gray eyes unblinking.

"Good...I trust you've met Kerri?"

Visconti turned to face Kerri with another lecherous smirk. "I certainly have. You have excellent taste, Miles."

Dennis frowned as he watched Kerri turn and head for the door. "Don't go Kerri. Stay for this meeting. You'll find it interesting." He turned to Visconti. "You mind?"

Visconti shook his head. "Hell no," he said, continuing to stare at Kerri. "I'd be disappointed if she left."

Kerri wheeled her chair into the office and closed the door, thrilled to be asked to attend.

"Louis, I made some calls," Dennis said. "I had to scope the crude market. I wanted..."

Visconti interrupted. "Miles, please. I don't want to hear it. It doesn't matter what you or anyone else says. I'm not going to change my mind."

Dennis raised his hands in surrender. "That isn't what I was going to say. I was merely..."

Visconti interrupted again. "You couldn't find a bull anywhere. Right?"

Dennis nodded. "The consensus is that O.P.E.C.'s production ceilings will hold for the winter. But by spring or summer the complex is expected to get extremely weak."