Whatever Vinnie was babbling about sounded like the last thing in the world Dean wanted to get involved with, but he had no choice but to at least hear out the terrified man. They reached a compromise and Baratto began to half-tell his story until Dean found an all-night truck stop, miles north of Parkside.
The twins had been involved in some escapade for the Philadelphia crime family that Vinnie refused to describe. The Wassermans dragged him along for the ride without the knowledge of their employer. Something had gone awry, or so the twins found out a day or two later, although Vinnie swore everything went according to plan and they hadn't done anything wrong. The word spread on the street that the family was hot after Billie and Willie Wassermann. Vinnie hadn't been marked because no one knew he'd accompanied the boys, until the twins came out from under their rock the prior weekend and were quickly nabbed and "questioned." Vinnie claimed to be able to show the police where Billie and Willie had been hiding and continued to brag that he had enough information to make headlines and sink half the Philadelphia mobsters.
Vinnie Baratto stuffed his face with a double breakfast order and gained confidence with every bite. "The bastards are going to find out they can't screw with me. A contract, for God's sake! You set this up with the Feds, Davey, and I'll maybe get you a promotion or something. This is big, really big."
Dean had two choices, neither of which was appealing. He could call Lieutenant Anderson and explain the situation to him, but it was still far too early to wake up his boss. He could babysit Baratto until a reasonable hour and then either call Anderson and turn him over to Andy Sackler, who was now in charge of the Wassermann case. He considered taking Vinnie to jail for safekeeping, but the petrified man wouldn't hear of it.
"They have spies everywhere. I'd be dead before you turned the key! When you're on their list, you're history! But I'm not going to make it easy for 'em. I'm not stupid, you know. You remember me in school." Dean remembered him in school. He was stupid.
Exasperated, Dean drove toward Easton, Pennsylvania until he found a motel that satisfied Baratto. It was not unlike the Ocean Shore in Norfolk, only smaller and completely deserted. Dean was down to 11 dollars and change, so he used his Visa card, holding his breath that it wasn't maxed-out while the clerk ran it through the recording machine. At the earliest reasonable time he called Lieutenant Anderson, who grumbled his reluctant agreement to let Vinnie stay at the motel until they could question him further and find out if he actually possessed any useful information. Dean located Sackler, who was less than pleased at getting a Saturday assignment of questionable worth. Sackler made Dean wait until his son finished Little League practice before he would leave for the motel. It was after 11:00 by the time Sackler arrived.