7305/1956: Friends in Low Places

1956: Friends in Low Places
Date of Scene:	10 August 2021
Location:	Stivale d'Oro Cafe, Los Angeles, 1956
Synopsis:	Lily and Rose visit an 'old friend' who has some dirt on where to look next.
Cast of Characters:	Daniel Sousa, Melinda May, Daisy Johnson

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Daniel Sousa has posed:
Stivale d'oro, the golden boot in English was an unassuming little Italian joint on Wilshire Boulevard serving good homestyle Italian cooking and fancy coffee some of the GI's got a taste for while fighting in Italy. Though tonight it's past closing as announced by the sign hung in the window on the front door, and the chairs up on tables visible beyond. Though the lights are still on and at least one table has chairs right side up occupied by one Joseph Manfredi, one of the last crime bosses standing in LA's underworld, reputedly tied to Hollywood stars and the mayors office in equal measure, though at the moment he's holding an animated discussion with his mother who stands over him hard eyed, with arms crossed ensuring he eats /something/ even at this ungodly hour.

There's no goons around, and it doesn't look like there's anyone in the kitchen either, clearly this is meant to be a private meeting.

Melinda May has posed:
Dressed for the occasion, as it were, Lily steps out of the green chevy wearing a sharp skirt and blazer combination with a wide collared blouse. Her hair falls in soft waves around her face, lips red, and eyes subtly lined. She wears a simple hat that matches the suit well, though with a smaller brim since it's night and there's no sun to require guarding against glare.

She waits for her companion, and then approaches the restaurant door, knocking lightly on the glass.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Rose is certainly dressed for the occasion too! A knee-length light blue dress with flowers embroidered to them. Because there's no way in Hell or Heaven that anyone will find Rose in anything heavier during LA's scorching heat of a summer. To compose the dress she wears a small cap twisted to the side and adjusts her glasses once they get out of the car. A look given to Lily.

"We sure this is a good idea?"

She wasn't yet fully convinced about having to talk to Manfredi. Never trust a mafioso! But she walks alongside Lily, purse hanging down her shoulder and putting in her best smile. Time to look ravishing!

"Yea, that's a fight Manfredi is bound to lose." the one with his mother, that is.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Okay, okay, see? I'm eating, you happy now?" Manfredi says to his mother lifting a fork of pasta to his lips and taking a bite. "Now c'mon, got to meet with some people in a minute here?"

Lily knocks on the glass and both Manfredi's turn towards the door. "See," he says getting up and buttoning his jacket as he stands, shortly after he's rounding the table and coming to unlock the door. "Ladies, well isn't this a surprise, I called expecting Ryan'd show up, but I much prefer the two of you to his mug any day, please," he gestures inside. "Come in. You hungry? Mama'd be happy to fix you a plate."

Melinda May has posed:
"No," Lily tells Rose, a small, almost playful smile on her lips. "But I have no doubt it will be informative -- one way or another." Either way, they're committed now. She chuckles softly to Rose's assessment of the argument. "She's probably the only one he consistently loses to."

Then, the door is opening and Manfredi is ushering them inside. She turns on a level of charm Melinda has only been known to display when working undercover... or in her youth. Before Bahrain. Her brown eyes warm and her smile is full, though still with enough of a professional cast to it as to not be unseemly. "Mr. Manfredi, a pleasure. I'm Lily Chen, this is Rose Roberts." For now, she dispenses with the 'Agent' part of their names. She's trying to keep this friendly. He seems to be the type to respond to friendly.

"Signora Manfredi," she says, giving his mother a courteous nod and the same smile. "A pleasure to meet you as well." She switches briefly to Italian, her accent remarkably authentic. "Thank you for your hospitality." Then back to English. "I must admit, I've not had a truly good Italian dinner in a very long time."

She returns her attention to Manfredi. "We were surprised by your call." Her expression turns a little more sober. They are, after all, about to speak about the incident at the hotel. "But we're certainly interested in anything you might have to say. I've been sent from New York to take charge of the investigation. Rose is taking point on behalf of the local office." In other words, he's actually speaking with the lead investigators -- not a couple of dames sent to placate him and make him feel good. "We felt we should come in person to hear what you had to share."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"And us. Lose to us too." Rose says almost as if she's reassuring herself. Watching the scene through the window, and then with both Manfredi's catching sight of them she is waving in with a big, wide smile on her expression. Friendly! And certainly no Ryan. (Still no Chief Ryan).

"A pleasure to meet you both. Oh, what a beautiful restaurant.." She is looking around with a keen eye, a sniff at the food and then her attention going to the Mother, "Is this all you are cooking? Oooo, I am catching something I wasn't..." she considers, "... did you mix onions with the tomato sauce?" give it to Rose to start talking about food. And speaking of, she almost seems affronted when Lily says of not having had good Italian dinners in a while! What about all the lasagna she cooks and brings to work to distribute!

But then she remembers it's all a cover. Oh. So she smiles. "Me neither.."

As they get to the actual topic she sobers up a touch as well, nodding her head, "Anything you may have to share will be welcome, Sir." she tells Manfredi.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Pleasure to meet you Miss Chen," he says before nodding to Rose. "Miss Roberts," he says with a degree of familiarity. "Gino still won't touch a chocolate after your little stunt in San Diego," he says with a little laugh. Gino had been his guy in San Diego who Rose had taken out along with eleven other Maggia men with a box of drugged chocolate caramels.

Mrs. Manfredi perks up at Lily's greeting, clearly pleased with the quality of the Italian. "A pleasure to meet you as well," as for dinner, she says, "Come sit, I'll fix that," before switching to English, to reply to Rose. "Of course, you want to see?" she asks nodding to the kitchen.

"Ma, you and Miss Roberts can talk shop later, we got a bit of business to discuss if you don't mind?" Joseph says in English shaking his head. "You get her started on cooking we'll be here all night," he explains as Mrs. Manfredi wanders back into the kitchen grumbling.

Manfredi gestures for the ladies to sit, taking note of their place in the investigation. "Figures an outfit run by Carter would have to be forward thinking," he says. "Putting a couple of ladies up front and center on a big case like this one," he says, before carrying on, "Firstly, want to say, my condolences about Danny. He was a bit of a square but he always played straight, and" he adjusts his tie. "He understood my situation with Whit, helped me get a little extra visiting time."

Looking back up from his tie he continues, "The second thing I want to say is that neither me or any of my people had any part in Danny being whacked, and I hope you'll pass that on to Carter for me. As someone who *allegedly* gunned down six people because Whit dumped me for Chadwick, I know a little something about what heartbreak does to a person and so I don't want any piece of what Carter's going to rain down on those responsible for Danny's death. We clear on that?"

Melinda May has posed:
And that pretty much explains why Manfredi is playing ball. He knows firsthand the unholy hell Peggy is ready to raise on Earth. Smart man.

Lily gives the man a simple nod in response. "I will be sure to pass on the message," she replies. "We could use your help in identifying some fellows seen about the hotel at the time." She's keeping her tone relaxed, her language fairly neutral. To hear Peggy and Daniel tell of their early encounters with Manfredi, she's as much wanting to stay on his mother's good side as his, this evening. Not that she's afraid of pissing off either. But more flies with honey and all that...

She manages to pull out pictures of the three thugs in question -- whether they're photos from the scene or decent sketches by SHIELD's in-house artists. "These guys ring any bells?"

She gives him a few moments to look them over. Then, she adds. "Have you heard rumours of strangers poking around the city at all -- looking for muscle or information?" Aside from her, obviously.

Daisy Johnson has posed:
A modest smile is given to Manfredi when he talks about the little stunt with the chocolates. "Does that mean dessert muffins are out?" did she bring muffins inside that purse? Maybe. 50//50 on them giving the sleepies.

"Maybe at a later time, Mrs. Manfredi." she tells the family elder, an apologetic smile. There aren't many things that take her away from getting some kitchen going. But one of those is certainly the former Chief, and the investigation at hand. So her attention goes to Manfredi when he gives his reasons to help.

"Saving your neck from the noose. Can't say you aren't smart. We can put in a word." she assures the man.

"And any of those being women?" She adds to the questions, her eyes going to the pics and then back up to the man.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Mrs. Manfredi brings out the food as her son looks over the sketches. "Your guys are pretty good, usually these things look like half the people in town. You're in luck though, this one," he taps the picture of the guy with a scar and under his eye and a pencil mustache. "I know. Hangs around with Tony Pardo's lot, y'know the guys you busted down at San Pedro a little while ago. Guess he wasn't pinched with the rest. Cheap muscle, but I hear he deals a bit of H and hop out of a spot up on Hollywood Boulevard between jobs," he gives a shrug. "Hired him a time or two but had to cut ties because of the dealing," he says before looking at the agents the picture of innocence. "I don't do leaves and powders."

As to people seeking information, especially a female someone /that/ gets his attention. "You got a description of the broad," he clears his throat. "Lady, in qeuestion?" he asks

Melinda May has posed:
"Grazie," Lily says to Mrs. Manfredi as the food is provided. "It smells wonderful."

Her eyes narrow faintly in thought as the background of Tony Pardo's thug comes out. "Mr. Hollywood Boulevard have a name?" Won't be hard to find a guy like that. Dealers have to be able to be found in order to distribute their goods. And Tony Pardo may be willing to trade him in for the right price.

As Manfredi asks after the woman, Lily says, "Taller than average, dark hair, light eyes... Slender, but with 'curves in all the right places'." She gives a wry smile and resists the urge to roll her eyes. "The fellow that saw her wasn't really focused on her face, if you know what I mean. He figured whoever she was visiting was a 'real lucky fellah', though."

Daisy Johnson has posed:
"Hollywood Boulevard? Mmmm.." Mental note. Most likely the next place to check once they are done with Manfredi and with the cooking. Rose looks at the gangster and asks, "Think it could had been a hit on the Chief because of the Pardo arrest? But these guys don't seem the type with the kind of spine to pull a stunt of the sort." Though they could still have a bone to pick. Easier to hire. It makes Rose frown.

As food is served she smiles at Mrs. Manfredi, "Many thanks." she then nodding about the description on the dame.

"Rings any bells?" She asks, hopeful.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
"Prego," Mrs. Manfredi replies to both Lily and Rose before heading back to the kitchen seeming placated by good manners. It seems unlike with Peggy she doesn't consider either one of them to be the devil.
Joseph continues. "Mr. Boulevard, yeah I know his name? Lee?" Manfredi pauses to try to summon it up. "Lee Holmes like the detective, like I said cheap muscle, not even Italian," he remarks. "Got some apartment up there he works out of, a real hole in the wall, ask around up there you'll find it pretty quick."

As for the Dame he frowns, "This is LA bus loads of girls that fit that description show up every day, but to be fair they're not usually looking for dirt or muscle, just an agent, let me see if anyone else's seen her around town and get back to ya. You want me to ring the SHIELD office if I get anything?"

Melinda May has posed:
Lily gives Manfredi an easy smile and a nod, though she does pause to pull a business card out of her purse and print the number for her direct line on it -- albeit a temporary one. "Yes, please. If I'm not there, someone will take a message."

She does take a moment to enjoy at least a bite or two of the meal. It's only polite. "Tell your mother she's an excellent cook," she tells Manfredi with another warm smile. "And you've been very helpful. We do appreciate it, Mr. Manfredi. I know things aren't always so... amicable between our two organizations. But, in this case, all we want to do is find who killed our friend and make things right." Maybe not quite how the mafioso would, but... the thought's there.

And she really does believe that he doesn't want to run afoul of Peggy Carter, if he can avoid it. No one in their right mind does.

"If we think of anything else, do you mind if one of us drops by to ask?"

Daisy Johnson has posed:
Rose also takes a bite ..., and maybe three. Mmmhmmm. Damn good. So at least she smiles over to Manfredi but she doesn't linger for long. On duty and all that. "Give my regards to Mrs. Manfredi as well." she stepping to the side. A little notebook comes out and she writes down the name of that thug they are looking for, along with the probable location he might hang out at. Memory troubles and all that.

"And just cos you are helping us don't think we are being lenient. Keep yourself in the right-..." a pause, "-ish side of the law and our visits will continue to be nice like this." Yea, she knows this isn't being done because he's a nice man, he just wants to save his behind from being put into the bucket of culprits that will undoutedly be cropping out.

Daniel Sousa has posed:
Manfredi takes the card offered and nods. "I'll keep it close, if I hear anything about this woman sniffing about expect a call from me," he tells the two ladies. As for Rose's warning. "Oh, you know me, always like to keep my nose clean," he says wryly. The compliments about the cooking are met with something like a genuine smile. "I'll pass it along, you'll be in her good books," he says. "And yeah sure, drop on by if you've got more questions, you're a lot more fun than the cops or the feds."

Pausing for a moment Manfredi puts down his fork, "Anyhow, this bit of info, it's on the house for Dany's sake," and because of his justifiable fear of Peggy Carter. "I find this girl, we may need to talk about what you guys can do for me."

Melinda May has posed:
"We'll talk," Lily says, making no promises otherwise. She finishes another mouthful and rises, extending a hand to him. "As I said: A pleasure, Mr. Manfredi. Thank you for help."

There's little else they can really do here, short of grilling him a lot more closely. Lily wants to see if these initial details pan out before she considers that option. If what he says about Pardo is true, then it's quite likely she'll be able to pump Manfredi's rival harder than him... *and* do him a favour in the process, thereby easing the way to whatever other information he might obtain along the way.

Yes, she knows how to play this game. "Come on, Rose. Let's leave the Manfredis to enjoy the rest of their dinner."