“No.”
“Do you own the building in which the coffee shop operates?”
“No.”
“Do you own a corporation that owns these properties or do you own them through a third party?”
“Objection,” Finger said. “Mr. Dattila declines to answer on the grounds of possible self-incrimination.” He turned to the stenographer. “In the future, I’ll just say ‘Fifth’ when objecting on those grounds.”
“It’s not a crime to own a building or a coffee shop, Mr. Dattila.”
“The objection stands.”
“Mr. Dattila, do you also directly or through other parties operate a gambling enterprise?”
“Fifth!” Finger said. “You surprise me, Stone.”
“Mr. Dattila, does anyone owe you money?”
Dattila looked at Finger.
“You may answer,” Finger said.
“Maybe.”
“Where do you keep the record of who owes you money?” Stone asked.
Dattila silently tapped his head with a forefinger.
“Let the record show that the witness tapped his forehead. Do you have a written record of those who owe you money?”
“No,” Dattila replied.
“How much money does Herbert Fisher owe you?”
“Who?”
“Herbert Fisher, the plaintiff in this lawsuit. How much does he owe you?”
“Fifth!” Finger said.
“That was a little slow, Mr. Finger. This is material information, and you can’t object to it.”
“I’m not sure,” Dattila said.
“Does the figure twenty-four thousand dollars ring a bell?”
“Could be, maybe.”
“What means have you employed to collect Mr. Fisher’s debt?”
“I might have had a friend ask him, you know, nice.”
“Does nice include having him dragged out of a restaurant and beaten on the sidewalk?”
“Objection,” Finger said. “Irrelevant.”