Owner of a fat wallet

"Do you know your body count, Mr. Vercetti?"

"Still even."

"It's over 400."

"Still even."

"...Get on with the story, Tom."

"I did more work for Senior Cortez. And you might be interested in this because he wanted to procure a tank."

"Oh, dear."

"One, in particular, was being brought through town this day. I don't know why he wanted this one over others, but I had a minor spat with the army boys again. I'll admit that I started this one. Payback from before, so I don't add it to my inventory. I'll never know what Cortez did with the tank, but you should check the garages in Little Havana.

After that, I aided Mr. Carrington again. I met Donald Love for the first and only time in my life when he was working as a subordinate of Avery. I didn't get to know him well because I was told to heat up a gang war. I got paid for this one, but I killed a Haitian leader while disguised as a Cuban. It was supposed to drop the land prices of the area, but Carrington didn't live long enough to see all of it through. I would get a call from the Cuban leader shortly after this. He confused me for the chef, but he thought I would suffice for the jobs he had in store. It would be a while before I'd help him, so expect those stories another day.

What's more important is that I started working solely for Diaz at this point. Despite his neuroticism, he came to quickly trust me. The first thing he wanted was the fastest speedboat in Vice City. After a little shootout at the docks..."

"Where three dockworkers were killed."

"Shut up, Suxxx."

"That's twelve, sir, but continue."

"He then had me use the boat as a way to race other freelance drug peddlers to one of the marinas. Vance piloted for this mission, and the mission became a big turning point for us. The next day, I got a phone call from a well known informant in town. He let me know that Lance had tried to kill Diaz. He failed and was being tortured at the junkyard. I had a helicopter nearby, which I used to fly over all the nonsense with Diaz' men. We still had to shoot our way out, but gang members shouldn't be counted in this running totals, Lu."

"..."

"After taking Vance to the hospital, we then raided Diaz' house. He rushed my whole plan because Diaz would have tried to kill us if I didn't. The idiot wanted revenge for his brother and couldn't wait. This would have been so much smoother if he had any patience. But maybe it was for the best. My Colt .357 made quick work of the Hawaiian shirt wearing, angry hobbit. Vice City is a better place without the drug slinging, angry, half man around. You're welcome."

"And this was when you began to run Vice City?"

"From my new home on Starfish Island. Check the statistics, Your Honor. Cocaine arrests dropped, violence plummeted..."

"...when you weren't involved."

"No one messes with Tommy Vercetti! Not even the French!"

"The French?"

"Cortez had to leave town shortly after I killed Diaz. His military contacts caught up to him, so the apache helicopter situation north of the golf course happened. Cortez hired me to shoot his way through to the open seas. It went well, and he gave me his speedboat. Cortez was a good man and a good friend. I hope he lived a full life after he left VC. Mercedes didn't talk about him too much. I'd hear from him again a few times in the coming weeks, but I'd never see him again. Home country stuff."

"The French ruined our language. I'd ask the jury to overlook this confession."

"Your Honor!"

"You're a damn fine judge, after all, Ms. Campuona."

"His leaving also took your diplomatic immunity."

"Good thing I went straight, huh?"

"Did you?"

"Sure did. And I'll tell you after lunch. On the taxpayers!"

-----

I remember taking forever to open up the world, and it being double that to start taking over VC.