Chapter 129
129
When I got back to the house, the mood was grim.
Dario was calm but obviously stressed. Adriano was pacing back and forth. Niccolo was sitting in a chair, his head bowed like he was praying. Valentino fidgeted nervously in a chair. For the first time since I’d met him, Roberto had taken off his tie and jacket, though he still wore his vest over his dress shirt. Only Massimo seemed relatively unfazed as he leaned against the wall.
Adriano glared at me and shook his head in disgust. “A fuckin’ enforcer who won’t enforce shit p>
“Shut up,” Niccolo snapped at his brother. “It’s not helping p>
“She surprised me,” I said apologetically. “I should have seen her – I could have kept my back to her – ”
“You SHOULD have taken care of her!” Adriano snarled.
I wheeled around on him. “By doing what, exactly p>
He didn’t want to say Killing her – even Adriano had his limits – but he still barked, “You should have taken care of it p>
For the first time since I’d set foot in the house, I yelled at the top of my lungs. “I DON’T KILL WOMEN OR CHILDREN, YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE p>
Adriano jerked back, shocked at my outburst – but he didn’t seem angry. Just surprised.
“Good,” Massimo said approvingly from where he leaned against the wall. “That’s the way it should be p>
“I agree,” Dario said as he clapped me on the shoulder. “It may be… inconvenient at the moment… but you did the right thing p>
Despite telling myself I wouldn’t apologize, I still felt bad enough to say, “Sorry it happened p>
Dario gave me a wan smile. “I know your rule. I sent you out there knowing it. Whatever happened, I know you did the right thing p>
“Besides, it may not be a big deal,” Niccolo said morosely, like he was trying to put a positive spin on the situation but failing miserably.
“How’s that?” I asked.
“There aren’t any homicide detectives out here in the sticks, so they’ll probably call in somebody from Florence. We have half the force on our payroll, so if we get the right cop, we can bury the investigation p>
“And if you don’t get the right cop?” I asked, slightly nauseated.
“Let’s just hope we get the right cop,” Niccolo said darkly.
“It’ll be fine,” Dario said. “Time for all our bribes to finally pay off p>
At least he sounded more reassuring than his consigliere.
It turned out that the situation resolved itself better than anyone expected.
The waiting was horrible – like a loved one was in critical condition, and we were standing outside the operating room praying they would survive –
But the news an hour later was more than encouraging.
“YES!” Niccolo roared as he read a message on his cell phone.
“What?!” everyone shouted.
“They put Cirilli on it p>
“Who’s Cirilli?” I asked.
Dario smiled. “One of the dirtiest cops on our payroll p>
The wait after that was a lot less stressful, but we all stayed up to hear more.
The best news came almost three hours later when Niccolo took a call.
“Uh-huh… really,” he said, almost in shock. “You’re sure? Excellent work. Expect a little something extra in your stocking next Christmas, my friend p>
Then he hung up the phone and turned to us with a giant grin.
“What?” Dario demanded.
“The girl was the only witness… and she claimed she didn’t see the face of the shooter. Just a black hat and trench coat p>
The entire room erupted into cheers – except for me.
“But… she did,” I said, shocked. “She looked right in my eyes p>
“Such is the fear of the Cosa Nostra, my friend,” Dario explained. “She obviously didn’t want to make any enemies p>
“Smart move on her part,” Niccolo said.
“I think we should go over there and have a talk with her and her father,” Dario said. “Why was Fumagalli in their café out in the middle of nowhere? Maybe the old man’s a spy for the Genoans p>
“Not a bad idea,” Niccolo conceded. “But you’re not going p>
“Yes, I am p>
“No. You just got out of jail – we have to keep you as far away from this as possible p>
Dario scoffed. “You can’t send Lars for obvious reasons. You can’t send Adriano; if he doesn’t shoot the girl, he’ll end up giving her a heart attack. Massimo will be too nice – ”
“I will not,” Massimo sulked.
“Roberto will bore her with financial talk – ”
“Hey!” Roberto exclaimed.
“And Valentino will try to seduce her p>
All the brothers made a face like, Yeah, well, THAT one’s true. Even Valentino.
“And I doubt you’re going to go,” Dario said to Niccolo. “So I will p>
Niccolo shook his head. “If the Oldanis sent Fumagalli, who knows who else they sent p>
“Nobody,” Dario said as he pulled on his suit jacket. “It was a roll of the dice to send him, and they lost. There is no one else p>
“You don’t know that – and even if it’s true, it’s still too dangerous p>
“I’ll take Adriano and Massimo as backup. Come on, let’s go,” Dario said to his two brothers.
“I forbid it!” Niccolo shouted.
“I’m the don; you’re the consigliere,” Dario said with a smirk. “You can’t forbid shit p>
Then he walked out of the parlor with Massimo and Adriano hustling along behind him.
Niccolo shook his head in disgust.
“Working for him is going to be the death of me,” he muttered.
Forty minutes later, we were sitting in the parlor waiting for news when Niccolo got a call.
“You’re kidding me,” he said in a stunned voice. “Well, tell him no, Adriano p>
There was a pause.
“Yes, I know he’s the don, but – ”
Another pause.
“FUCK!” Niccolo swore, then grimaced. “FINE. Whatever. But tell him I STRENUOUSLY DISAPPROVE p>
Then he hung up.
“What?” I asked.
Everyone stood there breathlessly, waiting to hear what Adriano had said.
Niccolo looked at me in exasperation. “That waitress who saw you p>
“What about her p>
“Dario’s bringing her here. He told her father that she’s collateral so the old man won’t rat on us – but Adriano thinks Dario’s taken a fancy to her. What the fuck – is she a model or something p>
I made an apologetic face. “She was very beautiful p>
“Oh my God,” Niccolo groaned as he put his face in his hands.
“I knew we should have gotten him laid when he first got here,” Valentino muttered.
“Too late,” Roberto said.
Niccolo sat there for a moment in despair… then abruptly stood up and clapped his hands together. SMACK!
“Game faces, gentlemen!” he called out. “I want our visitor not to be so frightened that she wants to go to the police… but juuuuust scared enough that she’ll never even consider ratting us out p>
“That’s a pretty thin line,” Roberto said doubtfully.
“Well, WALK IT,” Niccolo snarled, then went to the door of the parlor and yelled out into the foyer. “Giorgio! Go fetch a servant – that old Sicilian woman. Tell her I need her to prepare a room for a guest! Now GO p>