by Ali Vali
“What do you mean?” Oscar was typing and talking fast.
“Forget for a minute he was Diego Moretti’s son-in-law.” She stepped into the foliage that fronted Victor’s villa and tried not to make noise. If there was a guard posted, it’d make this harder, but not impossible. “Forget London Emerson and what she was trying to talk him into at Caterina Terzo’s direction.”
“That’s a lot to forget, and not a hell of a lot to remember.”
The place appeared deserted but there was no reason to rush. “If he killed his wife, Diego would’ve hit him hard, so he must’ve believed in his dead black heart he’d found a bigger shark to protect him. Who do you think that could be?”
“Caterina’s got clout here, but not enough if the families back east united against her for killing someone like Sofia without permission. The oath of the Cosa Nostra isn’t some legend told in movies. Those guys take that shit serious.”
“I know all that, and I agree about Caterina. But we know she was the one in the texts, and we know she’s not at the top of the food chain in the Terzo family. We don’t know who Caterina was working with, if anyone, but that’s the person who wanted Sofia dead.”
“Then who did it?”
“I’m narrowing it down as I think about it, but I don’t know for sure.” She went around back to the private pool and picked the lock on the sliding glass door. “Francesco might be a good bet.”
“Why do you think so?”
“He’s from New York, which means he’s not an outsider, so he’s someone the families would expect an explanation from before they cut him into small pieces.” She stood at the center of the main room and allowed her eyes to adjust to the dark. “There’s that, and he’s become the biggest dealer with a pipeline from the Mexican border to the Statue of Liberty. Sometimes forgiveness comes when the money’s too good to kill the goose.”
“True, but it’s still Diego Moretti we’re talking about. He’s not going to sit on the sidelines if he knows Terzo ordered the death of his daughter. The fact that she’s still alive is going to be lost on him in the fog of rage. And why Sofia? It’s not like she was useful.”
“Money makes people do stupid shit all the time. Sometimes people kill kids if the payday is big enough.” She wondered who’d been assigned to Naomi and her daughter. That idiot deserved killing.
“It couldn’t be helped, though, right? When it comes to the person I love—today was an anomaly.”
“Thank you, Oscar, and you’re right. Today was not like me at all, and I’m going to do what I can to atone for my mistakes.” She took a walk-through to plan her strategy. “Keep a lookout. I don’t want to get interrupted by an overzealous CSI crew.”
She started in the small den area and knocked on the walls, waiting to hear a hollow spot. The pictures came off the walls next. Nothing. There was nothing in the bedroom, so she concentrated on the bathroom. That’d held the jackpot in his office, and Victor didn’t strike her as an overly imaginative man.
“Anything?” Oscar asked, and she stood in the doorway of the bathroom before she moved on.
“Unfortunately, there’s no tacky velvet painting in here, but there’s a really nice copy of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus.” She checked all the corners and it wasn’t rigged in any way. It also didn’t hide a void with a safe. “What other painting was Botticelli known for?”
“Something about spring. Do you want me to google it?” She heard keys again so he was doing it anyway. “They’re both in some museum in Florence.”
“Yes, I’ve seen them. Remember that trip I took to try and break out of the sameness of our everyday lives?” The den had a copy of the other famous painting, but that was another dead end.
“You never mentioned that, but you like to disappear on me every so often. Did you learn anything?”
“What we’ve known all our lives, buddy.” She studied the room again and saw the small model of the Uffizi, the museum that held the two famous paintings in Florence. It was on one of the shelves of the built-in bookcases. The rest of the room held the usual stuff you found in places like this, put there by professional decorators.
“What’s that?” Oscar asked.
“You can’t outrun your past, not even when you surround yourself with pretty things.” She tapped the back and it felt solid.
“We can change our perspective though. The past can’t be changed, but the future’s uncharted.”
She chuckled, since that was certainly true. “We’ve proven that by beating the odds those losers at the group home gave us, and there’s no going back.” They picked some weird times to have these heart-to-heart chats. She took everything off the shelf and made sure there was nothing in each piece. A small key fell out of the Uffizi and she stared at it in her gloved hand. “What the hell does this open?”
“What’s it look like?” Oscar asked.
“Small key that has more detail than one that opens something like a diary.” Nothing else appeared to need a key, and she sat for a minute to think. The shelf was third from the bottom, and that didn’t seem to be the height someone like Victor would’ve chosen as a hiding place for something important.
“If he hid it in a book, it’s the only one he’s opened since high school,” Oscar said, making her laugh.
“I don’t see any books, but I’m guessing the next best thing.” The shelf came out easily, and it seemed heavier than it should have been. On the very back she found a slot for the key. “Very good, Victor,” she said as she turned the key and the back came off. “You’re more creative than I would’ve guessed.”
“What is it?”
“This guy had a thing for diamonds.” A bag with quite a few large stones was stashed with a few ledgers. “Did you see anything else in those first ledgers, aside from where he’d hidden his money?”
“That’s all I found, and they’re useless now that I’ve moved the total amounts to different accounts.”
“He’s got another set.” She emptied the hiding space and replaced it. The fact that there was one meant she had to take the time to check the rest of the shelves. “What’s it looking like outside?”
“The area is clear, but I’m watching out for you. Go ahead and finish, then come upstairs. I’ve got something you need to hear.”
“I’m almost done.” Her search landed her one more carved-out shelf holding a thick file that had pictures to go along with whatever the writing was. The only thing she recognized right off was the picture of two people having sex, and it appeared to be Lucan Terzo’s wife and her lover. They were similar to ones she’d taken of the same couple. What Victor was doing with all this was another mystery. “Can I move?”
“Go ahead, and I’ll let you know if you have to stop.”
The walk to the elevators was relatively clear, and she glanced at her watch, wondering if Brinley was getting restless. “Are you staying the night or heading out?” she asked when she found Oscar packing up.
“Heading home. I wanted to go to Reno for a few days, but there’s been plenty happening at the Madison place.” Oscar gave her a rundown of everything from Sofia’s confession to the visit from Mano Jatibon. “The situation seems like something we need to clear off our books. These people aren’t the forgiving kind.”
It was the moment to tell him about what she’d done or, more accurately, not done, but she felt the need to keep her secret. Not that she cared about Brinley, but the only way to keep her and Finn alive was to let them stay dead. Plus, she wanted to keep Oscar far away from any blowback from her actions. He deserved better than to get hurt or get killed because of something she’d done. “Send the feed from those wiretaps to me and stay in touch. It sounds like Sofia is planning to double-cross us, and that’s not going to end well for her or her thuggy family.”
“You want to come with me?”
They traveled together at times, but she knew Oscar enjoyed his solitude as much as she did. “Have fun, but I’m going to pass and see what al
l this stuff is about.” She pointed to the stack of items she’d found. “Once I get through it, we can put all this crap behind us.”
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m fine, but tired,” she said, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Be careful.”
“I always am,” he said and laughed. “I’m the backroom guy, remember?”
“Yes, I do remember, but be careful anyway.”
“You follow that advice too.”
“The two of us will do something no one expected us to do, and that’s grow old.” She smiled and squeezed his shoulder before walking out. The trip to the parking lot was faster since all she ran into were people anxious to lose their money inside.
It took her another two hours to get through the shopping list Brinley had given her, and once again the bags filled up the back of her SUV. Buying groceries for a woman so she could cook a nice meal. Who would have thought? She wondered if it would be okay to enjoy it, just a little, before it disappeared like smoke. Now was the time to pull her head out of her ass since that wasn’t a question to even wonder about.
As a precaution she slowed down when she got close to her street. Maybe Brinley had been waiting for a moment alone to call for help. In a way she wouldn’t blame her, but Brinley would only kill both herself and Finn by resurrecting herself. Everything was quiet when she got closer, and it didn’t appear to be a trap, so she drove into the garage.
“Did everything go okay?” Brinley asked. She was waiting for her in the kitchen.
“It was for another job, but let’s talk about yours.”
“What do you want to know?” Brinley appeared sad and Reed could tell she’d been crying again.
“Everything.”
* * *
Caterina parked outside Lucassi’s house and leaned her head back. The last thing she wanted to do was to go inside, but her father had sent her as the family’s representative in some bizarre exercise of kissing the ring of some dinosaur who was nothing but a joke. The only reason she’d agreed was her contact within the department told her Lucassi had no idea about her involvement in London’s death, and she wanted to confirm that.
She still wasn’t sure why the cops hadn’t come to chat with her about the texts they’d surely found on London’s phone, and she wasn’t entirely sure how she was going to play it when they did. It had been a stupid mistake, texting London and leaving a trail, but there was no changing that now. For now, she’d do as she was told.
“Are you ready?” Leon asked from the passenger side. Lucan had wanted to come with her as well, but she convinced him to stay home. No one except Lucan really knew about her relationship with London, and she knew the consequences of anyone finding out, even if they were part of her family. Leon, though, was a reality she couldn’t escape. He was supposed to be her bodyguard, but he’d been her father’s choice, not hers.
“Wait in the car. This won’t take long.”
“Your father doesn’t trust Lucassi, and he doesn’t want you alone with him.” Leon got out and closed the front of his jacket to conceal his gun. He cocked his head to the right and cleared his throat. “Lucassi’s got company. Are you sure you don’t want to come back later?”
“That kind of company might be good, since we have nothing to hide. I don’t want to stay long.” It was time to find out exactly what the cops knew and start planning to get out of it if it incriminated her in any way. “Please tell Benito we’re here.” The guy who’d opened the door wasn’t anyone she knew, but he wasn’t some caring family member, based on the gun and attitude.
“Have a seat in the office and he’ll be right with you.” The man walked as if expecting them to follow him like they were some kind of well-behaved puppies.
“I don’t like this,” Leon said, obviously having noticed the number of men scattered throughout the house. “What the hell is going on?”
“Benito is one of those people none of us understands, but the old guard love him, and all this is about showing the kind of respect he really doesn’t deserve.”
“Obviously someone thinks he deserves it,” Leon said, arranging his jacket as if to make his gun more accessible.
“He’s a goddamn bookie who started in New York and moved out here once the heat turned up in the city. That’s all he is.” She sat down and stared at the group of people out by the pool. Most of them appeared to be college students who were probably friends of London’s, but the woman talking to some of them could’ve been London in twenty years. “The grieving dutiful mom,” she said. That was laughable, considering how easily she’d seduced London into doing whatever she wanted. Parenting obviously wasn’t London’s mother’s strong suit.
“Why, exactly, are we here?” Leon asked, gazing where she’d pointed.
“My father thinks this is beneath him, and Lucan’s keeping Paolo happy on the golf course. We drew the short straw when it comes to upholding the family name.”
“For only a bookie, this guy’s got a lot of muscle around, and I don’t want any kind of misunderstanding.”
“Relax, this won’t take long, and Benito knows better than that.” She glanced around the room, noticing all the pictures of Benito with a number of bigwigs from New York, all of whom she recognized.
“You might want to change your assessment about that,” Leon said, making her look outside. This group she recognized as well.
“What the hell?” The tall woman holding London’s mother as if she were her lover was Remi Jatibon, Mano’s sister, and the beautiful blonde looking on was the actress Dallas Montgomery, Remi’s partner. Why did people like naming their children after places? It was so incredibly annoying. “How very touching.”
“The Jatibons know Benito that well?”
“The Jatibons hate Benito and everything about him, but they’re also opportunistic whores.” She took her phone out and sent Lucan a text. He had to do his best to get some information out of Sofia’s idiot brother.
“It sure doesn’t look like that.”
“That’s why it’s your job to sit and keep your mouth shut. I’ve been waiting a few years for Mano’s power play to get us to back off the Strip, and this might be it. Of course he needs to hide behind his sister to do it.” Benito was out there acting like his family was getting a visit from the president, and that he’d gone to Remi first showed her where they rated.
“Mr. Terzo’s not going to like this. He’s going to want to know right away if the Jatibons are planning something.”
“Let’s find out what this is before you lose your head.” She took a deep breath and tried to center herself.
“Do you want me to step out and call? He may not like us waiting to tell him,” Leon said, and she felt like slapping him.
“Leon, I heard you the first time, and I’m not going to tell you again. Sit down and shut up. I’ll be the one to talk to my father. I know it’s your dream to be assigned to him, but you have to realize one glaring fact. My father already has his trusted guard, so cool it. Either way, after today you’ll get what you want, and that’s away from me.”
“You know I work for you.” He spoke fast as if trying to save his job. “I’m loyal only to you.”
She brought the annoying conversation to a halt when Benito opened the door. Leon’s stupidity had made her miss the end of the meeting outside, and now she was caught by surprise.
“Caterina,” Benito said, walking straight to his desk before she could get on her feet and embrace him. “Thank you for coming.”
“Of course.” She was happy she didn’t have to touch the old man. “Papa sends his condolences and wished he could have come, but he’s not feeling well.”
“I appreciate you coming.” The way he emphasized the word made her lean forward a little. She felt the crack in her facade and struggled to pull it back.
“Is there a problem? Something you’re worried about?” She motioned around them and didn’t lose eye contact with Benito. “You have a lot of muscle aroun
d for such a sad occasion.”
“They’re here for my granddaughter’s service. All of them are friends, so I don’t think of them that way.” Benito lost his smile and stood.
“Is there something we can do for you?” It was probably her imagination, but Benito’s expression seemed one of hatred. Had the old fool figured out her relationship with London? Had the cops told him before confronting her? There was no way…but something was really off.
“There’s nothing you can do for me, Caterina, nothing, but thank you for coming. I’ve got a lot of friends and guests to attend to, so if you’ll excuse me.”
“So the friends you need are Remi Jatibon and her family?” The question wasn’t smart, but she wanted to know. If her downfall was coming, she wanted to know who to strike out at once the attempt was made. With any luck Remi and Mano would be in her crosshairs, along with Benito. Once they were dead, no one could blame her for protecting herself.
“She’s someone who doesn’t need to ask things like that. Dominic will show you out.”
The door closed with a bit too much force, and she tried to write it off to grief. “We need to meet with the Jatibons.” She tried to ignore the urge to run to a safe place. That kind of fear was something she detested in anyone, much less herself, and she wasn’t about to fall into that trap.
“You know how Mr. Terzo feels about Ramon Jatibon.”
“I didn’t say my father, Leon. Try and keep up.” She was tired of being questioned by someone beneath her. “Drop me off at home, then take the day off.”
She didn’t wait for anyone to show her the door, and she got into the car and let Leon drive. She stared at the deputies down the street, and they seemed to be staring right back. What exactly were they doing here?
Two low men on the law enforcement totem pole seemed out of place compared to the only real company her family usually had, the guys who lurched about in vans like mobile cockroaches. The Feds were never this open in their surveillance, and then they only concentrated on her father and sometimes Lucan. She still had the freedom to go out without any type of shadow.
