"Got him. Lee Rivato. Low-level criminal, no permanent address. Makes his living running errands for anyone willing to pay him. The kind of guy who'd threaten a woman in an alley for the right price."
"Where is he?"
"Last known address is in Queens. Sending it now."
The address comes through. I stare at it for a long moment.
I should wait. Should gather more information. Should bring this to Vito.
But the image of those finger marks on Elena's throat burns in my mind.
I text Tony and Lorenzo that I'm heading out. Strict instructions not to let Elena leave the building. I don't like leaving her here without me, especially after what happened this morning. But this guy is the first real lead I've had in weeks.
I text Dante on my way to my car:Wanna play?
His response comes immediately:See you there.
The drive to Queens takes thirty minutes. Dante's already waiting when I pull up to a rundown apartment building. Peeling paint. Broken windows. The kind of place where people mind their own business.
"Third floor," I tell him. "Apartment 3B."
We take the stairs. The hallway smells like piss and old cooking grease. I don't bother knocking. One good kick and the door splinters off its hinges.
Lee's inside. Sitting on a ratty couch watching TV and eating cereal out of the box. The look of terror that crosses his face when he sees us tells me everything I need to know.
He knows exactly why we're here.
"Lee Rivato," I say, stepping into his apartment like I own the place. "We need to talk."
"I don't know who you are, man." He's already backing away from us. "I haven't done anything wrong."
"See, that's where you're mistaken." Dante closes the door behind us. What's left of it anyway. "You put your hands on someone very important to us this morning."
Lee's face goes white. "I don't know what you're talking about."
I pull out my phone. Show him one of Ren's photos. "This you?"
He looks at the image. His shoulders slump in defeat. He knows he's caught.
"Look, man, I was just doing a job, okay?" His voice cracks. "Someone paid me to deliver a message. I didn't want to hurt the girl."
"But you did hurt her." My voice comes out deadly quiet. "You put your hands around her throat."
"She wasn't supposed to fight back! I was just trying to scare her a little. Make sure she took the message seriously."
I'm across the room before I can process what I’m doing. My hand is around his throat, slamming him against the wall. He makes a choking sound. Just like Elena probably did this morning.
"Marco." Dante's voice cuts through the red haze. "We need him talking."
I force myself to let go. Step back. Lee slides down the wall, gasping.
"Get up," I tell him. "We're taking a ride."
"Where—" he starts.
"Doesn't matter. You're coming either way."
Lee looks between Dante and me. Realizes he doesn't have a choice. "Okay. Okay, I'll come."
