“She knows I’m serious,” I tell him. “Just as you know it. And the rest of the family.”
I glance at the screen to study Angela once more. I can’t help but think about how I used to care for her. So very dearly. And now, all of that care has been replaced by hate.
Luciano stands and pats me on the shoulder. “Want me to feed our prisoner tonight?”
“No, I’ll do it,” I tell him. “I want to limit her exposure to other people. The fewer interactions she has with you, the better. I’ll be her sole point of contact. I provide the food, shelter, and safety. She’ll become absolutely dependent on me. If she listens to me, she’ll be fine. If she disobeys, she’ll be punished.”
Luciano smirks. “You’re looking forward to punishing her, aren’t you?”
I give him a knowing look. “I certainly am.”
* * *
I’m gettingAngela’s dinner ready when the gate buzzer rings. The food smells so damn good, there’s no way she’s not going to like this. I’ve kept an eye on her via the hidden camera all day, so I know she’ll be waiting for me by the window.
I check the entry camera on my phone and frown when I seeAgentePietro Scalici sitting in an unmarked police car. He’s one of the corrupt officers on our payroll.
I buzz him through and dismiss the video feed. The doorbell rings a moment later. I open the front door and eye theagenteimpatiently.
“What do you want?” I say brusquely. But I already know. Money. That’s the only reason he’d come here at this hour.
He smiles smarmily. “That’s no way to talk to an old friend.”
“We’re friends, then?” I ask.
“We will be when I tell you what’s happened,” Scalici replies. “You’re going to need all the friends you can get.” He pauses to for dramatic effect then continues. “Some tourists reported sighting two masked men at a hidden cove today. One of them carried a woman. She had a bag over her head. The car was described as a white Fiat. It headed in this direction.” He pauses, staring at me with eyes excited by greed. “So I thought, who do I know in this area who owns a white Fiat? Two people. The Buttittas, and the Morettis. Since the Buttittas are law abiding citizens whose only loyalty is to good wine, and I’m not on their payroll, that left only the Morettis. Don’t worry, I haven’t told anyone yet.”
I clench my fist. Stefano had failed to clear the cove after all…
“It wasn’t us,” I tell him. “But I don’t need the police snooping around.”
“No, you don’t,” Scalici agrees with a shit-eating grin.
I squeeze my fist at my side, and resist the urge to punch him in the face. I slip the Patek Philippe from my wrist and hand the watch to him instead.
Scalici purses his lips and holds it up to the light. He promptly buckles it onto his own wrist. “I also want another twenty.”
“The watch is worth thirty!” I tell him.
He shrugs.
Gritting my teeth, I shut the door and head to the safe. I open it, retrieve twenty grand in Euros, and return. I shove the bundled bills into his hands and Scalici greedily stuffs them into his trench coat.
“I’ll only be able to cover for you for a few days,” theagentesays. “After that, you’re on your own. The Amatos are a powerful family. They have contacts of their own on the Ustica police force. Even though I forge the tourist report, someone will talk.”
I stare at him. Seems like a veiled threat. “How many others have seen the original report?”
“Just the officer who recorded the report,” he replies.
I squeeze my fist once again, tighter than ever. A veiled threat indeed. Looks like I’m going to have to make another trip to my safe.
“How much will it cost to buy him off?” I growl.
“I know it’s hard to believe, but not every cop is a bad cop,” Scalici says sarcastically. He cocks his head to the side. “But another twenty grand should do it.”
I retrieve the requested amount and give it to him. Theagente’seyes light up when he sees this latest bundle; a moment later the cash is gone, devoured by yet another trench coat pocket.
“I’d advise getting rid of the Fiat,” Scalici tells me. When I don’t answer, he nods. “See you around.”
