“She doesn’t. But there are plenty in this town who do. Some of them under my command, you hear what I’m saying?” He nodded at the door before opening it, indicating the men inside who worked under him, and of course I’d heard Shanahan’s slur against Mr. D the other day. “Guess I just like the idea of being more open. But for now…” He tapped his finger against his lips in the universal signal forshhhand then pushed the door open.
The plans for O-Day, as the Donovan security team were calling it, seemed unremarkable, until O’Hara said, “So once your side arrives, and you’re back on Mr. D’Amato, I’ll be taking care of the package.”
“Wait—what’s that about Mr. D?”
“When he and your Boss arrive—”
“They’re not coming.”
O’Hara chuckled. “Uh, yeah they are. Got word from Ms. Donovan just before I came over. That’s why she asked me to go over all this shit with you.”
Great. Now I looked like an idiot. Why the hell hadn’t they toldmethey were coming?
O’Hara was watching my face in amusement. “Check your phone once in a while, maybe?”
“Oh, I’ll be talking to them,” I said grimly. “Okay. So if they’re coming on Sunday—” I paused, taking in the other part of what O’Hara was saying. “Shouldn’tIbe with Aidan? Uh, the package?”
O’Hara got this look on his face like he was trying to evaporate out of the conversation. “Ms. Donovan suggested an Irish escort for him might look less, you know. Out of place. Plus your regular detail is Mr. D’Amato, right? God, he must be a handful.”
“He sure is,” I agreed, fantasizing about having Mr. D’s mouth taped up. At least that way he couldn’t get the Boss to agree to any of his crazy ideas.
Likecoming back to Boston, what the fuck.Thatwasn’t happening.
“Anyhow,” O’Hara said, “usually I’m with Ms. Donovan but she asked me to take care of your guy—uh, Aidan, personally. She’ll be with the O’Leary folks and the three of them will have six, maybe ten of our guys.”
The Donovan Family had one great advantage over the Morellis: sheer numbers. I sighed. “Sounds fine. But make sure they’re your best.”
“You think I’d let our Boss step out in public without the best of us around her?” he asked, offended for the first time.
“No, I don’t think you would,” I said. O’Hara looked mollified, and went over the wider plan. He’d already instituted sweeps and patrols for the area around the Cathedral over the last few days, including discreet video surveillance and dash-cammed cars. He’d been thorough in every way I’d want to be thorough myself. “Looks okay to me,” I said.
He snorted. “Just okay, huh? You tell me anything I’m missing. I don’t want any unpleasantness on Sunday.” He lowered his voice. “Just between you and me, I’m hoping to make second-in-command with the Boss. She’s on the lookout for someone to step up. So seriously, you tell me what else I need.”
I looked through the papers and scrolled the files on the computer once more. “There’s one thing,” I said. “I don’t see a risk assessment of your own folks.”
“Everyone here is loyal.”
I shrugged. “That may be. But if I were you, I’d run financials, another background sweep, just to see if anything’s changed since last time. Pain points, you know? Anything an enemy could use as leverage.”
“Everyone here is loyal to Tara Donovan,” O’Hara said again, and for the first time I sensed that macho bravado that floated around the Morelli Family most of the time.
“I’m sure they are,” I said. “I’m just telling you what I’d do. And what Angelo Messina would’ve done,” I added, and that, at least, seemed to get to him.
“Okay,” he said grudgingly. “It’s not a bad idea.”
“I can send you the checks we had done on you all before we arrived, give you a head start.” He gave me a sharp look at that, but I just shrugged. “Always better safe than sorry.”
I offered my hand, and he shook it.
Then I went back across to Hillview to call Finch D’Amato.
* * *
“Teooo,”Mr. D greeted me in a drawl. “What up, my man?”
I took a deep breath. “Well, Mr. D, I guess I’m wondering when you and the Boss were planning to let me know about your trip back to Boston.”
“Oh. Well, you know, I meant to give you a call…”
