"Shhhh!" he hisses. "And don't worry." Julian pats my arm. "We won't be noticed. I've done this lots of times before. Now be quiet and listen."
I tune my ears into the muffled voices coming from a boarded-up hole in the wall. They must belong to Raffi and Sandro—and they're in the middle of Raffi's interrogation.
Sandro's voice comes through the thin wooden panel, cold and authoritative. "…with access to that knife. But you still insist that he was with you all night?"
I hold my breath.
"Of course he was," Raffi replies, his tone smooth and confident. "And when he found the body, Clemenza was already dead. Blood was drying up. You must've seen that yourself."
There's a long silence.
"Is there any proof that Darian had anything to do with Clemenza's death?" Raffi challenges.
"Proof? No. But he was seen—twice—being chastised by Clemenza."
"Darian's not in the habit of killing annoying guests, or Russo'd be dead. Who saw them together, anyway? Maybe they're lying."
"Julian saw them," is the short reply.
I involuntarily jerk my head around to Julian, who gives an apologetic shrug. "I can't lie to Sandro," he murmurs. "He gets very cranky when I do. He asked outright if I saw you and Clemenza together at all, and…I had."
Sandro is continuing. "I can't rule Darian out as a suspect, though I think it's extremely unlikely he is the killer. He has no motive at all. But I must be sure. I did not want him engaged, I must admit. Too young. Too innocent. But Julian insisted." A sigh. "The fact that my brother likes him so much was not a point in his favor, either."
"Rude," Julian whispers, with a mock scowl.
"Then why'd you agree to it, Boss?" Raffi asks.
"Watch your tone," comes Sandro's sharp response, and even Julian looks a little worried on Raffi's behalf. "I am the one asking the questions, DeLuca."
"Boss, Iswear," Raffi says firmly, "Darian was with me. He didn't do this."
"Alright," Sandro finally concedes. "But what happened last night reflects onme. My reputation, the Family's reputation, will suffer—and it happened under your watch, DeLuca."
A knot forms in my stomach as I realize how much pressure Raffi is under, not just for my sake, but for his own as well—for the whole Family. "I'll do whatever it takes to find the person responsible," he says.
"No, you will not," Sandro replies. "I will be asking Jack to look into this as Underboss, with Leo's help. Anyone less than them, and both factions would revolt completely. As for you, you will institute a lockdown immediately. Parley discussions will besuspended until we know who did this, and no one is to enter or leave the grounds. Collect all phones and kills all landlines to the outside. You will make sure our guests at Redwood stay in line and you will make sure no oneelseis killed in some misplaced retaliation."
He's right. The Bernardis will be outraged when they hear the news.
"And for God's sake," Sandro says tiredly, "find out where Nero Andretti was last night."
Julian tugs my arm, urging me back down the passage and through the house to the study again. We arrive just as Leo comes down the hallway with Jack.
"Hello, Jack," Julian says cheerfully. "Interesting times!"
Jack's smile is grim, but he says nothing, just knocks on the study door.
Sandro pulls it open and jerks his head at us. We all file in, the door closing behind us with a soft click.
"Jack, you've been informed?" Sandro asks.
"Leo let me know."
"Good." The Don's stony gaze sweeps over us all. "Redwood Manor is going into lockdown immediately. We will stay in lockdown until we unmask the killer."
Trapped in the Manor. I'm not sure things can get worse.
"Jack, you and Leo are tasked with getting to the bottom of Clemenza's murder. DeLuca will give you any help you need, but his focus will remain on security—as it should have been last night." I frown at that dig, but Raffi just bows his head inan apology. Sandro sweeps on, not yet done. "Darian, you have performed admirably so far, and I must ask you to continue your work, ensuring that guest needs are met as much as practicable during lockdown, though I don't want you going anywhere alone. DeLuca, make sure he's accompanied at all times." Sandro pauses, then says heavily, "No one leaves or enters the grounds until this is resolved, and that includes all of us. Jack, you might want to call Miller and let him know. I plan to call Teddy after we're done here. The two of us will stay onsite in one of the other guesthouses."
