“Why don’t you go ahead? I need to talk to my brother.”
“Lucia, maybe you can go help Gia,” Salvatore started.
“I know when I’m being excused,” Lucia said. “Come on. You look like you like this about as much as I do,” she said to Gia. The two of them turned and followed the maid up the stairs.
Salvatore and I walked toward the dining room.
“A man named Henderson who claims he was a friend of father has requested a secret meeting with us,” he said in a quiet voice. “He said it’s urgent. He wants to meet before the funeral if we can. Definitely prior to the reading of the will.”
“Why?”
“Another body turned up. I’m not sure if Roman is aware just yet.”
“Body?”
“Same brand. Ours.” He paused. “He was a federal agent. Henderson believes he was Mateo Castellano’s source.”
“A fucking federal agent? Branded with the Benedetti name?”
Salvatore nodded.
“Who is this guy, Henderson?”
“I’m not sure. He did some work for father over the last few months. Roman doesn’t know about him apparently.”
“Urgent meeting?”
Salvatore nodded. “I think we should go before the funeral. We’ll leave together, the four of us, and meet at Henderson’s home office. He was adamant no one would know. He seemed…nervous. Rumors are circulating, Dominic. The family has weakened, and with father’s death, our enemies are becoming less and less subtle. The method of Mateo Castellano’s death has brought unwanted attention to the family. And now, with a federal agent’s dead body turning up, there will be more.”
“I heard the recording Mateo made. At least what he got out before he was killed.”
“And?”
“Scava names Roman. They were in this thing together. Roman is part of the human trafficking ring.”
“How? Father would never have approved that.”
“Maybe he was working alone. I know that was one thing the family did not dip their toes into. That’s a whole other ballgame.”
Salvatore nodded. Franco had always been adamant about that. I didn’t know the reasons behind it but hadn’t ever given it much thought.
“From what I could make out, Scava wants people to believe it was Roman who put the hit on Mateo. And now, I assume the federal agent as well. Why? If they were in on this thing together, why? Unless he wanted Roman out.”
We looked over at Roman, who appeared out of another room just then, talking to an older woman with a bereaved expression on his face.
“Snake.”
“Be careful, Dominic. Don’t let on that you know. Although bringing Mateo’s sister may have clued him in. Why did you do that? Not really your smartest move.”
“No. But I wasn’t going to leave her alone either. Victor Scava wants her. He’s apparently already bought her. The auction is just a formality. A humbling.”
Salvatore flinched, his mouth curling in distaste.
“She stays by my side,” I added.
“If I didn’t know any better—”
“She has my protection, that’s all.”
