We finish our meal and walk back to the library. I’m parked right around the corner and I suspect he must be parked somewhere nearby.
“Do you need a ride?” he asks.
“No, I’m fine,” I respond. “I brought my car.”
“Alright then,” he says, tugging me into his arms. “I’ll pick you up around seven.”
“Can’t wait,” I say, sinking into our goodbye kiss as if we’re the last two people on earth.
I’m almost afraid to go through with my plan. Once I find out the truth, will I have any need of him anymore? Our relationship is just a sham designed to get me closer to his father. Once I cross that threshold, I should let Frankie go. My mind is humming with all these thoughts as I climb back in my car and shut the door. I can feel a deep sense of disappointment in my heart, thinking about ending things with Frankie. It’s entirely possible that he’s become more than just a means to an end.
I have to lie to myself and pretend that everything will work out in the end. I’ll get Francisco Corello to say something incriminating; I’ll report him to the police and write my prize-winning article. Then Frankie will discover what his father actually does for a living and forgive me. We’ll all live happily ever after with the bad guys in jail. But I know that’s too good to be true. It wouldn’t happen like that in a million years, and I’ve got to face the fact that something is bound to go wrong.
I need to prepare myself for tomorrow night’s dinner, no matter what it might bring. I drive home silently, not even noticing that the radio is switched off. There is so much noise rattling around in my brain that the lack of music doesn’t even compute.
When I arrive home, I park slowly. I sit in the car for a long time, staring out the windshield. This is it, the point of no return. I’m about to come face to face with Danny’s murderer, and it’s up to me to get him to confess.
My legs feel like they’re made of stone as I trudge across the parking lot. Walking upstairs, I let myself into my apartment, where I immediately go to my computer. I sit down to begin my research, as if every single well I’ve tapped hasn’t already run dry. I pore over the pictures Mario took, hoping to gain some insight. I work until midnight, just in case Frankie texts me, but he doesn’t. I’m on my own, and I’m about to go into the lion’s den.
I try to sleep, but I can’t switch my mind off. I end up haunting the living room where I eat ice cream and watch television game shows until three in the morning. I get just a tiny bit of sleep before my alarm rings. It’s almost game time and I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.
CHAPTER 21
FRANKIE
Ijumped the gun when I asked Sofia to dinner. I haven’t spoken with my father yet. I know I can correct my mistake just by keeping her informed, but I hope it won’t come to that. With any luck, my father will be pleased to meet her, and all my concerns will just evaporate into thin air.
But I can’t stop myself from thinking about all the negative things that could happen. What if Dad sees my romance as a security breach? What if he thinks I need to focus on my work? What if he decides that the right thing for me to do is break up with Sofia so that I can give my full attention to the family?
I drive home, trying not to panic. I haven’t experienced full-blown, chest-pounding attack that I suffered when I first learned that I was supposed to follow in my father’s footsteps. But in the back of my mind, I’m waiting for the next shoe to drop.
Each time I go out with Uncle Gio, I become more comfortable with the work. I’ve been on several trips where people were hurt, and while it doesn’t get any easier, I’m becoming less distressed by the sight of violence. And every envelope of cash we hand to a corrupt police officer disgusts me less and less, even though I dounderstand that we need them to keep an ear to the ground. I’m actually kind of settling into a routine.
I get up in the morning, have my coffee, and go off with whoever I’m shadowing for the day. We work for a while, sometimes until the sun goes down, sometimes only until noon. With the rest of my day, I study law.
I hope my father will see that Sofia fits easily into my life. I’m not abandoning my duties to spend time with her, and I haven’t told her anything about the family business. I really like her and I’m sure she likes me. So, the next obvious step is to meet my parents, and that’s all this is. It’s just an innocent dinner with my girlfriend. Provided my father gives his approval, we’ll all be able to sit down and get to know one another.
But no amount of reassurance can stop the anxiety from wrapping itself around my stomach. I’m feeling nauseous as I park the car in the garage and walk into the house. There’s no time left to sit on the fence. I eliminated that by asking Sofia to join us for dinner so soon. I’ll just have to go through with my plan to ask my father’s permission now.
I stop in front of his office door, nodding to the guard. There’s no way of knowing whether my father is in a meeting. He doesn’t post a schedule for obvious reasons. I’m sure he’s here because all of his men are in the house, but that doesn’t mean he’s available.
I knock once, then build up my courage to knock again.
“Come in!” He calls.
I push the door open and step inside. He’s alone, which is both good and bad. If he were in a conference with Uncle Gio orEdoardo, I might have an excuse to come back later. But it looks like now is as good a time as any.
“Hi,” I begin.
He looks at me carefully, already alerted to the fact that I’m nervous. “Son,” he responds, waiting for me to continue.
“I have a request to make,” I say.
“Which is?”
“I met someone,” I answer, taking a seat across the desk from him.
His face brightens, and I’m filled with relief. I can already tell that this conversation is going to be easier than I expected.
