"Proof?" I ask.
Marco shakes his head. "No."
That's what I expected. "What we have is proximity, timing, and access."
Not enough, not yet.
The room falls quiet. I know what we're all thinking.
Ciro says it first. "Sal steals from us. Now his brother might be feeding information out."
"Might," Marco corrects.
Ciro ignores him. "If we leave him in place and he's the leak, we keep taking losses."
He's right. "And if he's innocent?" I ask.
Neither of them answers immediately, because they know the answer. If we're wrong, we destroy a loyal man for doing nothing except being related to the wrong person.
I look at Marco. "How confident are you?"
He takes his time answering. Good, because anything else would concern me. "I'm confident in the pattern, but I'm not confident enough to call it proof."
That's what I thought. I close the file. "Keep watching him, tightly. No sensitive information goes anywhere near him."
Marco nods. "Understood."
"If something moves through an operation Nico touches, I want to know about it before he does."
Marco nods again. The plan is simple. If Nico is the leak, cutting him away from information will force him to react. If he's innocent, the leaks will continue.
Either way, we get an answer. Eventually. "Make it happen."
Marco picks up the folder. "Consider it done."
The two of them leave a few minutes later. I stare at the empty doorway for a moment. Still no proof, but the picture is beginning to take shape.
By the time I finish up the last file, darkness has settled outside.
The Seaport acquisition is moving. The Waterfront issue is being handled. Marco is digging into Orla. Nico Romano is being watched. Everything is moving. Everything is under control.
I close the file and close my eyes. My mind lingers on Quinn who's somewhere in Southie, the thought staying longer than it should.
I still don't know if I judged her too quickly.
I get to my feet and leave the office. That’s a thought for another day.
Chapter 12
Quinn
My head is still pounding. Mamie was so sweet this morning, bringing me a cup of tea when I went in search of some pain medication. Mamie took one look at me and sent me back to bed, promising she’d deliver the pain meds to me. The headache started last night, and the crying jag I had worsened as the evening went on. I had hoped that sleep would ease it, but it did the exact opposite, and it’s worse than ever.
It didn’t help that I had yet another fitful sleep. My mind just kept replaying everything over and over again. Mam’s words hit the hardest and did exactly what I think she wanted. They hurt me unlike anything has before. It was a huge turning point for me. The hope of building more than a non-existent relationship with Mam is gone. There’s no going back after what she said.
I may be a glutton for punishment with all the crap I’ve endured, but no more. I can’t keep allowing them to hurt me. Enough is enough.
Daire’s finally got what she’s always wanted: me out of the way, so she’ll have all the attention. That fucking stupid satisfied smile and sly smirk have been replaying all night. She loved watching Mam lash out and spew all that hateful shit at me. Daire’s fucked up, getting off on other people’s pain.
