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“Meals are served in the dining room. It’s ill-mannered to eat elsewhere.”
“Okay, I’ll dress and be right in.”
“Bathe first.”
“No. I bathe at night.”
“Bracciantibathe in the evening. Noblemen bathe in the morning.” Signora Esposito lifted a gray eyebrow. “Do you want to smell like a pig all day, Signor Head-of-the-Family?”
“Go make coffee.”
“Hmph.” Signora Esposito turned and left the room.
Franco smiled, watching her go.
He was home.
CHAPTER SIXTY
Gaetano was led past the detention cells, his hands cuffed in front of him. Thecarabinierihad questioned him all night and they hadn’t been gentle. His head throbbed and his torso ached. The jail was filthy, and the air smelled like body odor and urine.
The prisoners shouted profanities at thecarabinieri, and Gaetano realized he had crossed the line from lawyer to criminal. He was one of them now.
They reached the cell that held Carmine, who stood anguished at the bars. His chubby cheek was bruised, and there was a cut on his forehead. “Gaetano, are you okay?”
“Yes, you?”
“Better than you.”
Gaetano was shoved into the cell by thecarabinieri, and Carmine helped him onto the iron bench.
“I don’t know how they caught us. Thecarabiniericame out of nowhere and found me in the alley.”
“I know how.” Gaetano told him everything, and Carmine’s dark eyes widened with alarm.
“You hitMarshal Rosselli? You punched myboss? Gaetano, they know every judge in Palermo.”
“I know, I lost control. I think you’ll be okay, though. They can’tcharge you with anything. You didn’t break and enter. You were in the alley on public property.”
“I’m worried about you, not me.”
They both turned when a group ofcarabiniericame down the hallway to renewed jeers and profanities. The officers motioned to Carmine. “Lawyer Prizzi, get up. You’re going home!”
Carmine rose reluctantly. “Gaetano, I’ll represent you.”
Gaetano managed a smile. “Thanks.”
The men in the other cells burst into excited chatter. “He’s a lawyer!” “I knew it! I need a lawyer!” “Help me, would you?”
Thecarabinierirepeated, “Lawyer Prizzi, let’s go!”
Carmine looked down at Gaetano, his anguish plain. “I’ll see you as soon as they let me.”
“Thanks. Open your law firm and be the best in Palermo. And do me a favor. Don’t tell Maria I’m here.”
Carmine frowned. “Gaetano, she’ll want to know. The trial, she’ll want to be there.”
“Let me be the one to tell her. Go. Goodbye.”
