“No shit. Who was it?”
I huff without humor as I shake my head.
“Funnily enough, Danny had video surveillance added to parts of the building, like this office, that I wasn’t aware of. Guess it’s routine for him. He just forgot to tell me.” I still can’t believe I didn’t know about it. Though I should have figured he would have done something like that. “The footage shows Payton taking some cash and looking at the books.”
His eyes go wide. “The books? Shit. No wonder you’re in a mood. It’s one thing to take money, but to look at your personal books? That’s fucked up. Did Danny take care of her already?”
It’s a fair question. Normal to ask. It’s what’s expected, after all.
“Vinny’s having her released.”
He hums at that, but his eyes are filled with sorrow. Pity. It’s no use denying how I felt about her. Dante saw. They all did. I liked her. A lot. This hurts on too many levels to count or describe.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?” he asks.
“Steal.”
I look him in the eye as I make my declaration. Any hurt or betrayal is long gone from my voice. I’ve dealt with them for hours now as I thought it over.
He smirks and laughs with a shake of his head, denying it. Till he stops.
“You know what I always say. No harm in trying.”
“You didn’t try. Youdidit.”
He shrugs, and his smile doesn’t falter. Not even when he speaks.
“No one was looking. It was a simple thing to do. I didn’t know you were going to come to this club when I had Carl start. It wasn’t about you, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Next you’re going to tell me you did all this to show how vulnerable thefamigliais and that you were just holding the money for us till we figured it out? That you were going to give it all back or some bullshit?”
“Yeah, sure.” His smile widens, as if we’re discussing a prank we played on a colleague and nothing more.
“Why doctor the videos, then? Why make it look like Payton did it?”
“Did I?” He raises an eyebrow. “Iassumedthere were cameras everywhere when we put them in. How would I have known where all of them were?”
“Bullshit. You put the idea in Danny’s head, knowing he’d go for it. It’s common knowledge that he’d do anything to protect us, and you took advantage. What you didn’t expect was that he added more than just what was in the office.”
His smile finally falters.
“He rigged up the hallway too.” Something Danny didn’t focus on at first once he saw the video with Payton. Not till I started to question things.
“Funny how when we checked those cameras, we saw it was Trixie coming and going. And you know who else we saw with her? You. Standing in the hallway each time, waiting for her to come back to you. You never stepped into the office, knowing you’d get caught, but you had her do it. Even dressed her up a little like Payton, then doctored the video that you knew was there. But you missed the others. “
He adjusts in his seat to cross his legs and pick at invisible lint on his knee, not once denying it.
“Was it just you, Trixie, and Carl? Or were there more?”
He looks up at me with narrowed eyes and a face full of menace, all humor gone. “So many.”
I take in his words and his position before me.
“So no one else,” I conclude.
“If there’s a head to a snake, someone willalwaysbe there to cut it off.” He speaks casually, but I see the glint in hiseyes. The thought that it could be him who takes down the mighty snake—or lion, in this case.
