AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Do I?” I whip my hand up toward his throat, grabbing him and lifting him into the air with one arm.
“Getting slower,” he wheezes, motioning downward with a grin on his face. I look and see he’s got a knife near my balls.
“Nice move,” I say with a nod, dropping him back to the ground. “I could have snapped your neck though.”
“Not before I’d have had you singing soprano.”
I slap him on the back. “Call it a draw.”
We set off along the street. Albert looks around him. “How long has it been since we were in this part of town?”
“You were not my consigliere the last time I was here, I remember that much.”
“I wasn’t anything back then. I was a busboy working for about two bucks an hour. You were an associate.”
“Time moves on.” I think of the woman on the train again.
“That it does.” He lapses into silence for a moment. “Just for my edification, why exactly are we going to the funeral of a no one?”
I smile as he frowns at me. “That’s the difference between you and me, Albert. You see a no one. I see an opportunity.”
“An opportunity at a funeral? You thinking of branching out into undertaking?”
“Jody Fletcher is the unfortunate soul being buried today. That name mean anything to you?”
“Should it?”
“She was killed by Don Colombo’s son.”
“What’s that got to do with us?”
“Jody Fletcher was driving her parents to their anniversary dinner. Alessandro was drunk and high, on his way to a titty bar. Doing eighty-five in a forty-five. Sliced her almost in two according to the accident report. The parents are still in hospital. Might not walk again.”
“Any charges?”
“Nope. Tragic accident and he wasn’t held at the scene. Left Jody dying and walked away. Spent the night at the titty bar like he planned. Probably forgotten what happened by now.”
“That’s very sad and everything but I still don’t get why we’re going to the funeral.”
“Two reasons. One, we offer our respects for an awful accident.”
“Couldn’t you have sent them flowers if you were that concerned?”
I ignore him. “Two, there is another sister. Kelly Fletcher. I expect to find her there today and I expect to find her desperate for justice for what happened to her family. Perhaps I can help with that.”
Albert starts to smile. “I get it. You’re going to offer to whack Alessandro for her.”
“I am going to discuss how I may be able to help her get justice. That is all.”
“Be careful, Don Bianchi.”
“Are you telling me what to do, Albert?”
“Only warning you that whacking the son of your biggest rival isn’t going to end well. You want another war so soon after the last one?”
“There will not be one if we play this right. There will be no war and no rival. There will only be me and an empire bigger than any this city has seen before.”
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not sharing a couple of the steps with me?”
