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Bruno frowned. “Why what?”
“You took over a powerful family with its roots in organized crime, and then you did your best to change its direction. Why? What happened to bring about such a drastic change?”
For a moment Bruno said nothing. He stared at his laced fingers, his breathing steady. Finally he raised his chin. “When I was nineteen years old, my brother Nico was murdered.” He held his hand up. “Yes, I know you already know that, but what youdon’tknow is how profoundly his death affected me. At the time it made no sense. I asked my father who could possibly have wanted to kill a twenty-two-year-old man who had never harmed a fly.”
“What did he say?” Dan appeared spellbound by the conversation.
“He didn’t answer. It wasn’t until he was dying that I learned the truth.” Bruno’s eyes darkened. “Do you know what he called Nico’s death? Collateral damage. Some tit-for-tat killing linked to his various… enterprises.” He swallowed. “When they placed my father in the ground, I vowed never to be the man he was.” He poured himself another glass of water and drank several mouthfuls. “Gianni was six years old when his grandfather died. He only remembers him through the stories Paul told him. But I looked at my little boy and swore I would never see him the way my father saw Nico. So I decided the DiFanetti family would cast off its blood-stained garments of the past and take on new clothing.” Another drink from his glass. “However, it wasn’t the easy task I’d anticipated. For one thing, I had opposition.”
“Your brother Paul,” Gary said in a low voice.
Bruno nodded. “I’d given him control over some of the companies my father had set up. It wasn’t until much later I learned what was really going on. He’d carried on where my father had left off, totally ignoring my instructions.” He bowed his head. “I should have been stronger, but… I let things slide, until finally, in the mideighties, I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“What brought you to that point?” Dan inquired.
Bruno sighed. “Gianni. I saw the kind of man he was becoming, and I knew I had to do something. As it turned out, something drastic.”
“What did you do?” Gary asked.
Bruno’s face tightened. “I told my brother I wanted nothing more to do with him as long as he continued on the path he’d chosen. We fought—verbally, I should add. It was a long, acrimonious battle, and at the end of it, he told me I’d brought shame to the family, and he was through. What I hadn’t expected was Gianni’s reaction.”
“He sided with his uncle.” Dan tilted his head to one side. “Does he know Paul is his father?”
“If he does, he’s never mentioned it. And I couldn’t see him keeping something that momentous to himself. But then again, Talia never told me if Paul knew the truth.” Bruno adjusted his tie. “I won’t come out of this unscathed. I realize that. I’ll be charged. Accessory after the fact. Receiving stolen goods.”
“That will happen once we’ve finished this conversation,” Gary informed him. “But Iwillpass on everything you’ve told me to the DA.”
“Detective Mitchell?” Bruno locked gazes with him. “I want to make amends if I can.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Cheryl would have recovered. She came around in Gianni’s car. Please, youmustlet Senator Cain know.”
Dan’s breathing caught. “Gianni told you that?”
“And more besides.”
“We’ll tell the senator.” Gary would see to it.
Bruno stared at his laced fingers. “All my efforts… it will come to nothing. The senator will be tarnished, his reputation lost….”
Gary tapped his notepad with his pen. “If you had truly wanted to change your family’s reputation, you could have used the senator for good without making him an accessory.”
Bruno’s expression grew pained. “My intention was always to give the painting back to the museum. I have no idea what became of the rest of the stolen works, and Gianni never told me. The senator only had it on loan. The ironic part of all this? It was Gianni’s idea to have a senator in his pocket. That was the only reason he told me about the art heist. He was going to bribe William Cain.” Bruno straightened. “What he hadn’t counted on was me. I suggested approaching Cain. I persuaded Gianni that it would be better coming from me. He agreed. And once William Cain wasSenatorCain, I was the one calling the shots.”
“So Gianni’s plan backfired.”
“Yes.” Bruno paused. “There’s something else you need to tell Senator Cain. He won’t like it, but he has to know.” He gestured to Gary’s notepad. “You need to write this down.”
As Bruno talked in a low voice, Gary wrote quickly, stopping now and then to ask questions. By the time Bruno was done, Gary’s head felt bruised.
I thought we’d gotten all the surprises out into the open.
Not even close.
Gary closed his notepad. “Will you make a statement before you leave—I mean, before you’re taken to a place of safety?”
Bruno nodded. “That might take a while.”
“And I will see all this gets to the attention of the DA.” Gary stood, went to the door, and spoke with the officer. He turned to face Bruno. “The officer will take you to a detective to give your statement.”
As Bruno passed them, Dan held out his hand. “I appreciate you were trying to steer your family on a different course.”
