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“Ms. O’Malley, when did the Mancinelli crime family hire you?”
“Mr. Scotto, do you expect to go to prison?”
“Ms. O’Malley—”
“Mr. Scotto—”
Blessedly, the doors close, and we’re in silence. Sinead doesn’t move, standing guard for when the doors open again. There will be reporters there to meet us. I’m certain.
“You handled that well. Thank you.”
She looks back over her shoulder as I speak.
“I know you know not to speak, but I’m new to their three-ring circus. They need to know I don’t cower. If they do anything to cross any professional ethics as a reporter, I’ll shut their shit down. I can’t stop them from following you and asking questions. I can’t stop them from taking photos and trying to mob you. But I can make them understand I won’t put up with them accosting you like that.”
She exhales as she faces forward. Her body remains tense and on guard. I can’t blame her.
“What I said earlier still applies. Stay beside me, closer to the parked cars. Walk around to the far side of ours. I have to look inside. While I do, stand behind me.”
She nods as the elevator chimes. The doors open and flash bulbs go off. She shifts so we can step off at the same time. The reporters give us more space this go around while we walk to the car in silence. I’m quick to look in the front and back of the vehicle. The privacy glass is down as she gets in. I shut the door and climb into the driver’s seat. Neither of us says anything until we’re on the street.
“I didn’t leak it, Gabriele.”
“I didn’t think you had.”
“Then how’d they know?”
“Either someone saw you entering or leaving the Mancinelli Developers’ building, or they saw you getting out of a Mancinelli-owned town car. My arrest and arraignment aren’t a secret. I’m the only person facing trial, so they put two and two together and got us.”
Us. I like that idea.
“This is why you want me to have bodyguards.”
“Yes.”
“Are they going to follow me even at night? Like when I go out?”
“Probably not. Where are we headed?”
“My place.” She winces. “Great Kills, Staten Island.”
It’s a nice neighborhood. Not a great name all things considered. She gives me the address, and I plug it into the GPS. I figured we were headed there, so I set off in that direction. I watch her through the rearview mirror as she pulls out her phone, which I now hear vibrate. She unlocks the screen and must be reading a text. Her shoulders droop as she tilts her head back and closes her eyes.
“That was Josh. Tonight’s going to blow.”
ChapterFour
Sinead
I really don’t want to see Josh. I’m just not in the mood to deal with him after court today, which didn’t go as well as I would have liked for one of my clients. Now that I’m sitting in the back of a town car, I just want to close my eyes and ignore the rest of the world. But that’s not possible.
“Do you have to go on the date tonight?”
There’s something in Gabriele’s tone that’s different from right before I got in the car. It’s back to being untrusting of me.
“No. I’m going to reschedule. I know it’s last minute, but I’m just not in the mood for it.”
As I rest against the seatback, I realize I need to go back to my office because I have to prep for a meeting. It’s not how I want to spend my Friday because the client is an ass.
