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“That is a possibility. I spoke with Sarah last night. She said that Mr. Castello is still in custody and is helping the authorities, but her contact would not say more than that.”
“Maybe I should come home and be a part of this,” I say without thinking.
“No . . . No way.” Tony shrieks in terror.
“I side with Tony on this one. Let’s wait till we know more. Until they catch the mastermind and lock them up, you will always be in danger. People like Mr. Castello are a dime a dozen.”
“Okay, you two. Keep me informed, Father," I concede, my voice resolute even as I try to suppress the growing anxiety within me.
"Of course, Liam. You know I will." Father O’Malley says, then signs off.
The screen blinks, and Father O’Malley is gone, and I'm left with nothing but my thoughts. It's not long before the chaos in my head becomes unbearable, and the house begins to feel like a suffocating cocoon. I feel claustrophobic. I need to get out, go somewhere, do something. I decide to take a walk outside to clear my head. I convince Tony to stay behind, needing a little bit of solitude for now.
As I stroll along the picturesque streets of Zurich, the beauty of the city does little to quell the storm raging inside me. With each step, my mind races faster, trying to piece together the connection between the gun, Mr. Castello, and my would-be assassin.
Walking briskly to nowhere, with no destination in sight, I spot a news kiosk that carries international gazettes. I walk in, not knowing what to expect, and that’s when I see it. The blaring headline:
"Miami School Shooting: Gun Linked to High-Profile Murder Case."
My heart skips a beat, and I quickly scan the article. It outlines the events of the school shooting, the injured teacher, and the subsequent investigation. At the very end, it mentions the link to my case—the bullet casings match those found at the scene of Max Deerfield's murder.
"Unbelievable," I murmur under my breath, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. How could this be happening? Who is trying to destroy my life?
"Is everything alright, sir?" the newspaper vendor asks, noticing my distress.
"Yes," I reply, forcing a smile. "Just . . . a bit of shocking news."
"Ah, yes," he nods sympathetically. "It's a crazy world we live in."
As I walk away, his words echo in my ears. It truly is a crazy world—and it seems that my life has become entangled in its chaos.
I can't keep living like this.
Chapter fifty
THE DOMINOES FALLING: CASTELLO.
LIAM
I just received an audio file from Sarah via an encrypted channel I recently installed on my computer. Tony wants to listen to this with me, so I am waiting for her to come down.
“Hey, babe. I’m here. You can start the recording.”
“Not until you are sitting on my lap. I need to feel your presence . . . I need to feel you.”
“I’m here, Sweetheart. Go,” she says, plonking on my lap, grounding me.
I hit play, and we both listened intently to the audio file.
"Alright, Mr. Castello," Inspector Jenkins begins, his voice gruff, domineering, almost threatening. "It's been two days since your arrest, and I still have nothing . . . nothing I can use. If you are thinking of staying mum and running out the clock, let me helpyou out with that. You are going nowhere. A lot of bodies were found on your gun. As things stand now, you're facing the death penalty. Now, this is the part I need you to pay attention to . . . you have a very small window right now to make any deals a fair-minded law enforcement officer can afford you. Once we book you, that all goes away.
“I know what you have been saying since you got here. The way I see it, you are a dead man any which way you look at it. Either the State of Florida kills you, or your boss kills you, but either way, you are a dead man unless you help us. Give me the names I seek, and maybe . . . maybe we can do you a deal . . . life in prison, without the possibility of parole, but still life, right? Prison ain’t so bad if you make good friends and you keep your shit to yourself.
“The amount of time I am legally allowed to keep you without charging you is maximum 48hours. After that, I have to charge you or release you. I have bosses too, you know, and they will have my hide if I let you go."
“I can’t.”
“Okay. Suit yourself.”
