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“It’s still wrong.”
“Is it possible you’re more of a saint than I?” Gaetano chuckled. “I’m going in to get the Curcio file. Where’s the file room, exactly?”
“On the second floor. When you go up the stairs, take a right and it’s in the corner. You can’t miss it.”
“The files are alphabetical?”
“Yes, under the husband’s last name.”
“Give me a boost.” Gaetano positioned himself under the window, and Carmine linked his hands. Gaetano took a leg up, then stretched as far as he could along the wall. The stone scraped his palms, but he got both hands on the edge of the windowsill.
“Okay?”
“Okay. Carmine, count to three, then push up as hard as you can.”
Carmine counted off, then boosted Gaetano to the mullioned window. It opened partway, and Gaetano launched himself at the windowsill, clambered inside, and fell onto the parquet floor. He looked around, his heart pounding. He was inside a fancy law office, the desks and chairs shadows in the gloom.
He scrambled to his feet, hurried from the office, and found theentrance hall. There was a stairwell with a window at its landing, faintly illuminated by the lights in the piazza. He bounded up the stairs, turned, and hustled down a hallway to the closed door in the corner, which had to be the file room.
He entered the room, disoriented by its utter darkness. There was no window, and little light came from the hallway. His eyes became accustomed, and he saw file cabinets lining the room and a small wooden desk with a candelabra next to some matches.
He lit the candle and held it up to the file cabinets, reading the labels on the drawers. He passed theA’s,B’s,C-Co, until he reachedCo-Cu. He yanked the drawer open, thumbed through the files, and spottedCurcio. He set down the candelabra and opened the file, thumbing through the correspondence on top.
He found a thick packet that readLast Will & Testament of Vito Curcio. He thumbed through the pages, scanning the provisos. He saw no reference to the family’s addresses, then realized they could be attached as an exhibit.
“Hands up!” a man shouted, and Gaetano looked up, shocked to see Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieriaiming rifles at him.
“Marshal Rosselli, I was just trying to find—”
“I’ve had it with you! You’re under arrest!” Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieriflooded the file room.
“No, wait, please, I just need to see the file—” Gaetano started to say, but Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieridragged him into the hallway, where Carmine’s boss was standing with a beautiful young woman. Gaetano realized the couple must have been together in one of the offices, heard him in the file room, and summoned thecarabinieri.
“I know who you are!” Carmine’s boss shouted at Gaetano. “I know what you’re up to! Don Matteo fired you and now you’re stealing our clients! You and Carmine! We got him, too!”
“No, we only wanted to see an address—”
“You’re under arrest!” Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieripulled him down the hallway, but Gaetano tried to hold his ground.
“I’m just trying to find the Curcio family! Their son was kidnapped—”
“Liar!” Carmine’s boss hollered. “Don’t let him see a thing! That’s proprietary business information!”
“You’re coming with us!” Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieripulled harder, but Gaetano struggled in their grasp.
“Let me go, please, I need that address! I’m trying to find a kidnapped boy! I’m doing your job—”
“You’re going to jail!” Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieridragged Gaetano down the hall.
“No!” Gaetano exploded in desperation. He elbowed Marshal Rosselli in the face, hit the officer on his right, and fought his way back to the file room.
Carmine’s boss hurried forward to stop him, but Gaetano punched him in the jaw. The boss fell backward, knocked off balance. The woman screamed.
Marshal Rosselli and thecarabinieriseized Gaetano, then he felt an agonizing blow to the head.
He collapsed to the floor, in darkness.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
