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‘The witness is a woman,’ I added and again heard a ripple of discontent in the room.
‘Bring her in,’ he consented.
I made my move to open the closed door at the side of me and beckoned Sophia to enter through the small gap I’d created.
I knew that Vincenzo’s need to understand what was going on, and what had apparently been going on for far too many years, was because it had been supposedly happening under his and his father’s leadership, not because he cared about the victims. I was also pretty much convinced that a few of the men here wouldn’t care about women and children being stolen from their homes and sold, as long as it wasn’t their own family.
Then there were the ones with a brain.
The Ndrangheta had kept order in this part of the world for centuries, for this to be happening under their noses without their knowledge, would show that they didn’t have the power they needed to keep control. What Sophia had to say would mean our Don no longer had absolute power. It also meant that we were all missing out on our cut of the illegal business, but far worse than that, it meant that there were men amongst us who had no respect for our culture.
And to me, it meant I was getting nearer to the revenge I craved.
‘Step forward,’ Vincenzo bellowed.
As true as her word, Sophia stepped into the lion’s den knowing that all eyes were on her, as she mistakenly thought that she and I would be leaving together after we exposed the cause of my mama’s demise.
‘Your name?’
‘My name is Sophia… I don’t know any more.’ She turned her head to try to gauge how the men around her had reacted to her admission. Seemingly, feeling reassured by their reactions, she added, ‘But very soon, I will be the bearer of a noble name.’ Shyly she looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. For a brief second, I felt guilt for what I’d led her into, but I offered her a smile in return and nodded my head that she should carry on.
‘Where did you come from?’
‘I don’t know precisely where… a village I think, in the mountains. I was a small child when they brought me here.’
‘Brought you to where?’ Vincenzo continued to question.
‘I work in the San Luca Brothel. Women and children come and go from there…’
‘Women and children?’ Vincenzo spoke the words slowly for clarification.
‘Yes.’ Sophia nodded quickly as she answered.
‘How many women and children come and go?’ Enzo spoke.
‘It’s hard to say.’ Sophia began to fidget as she became aware of the scrutiny she was being subjected to.
‘Is it one person… or twenty? Think!’ he demanded, seemingly desperate for the information.
‘It’s at least four or five a week… sometimes twice that.’
‘Disgusting.’ My grandfather voiced his opinion and roughly seventy percent of those in the room nodded in agreement.
‘And I take it that the reason you’ve been brought before us today is because you know who is doing this?’ Vincenzo placed two of his fingers against his temple as he asked the question, trying to make it apparent to all that were watching him, his obvious upset and distaste at Sophia’s words.
‘I know the younger one’s name, but there are others I don’t know.’ The many men stood listening to her stiffened their posture. Some in anger and others as they waited for the hammer to fall after her revelations were complete. ‘And I’ve heard the shoes of the one who’s in charge connect with the wooden floorboards.’
At the puzzled expressions surrounding me, I entered the conversation. ‘Say what you mean, Sophia.’
She turned back to me again and smiled.
‘He walks heavily. We can hear him coming as soon as he enters the building. The sound fills us all with dread, as he has a lot of sick fantasies and disgusting acts that he wants us to take part in, and nearly every time he turns up at least one person disappears when he leaves.’
‘Disappears?’ Vincenzo shifted his feet before he carried on, ‘Disappears to where?’
‘Some are killed.’
‘How the hell would you know that?’ Enzo accused as he shook his head at Sophia, and I flattened the smirk that threatened my mouth. It was an endless source of amusement for me, when a man who had so much to lose had absolutely no ability to control his reactions.
