La Famiglia (70 page)

“I’m not going to lie, this is bad. Very bad. It has reached the desk of the Prime Minister. He’s been accused of letting lawlessness rule the
Campania
.”

“I understand. It troubles me that our progress in the parliament has devolved to this. And I take personal responsibility for it.”

“I hear we have a new inspector?” Giovanni asked. “Who is he?”

Bonomo swallowed his merlot and avoided Giovanni’s eyes. “His name is Donatello, and he’s a fool if he thinks he alone can rid the
Campania
of the
Camorra
.”

The words sounded sincere, but Bonomo’s inability to look him in the eye when he spoke them gave Giovanni pause. He never trusted a man who could not look him in the eye.

“The true enemy to the good people of Italy is the
`Ndrangheta
not the
Camorra
. They are raiders. Cockroaches!” Giovanni said.

“Bu-but…” the inspector stammered.

“Let me finish.” Giovanni gestured for silence. “I know my hands in this aren’t clean. I run the sanitation, I make sure nothing traffics in and out of my territories. However the
`Ndrangheta
have arrived. And I hear they use the bay for their own purposes.”

The inspector nodded. He removed his handkerchief and dabbed at his fat jaws and then forehead. “It’s true. We have them under surveillance. And your men as well.”

Giovanni smiled. At last he had gotten Bonomo to share something useful. “I’m sure Donatello is looking to make a big arrest, something to elevate his position. He does so, then what happens to you?”

Bonomo didn’t reply.

Giovanni leaned forward. “All these years and you’ve never arrested a man in the
Camorra
. It must have harmed your reputation.”

“I have been compensated.” Bonomo said. He gave Lorenzo and Dominic a nervous smile before looking Giovanni in the eye. “I’m not complaining.”

“Of course not. But I think it’s time we elevate your position in the
Stato.
Eh?”

Bonomo looked around as if confused. “I don’t understand?”

“What spoils go to the inspector who brings in a full confession from a clan boss in the
Camorra
.”

Bonomo began to choke. He hacked and coughed while Giovanni and his men watched, offering no assistance. “Confession? You’re going to confess to me? Publicly?” he asked in disbelief.

“Never forget who I am Bonomo. I will not bend or yield to you or anyone.” Giovanni replied.

“Forgive me. Of course. But you must understand my confusion. We have never had a clan boss turn himself in. The
polizi di stato
have yet to level charges to indict any controlling leader in the
Camorra
. And you sit here and say it could happen?”

“It will happen, before sunrise.” Giovanni said coolly.

Bonomo swallowed. He took a long drink from his glass as his face peppered with sweat. “May I ask, if not you, then who?”

Giovanni stood. The inspector was quick to do so as well. “You will bring the scoundrel in. Be in charge of his full confession of his crimes. I’m sure you will be elevated, promoted.”

Bonomo nodded and smiled with gratitude. When the inspector shook Giovanni’s hand Giovanni gripped the inspector’s hand tightly. “You will remember this generosity. Donatello will no longer investigate my family or our business interests.”

“I will. Of course I will.” The inspector nodded. He kissed Giovanni’s ring, bowed his head and was escorted out.

Dominic cleared his throat. He dusted his tie. “Well the line is cast, Gio. Care to tell me who you plan to pin this confession on for the Inspector?”

“Don’t you know, Domi? You know everything else.” Giovanni sat and picked up his cigar. Lorenzo returned after having handed the inspector off to one of their men to be escorted off the property. Dominic cast his gaze between Giovanni and Lorenzo in confusion.

“No I don’t know,” Dominic said. “But it’s evident you and Lorenzo have discussed this without me.”

“Mottola goes down. The
`Ndrangheta
goes down. And Santo… bows.” Lorenzo grinned as he shared the news. “It’s for the best, Gio. Santo can’t be trusted. And I’ve proven it. This is how we show strength and own the territories.”

Giovanni leveled an icy stare at Dominic.

“You have not proven it!” Dominic said glancing between the two men. “There is no evidence that Santo caused this breech. None.” Dominic directed his comments to Lorenzo. “This war between you and Santo is petty, unfounded, and unproductive. While you sailed the Mediterranean, Santo has been loyal to Giovanni. He’s done a lot of good.” He then turned to Giovanni to plead his case. “Gio, you pull this trigger there is no going back. The fundamental rules of our brotherhood are broken. What’s to make any man who works for you not believe you won’t do the same to him?”

Giovanni took a drag of his cigar and blew a ring of smoke. “That’s the fucking point, Domi. That’s the fucking goal! My empire is crumbling, on your watch! Santo’s watch! My watch! That can never happen again. I was distracted with my wife and her issues. She thinks it was to control her. Well she has her wish. I’m not distracted anymore. And I will make sure no one dares doubt me, including every man in this family. The message is clear.” Giovanni stood. “Betray me and no matter who you are in this family you will bend.” He cast Lorenzo a warning glare. He then looked back to Dominic. “No matter who you are.”

He turned and walked out.

Dominic couldn’t speak.

“Tsk, tsk, Domi,” Lorenz stood, and chuckled. “I warned you of this when you stood silent as Gio replaced me with Santo.”

Dominic cut his cousin a death glare. “Meaning?”

Lorenzo straightened his tie “Gio needs me. I’m his left hand. You can be his errand boy, and pretend at counseling him. I will keep him strong. This is the way it should always be. Santo is a pretender.”

“Bullshit, Lo!” Dominic said. “You didn’t do this for Gio. You did it for you. Now you will turn Santo against us. Hand him over to the authorities and he will want revenge. I had it under control!” Dominic shouted. “We are strong as a family of men. That is what
Omertá
means to us. Gio’s full of rage and you stood back and let him loose. That is not how he should lead. That is his downfall.”

Lorenzo chuckled. “The problem with you, Dominic, is you think you are his conscience. For Giovanni to be our leader he should have none.” Lorenzo shook his head smiling and walked out.

Dominic lowered to his chair. He stared at the floor.

“
Signor
Domi
,
is there anything you need?” Arturo asked.

What he needed wasn’t in a bottle. He rubbed his brow. No idea formed, just consequence. Before the night ended there would be a lot of consequence.

* B
*

“She wants to meet with us. I told her I’d call her back,” Marietta said as she entered the door. She paused and blinked at those gathered. Rosetta had been the one to deliver the news that Mira wanted to meet with them all in the nursery. Mira nursed one of the twins while Zia fed the other with a bottle. Catalina stood by the window. Her arms were crossed and her gaze trained to the setting sun out over the beach. Cecelia sat on the bed with Eve helping her turn the page on a book.

“We having some kind of family meeting?” Marietta asked.

“Close the door please,” Mira said in a hushed tone, which reminded Marietta she should be conscious of the twins. Marietta did what she was told. “Have a seat,” Mira smiled. “I know things have been really hard for the family the past few weeks. A lot has happened.” Mira stopped rocking in her chair and stood with Gianni in her arms. She walked over to the crib and placed the sleeping baby inside. She fixed her blouse before turning and addressing them all. “I need your help. What I want to ask of you goes against everything we agreed upon with protecting this family and honoring Giovanni’s wishes. I don’t want you to think that I don’t know this.”

“What is it?” Catalina asked.

“It’s the truth about Marsuvio Mancini and my mother. The affair they had. The reason for her death. Truths that Giovanni either can’t or won’t tell me. I need more answers.”

Zia put Gino on her shoulder and tried to burp him. “Rocco told me some of it. Mancini and Tomosino were responsible for your mother’s death.”

“Patri? My Patri killed your mother?” Catalina asked. “That’s ridiculous!”

“Yes. He put a contract on her life,” Marietta confirmed.

The hurt of the accusation drained the color from Catalina’s face. “He wouldn’t do that. He would never put a hit on the life of a woman. Patri wouldn’t!”

“He did it!” Marietta shot back.

“That’s enough,” Mira said. “Catalina, listen to me. We don’t know the truth. Who killed my mother and why. I need to get to the bottom of this.”

“How?” Zia asked.

“Her name is Gemma, she’s my godmother and she’s here in Sicily. She knew my mother, our mother,” Marietta clarified.

“We want to meet her. Tonight if possible,” Mira added.

“No.” Catalina said. “Absolutely not. Gio said we aren’t to leave. We can’t risk it with the men gone.”

Mira smiled. “What do you suggest? I have to see her, Catalina. I can’t bring her here. It’s not safe.”

“It’s safer than you leaving to go and meet her,” Zia said.

“She has a point,” Marietta chimed in. “We really don’t know what is going on now with our men and Mancini. Maybe we should try to bring Gemma here?”

Mira put her hand to her head. Each way she turned she hit a wall of uncertainty.

“What about the villa, the beach villa? We can get her there tonight,” Catalina suggested. “It’s a good compromise. The men don’t go there. There’s a road that I used to take as a girl to ride my bike. I can bring her in that way. With most of the men gone they’d never suspect.”

“Much better plan.” Zia agreed.

“What do you think?” Marietta asked Mira. “It could work.”

“I think it could. But I don’t want to sneak her in here. If she’s discovered it will set the men off. It could put her in danger.”

“So what are you suggesting? That we walk her in through the front door?” Rosetta asked.

Mira smiled. “I can’t, but Zia, you can.”

“Me?” Zia gasped.

Mira grinned. “She can drive up and say she came upon your request, for help in the kitchen. And then we put her out in the villa on the beach. This way the men won’t be alarmed and…”

“Won’t work.” Catalina shook her head. “If anyone drives up here and steps on the property they need permission from Giovanni.” Catalina reminded everyone. “None of the men will let a stranger in because Zia said so.”

Zia walked over to the crib. She laid out a sleeping Gino. “Which men are here?” Zia asked.

“Leo, Leonardo, Antonio, David, Michael, Giulio,” Cecelia offered.

“Renaldo is here.” Rosetta reminded everyone. Renaldo was a very silent but strict enforcer of Giovanni’s rules.

“Not at the moment,” Catalina said. “I asked him to go into Palermo to get some packages for me and Mira. He’s not going to return from those pickups until tonight.”

“Why would Renaldo run that kind of errand? Isn’t he over these men?” Marietta asked. Mira had to agree. Renaldo was Giovanni’s personal bodyguard. He’d take a bullet for the family. Giovanni would put him and Nico in front of the family at all times.

“Because of the bombing with the Mancinis,” Catalina answered. “Everyone is on alert. Renaldo doesn’t want the men out there or at risk. He’d rather be the only one to come and go from here.”

“Why does any of this matter?” Mira asked Zia.

Zia smiled. “Because those men don’t know my cousin Ines.”

Mira loved the way Zia thought. She nodded understanding. She glanced at Marietta. “Call Gemma, tell her we can send a car for her. That she will be cousin Ines.”

Catalina laughed. “That might work. If she’s family and the men contact Gio, he’ll approve. Perfect, Zia!” she kissed her cheek. “We can prove that my Patri did not kill your mother.”

Mira winked at Catalina. “I hope we get to the bottom of many things tonight.”

* B
*

Giovanni bounded down the stairs. He was an hour behind. Dominic and Lorenzo waited for him at the bottom step. He had an early dinner minus the alcohol. He felt strong enough for all that would unfold in the evening.

“Are we ready?” he asked.

Lorenzo nodded.

Dominic stared at him. Giovanni ignored the concern in Dominic’s eyes. He walked out and the men climbed inside his black van. It was a lot less conspicuous than the fancy cars he owned. Giovanni took a seat to the back.

“Home? How are the women?” Giovanni asked once Carlo slammed the door shut on the van and got inside.

“Got a call from Leo—he checks in regularly. Zia wants Ines to come and assist with the cooking. The twins are a handful.”