“Nothing, it’s about his son. I need to meet him. Is there any way you can set up a meet between the two of us?”
“I don’t see why not. We’re on good terms.” What should I tell him it’s about?”
“Just tell him Sicily; I think he’ll understand.” At least, I hope so unless the kid has been keeping him in the dark as well.
“I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“Ok!”
“Found him, I think, oh shit; Nemesis is that you?” Track called out from his chair.
“Where? Let me see.”
“Some chatroom from a private school in New Hampshire!”
GABRIEL
It’s time to go back. I have everything set up for Luna’s downfall, and Sal’s getting a bit antsy about my absence. Alonzo has been trying to play the doting husband to get back into Sal’s good graces, knowing how the older man feels about family. It only took a few photos of him leaving his mistress’s place on the days he supposedly spent at the asylum to nix that.
I’m not sure who Uncle Guy hired to take the pictures and follow Alonzo around at my request, but whoever it is, is good. For some reason, Sal hasn’t mentioned yet that he knows the truth, but I got to listen in on how disappointed he is. When he started lamenting that he wished I’d return or that maybe he should take a trip to America to find me, that was my cue to head back. Besides, I want to be there before Felice draws her last breath; there’s something I need to do.
Because I knew without being told that Pop would not let me go if he knew, I’d asked Nana to have Gramps’ plane on standby just in case. We’ve both been skirting around the issue of Sicily, and I know the only reason Pop has not brought it up is because of Ma and the fact that he’s letting me be a man the way he was when he was my age. It must be hard for him, even though he doesn’t know what I plan on doing entirely.
My mind drifted back to the would-be hacker. Just because he found me digitally does not necessarily mean he knows who I am. But how sure can I be of that? I went over his words time and time again but kept back to the same thing. I even gave thought to it being Sal for a minute.
Maybe he saw through me after all and was trying to warn me off in his own way. But that didn’t make sense. I’ve been listening to things going on at the palazzo, and nothing even remotely close has come through. If this person is trying to save me from myself, they have their hands full. This time when I leave, I don’t plan on coming back.
DRACO
The phone rang at my elbow, pulling me out of the fog. I’d been staring at the same damn page for minutes now. Gabe has been acting strange the last couple of days, and I think I know why. I can’t sleep, can’t eat, and it’s making me nuts. I want to take this shit over and handle it myself. I’m somewhat in the clear since getting rid of the last group of assholes who were aiming to bring me down, but I know better than to believe they were the only ones.
I’m biting my nails and pulling my hair out not to overstep and take over from Gabe, but I’m afraid if I don’t, I’ll lose my son. I answered the phone without checking the number and got a surprise.
“Hey, Draco, Andros here, long time no hear.”
“Hey, how are you, the wife the kids?”
“We’re good, listen; how do you know Mancini?”
“The business guy?”
“Yeah, he is that and a lot of things. Here’s the thing he needs to have a sit down with you.” “With me? About what?”
“He says it’s about your son.”
“My son? What about my son?”
“He said if I tell you Sicily, you’ll know, but he wouldn’t give me any more than that.”
“I’ll be there in two hours.”
“Wait, let me get back to him; it may take him longer than that.”
“Why, isn’t he in the city?”
“He owns homes all over the place; who knows. I’ll call him and call you right back.”
Waiting for the call back was like sitting on pins and needles, and when it came, I was already set to walk out the door. “Draco, Mancini said he can make it in four.”
“I’m on my way.”
MANCINI
The kid was a looker and not at all what I expected. There was just him and a girl in the pic, and the caption is what told us who he was. “Yeah, he looks young enough. Let’s go with him. Gabriel Russo. Track, tell me what he told you again? About his mom.” He went through the story again but admitted his friend was very young at the time, as was he, and he’d just been blowing off steam. It’s what he’d said here and there over the years that added up in Track’s mind to this kid planning to off himself once he was done with the UnSub.