Shadow Warrior (Shadow Riders 4)

Emmanuelle made a small sound in her throat and Vittorio moved to the arm of her chair, making it casual, dropping his arm around her shoulders, staring at his mother, daring her to say something derogatory, but she didn’t even look up.

“The carpet, by the way, was taken from Luciu, Lola and Merci’s interior design store, Puglia’s House of Design. Their store was broken in to and four carpets were stolen. Bruno’s carpet was from his apartment. Vane and Banks each accounted for one of the carpets from Puglia’s.”

“Was the third body they found someone from the club?” Vittorio asked.

Stefano sighed. “Vittorio, you were the one who said at least three employees had to be involved for them to pull it off and it appears that you were correct. Vane, Banks and, unfortunately, Clay Pierson. I don’t know why that one feels like such a betrayal.”

“Because it was,” Vittorio supplied. He pitched his voice low and kept it soothing.

Stefano shrugged. “He was offered a lot of money. According to Rigina, each time Banks sabotaged the footage, Vane and Pierson were both working. The investigation is still ongoing, and they’re scrutinizing every employee now, but they’ve uncovered evidence that each of them at one time met with Harold Jenson, Miceli’s consigliere. When questioned, Jenson claimed it was no more than a casual meeting, but nothing Jenson does is casual.”

“Where was Pierson found?” Giovanni asked.

“Berardo found him in the dumpster behind Giordano’s butcher shop. I was grateful he went to the garbage first thing and not Claretta. These bodies were in very bad shape.”

“But they took a fourth carpet,” Vittorio said. “Another employee we don’t know of, or a warning to us?”

“I think the dead bodies put in dumpsters behind the buildings we own might be a warning,” Taviano said. “I’m so fucking glad I sent Lucia, Amo and Nicoletta to Italy. Did you have the dumpster behind Lucia’s Treasures searched?”

“Lucia and Amo are in Italy?” There was obvious relief in Eloisa’s voice.

Emmanuelle put her mouth close to Vittorio’s ear. “Sometimes I think she cares more for the people in our territory than her own children.”

Vittorio kissed the top of her head, aching for her. Her heart had to be completely broken. Somewhere deep inside, she had to be holding out hope that the Saldis were not preparing for an all-out war with the Ferraros. “Sometimes it does feel that way, honey. Always know, you’re very loved.”

“I do know,” Emmanuelle said.

“We’re still searching other dumpsters as well as for any missing employees in any of our establishments or the shops in our territory,” Stefano continued.

“Would they have two dealers in that small of an area?” Vittorio asked. “One in the club for sure, and then Bruno already.”

“What other purpose then?” Ricco asked.

“Not gun running,” Giovanni said. “If they were selling guns, who would they be selling to other than our family?”

“They went after Grace,” Eloisa said. “Human trafficking? Right under our noses? Would they dare?”

Vittorio thought it over in the ensuing silence. “They were using the club for their dirty work and that had to be deliberate. Maybe trafficking.”

“Have any of our girls or boys disappeared?” Eloisa asked. “If so, who is looking into it?”

“I was,” Emmanuelle said. “Two of the girls from the local high school. They were friends with Nicoletta and hung out at the flower shop with her.”

Vittorio happened to be looking at Taviano. His features hardened perceptibly. He went from looking young to appearing a dangerous, lethal and very pissed-off man.

“Two friends of Nicoletta’s have gone missing and you didn’t tell me?” Taviano snapped. “What the fuck, Emme?”

“Sisters. Twins. Eva and Marta Giboli,” Emmanuelle conceded. “Their mother, Rita, asked me to look quietly into their disappearance. She thought they’d run away from home. Their father lives in Tuscany and they’ve never met him but whenever she insisted they do chores around the house, they threatened to go live with him. She was afraid they might have.”

“And you didn’t think it was worth telling me?” Taviano repeated, glaring at her. “Nicoletta is a hellion. If her friends were running away, wasn’t it possible she might have been considering following their example?”

Emmanuelle sighed. “Seriously, Taviano, I just got the call from her yesterday and started the investigation. I couldn’t talk to Nicoletta because she’s in Italy. Rita didn’t see fit to call me until yesterday evening. She feared her friends would think she was a bad mother if they knew the girls had run away to be with their father.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Eloisa snapped. “I’ve always wanted to slap that woman. She doesn’t have a brain in her head. How long have the girls been gone?”

“Almost two weeks.”

“Did she talk to their father?”

Emmanuelle shook her head. “She refuses to talk to him, but she’s certain the girls are with him. She wants me to get in touch with him. I tried, but no one answered his phone.”