“No one,” I reply.
“They’re family.” Ralph’s mouth moves, but it’s Jonathan’s voice I hear this time.
I grab my phone and pull up his contact info.
“Hey, brotha,” he replies after the first ring.
“You checking for offshore accounts?”
“It’s part of the plan, yeah.”
“I’m looking for small increments,” I tell him. “A couple of hundred here and there.”
“Someone skimming?”
“More than one,” I say, thinking of Rinaldo’s little fund for Felisa. “Make sure you look for multiple accounts.”
“I’m on it.”
I
hang up and sit back in the chair.
I don’t care who it is. If I find anyone who has cheated Rinaldo, ultimately leading to him being shot, they’re going to die.
I feel like I owe it to him now.
I lean back and close my eyes as I try to concentrate and put everything together. Beni’s working with Taylor in some capacity; I’m sure of that. Chances are, he’s the one taking a slice of the pie, but what’s his endgame? He’s connected to the family back in Sicily, and though greed always plays a part in such things, it has to be more than that.
Power.
Rinaldo’s reaching retirement. Lucia is the only logical family heir, but there’s no way Rinaldo will leave it all up to her. Beni’s interest in Lucia is apparent, and I’ve assumed they’ve been sleeping together, but is she involved, too? Does she know what Beni is doing?
It’s difficult for me to imagine Lucia as a rat. It’s not just a matter of family ties and loyalty—she loves her father. She wouldn’t be involved in something that would jeopardize his life. Beni could be using her though. He could be planning to marry her and take over from that angle, but if so, he wouldn’t be stealing from what he believes will be his.
There’s more to it.
Seattle is without organization and leadership. It’s a good time to attempt a takeover. If he had the funds to orchestrate that, and also maintain power in Chicago, he’d end up the most powerful man in the country.
With numbers and suspicions going through my head, I drive out onto the highway. Picking up Alina is more habit than intentional thought. Of course, I can’t find her anywhere. I have to drive around for an hour looking for her, but about the time I’m thinking about giving up, I come around the block and see her. She’s right there on her corner when I pull up.
She approaches the car and gets in.
“Hello, Evan.”
I glance at her and nod. She stares at me from the passenger’s seat with a wary look, her head tilted a little to the right.
I realize I need to add one more person to my list of possibilities. I don’t like the idea, but considering how I had been blindsided by the last hooker who had consistently shared my bed, I can’t discount Alina. She hasn’t mentioned me talking in my sleep, but it’s possible.
I don’t say anything as I drive off, heading straight for my apartment. When I park in the garage, she’s still looking at me in the same way.
“What?”
“You’re distracted,” Alina says. “I mean, more so than usual.”
“It’s been a long couple of days.”
She continues to look at me. Could she be probing me to see how much I realize? If she’s involved, she already knows Rinaldo’s been injured. I look her over, memorizing the position of her hands on her lap, the tilt of her head, and the dilation of her pupils.