Part 23 (2/2)

I couldn't resist asking, ”I understand Elena has lost three husbands, Father?”

”Yes, her life has been very difficult. Hmm, no, I don't see a black wrap over here. I'll look at that stack over there,” he said. ”Elena's losses have brought her closer to her faith, but at great personal cost.”

”Her first husband worked for the Gambello family?” I asked, trying not to sound gossipy.

”More than that. He was one of the Shy Don's many nephews.”

That surprised me. ”Was he a brother of Johnny Gambello?”

”No, Anthony and Johnny were cousins. But they were almost as close as brothers. Anthony was older, and he tried to take Johnny under his wing. Help him, give him some guidance. But that, of course, turned out very bitterly.”

”How so?” I asked, looking around the room and wondering where else my wrap might have fallen or been dropped. Among the bunny costumes? It seemed unlikely, but I checked anyhow.

Father Gabriel explained, ”About twenty years ago, Johnny had an affair with a lady whom a certain drug lord considered his, er, exclusive companion.”

”Okay, I know Johnny wasn't very bright, but why would the woman do something so dumb?” I wondered.

”Well, though his looks were eventually ruined by his indulgences, Johnny was quite a handsome young man. So the woman may have found him irresistible. I remember neighborhood girls my own age swooning over Johnny back then, though we were much younger than he, of course.”

”So you grew up around the Gambellos?” I asked.

”Yes. Hmm, I'm afraid I don't see your wrap anywhere, Esther.”

”No, I don't, either.” But I was more interested in our conversation by now. ”You knew Johnny back then?”

”No, I just knew who he was. As everyone did. Well, everyone except the cuckolded drug lord and his thugs.”

”They came looking for him?”

Father Gabriel nodded. ”But Johnny was not unaware of the risks of wooing that woman, so he had taken a precaution when introducing himself to her. And it's easy to believe that he was too foolish to consider how horribly the jest would backfire, or what it would cost others.”

”Oh, my G.o.d!” I covered my mouth. ”Er, pardon me, Father. I mean . . . You're saying Johnny told the woman he was Anthony?”

The priest nodded. ”Precisely. As a result, Anthony's body was found . . . Well, I'll spare you the details, but it was a brutal death. And Elena, just over thirty at the time, became a widow.”

”What a terrible story,” I said with feeling. ”No wonder she hated Johnny. But considering that Johnny had caused his cousin's death, why didn't Don Victor . . .”

”Well, Johnny was also also a nephew of the don. So he was given a pa.s.s.” a nephew of the don. So he was given a pa.s.s.”

I'd heard the expression before. At Bella Stella, of course. ”And I gather it wouldn't turn out to be the last time, either, that the Shy Don spared Johnny for doing something that would typically be a killing offense.”

”No, indeed,” the priest agreed.

”But how did Elena wind up married to a Corvino after that?” I sat in a chair and gestured for the priest to do the same.

”She fell in love,” Father Gabriel said simply, taking a seat. ”They met here, in fact. I gather she sought support and counsel from Father Stefano, who was the priest here back then. Father Stefano encouraged their love, believing that the union of a Gambello widow and Corvino soldier might end the constant and deadly violence between the two families.” Father Gabriel sighed. ”He had a good heart and a strong faith, but he was naive about these matters.”

”It's a real Romeo and Juliet story, isn't it?”

”With an equally unhappy outcome.”

”When the Gambellos found out,” I guessed, ”the sh . . . er, things. .h.i.t the fan?”

”Elena married her Corvino lover in secret, then went alone to Don Victor's home to confess the truth, to ask for his forgiveness and blessing. He was so enraged, he tried to kill her.”

I gasped, imagining the violence of that confrontation. The frail old man's vitriol and fury, Elena's fear and desperation, and the thugs who were probably just outside the door, prepared to carry out whatever heinous act their boss ordered.

Father Gabriel continued, ”But even the don, who had committed so many acts of deadly violence before growing old and turning over the dirty work to his subordinates . . . Even he stopped short of murdering a woman. Just Just short. Elena says she had dark bruises on her throat for a week after that night.” short. Elena says she had dark bruises on her throat for a week after that night.”

I put my hand up to my own throat, disturbed by the mental image of the Shy Don trying to kill his nephew's remarried widow.

Father Gabriel shrugged. ”There is some reluctance among wiseguys to murder a woman.”

”I guess that saved Elena's life.”

He sighed. ”Well, they didn't kill Elena, but as far as the Gambellos were concerned, there was still unfinished business to settle. A Corvino had courted a Gambello widow. He had poached in sacred territory. In their code of honor, they couldn't rest without making an example of him. So Lucky . . . Oh Oh. Oh, dear.” He looked at me, evidently recalling that I hung out with Lucky. ”Never mind.”

”So Lucky killed him?” I asked in shock. ”For that that?” I had a.s.sumed Lucky's murder of Elena's second husband was ”business,” not something so personal, so vicious.

”Yes.”

”No wonder she hates Lucky so much,” I said, appalled.

”Yes,” Father Gabriel repeated.

I felt depressed. I was suddenly ashamed to think of Lucky as my friend, as someone I liked.

Lopez had been right, I was naive. I knew Lucky was a killer! Had I really supposed he'd had good good reasons for murdering people? reasons for murdering people?

”Of course, Elena remarried in time,” said Father Gabriel.

”Uh-huh,” I said, not really interested now, feeling sick as I thought about the deeds of a man I had described to Elena as my friend only a few minutes ago.

”To another Corvino.” The priest shrugged. ”Perhaps she was lonely. Or perhaps staying within a powerful family made her feel safer. But, of course, Eddie Giacalona was killed, too. About two years ago.”

”By Lucky?”

”No. By another Corvino.”

I looked at Father Gabriel in surprise. ”They killed one of their own?”

”For betraying the family.” He snorted and added, ”Not all bosses are as sentimental as the Shy Don.”

<script>