Part 9 (2/2)
The fat guy with the shotgun raised it up, and the guy next to Jack screamed out, ”Stop, you freakin' idiot. I'm right next to him.”
Jack kept his hands up, but s.h.i.+fted his weight to the b.a.l.l.s of his feet. ”Wait. I'm a friend of Angelica's.”
The two guys next to him kept moving away.
”What do you know about Angelica?” The old man walked forward and stuck the barrel of the large gun in Jack's face.
”She's missing. I think someone took her.”
Ilario darted forward, but the old man held out a hand. The old man's bushy brows knit together. ”If she is...missing, how do we know that you didn't have anything to do with it?”
”One-and no offense intended-why the h.e.l.l would I come here, trying to help, if I was a bad guy?”
Don't.
Jack smirked.
The old man c.o.c.ked the revolver.
”Two-in my s.h.i.+rt pocket, Orsacchiotto.” Jack tried his best with the difficult Italian word. The gun in Jack's face trembled. Jack swallowed. ”I don't know what it means, but that's what Angelica called you.”
The old man nodded to the guy with the big nose, who reached into Jack's pocket. He took out the photograph Jack had put there and handed it to the old man. When Ilario looked over his shoulder, his eyes went wide. He grabbed the photo out of the old man's hand and held it up to Jack.
”Where did you get this?” he asked.
”It was the only photograph she had. Like I said, Angelica's my friend, and I'm trying to help find her.”
Ilario turned to the old man. ”Paolo, we need-”
Paolo backhanded him in the mouth. Ilario stumbled backward but didn't fall. Paolo lowered the gun to point at the floor, and Jack exhaled.
”What's your name?”
Don't say anything that could tell them where she is.
”Friend.”
Paolo's eyes narrowed while the other men s.h.i.+fted restlessly. ”Why do you think something is wrong with Angelica?”
”Someone saw her being taken into a car.”
”Who?”
Jack hesitated. ”A friend of mine.”
Paolo's lips pressed together, but Jack saw the old man's eyes.
He knows I'm watching out for her. Part of him respects that. The other part's bad.
Paolo looked Jack up and down before he holstered the gun. ”Follow me.”
He led Jack down a short hallway to a door. Paolo held up a hand, went inside, and then closed the door. Jack waited in the hallway as Big Nose and Fat Man stood on either side of him. After a few minutes, Paolo opened the door and waved for Jack to come in.
The room was a large study. From the thick red carpet on the floor to the paneled walls, the room felt expensive to Jack. At the back of the room was a thick oak desk, and standing beside it could be none other than Severino Mancini. He was almost six feet tall and looked as though he belonged in a boardroom. Black Armani suit, red tie, and perfect hair created the picture of a powerful businessman, not quite the image of the butcher Jack had read about.
Jack stopped judging the man when he saw his face. Severino was in his late fifties. He was a handsome man, but his eyes were hollow. As he looked up, Jack could almost feel the man's pain.
”You're a cop. I already got a call from the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who took my little girl away from me. Why are you here?”
His voice was so smooth it took Jack an extra second to take in what he'd just said. ”Who called you?”
”You don't get it. I ask-you answer.” He looked at Paolo, and Jack saw the way the old man s.h.i.+fted his gun so he was now palming the cannon.
He's holding it to pistol-whip. Don't be a smarta.s.s. That thing would cave my face in.
Jack nodded. ”I'm a friend of Angelica's.” Jack regretted his choice of words when he saw Severino's scowl, but he continued. ”She's missing.”
”So Prescott told me when he called. He said two guys might have driven off with her. Asked me if I was having any issues with anyone.” He scoffed. ”The list to come after me is long. Prescott had no details. He thought she could be...away on a vacation. What do you think?”
Jack shook his head. ”She was scared about something. She thought someone was watching her.”
Severino growled and his arm swept everything on the desk onto the floor. Gla.s.s broke, and papers went flying. The door behind Jack opened as Fat Man and Big Nose ran in.
”Clean it up,” Severino bellowed at them. ”That p.r.i.c.k takes my daughter and can't keep my little girl safe? Now I'll fix it.” He took two steps forward. ”Do you know what they look like?”
”No.”
”Race?”
”No.”
Severino stared at Jack for almost a full minute. As Jack's jaw tightened, he could feel the sweat form on his back. Jack had been called on the carpet ever since he could remember. In school, it was a weekly visit to the princ.i.p.al's office. In the Army, he had true experts try to stare him down. They didn't come close to Severino's cold examination.
”You got anything else?” Severino finally snapped.
Jack shook his head.
”You did your bit. Now get out.”
Jack met his gaze. ”If you get a call, I need you to let me know.”
Severino looked at the floor before he raised his eyes again. ”You think I'd go to the cops? You? For help?” He pounded his chest. ”I'll get my daughter myself. ME. Since you had the b.a.l.l.s to come here, I'm going to repeat myself. Get the h.e.l.l out while I let you keep them.” He turned and smashed everything the two men had been putting on the desk back off. Severino stood there, panting and glaring at Jack.
Jack felt Paolo's hand on his arm, and he looked at the old man. Paolo's eyebrows raised and he looked to the door.
He isn't threatening me. He's helping.
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