Part 13 (1/2)

”I know what the h.e.l.l started it and it goes to show that Tony should keep his fat mouth shut if he doesn't know all the facts.”

Roberto saw the hatred dancing around in Carlos' eyes.

”I ought to go dig the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h up and pump his rotting corpse full of holes. As far as I'm concerned, he and Tony are from the same fruit.”

Roberto clearly understood his boss' rage. It would be a long, long time before he himself would forget the day Carlos found out the truth about his Under Boss, Salvatore Anastasia. The day he learned the truth was also the same day that Anastasia died.

Carlos' granddaughter, Melinda Belotti had come to see him later that evening after hearing the news. She told Carlos that she had been keeping a dark, terrible secret for years, and had lived in agony over it. She fell into his arms, sobbing, and he had comforted her. He rea.s.sured her that it was all right, that she could tell him anything. After some gentle prodding, he got her to open up.

She told him about a business meeting that had taken place at his estate late one night. She described the events in vivid detail. She said that later in the evening, a man had come into her room. He climbed into bed with her and placed his hand over her mouth to keep her from screaming. He whispered in her ear, and said that if she made a sound, he would kill her.

He pulled up her nightgown, removed her panties, and raped her. Afterward, he told her that if she ever said anything, he would kill her parents, as well as Carlos.

Although it was dark, she had recognized him by the smell of his cologne. It was Salvatore Anastasia. Melinda was ten years old at the time. Carlos was speechless, enraged, and for the first time in his life, he was powerless. All he could do was sit and listen to his granddaughter's anguish and try to comfort her the best way he knew how.

Roberto knew that Big Tony was in a lot of trouble. It was evident by the look on Carlos' face. Roberto pulled out a chair and sat down across from him. ”What do you want to do about it?” he asked.

Carlos slammed his fist down on the table. ”I want to kill the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h. That's what I want to do. I don't care about the details ... and take care of Sonny, while you're at it.”

Roberto pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. ”I'll call Sammy.”

Carlos held his hand up to stop him. ”You know what? On second thought, let's hold off for a little while. I have something else in mind.”

”Are you sure?” Roberto asked.

Carlos nodded. ”Yeah, I'm sure.”

Chapter 15.

Rheyna couldn't believe how much time had gone by since Pandora's Box had begun, and the last couple of months went just as fast. It was frustrating, seeing they were still no closer to bringing down Castrucci then when they started. She was frustrated, as were the members of her team, but no one more so than Edwards.

The Deputy Director was on his back and getting restless. He wanted results and wanted them yesterday. The cost of the operation was mounting, and it took all of Edwards' energy to convince him they needed a little more time. So far, they had several hundred hours of useless surveillance tape and just as many photos, but nothing to link Castrucci directly to the killings or smuggling operations. Something had to give.

Her relations.h.i.+p-if you could call it that-with Caroline was growing, and so was Annie. She had long since had her cast removed, was sprouting up like a weed, and she and Rheyna were practically inseparable.

Rheyna continued with the ruse of running her photography business and her role in the operation felt more like that of a bystander. She and Laura concluded that surveillance alone was not going to cut it.

On most days, she was okay with her a.s.signment and on others; it took everything she had in her to fight off the ever-increasing guilt for deceiving Caroline and Terasa. She and Caroline were spending a lot of time together in between her days at Haven. She found herself looking forward to the long walks she and Caroline took regularly along the beach with Annie. They even took the boat out several more times, and Rheyna actually drove it.

She felt no stress when they were on the boat, and for a few stolen hours, Rheyna felt at peace. She tried not to think about the time when it would all have to end, because if she did, she would also have to think about Caroline and how Caroline would hate her for what she had done to her and her family.

The thought of Caroline hating her tore her up inside. She dreaded seeing the disappointment in Caroline's eyes, a disappointment she knew was sure to come. She pushed the thoughts aside and decided she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

After her fifth or sixth visit to the Castrucci estate, the guards no longer searched her. She came and went as she pleased and she took full advantage of her liberties, gathering whatever information she could by eavesdropping on Big Tony's conversations out by the pool.

On one occasion, using a cool pair of sungla.s.ses with a built in camera, she was able to get surveillance photos of two previously unknown members of the Ma.s.sino crime family. She then pa.s.sed the information on to Laura.

She and Caroline had gone to dinner with Phil and Jesse several times since their first boat trip. After spending time with them, Rheyna realized just what Caroline saw in them. They were kind souls, but most of all, they were genuine. They were also lovers, as Rheyna had first suspected. They had been together for almost nineteen years. Jesse was the cutup of the two and was heavy into joke telling.

She really liked Phil but she enjoyed Jesse's company the most. He was a riot to be around and was sure to lift the dourest of spirits. She also loved that he liked to shop and the two of them had went on several shopping sprees in the specialty shops down in Palo Alto. She was grateful for the friends.h.i.+p they had so easily offered her. Her only wish was that it had happened under different circ.u.mstances.

Chapter 16.

Sonny looked at the shadowy figure standing in the recessed doorway. ”You're taking a big risk meeting like this,” he said.

”I didn't have much choice. The a.s.sistant Deputy Director's getting too close.”

Sonny lit his cigarette and laughed. ”Well, what do you want me to do about it? Kill him?”

”I don't know but you need to do something and do it fast. He has some hotshot programmer back in Was.h.i.+ngton running some new computer program. It's only a matter of time before my name comes up.”

”Don'tcha think you're overreacting a bit? You're the last person on the planet they'd ever suspect of laying in bed with the mob,” Sonny snorted.

”d.a.m.n it to h.e.l.l. Do not tell me how to react! I'm telling you we have a problem and if they tie me to these hits, your a.s.s is going down right along with me.”

”I thought you said you covered your tracks,” Sonny said, unable to keep the agitation from his voice.

”I did cover my tracks.”

”Then how the h.e.l.l they gonna trace it back to you?”

”They're not just looking at Scala's murder, they're looking at Vinci and Pisano and a few others, too.”

”Vinci and Pisano?” Sonny asked, not understanding the meaning.

”Did I f.u.c.king stutter?”

Sonny leaned back against the doorframe, trying to place the names. After a few seconds, it dawned on him. ”Vinci and Pisano. Jesus, that was over ten years ago,” he said, taking a long drag on his cigarette. ”Vinci and Pisano were killed in car accidents. Why are they looking at them now?” he asked.

”I don't know and I really don't give a rat's a.s.s. All I care about is me not being linked to them in any way, shape, or form.”

”Can't you do something on your end to derail the program?”

”No, it would only make it look more suspicious. I'm too close to the investigation as it is.”

Sonny dropped the cigarette b.u.t.t and stomped it out with his shoe. He nodded as he looked at the shadowy figure. ”Well, you're right. We have to do something. You have any ideas?”

”Yeah, I do. I have one that just might work, but you'll have to move fast.”

Sonny smiled and lit another cigarette. ”I'm all ears,” he said, exhaling the smoke.

Rheyna hit the speed dial again and waited for Laura to answer. It rang seven times and then went into her voice mail. ”d.a.m.n it,” she said, pressing the speed dial again. Once again, it rang seven times and then went into her voice mail. She decided to leave a message this time. ”Hey, Laura, it's me again. I left you a voice mail earlier and I hope you're getting these messages. You know I wouldn't normally do this without any backup or a safety net, but I don't have much choice. This might be the only chance I get to check out Baysh.o.r.e. If you've listened to my earlier message, you'll know the details. Also, if you don't hear from me within two hours, send re-enforcements.”