“You’re thorough. But you weren’t authorized to make that deal, were you?” I turn to the man. “He doesn’t make the decisions. I think you’ve been misled.”
“No. Please, please, sir. Mr. Santa Maria. Please. Estrella, he’s ruthless.”
I raise an eyebrow. “That’s funny.” I pick up a folding chair that’s leaning against the far wall, bring it over in front of the guy, open it, and sit. “But I don’t think it’s Estrella you need to worry about right now. You mentioned you had family?” I use the past tense on purpose, and I see from the change in expression on his face he catches it.
He nods. “A wife and a boy.”
“How old is the boy?”
“Two.”
“Great age, isn’t it? So innocent.”
He nods again, and I see a glimpse of hope on his face.
“He won’t have much memory of you.”
That hope is gone almost as quickly as it came. His eyes grow huge, and they’re filling up with tears.
I shake my head. “Crying is for women. Don’t be a fucking pussy. You lived this life, you know how it works. I’m damn sure your hands aren’t clean.”
He can’t seem to stop himself, though.
“Estrella, where is he?”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. I haven’t done work for him since Mr. Em—” he stops, catches himself.
“Since?” I raise my eyebrows. “Tell me, and I’ll see what I can do about keeping the deal Hugo made with you.”
He considers this. I get up and move the chair away because the smell of his fear is making me nauseous.
“I don’t know where he is. I swear it.”
“Since his what, Johnny?”
“He’ll kill me. My family.”
“No, I’ll be the one to kill you, which will then leave your family unprotected. Alessandro Estrella is one mean son of a bitch, but I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m meaner. Hugo, give him some incentive.”
I’ve barely finished my sentence before Hugo’s behind him. A moment later, the chair goes crashing forward and I hear the collision of the man’s face against the tiles.
“Ouch,” I say, watching as Hugo straightens the chair. There’s a wide gash across his forehead and he looks to have lost at least one tooth.
Hugo then grips his hair and tugs his head backward.
“Your wife, does she know where you are?”
He tries to shake his head no.
“You don’t want her or that kid of yours in here, do you?”
“No. Please, Mr. Santa Maria.”
“Let him go, Hugo.”
Hugo reluctantly releases his hair.
“Now talk. Last chance.” I check my watch.
“Mr. Estrella. Emil Estrella. It’s the last job I did for Alessandro.”
I study him. I know he’s not lying to me, and he’s actually confirming something I’ve suspected all along. Emil Estrella’s death was an inside job.
“You were responsible for Emil Estrella’s assassination?”
“Alessandro was very angry at his father.”
“And his sister? Emilia? Was he also very angry at her?” The words are out before I can stop them.
The man goes dead still at the mention of her name, and his eyes are about to bulge out of his head. A moment later, he hangs his head down, and I can see he’s crying again.
The door opens then. The man I’d asked to get me a cup of coffee apologizes for interrupting and hands me a steaming cup.
“Thank you. I’m fucking starving. Hugo, you have breakfast yet?”
“Not yet. Up too early with this fool.”
“Let’s wrap this up and get some food. I swear I can still smell the bacon frying up there.”
Hugo chuckles. “It’s damn good bacon.”
I give him a nod and take a sip of my coffee.
Hugo grips the man’s hair again and tugs his head backward. “Where the fuck is Estrella?”
“I swear I don’t know. Someone called in the job. I don’t even know who it was. I swear I would tell you if I knew. I swear on my family. I swear on my kid.”
Hugo releases him, steps backward.
“What’s the address on that piece of paper?” I ask, sipping my coffee.
He shakes his head, looks like a broken man.
“You want to tell me, I know you do. I can see it.”
Nothing.
“Help me to help you, Johnny. But I have to be honest here, even if I could honor Hugo’s deal, how would we make sure you don’t speak again?” I cock my head to the side and wait for him to catch on because there’s no getting around this. He’ll be punished, and his punishment will serve as a warning for anyone harboring Alessandro Estrella. I want Estrella to know I’m coming for him. Dominic Benedetti may be the one to pull the trigger, but he made his deal with me. He made me look like a fool when he ran out on it, and I will deliver him to my cousin alive, but that doesn’t mean I won’t punish him first. “Dead men are the only ones I know who don’t talk.”