For now, anyway.
The guy smiles. “Ms. Bernadetti.”
“Call me Liya.”
He nods. “Liya, would you like something to eat?”
My stomach rumbles.
I skipped breakfast and grabbed a cab before Pavel’s brigadiers could realize I was gone. I just had to wait for Kostya to walk onto the back porch for his morning cigarette before I could slip out unnoticed.
I lift one of the burgers, unwrap it, and take a bite. I’m not even diplomatic about it. I’m hungry. I don’t care if this man sees me eat.
He nods and gestures to the drink. “Something to drink? I haven’t had any yet.”
I shake my head as I chew. It takes me a few minutes to devour the burger, but when I do, I feel much better. I sit back as I lift another. “I’m sure Mr. Austin told you why I called.”
“He gave me a few details.”
“What details?”
He slides his phone in front of him, unlocks the screen, and starts taking notes. “That you believe the NYPD is in the pockets of criminals.”
“I don’t think. Iknow.”
“That’s a serious accusation, Ms. Bernadetti,” Berkowitz says. “You’ll need proof.”
“I got proof. Lots of it. And everything points back to Felix Cardona, the head of the Citta Nostra.”
He looks curious but doesn’t speak.
“He has hands in everything across town—art galleries for money laundering, brothels, sex trafficking. Everything. I have the receipts.”
“With you?”
“No.”
“Then it’s only hearsay. Not admissible in a court of law, much less anything for me to act on.” Berkowitz tents his hands. “What I need, Ms. Bernadetti, is definitive proof. Something I can bring to the mayor’s office that will allow me to open this investigation. Because otherwise, I’m picking a fight with the NYPD, and they’re going to run me out of office.”
At least you take the NYPD seriously,I think. But he’s right. Without anything concrete, I just sound like every other twenty-something in this city who has a bone to pick with the police. And Lord knows, after everything that’s happened over the last couple of years, they’re getting jumpy at the thought ofanyonelooking into their affairs.
“What about eye-witness reports?” I whisper. “I can tell you the locations, too. I just can’t give you any hard evidence.”
“Why not?”
I lick my lips while carefully running through my predetermined phrases. “Because it was destroyed.”
“By?”
“Felix himself.” I reply. “Well, one of his meninthe NYPD.”
“Liya…” He nods. “This is all very interesting, and it could implicate a lot of people. Hell.” He frowns. “It might even take down a mob boss who’s been on our radar for almost twenty years.”
Since he murdered my father, you mean.
“Then we’re on the same side.”
“We are, but there’s a problem.”