“All in good time.”
“Whatever happened to your search for a surrogate? I thought that was taking up all your time.”
I again think of the woman on the train. I imagine her being the one carrying my baby. The thought brings a thrill to my cold dead heart, the kind of thrill I did not think I could even feel anymore. “I am capable of doing more than one thing at once.”
“Not capable of a real relationship though.” He looks at me and his eyes have turned serious. “Doesn’t have to be a surrogate. What’s stopping you doing it the old fashioned way? Getting married first? Finding a partner. Maybe not in that order.”
“I need an heir, not a wife who gets under my feet while I’m working.”
“You old romantic.”
I smile but it’s bitter. “I am too controlling,” I admit. “It would not be fair to any woman to be with me.” I don’t add any more details. I don’t speak of my innate need to dominate, my inability to connect on any emotional level. My obsessive tendencies. I say nothing about my cold empty heart. I don’t need to tell him. He already knows. Everyone knows. I am not the relationship type. Never have been.
“Fuck ‘em and forget em,” Albert says. “I know. But there must be someone out there for you. I managed to get married. I’m sure you will someday.”
“A woman would get in my way,” I add. “Hold me back from my true goal.”
“Uniting the two families? You still think you can do it. You really think the Colombo famiglia will let you take over without a fight?”
“Righting an injustice is permitted under the code of the commission.”
“I know what the code says. I did help write the thing.”
“So you know that if Kelly asks for my help in dealing with Alessandro, and if I kill him with Don Colombo’s permission, it will not ignite a war.”
“He’ll never give you permission to whack his only son.”
“We’ll see. Promise me something.”
“What?”
“If my child is a boy and he looks like he’s going to turn out like Alessandro, make sure you tell me.”
“I’ll have the bullets ready.”
We walk the rest of the way to the church in silence. Albert’s right. Don Colombo will never give his consent willingly. Which is why I’m going to kill them both, father and son. That way there’ll be no one left to go to war with. I’ll take over both families. Then I can focus on getting an heir.
I get lost in thoughts of the woman on the train. This Kelly person can wait. I’m busy imagining the beautiful stranger giving me the child I need who will one day inherit my empire. I can imagine that woman being married to me. Submitting to me. Being corrupted by me.
No. It would never work. Not in real life. I would make a bad husband to any woman. I’m never at home. Always in danger. What kind of life would that be for her? Raising our child pretty much alone?
Better I use a surrogate to give me an heir. Make sure I’ve got an army of nannies to hand. That way I get on with work and my legacy is secured. None of that relationship bullshit that the civilians find so appealing. Fools.
I look up at the church. People are heading inside, all dressed in mourning clothes. I see several familiar faces. Not all of them welcome. Did this Fletcher woman have a connection to the Colombo famiglia or are they here to make sure she doesn’t start making waves?
I walk up the steps and into the church.
I stop dead for the second time today. Right in front of my eyes, staring back at me with a confused look on her face, is the last person in the world I expected to see here.
It’s the woman from the train.
THREE
KELLY
* * *
When I see him at the funeral, I turn and walk away. I’m not about to ask him what he’s doing here. I’m not going to speak to him at all. I can’t. The idea of opening my mouth to say one thing, and out comes, “I want to have your babies,” is all too plausible.