“Between you and Ernesto? Not yet.”
“But you told me I am to take over the famiglia.”
“That impatience again.” He takes a sip of his whiskey. “I said you must develop patience if you are to take over. If. Not when.”
“I got the deal done at twenty percent below your budget. That gets me no stickers on my chart?”
“Toby told me how you did it. Threats and blackmail do not equal business acumen.”
“I got the deal done. Who cares how it was done? He has chipped away at our businesses ever since Sofia died. He had this coming for a long time.”
“And now you have made him an enemy for life.”
I slam my glass down on the table. “What do I have to do to gain your approval? Be born first? Is that what all this comes down to? Primogeniture? I have slaved for this famiglia. I spent months working the Ivanov deal, and the day it is done, you merely shrug and sit there and read your newspaper. Tell me I did it the wrong way.”
“I had Toby working late into the night to counter the witness statement that Oswald Lewis made. Do I get any thanks for my work last night when I found out you were in custody?”
“I didn’t ask to be arrested.”
“You beat the shit out of him, and he wanted revenge. You know Brody is on the lookout for people willing to bring you down. Count yourself lucky he has not yet spoken to Ivanov.”
“What does it matter? I’m out, and Brody’s on the last warning.”
“I would not consider the matter closed. This Oswald person will still want revenge for his beating. Brody is still watching you closely. You brought lights shining on you by buying out Ivanov. Was this the right time to do it?”
“You’re never happy, are you?”
“A Don is never happy. He is always watching over his shoulder. You know Brody wants you to go down for killing your wife. Why give him ammunition?”
“I tire of saying this. I did not kill her.”
He sighs, rubbing his eyes with his thumbs like he’s trying to keep them from falling out of his head. “I believe you,” he says a moment later. “But they have a witness who said he saw you do it. Toby is the only thing keeping him quiet right now, which can only work for so long.”
“Oswald’s a patsy. Someone’s hired him to say that shit about me.”
“Who hired him?”
“Brody.”
He leans forward, pointing directly at me. “You’ve got a brain. Think. How did I know it was you without looking up?”
“My gait. The sound of my boots on the carpet. The scent of my cologne.”
“You knew. You just thought you didn’t know. Now think again. Who hired Oswald? Who killed Sofia?”
“I don’t know.”
“Emotion clouds your judgment. Don’t think of her connection to you. Don’t think of the track marks on her arms, the men she slept with during the engagement. Think of the facts. A dead body. You were at the scene. Who stands to gain most from your downfall?”
“Ivanov.”
“Think closer to home, my boy. Ivanov would not kill his daughter unless he had something to gain from her death. He gained nothing. You get this right, and you have your solution for resolving all of this.”
“Brody?”
He goes to slap the side of my head. I catch his hand.
“You’re getting slow,” I say.