Page 117 of Feared

“What if he takes away the lawsuit against you and your law firm?”

“He could do that. Heshoulddo that. You just heard him, he made the whole thing up!”

“He will do that.” Flavia turned to Machiavelli. “Nicky, you’ll do that, right?”

“Fine.” Machiavelli folded his arms, with an unhappy frown.

Flavia returned her attention to Mary, her expression pleading. “What about what you said he stole? The computer? What if he gave it back?”

“He should give back the London Technologies software, plus the documents and any copies he made of those things.”

Flavia nodded. “He’ll do that too. Anything else? Wasn’t there another case? The big one? I’m not a lawyer, but my husband was a lawyer and he settled cases when his clients did wrong. Can’t Nicky settle that case?”

“Flavia, really?” Mary had an obligation to London Technologies to answer, but she felt as if she were bargaining over John’s body. “Yes, he should negotiate a reasonable settlement with London Technologies because he justadmittedthat his companies did everything we alleged, and if he does that, we will end the litigation.”

Flavia nodded again. “He’ll settle then, too. How much do you want?”

“Flavia, are you brokering this deal now? I can’t begin toanswer that because I don’t know. It would be up to my partners, Bennie and Anne.”

Machiavelli grimaced. “Ma, no, wait, there’smillionsat stake—”

“So what?” Flavia whipped her head around to her son. “Nicky, you have enough money. You haveplentyof money, more than you can spend in twenty lifetimes! How much do you need? What’s the matter with you? I raised you better than that! Stop it, stop it right now!”

“But Ma—”

“Don’t youdare! Don’t you dare say anything except, ‘I’ll do it.’”

Machiavelli sighed theatrically. “Okay, whatever, I’ll do it.”

Flavia raised an arthritic index finger. “And you’ll pay what they want.”

“I’llnegotiate. She saidnegotiate.”

Mary leaned forward, looking Machiavelli directly in the eye. “Hold on, let’s be clear. You’re not agreeing to this because your mother is making you. You’re agreeing to this because Igotyou. You’re not doing me a favor, I’m doingyouone. Me and my partners found out what you were doing, and we can prove everything we say in court. We could have you disbarred after what we found out about the antidiscrimination lawsuit. And we would winLondon Technologies,especially with Paul Patrioca’s testimony. So you’re not giving me anything that I didn’tearn. Your giving it to me because in the end, I’ll get it anyway, andthen some. And that’s the power of thelaw.”

“Whatever.” Machiavelli shrugged, but Mary knew it bothered him.

“And finally, your alleged ancestor, the real Niccolò Machiavelli, said it’s better to be feared than loved. But let me tell you something. Itisn’t. Your mother is isolated in this neighborhood because everybody is afraid of you.” Mary pointed at Flavia, whose face fell. “She lives her days alone in this bighouse, listening to the Patriocas through awall. She doesn’t have any friends because of you. She doesn’t even have any neighbors because of you. Neither do you, but maybe you don’t notice it or don’t care. But with her, you care. Iknowyou care.”

Machiavelli blinked, his expression darkening just the slightest, and Mary got the impression that he was listening.

“Today, all that changed for her. She’s joining the Rosary Society. They’re going to give her another chance, and you know why? Because love is better than fear.” Mary felt her heart lift, unaccountably. “This whole neighborhood is full of love, everywhere. And love is what gives you a second chance. They’re willing to give her a second chance, and she’s going to take it. If you ask me, you should too. This neighborhood, these people, even me, all of us will forgive you, but you have to change. You just have tochange.”

“Right!” Flavia chimed in, frowning at her son. “Nicky, everything Mary said is true, and this thing you have with her has to stop, here and now. You have to get over her. You lost your chance. She married Anthony. She’s having a baby. You don’t get everything you want. Only babies do.Capisce?”

“Yes.” Machiavelli nodded, avoiding Mary’s eye.

“Now, Nicky, say you’re sorry to her.”

“I’m sorry, Mary.”

Mary felt her chest tighten, reaching her limit. “I’m not accepting your apology. You can’t say you’re sorry for murder.”

“Mary, give it up!” Machiavelli threw up his manicured hands. “I didn’t kill him, and you can’t prove I did. You have no evidence.”

“I have a video!” Mary blurted out, raising her voice. She hoped she could parlay it into something more. Maybe she could trick him into confessing. “It shows Stretch leaving the apartment by the fire escape. Oryou!”

“Itcan’t! I wasn’t there and neither was he! Where’s the video? At the office? I want to see it!”

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