Page 52 of Dreadful
“Alright.” He dabs the steak juices from the corner of his lips. “Do tell. I’ve been dying to know myself. Why did you invite me here, Claudio?”
I wait, loose muscles ready to act. This dinner started out boring as hell, but it’s gotten more interesting as the night’s gone on. I can’t wait to crack some heads with all the adrenaline and aggression rushing through me right now. If, while I do it, I get answers to the questions that have seared into my mind, so much the better.
“Well, from what I gathered, Dickie, the case down in Nevada with the Garde was thrown out.”
The judge nods slowly. “Yes. As it turns out, the key witness was the one who framed the leader of that society, the ‘Keeper’ I think they call him, and was using the leader’s case to fuel his own political aspirations. But not only was the witness a fraud, he skipped town as soon as he was found out. I threw the case out accordingly.”
“Ah, yes, the ‘Keeper.’ What stupid names these societies have concocted just to masquerade as something they’re not.”
“And what is that,zio?”
My uncle settles his gaze on me. “Powerful.” When he shifts back to his guest, I shift and subtly squeeze my arm against my side to feel the gun in my shoulder holster underneath my motorcycle jacket. My mother would be disappointed that I brought weapons to the table, just as she was when she saw the bike I rode in on. I don’t give a shit, though, and I’ll use whatever I can to survive these charades. Right now, Claudio has an agenda, and I don’t know whether it’s for or against me.
“Do you know what makes a man powerful, Dickie?”
“I imagine a man’s wealth, status…how he has risen in his career. Those all contribute to whether someone is powerful or not.”
Déjà vu teases my mind. I had a similar conversation with the McKennons. They’d said love. I’d insisted just as the judge did, and yet, I don’t know if my answer would be the same today.
Claudio grunts. “Knowledge makes a man powerful. That’s one thing the Garde has gotten right with their ‘Keeper’ of secrets. But the Garde aren’t the only ones who know secrets…are they Dickie?”
“I don’t know what you’re insinuating Claudio, but I wish you’d come out with it already. I’ve had enough of your wordsmithing and mind tricks for one night.”
“Says the dirty judge,” I snort. He glares at me, but Claudio continues on.
“Your trial witness was one of my associates, and he would have done wonders for me with his New York and Nevada connections. Imagine my surprise when I found out he didn’t ‘skip town.’ He was murdered. I know he was blackmailing you—”
“I had nothing to do with his murder if that’s what you’re trying to get at. The man was bluffing. He could never produce any evidence when I demanded it.”
Claudio shakes his head with a grin. “He wasn’t bluffing. If the case had gone to trial, he would have been given photos that incriminated your honor in the most dishonorable acts. Now, I, of course, have no idea how he could have gotten a hold of such pictures—”
“I should have known you were behind this,” the judge seethes. The way his words slur from alcohol sparks a wisp of a memory that I can’t quite catch. “You promised years ago that you’d destroy those photos, so long as I did your bidding. You had what I needed at the time, but I’m done with that life. I don’t need you anymore, so why am I a pawn in your games again? What do you need from me this time? A pound of flesh?”
Claudio shrugs. “If that’s what it takes. You know how I work, Judge. Favors. I need some business dealings to go through in New YorkandNevada. It looks like the Garde is going straight, so they won’t be any help. Now that my associate is dead, I have to resort to you. Don’t act like you weren’t a willing participant in those photos, Dickie. I might have taken them with our camera system, but you were the one in the stills.”
“Exactly, which means that if those photos get out, you’ll be just as culpable as I am for facilitating the arrangement.”
“I thought you might’ve figured that out.” Claudio huffs a laugh. “Which is why I’m now offering a morepersuasiveincentive. Threatening you with those pictures might not work anymore, but it’s important you realize that I’m not the only one left who knows your secrets. Granted, the number of people who knew seems to be dwindling. My priest and capo won’t say a word, however, there’s one other. He was quite fond of your victim, and he could easily be convinced to turn on you. Once he puts it all together, my guard dog will go feral, and I’ll be the only one that can hold his leash.”
“But we had a deal. I did everything you asked for, signed off on questionable business transactions, made charges disappear, and convinced a coroner to declare a child dead from a car accident rather than inyourcare. I told you after that I was done doing your dirty work.”
“I seem to recall you benefited from that girl’s death as well, Dickie. No body, no case, as your people say, am I right?”
My mind stutters, and my stomach churns.
Che cazzo!How would he have benefited from a child’s death…
And how did he know that the gardener cut himself on shears years ago…
…on the same day the girl suffered so we could escape…
…the same day she died…
What. The. Fuck.
Bile burns my throat, and I cling to the knife in my hand.
Claudio huffs a laugh.
