Chapter 6 - Blood Was the Real BetrayalMarcello Vieri had one brother.
Dominic.
Sadie learned that in a conference room inside an Allegheny County police building at 2:10 in the morning.
She also learned something else.
Marcello had not spoken to Dominic in eight years.
“Why?” Sadie asked.
Marcello sat beside the window.
His face had become unreadable the moment Nina Bell spoke Dominic’s name.
Anthony answered instead.
“Dominic wanted control.”
Marcello looked at him.
Anthony shrugged.
“She asked.”
Sadie waited.
Finally Marcello spoke.
“Our father died when I was thirty-three.”
“Natural causes?”
“No.”
Sadie understood.
Marcello continued.
“Dominic believed the family businesses should be divided equally.”
“And you didn’t?”
“I offered him half the legitimate companies.”
Anthony muttered, “Which he rejected because he wanted everything else.”
Sadie looked at Marcello.
“The criminal side.”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Marcello’s expression hardened.
“He tried to remove me.”
Sadie did not ask what that meant.
She already knew.
“He failed?”
“I’m still here.”
Eight years later, Dominic Vieri had apparently returned through Vincent Falco.
Nina Bell explained everything.
She had been recruited by Boyd eleven months earlier.
Not because she cared about mafia wars.
Because she owed more than two hundred thousand dollars in gambling debts.
Boyd offered money.
Then threats.
Then more money.
Nina helped Keystone Structural win hotel contracts.
That gave Boyd access.
Boyd collected layouts.
Employee records.
Security routines.
Margot became another weak point.
And the Falcos became the visible enemy.
But according to Nina, Vincent Falco was only a middleman.
Dominic Vieri had financed everything.
“Why now?” Detective Voss asked.
Nina looked at Marcello.
“Because of Erie.”
Marcello’s face changed.
Sadie noticed.
“What’s Erie?”
Marcello answered slowly.
“A port redevelopment contract.”
Worth nearly nine hundred million dollars.
Legitimate.
Huge.
If Marcello secured it, his legal businesses would become more valuable than everything his father had built illegally.
Sadie suddenly understood.
Dominic did not merely want Marcello dead.
He wanted Marcello’s empire before it no longer needed organized crime.
“You were getting out,” she said.
Marcello looked at her.
Anthony stared.
Sadie continued.
“The illegal side.”
Marcello remained quiet.
Then nodded.
“Gradually.”
That surprised her.
“Why?”
Marcello looked out the window.
“Because I’m tired of burying people.”
Nobody spoke.
Marcello continued.
“My father called fear a business strategy.”
His jaw tightened.
“He was wrong.”
Sadie thought of Boyd.
Fear worked.
Until the person being controlled stopped accepting it.
“What does Dominic want?”
“Everything.”
Anthony answered.
“And if Marcello dies before the Erie contract closes, several holding companies revert to family-controlled trusts.”
Sadie stared at Marcello.
“Dominic becomes beneficiary?”
“Yes.”
The assassination suddenly made perfect sense.
Marcello stood.
“So we give him what he wants.”
Anthony frowned.
“Boss.”
Sadie said, “No.”
Marcello turned.
She almost apologized automatically.
Then stopped herself.
“What?”
“You said give him what he wants.”
“Yes.”
“He wants you dead.”
“I’m aware.”
“You’re planning to make him think you are.”
Anthony looked impressed.
Marcello stared at Sadie.
“How did you know?”
“You get quiet when you’re about to do something stupid.”
Anthony turned away.
His shoulders shook.
Marcello glared at him.
Sadie crossed her arms.
“You have a concussion.”
“Mild.”
“You were almost shot yesterday.”
“Technically, the gun never cleared the tray.”
“That is not reassuring.”
Marcello stepped closer.
“You think I should hide?”
“No.”
“What then?”
Sadie thought.
“Let Dominic believe he won.”
“That’s what I said.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“You said you would give him what he wants.”
Marcello’s expression showed mild irritation.
“That is essentially—”
“He doesn’t want your death.”
The room quieted.
Sadie continued.
“He wants control.”
Anthony stopped smiling.
Marcello watched her.
“So give him control.”
Detective Voss leaned forward.
“Explain.”
Sadie looked at the papers spread across the table.
“If Marcello disappears or is injured badly enough that somebody has to act for him, Dominic will move.”
Anthony nodded slowly.
“He’ll contact the people inside our companies.”
“Exactly.”
Sadie pointed toward Nina.
“And he’ll think the assassination network is still hidden.”
Nina looked terrified.
Sadie continued.
“So don’t announce that Nina talked.”
Voss smiled slightly.
“Let Dominic believe she’s missing.”
Marcello looked at Sadie.
“And me?”
Sadie glanced at the bandage on his forehead.
“Hospital.”
He frowned.
“You already refused to stay.”
“Then fix your mistake.”
Anthony laughed.
Marcello looked at him.
“You’re enjoying this.”
“More than I should.”
The plan formed before dawn.
Marcello would be publicly admitted to a private hospital following “complications” from the car crash.
Rumors would circulate that his condition had worsened.
Anthony would intentionally reduce visible security around several Vieri offices.
Nina’s cooperation would remain secret.
Police would monitor communications.
And Sadie?
Detective Voss wanted her hidden.
Sadie disagreed.
“Boyd will contact me.”
Marcello immediately said, “Absolutely not.”
Sadie looked at him.
His expression changed.
“Sorry.”
Anthony looked at the ceiling.
Marcello tried again.
“I strongly object.”
“Better.”
“This isn’t funny.”
Sadie almost smiled.
“I know.”
Marcello’s voice lowered.
“Boyd tried to arrange your death.”
“And he still thinks I’m afraid of him.”
“You are.”
Sadie flinched.
Marcello continued gently.
“Being brave doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid.”
She looked at him.
He knew.
That unsettled her.
Sadie nodded.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t confuse courage with unnecessary risk.”
She considered that.
He was right.
She hated that too.
So they compromised.
Sadie would not act as bait.
But she would help investigators understand Boyd.
Hours later, Marcello was admitted.
News spread.
MARCELLO VIERI HOSPITALIZED AFTER HIGHWAY COLLISION.
At 4:30 p.m., another rumor appeared.
VIERI CONDITION UNKNOWN.
At 6:12, Boyd called Sadie.
She answered from a police-controlled apartment with Detective Voss listening.
“You heard?”
Boyd asked.
Sadie kept her voice uncertain.
“Heard what?”
“Your new friend isn’t doing so well.”
Her stomach twisted.
“What happened?”
“Car accident.”
He sounded pleased.
Sadie said nothing.
Boyd continued.
“You see what happens when you get involved with people like that?”
“You were involved with them.”
“I was working.”
“You tried to kill him.”
“Allegedly.”
Sadie closed her eyes.
Still Boyd.
Still convinced he was smarter than everyone.
Then he made the mistake they needed.
“If you want out, I can still fix this.”
Sadie looked at Voss.
Voss nodded.
“How?”
“Come with me.”
“Where?”
“I can’t say.”
“I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me.”
Boyd hesitated.
Then said, “Tomorrow. Eleven. Old St. Agnes church parking lot.”
Sadie wrote it down.
“Why there?”
“Because nobody watches churches.”
Detective Voss smiled without humor.
Boyd continued.
“Bring the flash drive.”
Sadie froze.
“What flash drive?”
Boyd stopped speaking.
Sadie’s mind raced.
He believed she had something.
Something he needed.
“Sadie?”
She forced herself to sound nervous.
“You mean the silver one?”
Voss’s eyes widened.
Boyd exhaled.
“Yes.”
Got him.
“I don’t know where it is.”
“Find it.”
“What’s on it?”
Silence.
Then Boyd made his second mistake.
“Everything Dominic paid for.”
Sadie looked directly at Voss.
There it was.
Dominic.
Recorded.
Clear.
Boyd continued.
“If Vieri dies, that drive becomes the only thing connecting us.”
Us.
Sadie’s pulse jumped.
“Who is us?”
Boyd caught himself.
“Just bring it.”
The call ended.
Voss stood.
“We have conspiracy linkage.”
Sadie barely heard her.
She was thinking about the flash drive.
Because she had seen a silver flash drive.
Three months earlier.
Boyd had come home drunk.
He had emptied his pockets onto the kitchen counter.
Keys.
Wallet.
Cash.
A silver USB drive.
She had picked it up to move it away from a spilled beer.
Boyd had slapped it out of her hand.
Then locked it somewhere.
Somewhere she had completely forgotten.
Until now.
Sadie looked at Voss.
“I know where the drive is.”
“Where?”
Sadie’s voice went quiet.
“The one place Boyd thought I’d never leave him long enough to search.”
May you like
She stood.
“Our bedroom.”
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