Not after the news he had just received. Pancreatic cancer. The death sentence. His own personal capital punishment.
How did it come to this? Anton glanced outside again. The fog had lifted over the lake and the Chicago sun shone faintly through the smog.
“You’re a complete failure,” his father had said. “A disgrace to the family.” Anton was fifteen, had done some stupid stuff, stolen some things and sold them, making a profit. Got caught. First-time offender, so he got away with a warning. But his father’s words followed him. He wanted to please his dad, but no matter how hard he tried, nothing seemed to impress the old fart. It got worse when his mother died. She’d been the buffer between him and his father, had stood up for him. When she was gone, his dad lost all interest in his son.
Anton tried hard to become successful, and he succeeded. Started his own trucking business together with a friend. The money he made, however, wasn’t enough. And then his lucky draw. Someone approached him with a smuggling deal. Drugs and art objects, in part from Italy. The money was great. He hesitated but not for long. And the first deal went through smoothly. It was the beginning of Anton’s criminal life. He began to build connections with criminal organizations. It all went perfect; well, there were some slight mishaps. He did some time. But all in all, a perfect life. Dangerous, yes, but worth it.
Until the day, that stupid idiot, Eppolito, interfered and began to blackmail him, obviously a newbie to the ‘Ndrangheta clan. Anton agreed to pay. He suggested a secret location. Either Eppolito was a bloody beginner in the mob, or he greatly underestimated Anton. You don’t meet at a secret location to hand over blackmail money. You do it in a public place. Instead of the money, Anton brought his Beretta to the meeting and shot the idiot. He deserved it. And then those two guys showed up. They weren’t supposed to be there to begin with. They had gone to the wrong place to deliver the goods. Stupid no-good losers.
Of course, they had to disappear. So Anton did the only thing he could do. Rather than incriminate himself even more, he ordered his closest and most loyal friend to take care of business. Hire someone to kill the two idiots and bury their bodies on the family property. At the time, Anton expected to inherit the Leonardi estate. He was the oldest son.
It was a shock when Anton realized that his father had changed the will and bequeathed the family property to his cousin. He could just hope that he wouldn’t dig up the field and find the bodies. But years went by and Anton felt safe again. Until Frank, the goddamn loser, sold that field. Without consulting him. And Frank had promised to share the inheritance with Anton. “We’re family,” he had said. Yeah, right. Traitor.
And Louie had failed him too. Hired the wrong guy to take care of business. Stupid son of a bitch. Well, there was one more thing Anton needed to do. He was not about to end up in jail. They wouldn’t get him that easily. He still had a few trump cards in his deck, well at least one.
Anton walked over to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out his gun, the shiny Beretta, a gift from a friend, dead now. Anton smirked. He played with the gun, twirled it, then put it down.
Suddenly, he bent over and groaned with pain, holding his stomach. “Damn it.” He took deep breaths and slowly stood up straight. Sweat poured down his face, dripping into his beard. He wiped it away, then picked up the gun again.
There was a knock at the door. “Anton, lunch is ready,” his wife called. A wife he’d been married to for fifteen years. He’d loved her once. But that was gone, too.
He caressed the gun. It felt good in his hand, a perfect fit.
Chapter 38
“How did you find Angelo?” Nicholas asked as he and Sofia got ready for bed. “The last time we talked on the phone you said you were going to the monastery.”
“Yes, that’s when we found out that the abbot of the Novalesa Abbey knew Angelo. Remember I told you that Don Ambrosio mentioned his interest in the religious life?”
Nicholas chuckled. “Oh, yes, I thought it was the most outlandish statement. My great-uncle, the criminal, wants to find God. I guess it was true after all.”
“Anyway, the abbot told us that Angelo worked for a school in Rivalta as some kind of administrator. But he also worked with troubled youngsters through a program led by the monastery,” Sofia said.
“Incredible.” Nicholas shook his head. “Well, he has a lot personal experience in that department.”
Sofia told him that the abbot didn’t give them Angelo’s address because of privacy issues. But Miriam suggested they check out Rivalta where they used to hike. There was a cottage there that Angelo loved. She thought he might be there.
Sofia told him about their outing and about what happened during the night they spent at Angelo’s.
When she started talking about the two criminals, she watched as Nicholas’s eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. She toned down the story somewhat and left out the fact that she shot the policeman, but she’d already said too much.
“Are you out of your mind?” Nicholas jumped off the bed he was sitting on while Sofia undressed. “I can’t believe you … and that woman. Why didn’t you wait until Angelo contacted you, as the abbot said?”
“Well, I was afraid that perhaps Angelo wouldn’t contact me. We were so close to finding him, and then Miriam suggested the outing. It sounded innocent. And when we found Angelo, I knew he wasn’t a killer. We had a long talk. He left because he was afraid, not because he killed someone. He wanted to protect—”
“That’s not the point,” Nicholas said, angry now. “You didn’t even know that before you found him. We don’t even know now for sure. We only have his word. He could be lying. You went ahead and put yourself in grave danger. Did you even think about me? What if you’d been killed?” He rubbed his head furiously.
Sofia had never seen him this angry. They’d had an occasional argument but nothing really serious. But now, he was livid. Sofia understood that he was worried, but it was over, she was safe. He hadn’t even acknowledged the fact that she had found their great-uncle.
“Don’t be so angry,” she said. “Aren’t you at least happy that Angelo is here?”
Nicholas glowered at her. “And you knew he had changed his name and didn’t even feel the need to tell me? Or the police? You withheld important information that could’ve helped us find him. Instead you went to track him down alone. As if you were some kind of private investigator.”
“I only found out about the name change from Don Ambrosio. I tried to tell you several times, but I couldn’t get through on my cell, and—”
“Don’t lie to me. You could’ve told me several times. You could’ve sent me a text. Why didn’t you?”
“Okay, I hesitated because … I wanted to find him before the police did.” Sofia thought it best to be honest. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to cause you a dilemma.”
“What dilemma?”
“Shhh. Don’t be so loud. Angelo can hear us.”
“I don’t care. He’s responsible for this whole mess.”
“Nicholas, please, now you’re being unfair.”
Nicholas walked to the window and stared outside. Sofia followed him and put her hand on his back. She felt him stiffen. Why was he so angry?
“Nicholas, I held back because I didn’t want the police to know until I myself knew a little more. I would’ve told you, but I didn’t want to ask you to keep it a secret. I’m sorry. I know now this was wrong. But please try to understand. I was so caught up in the whole thing. I got all this information and I felt compelled to follow through.
“Look, I know this is a difficult situation. Grandpa has very mixed feelings about Uncle Angelo. But he also misses him very much. He’s his brother after all. And I also know from experience what it means to have a broken family. I just wanted—”
“Well has it ever occurred to you that Angelo is my great-uncle, too? I would’ve loved to know about your progress. In fact he is my great-uncle more than he is yours.” Now, he sounde
d whiny.
Sofia glared at him. “What do you mean, he’s more your great-uncle than he’s mine?”
“Well, you know what I mean. He’s your great-uncle through marriage, but—”
“Oh, I see. He isn’t really my great-uncle. I’m just an outsider, your family isn’t really my family?” Sofia felt bursts of anger rise in her. “You know who you remind me of? You talk just like my ex-husband did.”
“That’s not true. How can you—”
“I don’t want to argue any longer. I’m going to sleep.” Sofia pulled the comforter back on the bed and lay down, her back turned to Nicholas’s side of the bed. Now, she was angry as well. She could understand him being upset because he was worried about her, because he felt she had been careless. But Nicholas was jealous of her because she succeeded in finding his great-uncle. How childish was that?
They were lying next to each other in icy silence. Sofia felt tears prick her eyes. She had accepted Nicholas’s family as her own and his words stung her. They reminded her of James, her former husband, to whom she had been married for two short but painful years. He, too, had made her feel like an outsider in his family.
Too exhausted from the long day to drown in sadness, she fell asleep.
Chapter 39
A sun ray landing on Sofia’s face woke her. She glanced at the clock; it was close to nine. The empty bed next to her told her that Nicholas was already up. She sighed, remembering their argument of the past night. His jealous outburst still rankled her. It was the first time they had gone to bed and fallen asleep with resentment lingering between them.
The bedroom door opened and the scent of espresso filled the room. “Good morning. There’s fresh coffee downstairs. We’re low on groceries. I’m going to town to get some stuff for breakfast.” Nicholas, fully dressed, a guilty expression on his face, gave her a cautious look.
“Want me to come with you?” she asked.
“Not necessary. Angelo is up as well. Perhaps you can introduce him to the family. I saw Julietta outside,” Nicholas said.
Sofia got up and followed him into the hallway. At the top of the stairs, Nicholas turned around. “I’m sorry about last night. I was just really worried. And I didn’t mean to claim Angelo for myself. I guess I was a little jealous that you found him and had all those crazy adventures while I sat at home. I know it’s stupid.” He gave a sheepish grin. “I’m sorry.” He took her hand.
He looked embarrassed and contrite and Sofia’s anger vanished. “Believe me, I wish you’d been with me. Next time, we’ll track down missing relatives together.” She smiled.
“Next time? There better not be a next time,” Nicholas grumbled and hugged her.
Sofia went into the bathroom and took a quick shower, then pulled on a pair of light pants and a T-shirt. She had noticed the night before that it was markedly warmer in Tuscany than in the Piedmont.
Downstairs, Angelo stood by the open patio door, talking on his cell phone. He gave her a quick smile and nodded a greeting. Sofia went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She came back in and pointed at her phone. “You can use our landline. It’s cheaper.”
“Thanks. I have unlimited calls within Italy.” Angelo picked up his cup of coffee and took a sip.
“Did you sleep well?” Sofia asked.
“Yes, very well. I was totally beat and I wasn’t even the one driving.”
Sofia sipped her coffee, then cleared her throat. “Did you hear our argument?”
A flicker of amusement flashed across his face. “I heard raised voices but didn’t know what it was about.”
“Well, I told Nicholas how I found you and about the night at your place. He got really upset that I was snooping and didn’t tell him everything. He was worried, of course. And then he said that you were after all his great-uncle and what was I doing chasing after you?” Thinking about the argument made her angry again.
To her surprise Angelo laughed. It was the first time she’d heard him laugh out loud. He caught himself. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make light of your disagreement with Nicholas. It just seems funny to me that anybody would be so eager to claim me as his or her relative. I’m not exactly the favorite member of the Segantino family.”
“Now you know, we really do care about you. And whether Nicholas likes it or not, I do consider you my great-uncle as well.”
“Thank you.” Angelo smiled. “And I’m delighted to have you as my great-niece.” Then in a more serious tone. “Nicholas is right. You did put yourself in danger by searching for me. But I can’t really blame you. You did save my life. You and Miriam. I’m still amazed how level-headed and brave you two were when you heard those two crooks in my home.”
“Well, after all, we did bring them to you,” Sofia said. “Of course, we didn’t mean to.”
They sat quietly for a while, sipping coffee and glancing at the landscape. The sun lit up the flowers in the garden and the field of poppies nearby. There was a knock at the door and Sofia got up to open.
Julietta stood outside. “You’re back? I saw your car. Nicholas got here the day before yesterday,” she said, all excited. Sofia and Julietta hugged.
“Oh, my God,” Julietta called out when she came inside. “Is this zio Angelo?”
Angelo gave her an amused look, “Si, I’m afraid so.”
“This is fantastic.” Julietta hugged him. “Benvenuto.” She turned to Sofia. “Where did you find him? You have to tell me all about it. I have to let Mamma know.”
“Okay,” Sofia said. “Nicholas will be here right away and then we’ll come over to say hello.” She didn’t want to exclude him and get him upset again about her monopolizing his great-uncle.
Julietta left and a few minutes later, Nicholas showed up with a bag of groceries. He carried it into the kitchen and unpacked some salami, rolls, eggs, and fruit.
“Were you able to get a hold of Grandpa?” Nicholas asked Angelo.
Angelo shook his head. “Haven’t tried yet. But I did get a hold of Larry,” he said to Sofia. “Fabio was arrested. I guess they had some other stuff on him, aside from the fact that he tried to kill me.”
Nicholas stared at Angelo. “Who is Larry … and Fabio?”
Oh, no. He feels left out again. “Fabio is one of the gangsters I told you about yesterday,” Sofia explained. “Larry got into trouble because of him. Well, you better tell him.” She motioned with her head in Angelo’s direction.
Angelo gave Nicholas a brief summary of the role Larry played in their adventure. Nicholas seemed satisfied. “But what about Grandpa? He needs to know you’re here.”
Angelo exhaled deeply. “I know. I’m a coward. I’m simply afraid to talk to him after twenty years. I know I have to do it and I want to.”
“It’ll be fine,” Nicholas said. “He’ll be so happy to hear that you’re okay. Whatever happened twenty years ago, he loves you.”
“Why don’t you call him first, Nicholas?” Sofia suggested. “You can prepare him and it wouldn’t be such a shock. What do you think?”
“Maybe you’re right. Let’s get it over with.” Nicholas picked up the phone and gave Angelo a questioning look.
Angelo nodded. Nicholas dialed and glanced at his watch. “He must be home by now. I hope he’s not in bed yet.” After a few seconds: “Well, hello there, Grandpa. How are you? I got some news for you.” He grinned at Angelo. “Are you sitting down? Good, okay. You want to talk to your long-lost brother?”
Sofia saw Angelo’s face pale. He got up. His body looked stiff and his hand trembled lightly as he took the receiver.
“Let’s give him some privacy,” Sofia whispered.
They went outside and sat down on the chairs on the patio.
Chapter 40
Angelo swallowed. “Hello Martin.” There was a lengthy silence. Did he hang up? “Martin?”
“My God, Angelo, I never thought I’d hear from you again.” Martin’s dark voice was thick with emotion. “How are you?�
�
“I’m fine, thanks. I’m sorry about not contacting you before. I …”
“It’s okay. But you need to come back. Did Nicholas tell you about Fred?”
“Yes, well actually Sofia did. She was the one who tracked me down. I didn’t kill Fred. You have to believe me. I’ve done a lot of crappy things, but I’m not a murderer.”
“I know that.” Angelo heard Martin’s somewhat muffled voice call Maria. “Still, you have to come back. They’ll know it wasn’t you.”
“I hope so, Martin.” He hesitated. “How has life been treating you?”
“Okay, Angelo. Everybody is fine. We have a few new people in the family. One of them you’ve met by now.”
“Yes, Sofia is a wonderful person,” Angelo said. “Nicholas is a very lucky man. I can’t believe how grown-up he is. I missed so much being away.”
“Yes, I know. We missed you, too. How have you been?”
“I’ve been fine, well for the most part. At least I’ve tried to stay out of trouble, and I have actually done some worthwhile work for a change.”
“Nicholas mentioned something about a monastery, that you joined a monastery or tried to?”
“Not quite. I work for a Benedictine abbey, but as a lay person.”
“Amazing.” Martin sounded puzzled.
“I can imagine what you think,” Angelo said. “This must be some kind of joke. It’s true, though. But I’ll explain once I see you. I have a lot of explaining to do.”
“When are you coming back?” Martin asked.
“Nicholas and Sofia are making reservations,” Angelo said. “As soon as they are finalized, we’ll let you know.”
“We heard that you renewed your American passport, so you should be able to travel without problems. The strange thing is, the police couldn’t find any additional information about your whereabouts.”
Finding Angelo (The Wine Lover's Daughter, Book 2) Page 16