she enjoyed the correspondence because her letters gave Rachel a glimpse of what the world was like beyond this house.
She thought about Louise’s invitation to come out to Kansas and buy a gambling house. The idea was intriguing, but she had not been as frugal as she should have been, so she hadn’t saved that much money. She was sure she didn’t have enough money to buy it alone, but perhaps she and Fancy could buy it together. At least, it was something she could think about.
Putting the packet of letters in a little rosewood box that sat on her dresser, she took one last look at her reflection in the mirror, then left her room and went downstairs.
“Do you know any of these men?” the police captain asked Joseph Tangeleno. He pulled back a tarpaulin to reveal three men, all dead by gunshot.
Tangeleno nodded.
“Would you identify them, please?”
“That is Emilio Catalani,” Tangeleno said, pointing to the first one. Then he pointed to the next two. “Domenico Spontini, Agostino Allegri.”
“They belonged to your organization?”
“They were…employees,” Tangeleno said without being specific. “They handled things for me down at the riverfront.”
“Yes,” the police captain said. “I know how they handle things for you. Do you have any idea who shot them? Or why?”
“No, I don’t know who shot them,” Tangeleno said. “Where did you find them?”
“We found them in an empty lot in the 1100 block of Dauphine.”
Tangeleno looked up quickly. “The 1100 block of Dauphine?”
“Yes. Do you think it means anything that where they were found is not too far from Carlos De Luca’s house?” the police captain asked.
“No,” Tangeleno replied. “Do you think it means anything?”
“We’ve been getting rumors that there is bad blood between you and De Luca.”
“I wouldn’t say there is bad blood,” Tangeleno said. “We are both Sicilian. Sometimes, like brothers, we will have a little disagreement.”
“I would not like to see a war start in New Orleans,” the police captain said.
Chapter 8
AN HOUR LATER, AT HIS HOME, TANGELENO WAS meeting with his two top lieutenants, Morello and Vizzini.
“They were found near De Luca’s house,” Tangeleno said. “He had to be the one who did it. Who else would kill three of our men like that?”
“Emilio was pretty hotheaded,” Morello said. “I’m sure he made enemies down on the riverfront.”
“Down on the riverfront? Nothing down there but Coloreds and Micks. Do you think a colored man or an Irishman would dare to do anything like this? I’ll answer that for you. No, they wouldn’t. De Luca is the only one who would, and the only one who could kill all three of them like this.”
“But why would he do that? You sent them after that piano player as a gesture of goodwill,” Morello said.
“That’s exactly why he did it,” Tangeleno replied. “He was telling me that he didn’t want my help, didn’t want anything to do with me. It was a slap in my face.”
“So what do we do now?” Vizzini asked.
“We cannot let this go any further,” Tangeleno said. “Theway I see it now, I have been challenged by De Luca. I have to answer him, and the only way to do that is to kill him.”
“But, Don Tangeleno, if we kill him, would that not end any chance of ever consolidating our two Families?” Morello asked.
“Probably,” Tangeleno admitted. “But the way I see it now, we have no other choice.”
“Don Tangeleno, wait,” Vizzini said.
“Wait? Wait for what?”
“I have an idea. Instead of killing De Luca now, why don’t we just kill three of his men?”
“What good would that do?”
“If we kill three of his men, we can go to him on equal footing,” Vizzini said. “He has killed three of ours, we have killed three of his. There would be no need for a vendetta. I think De Luca would understand then that it is better to live in peace than war.”
“Perhaps,” Tangeleno answered. “But if we
She thought about Louise’s invitation to come out to Kansas and buy a gambling house. The idea was intriguing, but she had not been as frugal as she should have been, so she hadn’t saved that much money. She was sure she didn’t have enough money to buy it alone, but perhaps she and Fancy could buy it together. At least, it was something she could think about.
Putting the packet of letters in a little rosewood box that sat on her dresser, she took one last look at her reflection in the mirror, then left her room and went downstairs.
“Do you know any of these men?” the police captain asked Joseph Tangeleno. He pulled back a tarpaulin to reveal three men, all dead by gunshot.
Tangeleno nodded.
“Would you identify them, please?”
“That is Emilio Catalani,” Tangeleno said, pointing to the first one. Then he pointed to the next two. “Domenico Spontini, Agostino Allegri.”
“They belonged to your organization?”
“They were…employees,” Tangeleno said without being specific. “They handled things for me down at the riverfront.”
“Yes,” the police captain said. “I know how they handle things for you. Do you have any idea who shot them? Or why?”
“No, I don’t know who shot them,” Tangeleno said. “Where did you find them?”
“We found them in an empty lot in the 1100 block of Dauphine.”
Tangeleno looked up quickly. “The 1100 block of Dauphine?”
“Yes. Do you think it means anything that where they were found is not too far from Carlos De Luca’s house?” the police captain asked.
“No,” Tangeleno replied. “Do you think it means anything?”
“We’ve been getting rumors that there is bad blood between you and De Luca.”
“I wouldn’t say there is bad blood,” Tangeleno said. “We are both Sicilian. Sometimes, like brothers, we will have a little disagreement.”
“I would not like to see a war start in New Orleans,” the police captain said.
Chapter 8
AN HOUR LATER, AT HIS HOME, TANGELENO WAS meeting with his two top lieutenants, Morello and Vizzini.
“They were found near De Luca’s house,” Tangeleno said. “He had to be the one who did it. Who else would kill three of our men like that?”
“Emilio was pretty hotheaded,” Morello said. “I’m sure he made enemies down on the riverfront.”
“Down on the riverfront? Nothing down there but Coloreds and Micks. Do you think a colored man or an Irishman would dare to do anything like this? I’ll answer that for you. No, they wouldn’t. De Luca is the only one who would, and the only one who could kill all three of them like this.”
“But why would he do that? You sent them after that piano player as a gesture of goodwill,” Morello said.
“That’s exactly why he did it,” Tangeleno replied. “He was telling me that he didn’t want my help, didn’t want anything to do with me. It was a slap in my face.”
“So what do we do now?” Vizzini asked.
“We cannot let this go any further,” Tangeleno said. “Theway I see it now, I have been challenged by De Luca. I have to answer him, and the only way to do that is to kill him.”
“But, Don Tangeleno, if we kill him, would that not end any chance of ever consolidating our two Families?” Morello asked.
“Probably,” Tangeleno admitted. “But the way I see it now, we have no other choice.”
“Don Tangeleno, wait,” Vizzini said.
“Wait? Wait for what?”
“I have an idea. Instead of killing De Luca now, why don’t we just kill three of his men?”
“What good would that do?”
“If we kill three of his men, we can go to him on equal footing,” Vizzini said. “He has killed three of ours, we have killed three of his. There would be no need for a vendetta. I think De Luca would understand then that it is better to live in peace than war.”
“Perhaps,” Tangeleno answered. “But if we
Similar Books
