Chapter 64

Domenico POV: 

There are moments in life of crisp clarity, like a camera lens focusing or a breath of fresh air after swimming. You see things just as they are, not as you wanted them to be; every little piece of information you neglected to cover, your own fears they shine brightly. 

I'd experienced this once before when my wife ran with our daughter in the middle of the night. All her good intentions, all our quiet evenings, the distance between us over the past weeks. They glared at me in the eyes, forcing me to realize all I had missed because I didn't want to see that she was leaving me. 

I felt the same when the FBI walked boldly into my house, that punk smuggly dangling the cuffs in my face. 

"Tax evasion's a bad rap," he chuckled, dragging me out of the house as cameras flashed, blinding us, as he laid conquest to my home. 

In a matter of seconds, the last few months flashed into my head: Vanessa's body in the morgue, the fear and hesitation on Arianna's face when I returned to her willing to pay for it all. The magnetic way she was pulled towards Giovanni. The look they shared the night they met- I should have pulled the plug then. Giulia is getting more unhinged, and Marco around every corner. The bank notifying me of unwanted guests. I should have left the country days ago. 

I should have done a lot of things differently. 

I had been sloppy, doing the one thing I swore I'd never do. I got too emotional; perhaps losing Vanessa affected me more than I realized. 

They dragged me into the precinct, the cops in there watching me like cattle at auction. Staring me down all the good little boys and girls that wouldn't take my bribes, now they got their satisfaction. I looked them all in the eye, making sure they saw that I wasn't afraid. I'd get out of this, and when I did, I'd clean up the mess I'd made. 

"This way," He scoffed. 

I sat as they took my photo, not flinching, they should know the type of beast they're attempting to lock up. Oh they might have me dead to rights, but I had many strings to pull on, many favors to call in. One way or another, I'd get out of here. 

The girl taking my prints shook as she did so, I leaned forward and she froze. "You know I'm still an old man, right? You could kick the crap out of me easily," I gently reminded her and the small thing cracked a soft grin. 

The fed pulled me away, grimacing. "Keep walking." 

"Just trying to help," I held my head up. Oh, how it got under his skin the confidence I still held. Yeah, yeah, they had the bank account. That much was clear, whether it was Giulia, or Hector who gave it up was the question. 

I took the perp walk down the hallway to interrogation, and I smiled softly as he had me stew there. I'm sure this was supposed to weaken my resolve; to anybody else, it would. He had no idea the favors I had saved up for an occasion such as this, the judges I held in my pockets, the politicians, the inmates. 

Anyone of them will do as I say in order to get me out of their hair, to get this weight off of their chest. If anything, they had played their biggest card without checking the deck, they better hope their ace is big enough to hold me. 

After all to short a time Detective Mosley made his way into the room. His crew cut hair in perfect form, not one hair out of place. 

"Can you tell me about Swiss bank account 78885478?" he asked, sliding the paper across the table. 

"Never heard of it." I threw him a bone; we both knew it wasn't true. I had millions in there, all from the drugs I made and smuggled into the country. 

"Isn't this you?" He asked, pulling out photo after photo of me arriving at the bank. 

No, here was the trick: most of these were from Giulia, but one, different camera. It was from a much more concealed position, and it was recent. There was more than one player here; they were working together, or they had gotten a hold of Giulia's things. Which one, though? 

"And what about the sworn word that this bank account is yours? It's in a company with your name." 

"Plenty of people own companies and have no clue what happens in the day to day," I shot back, leaning in my chair. Your move, Detective. His teeth grit and he pulled out another paper. 

"And this?" He asked another bank statement slid across to me, but this one I'd seen a long time ago. 

So, that who was behind this, she was good I'll give it to her. I'm sure Giovanni thought he held the reigns, I'm sure she thought so too, but he'd never gotten this far. 

I looked down at the numbers from my old account, the one Vanessa had tracked down. That red-haired P. I had found it, then vanished. Vanessa had used this to get me off her back, she must have left this for Arianna to find. 

"This supposed to mean something to me?" I feigned confusion. 

"It's got the same company name on it, your company name. That's a lot of mismanagement, Mr. Caputo," he snickered. 

"What can I say? I have a trusting heart and-"I clicked my teeth. "People tend to take advantage." I gave him a pathetic look. 

"You can say what you want, but we have one of your colleagues who's willing to swear that you were behind the tax evasion. I get them to believe you knew, and they'll have you on drug charges too. You'll get multiple lifetime sentences for the bribery, the murder charges." he stood up. 

"You can say or do whatever we want, but you know deep down it's not enough, no jury will convict me," I taunted him. he turned back to say something cruel, but he saw the lack of fear on my face. 

"How does it feel?" He changed gears. "To have both of your daughters attempt to put you in jail?" He asked. "To know your flesh and blood despise you so much that they plot against you, to strip you of your freedoms?" He leaned on the table. I'm sure he thought his words inflicted great damage on me; after all the one thing I did care for was my girls. 

"Never been prouder," I smiled back. 

He turned to walk out of the room. 

"Um, detective, I believe I have a phone call." I gave him an innocent voice with a turn of my head and he went rigid. 

I was brought to a phone and called my house. The men were there picking up. "Yeah, they got me, but it's alright. Nothing is true," I said loud enough. "What's that? your getting pizza, nice!" I said the phrase, They knew what to do. 

They'll call my lawyer, he knew every last favor he had to call in. I'd be out by morning on bail, and they'd have a hell of a time putting me back in jail. 

Come, Arianna, your move. I set the phone down and walked to my cell, ready for a nice, relaxing cat nap.