“Do you think he did it?” I asked softly, trying not to think of everyone in the room and what they might be thinking of my father, of me, of what this all meant.
“Lotta folks would do Ricky, he’s not got a lot of friends. Marty and Donny, I could see them being put on hit lists, they’re not friendly guys either. Harvey was just a dumb fuck, annoying and stupid, he rubbed people the wrong way but he wasn’t a threat to anyone. Makes the list of suspects shorter,” Detective Marker told me.
“So, you think it’s my father,” I answered for him, my heart sinking.
“No, we’re lookin’ into every possibility. Including Marty, Donny and Ricky. Their brother might not have been a threat to anyone else but he fucked up, forced your hand, put himself and Ricky behind bars. Him bein’ stupid meant he was a liability. This wasn’t the first time he fucked up, weakened the family position. Those boys’d eat their own young; I don’t put anything past them.”
This was true, the Balducci brothers weren’t only insane. They were mean and insane. I knew that better than anyone.
“I’m not sure I can help you, I’m trying not to have anything to do with my father,” I told Detective Marker.
“I know that, Sadie, that’s why I’m gonna ask you to do somethin’ that might not be easy.”
Blooming heck.
He was going to ask me to do something not easy.
My whole life was something “not easy”.
“What?” I asked.
“Eddie tells me one of your father’s boys tried to pass you a message last night. I know you two are estranged. Still, he’s your father so I understand this might be tough for you but, if he contacts you, however he does it, I’m askin’ you to let me know he’s done it and what he said.”
Oh.
Was that it?
“Certainly,” I replied immediately.
Detective Marker blinked and I felt a strangeness fill the air in the room.
“Sadie, I know this is hard –” Detective Marker went on.
“It’s not hard,” I answered easily then I offered, “I try not to take his calls. Do you want me to take them and get him to talk?”
Detective Marker blinked again then his head turned and he looked at Hector.
I followed his gaze and saw the Hot Bunch settled around the armchair. Hank was sitting on the arm of the chair, Lee opposite him, standing, arms crossed on his chest.
They looked almost like twins except Lee had chocolate brown eyes and Hank’s were the color of whisky.
Hector stood by Hank, hands on his hips, Eddie at his side, arms like Lee’s.
They almost looked like twins too except Eddie’s hair was only maybe one week past needing a cut and Hector’s was at least two (probably three).
They were all looking at me but Hector was watching me with that warm intensity, this time mingled with what I could swear was approval and I felt that weird happy glow start to light in my chest.
“You willin’ to do that?” Detective Marker asked me and my mind moved off the happy glow and my eyes moved back to him.
I shrugged. “Sure. I might need some coaching or a script or something so he won’t cotton on but I could do it.”
Something flashed across Detective Marker’s face before it went soft. “You been through a lot, Sadie, this would be –”
I cut him off, “This would be nothing, Detective Marker. I’ve been playing a game all my life around my father. This is just a new game and I simply need someone to explain the rules. Give me some coaching, my phones are already tapped so it’s all good.”
Detective Marker kept staring at me then he said, “Sadie, if it’s your father exacting vengeance for what they did to you that means Ricky is probably next.”
“And?” I asked.
Detective Marker didn’t answer.
“You think I’d rather not stand in his way if he’s going to whack Ricky,” I answered for him (again).
“I’m just –” Detective Marker started but I interrupted him as my back went straight.
“My father taught me a great deal, Detective Marker. He’d had a hard knock life and he was generous with those life lessons. He’s a criminal and he did bad things but his lessons were good. He didn’t hide who he was from me but part of his teaching didn’t include how to be a killer, either be one or be an accessory to one. If he killed Harvey and plans on killing Ricky, those sins are going to be on his soul, not mine. So if you’re asking me if I’d impede, even if that impeding meant standing aside and doing nothing, the investigation into the murder of the man who assaulted me or the planned murder of the man who raped me, the answer is no.” After delivering my speech, I stood, back ramrod straight and finished, “Can I meet Roxie’s dog now?”
Detective Marker’s lips twitched (now, what did he find amusing? really, I didn’t get it) and he said, “Yeah, Sadie, we’re done.”