Inferno (Page 45)

‘Of the warehouse variety?’ I asked.

Valentino pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘No, not of the warehouse variety. Of the Sicilian negotiation variety.’

A part of me knew what those negotiations might be. They had someone the Marinos wanted, and the Marinos had someone the Falcones wanted. Jack. But I couldn’t think about my uncle now – he knew the stakes, he had made his bed. My immediate concern was Sara, making sure she was safe, making sure she had a chance to live the life she dreamt of, to find the hint of freedom she had envied in me.

Millie and I glanced at each other. How could we know for sure, if they weren’t prepared to guarantee her release to us? What did it even matter? We didn’t have a bargaining position. We had a phone with six per cent battery, the flighty affections of Nic and the passing gratitude of Luca for saving his life once. The others could kill us if they wanted to. We were already pushing our luck.

‘Don’t get involved in this, girls,’ said Paulie. He had the largest eyes I had ever seen. ‘It’s not your fight. This is not your world.’

Luca was on the grass now. He picked Sara up, sliding his arms underneath her elbows. She got to her feet, wobbling. He brushed the matted hair from her face and started speaking to her. She was crying. He held her against his side and brought her away from the others.

I turned to Nic. ‘Are they telling the truth, Nic? Will they let her go?’

He closed the distance between us and took my hand, right there in front of his entire family and his horrible mother, and squeezed it. I was so stunned I let him. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘Valentino will let her go.’

I could see only him then – the golden flecks inside his eyes, the quiet sureness in the quirk of his mouth, all that warmth he exuded. ‘Let me get you out of here,’ he said. ‘Let me take you home.’

Millie lowered her phone. It dangled by her side, a weapon re-holstered. She shrugged, even her smallest movements showing her exhaustion. ‘I think I believe them, Soph. I believe Nic.’

Outside, Luca had started to untie Sara’s hands. Luca would take care of her. Luca would set her free just as he had done for me when I’d been kidnapped.

‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘So do I.’

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

THE BODY

BODY OF MARINO TEENAGER PULLED

FROM LAKE MICHIGAN

A BODY FOUND IN LAKE MICHIGAN has been identified as Sara Marino, the nineteen-year-old daughter of rumoured Mafia boss and tabloid regular Donata Marino (formerly of the now-defunct Genovese crime family).

Authorities arrived on the scene yesterday morning, after being alerted by a local fisherman who came across the body at the edge of the lake just after 8 a.m.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the cause of death is currently under investigation. It is not believed to have been accidental.

A family spokesman confirmed the loss to reporters yesterday evening, saying, ‘We are deeply saddened to lose our beloved Sara. She was a creative and compassionate individual with a bright future ahead of her. We will stop at nothing to determine the events leading up to her death.’

The statement comes less than a week after the infamous Eden nightclub brawl, where a member of a rival Sicilian mob, Calvino Falcone, lost his life. Donata Marino, the club’s owner, was taken into custody but was later released without charge. CCTV footage from the event was unavailable due to a systems malfunction in the nightclub. Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward.

Neither family has been forthcoming with statements. The FBI have pointed to the murder of convicted murderer Rico Falcone at Stateville Correctional Center earlier today as a possible sign of Marino retribution, raising further suspicion that a war is brewing in the criminal underworld.

The Marino crime family, known colloquially as the Black Hand Mob, is among the five largest Mafia families in Chicago. The hostility between the Falcones and the Marinos was famously brought to public attention during the Chicago crime spree of 1987, which was marked by the Falcone murder of Don Vincenzo Marino, boss of the Marino family, and his wife Linda Harris in their family home. Their sons, Vince Jr and Antony, disappeared after the attack. Over the course of the feud, many Falcones and Marinos lost their lives, while just three arrests were made. The blood war was reignited several years later with the suspected Marino murder of Don Gianluca Falcone outside Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Though recent times have seen a tradition of peace between Chicago’s foremost criminal families, the events of this week point to the resurgence of their violent rivalry.

Sara Marino was the youngest of five children. Her brothers include Marco, Libero and Franco Marino, who is currently serving life in prison for murder. Her sister, Zola Marino, was recently released from prison after serving a six-year sentence for manslaughter. Sara was active on the Eden club scene and had recently deferred a course to study music at the University of Chicago. She did not have a criminal record.

Funeral details have not been released.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

RAGE

Those lying bastards.

I laid the newspaper back on the table. My mother was bustling around behind me. Grease crackled in the frying pan and the kitchen smelt like bacon. I excused myself and went upstairs two steps at a time. I locked myself in the bathroom and threw up.

I brushed my teeth and re-tied my hair, blinking at my pale reflection.

Why did you believe him?

You stupid girl.

Inside my bedroom, I stuffed the edge of my pillow into my mouth and screamed and screamed and screamed.