“Oh, no. He’d never forgive me.”
“Who, my father?”
“Yes,” Roman said, finally looking up. His gaze was clear and innocent, almost like a child’s. “He took good care of me. I’d do anything for him.”
“We appreciate your loyalty, but we have to go on without him. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“So what was in the package?” I asked again.
“Heroin.”
“My father had assigned you a heroin delivery in Bianchi territory?”
“Yes, sir. He told me it was okay because there were actuating circumstances.”
“You mean extenuating circumstances?”
“Oh. Yes, sir.”
I frowned. That was strange. “What circumstances were those?”
Roman puffed out his lips. “He never said. He just told me where to bring the package and make the drop. He told me it’d be worth it because it would be for triple the normal take.”
“Was Donovan Bianchi ever aware of your presence?
“No, sir.” He smiled, gaining a bit of pride in his stance. “I know how not to be seen.”
“Yet you were on the surveillance we took.”
“Mr. Angelo told me which routes to go, which ones wouldn’t be… Ah, what did he call them? Um… restricted. That’s the word he said. Restricted.”
I deepened my frown. “Was he messing with the feed? Putting it in a loop to hide your presence or something?”
“I don’t know, sir. I just did as Mr. Angelo told me.”
I nodded, but I was baffled. According to what this runner was telling me, my father had indeed risked starting a major altercation with Bianchi’s for money. Unless…
“Roman, did you ever receive something other than cash in payment for the heroin?”
“No, sir.”
“So they never gave you anything like weapons? Or maybe information?”
“No, sir. Just the Ben Franklins.”
I rubbed the scruff on my cheek, turning the facts over in my mind again. They just didn’t add up.
“All right, Roman. Thanks.”
“Anything for the Varassos, sir.”
17
Molly
I’d been in my room getting ready for bed between texts. I stayed in constant contact with my four main middlemen: Matteo, Samuel, Eduardo, and Christian. Even though it was after midnight Eastern Daylight Time, in other parts of the country, it wasn’t that late. Therefore, I stayed up, waiting to receive the coded words that declared all was well.