Yet, I’d watched so many of my peers do whatever they’d wanted. They’d broken rules. They’d had parties where people got drunk or high and more often than not had sex. Some had even skirted around or outright broken the law by vandalizing school property or getting involved in other petty crimes.
Not me, though. I hadn’t wanted to go down a bad road. I didn’t want others to look at me and think I was anything but Brian and Amy Carr’s well-behaved daughter. My parents might not have money, and they might not have created harmony within our home. But they’d raised their children to be decent, upstanding members of society, and we were.
Both David and me. I always figured that the reason he went into law enforcement right out of high school was to build the positive reputation of the Carr name. Even if we didn’t have much else, we had that.
And didn’t that count for something?
After beating myself up all night for my colossal lapse in judgment, I met my brother for breakfast. We both had late shifts that day. I needed to talk about what I’d done, to get some feedback about what that kiss meant, but I’d wait till I could discuss that juicy tidbit with Chloe and Laura.
David would never understand. He knew how I was with men and would probably think I’d gone off the deep end. Or that I’d become easy. And such a thing would devastate me. It’d alter the way he saw me as his little sister.
I had questions about who Marco Varasso was, though, questions I felt my brother might be able to answer. Still, as we meandered along the curved paths of the park as usual, I knew I had to be extremely careful in the way I brought up the subject.
Casual would be good. Or vague. Vague would be better. Yes, I’d go for vague.
“Have you ever heard of a family named Varasso?” I asked him, pretending not to care either way and doing my best to not fixate on the man who’d utterly taken over every thought in my brain.
“The Varasso’s are nothing but trouble,” he said promptly, making me goggle at him. “Why?”
“Define ‘nothing but trouble.’”
“Well, it’s hard to nail down any proof, but they’re some major players in a lot of the organized crime that goes down.”
“What? You mean like the mob?” I asked him, taken aback.
“Yeah, though we can never get anything conclusive on them. I think they’ve bought off half the damn city, so even if they’re ever charged with something—which hasn’t happened in years—it never sticks.”
“What kind of crimes are they suspected of?”
“You name it. Murder, kidnapping, racketeering, money laundering, importing and selling drugs. One Varasso or another has been linked to all those for decades.”
Trying to maintain my cool, I pushed forward. I needed to know more. “So most of this stuff happened a long time ago?”
“Naw, it’s still happening. Probably, anyway. The current generation of Varassos are even shiftier and more slippery than the old one.”
Information. I needed more access to information. I desperately wished I’d had enough money to buy a smart phone. Everyone I knew had one but me, but I could never justify the expense. David had one, though. I was tempted to ask if I could borrow it. Or I could just go to the library when I had time. Of course, I never seemed to have any free time.
My brother’s shoulder mic buzzed with static, the police operator on the radio calling him away. This meant I had an extra thirty minutes that I hadn’t planned on. I decided to make use of it. One of the local library branches was a block a
nd a half down. I hurried in, thrilled to find one of the computers available. I plugged in the name Marco Varasso, then held my breath.
What I found was a mixture of crime reports, an obituary, and an article from the social pages.
Search containing Marco Varasso, Marco Varasso, Marco Varasso:
Angelo Varasso, one of Philadelphia’s wealthiest businessmen, died at his home near City Center Thursday. Witnesses stated that a gun he’d been cleaning was discharged by accident, striking him in the head. Varasso was declared dead at the scene.
Memorial services for Angelo Varasso were held at St. Bartholomew’s Church at 3pm last Tuesday. He was 60. His wife, Valentina, proceeded him in death by fourteen years. He is survived by four sons: Luca, Marco, Gabriel, and Alessandro.
VARASSO ESTATE UP IN FLAMES. The sprawling Varasso estate was set ablaze last Monday according to authorities. The probable cause is suspected as arson. The blaze was instigated just before dawn while several of the home’s occupants were sleeping. One death, a housekeeper by the name of Francesca Salvatore, was reported. Six occupants of the house were treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation at the scene, while two additional occupants, Luca Varasso and Marco Varasso were admitted to the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital’s Jefferson Health facility with more extensive injuries. Both are in serious but stable condition.
WEDDING NEWS. Luca Varasso and Molly Greene were united in matrimony on Saturday, April 12th at Fairmount Park. The nuptials were attended by a small group of close family and friends, including the groom’s daughter from a previous relationship, and the groom’s three brothers: Marco, Gabriel and Alessandro. A reception was held for the couple at the Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center.
LOCAL BILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN BEGINS CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION. Luca Varasso, heir of the late Angelo Varasso, broke records this past month when he started the Varasso Good Works Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Philadelphians in need. VGWI will be providing support to area churches, shelters, food banks, and various charities as well as offering scholarships to high school seniors within the city looking to advance their educations. When asked why he began this nonprofit, Varasso had this to say, “I simply wanted to do something good, and my family’s support of this initiative will be ongoing.”
I read over the collection of articles twice, committing them to memory. There was nothing obviously criminal about what had been reported, but I knew David would have access to reports that I didn’t. Was it all hearsay, though? Was Marco Varasso really affiliated with the mafia?
I didn’t doubt my brother, and he had no reason to lie, but I didn’t want to believe such a thing about the man I’d kissed last night. Yes, he was intense. Yes, he clearly came from an affluent background. And yes, he’d bought Organic Eats with cash money.