The Man in Shadow Read online

  “How good of you to notice. I’ve had somewhat of a long day, and I was hoping to have a bit of shuteye, but you see, before I could get to my bed I was run down by a little old man driving a team of horses.”

  “I’ve heard disturbing news not turn past. News which provokes questions that need answering.”

  Sal stood tall and defiant. He would not shirk at Stefano’s scorn. He was not a boy to be scolded. He was a man in his own right. A fact Stefano would soon learn.

  “What is this about you accepting a job from the Moretti Family?”

  How could his uncle know of that already? It had been mere hours. But of course he knew, he was Stefano Lorenzo, Second Hand of the Svoboda Family. There was nothing of import that happened in Dijvois that Stefano Lorenzo didn’t eventually learn about.

  “There was no job offer,” Sal said.

  “Were you not seen leaving the Underway just this morning?”

  "Yeah, I was in the Underway. The bastards jumped me, hogtied me, and carted me to Don Moretti's feet. But there was no job offer, just an inquisition.”

  “An inquisition?” Stefano asked, his face showing emotion for the first. “What do you mean by that?”

  “Asked me what I knew about some dead Scarvini men.”

  “And what did you tell them?”

  Sal shrugged and took a bite of the cheese. It was sharp, nutty, and crumbled with a near-perfect consistency; his uncle really did buy the best.

  Stefano’s nostrils flared as he stared at Sal, hands behind his head, eyes narrowed. “What do you know of these recent Scarvini deaths, boy?”

  “Don Scarvini? Did that old bastard finally die?”

  “Don’t play the fool with me, Salvatori. What is it you know?”

  Sal cocked an eyebrow. “Might be you know something I don’t, Uncle. Tell me, why is the rest of the Commission so curious about the Scarvini family? Don Scarvini is one of you, isn’t he?”

  Stefano scowled. “It’s not Giotto Scarvini I’m asking you about; it's those sons of his. They seem to be dying off in quick succession. The eldest boy, Giuseppe, was found with a whole slew of his men, burned to death in a Scarvini controlled warehouse of all places. Garibaldi was found with a red smile in his father's own rooms at the Pit. A whole host of Scarvini men in the main hall while it was happening, I'm told. They say his door guard escorted the murderer right through the front door.”

  Sal swallowed. He felt his heart kick into high speed. “Did anyone get a look at the man?”

  Stefano shook his head.

  “Any idea why?” Sal asked. “Is one of the other four making a move?”

  Stefano scanned him with suspicious eyes. “The Five Families met just last night. It was just a few hours after that meeting that Garibaldi Scarvini was killed. Thus far, no one has claimed credit for the murders, but why would they? If one of them is seeking to move in on Scarvini territory, they’ll not want their intentions known until it’s too late.”

  “Will the Commission go to war?” Sal asked.

  “That’s an outcome I hope to prevent. Though, I have reason to believe this is not an insulated incident. There seems to be an outsider who may be involved. Thus far, I’ve only gathered a name.”

  “Oh?” Sal said, his heart galloping. “What name would that be?”

  His uncle shifted his jaw as though chewing the words before he spoke them aloud. “Dominik D’Angelo.”

  Sal coughed. He felt as though there were something stuck in his throat. A flash of cold swept through him, as beads of sweat formed on his brow.

  “You’ve heard the name?” Stefano asked.

  Sal shook his head, his heart pounding so loud now he feared his uncle would hear. “Who is he?” Sal said.

  “I have men asking around. Seems the Scarvini Family had a spot of trouble with him a while back, and now it seems he’s stirring trouble once more.”

  “And why should you care if he kills a few Scarvini men?”

  Stefano wrinkled his nose. “I’ve no reason to explain myself to you, boy. No, the reason you’re here is to heed my advice. Keep your head down for a time. Stay clear of the Bastian estate, and even farther clear of the Scarvini Family. There are things in motion that could become very volatile if handled indelicately. Should it come to war, I would not see you become just another senseless casualty.”

  “Oh, Uncle,” Sal said with a smirk. “You do care, and here I thought you were just some heartless old lizard.”

  Stefano's scowl deepened. He picked up his book, replaced his reading lenses, and made a sweeping gesture with the back of one hand before he resumed his reading.

  Sal took another bite of the cheese and tossed what was left of the wedge back on his uncle’s plate, then headed for the door. Once out of the solar, Sal went for the stairs, but when he reached the bottom of the stairway, he didn’t head for the foyer. Instead, he hung a hard right and went to the opposite staircase.

  Sal headed down into the cellar. The light was dim, the air damp, and smelling of mildew. The cellar walls were lined with shelves, filled top to bottom with bottles. Still, it didn’t take Sal long to find what he was after. He reached out and took hold of the bottle by the neck. Sal blew on the bottle, sneezing when thick gray clumps of dust billowed into the air.

  He read the inked label and smiled, then grabbed two more bottles and headed back for the stairs. As he came eye level with the horizon of the floor, Sal saw a pair of boots standing in a puddle of rainwater atop of the stairs.

  Sal winced as Greggings gave him an appraising look.

  “I thought I might put them to use. I’d hate to see them waste away in that dank cellar of his," Sal said defensively. "Besides, my uncle never touches his reserve stock; I doubt if he'll even notice."

  “I quite agree.” Greggings flashed Sal a smile and a wink. “Put them to good use, but do take care, Master Salvatori.”

  7

  Head Of The Snake

  It was strange to be back in the place, stranger still that Vinny had purchased it. The safe house had belonged to Luca Vrana. He’d been the one to convert the cellar and warehouse into a hideout, a meeting place for his crew.

  Sal sat at the head of the table, his feet propped up, ankles crossed, hands behind his head.

  Vinny remained standing, seemingly at odds with himself—or Sal—it really wasn’t clear. Vinny’s eyes were like the calm before the storm, but Sal knew inside he was a raging maelstrom of indecision.

  The door opened tentatively, and a head poked inside. Aurie flinched when she saw Sal was watching her, yet she crossed the threshold.

  As she approached, Vinny sprang into action, quickly pulling out a chair just before Aurie reached the table.

  Aurie went scarlet, and Vinny at least had the grace to blush.

  Sal chuckled to himself.

  Aurie took a seat; her lips pursed tight, face still red as a sunset. Vinny pulled out the chair beside her and took his own seat, pointedly avoiding Sal’s eyes.

  When he caught Vinny’s gaze, Sal cocked an eyebrow in question, but Vinny didn’t deign to answer. And so they continued to wait in silence.

  The door opened swiftly, and Dominik entered. His scalp clean-shaven, his long beard combed and free of knits. The man was built like a mastiff, with thickly muscled arms and a face mean as sin.

  Dominik nodded, acknowledging the trio, and took a seat. He wasn’t exactly a catalyst for conversation; the man was more of the strong silent type. An intimidating trait, but one Sal respected, and wished he could emulate. Aurie looked down at the table, shifting nervously in her seat, while Vinny twirled a blonde lock of hair about his finger.

  Sal looked them over with a critical eye. This was his lot—his life was in their hands. He glanced at the door, wondering.

  By his count, the others were running late.

  Just then, the door swung open and smacked the wall with a loud thwack!

  Odie stood hunched over, looking one part embarrassed, and two p
arts confused. Valla squeezed past the big man, hips swaying in a near hypnotic rhythm as she crossed the room. The big man was forced to duck under the doorway in order to get inside, and yet he closed the door more gently than Aurie had as if to compensate for his brash entry. Odie took both remaining seats beside Dominik, while Valla took the seat at the head of the table opposite Sal.

  Valla glared at Sal. “Well, they’re on to us. Every thug in the Moretti Family has your name on his lips. None of us should be seen within a hundred feet of you, or that one there.” Valla nodded to Dominik, who stirred like a predator that had caught the scent of a challenger.

  “And yet, here you are,” Sal said.

  “Here I fucking am,” Valla scoffed and jerked a thumb at Odie. “Only because I refused to let this bloody ox throw his life away on account of your idiocy.”

  “Right. My idiocy.” Sal resisted the urge to point out that it was Valla’s plan that had gotten them into the mess in the first place. “And if I accept that, just what is it you’re proposing we do?”

  “Oh, you want to know what I think now, do you?” Valla said defensively.

  Sal frowned. “Let’s hear it. What do you think we should do?”

  “I think it’s obvious, but I’ll spell it out for those of you who are a bit slow. We should drop this D’Angelo cock sucker and go on with our lives. Far as I can tell, you and Dominik D’Angelo are the only two that have been connected with any of this. Anyone else here who has any fucking sense should walk away from this thing now before their names get put in with yours.”

  “Get rid of me, will you?” said Dominik. “Well, I don’t much care for Commission scum meself. So, if you want out, woman, doors right there.”

  “I’m Commission scum,” said Odie, sitting upright. “You gonna kick me out the crew too, D’Angelo?”

  Dominik flashed Odie a placating smile beneath his thick beard. “Seems to me there’s not a man in Dijvois that could kick you out of anything you wanted to be in. No, Big Man, I’ll take all the help I can get. You all just keep in mind I started this thing meself, and I can finish it off meself if needs be. And I don’t need help from no venom tongued wench to do it, neither.”

  Sal went still, while Vinny and Aurie looked away, as though they’d not heard.

  But the big man laughed a loud ringing boom that echoed off the walls.

  Sal didn’t dare look at Valla, and instead, tried to catch Dominik’s eye in hopes of warning the man before it was too late. Dominik seemed oblivious to the dangerous shift in Valla’s position.

  The last thing Sal needed was to lose another member of his crew, especially not to his own cat’s paw.

  “Something funny?” Dominik asked, looking to the big man.

  Odie nodded, still laughing. “You’re a droll one, D’Angelo. Always knew you was tough, but you must’ve got balls the size of my head talking to our Vallachenka that way.”

  Valla snarled. “If he’s so fucking tough, why is it I never heard of him before?”

  Dominik shrugged. “Might be you’re too young to have heard of me, wench.”

  Odie laughed once more, a big booming laugh. “Aye, well, might be you’re too old to know the lass. But you see, there’s only two kinds of people that talk to Valla the way you do D’Angelo. Fools and dead men.”

  Valla cleared her throat. “You ain’t never heard of me, D’Angelo, because it’s only assholes go spreading their own names.”

  “Aye, that’s true,” agreed Dominik. “But some names can’t help but spread by their own accord.”

  “That so?” said Valla. “Then how come I never heard your name, dockman. Not until we all went and got ourselves neck-deep in it, and now it seems the only bloody name I hear is Dominik D’Angelo” Valla spat. An ugly sneer formed on her pretty face. “Course, I guess that’s not the only name I heard. What was it they used to call you, D’Angelo?”

  “Commission scum don’t know nothing but lies,” Dominik said.

  Valla frowned. “Now see, there you go again insulting my ilk. You saying that everyone I know is spinning me a little story?”

  Dominik shook his head. “Might be I’m a nobody, but no man never called me liar.”

  “Last I checked, Vallachenka ain’t no man,” said Odie with a wink. “Course, I wouldn’t mind checking once more just to be sure of it.”

  Valla hissed, her ire shifting from Dominik to Odie in a blink.

  “Easy now, lass.” Odie raised his hands. “I got no quarrel with you jumping my bones, just thought you might want to wait until we were alone is all.”

  It seemed something had pierced through the armor of Valla’s anger. She didn’t smile, but the fire in her eyes dwindled to the mere flicker of a flame. “Blood Paws, wasn’t it?” she said unexpectedly. “Never got made, though, did you? Probably why you hate the Commission so much.”

  Dominik shifted uncomfortably, and suddenly it seemed everyone’s attention was back on him, so intent Sal could feel it radiating off the man.

  “You know why nobody here never heard of no Dominik D’Angelo before you came in here? Because you’re worse than a nobody. Nobody here ever heard of D’Angelo, but they sure as fucking Sacrull heard your other name.”

  Dominik looked ready to slip his skin at any moment.

  The tension in the room was palpable, and Sal considered putting a stop to all of it.

  “You want to tell them, or should I?” asked Valla.

  “I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Dominik. “I told you all my name when first we met.”

  “Right. Well, what’s this other bloody name then?” blurted Vinny.

  There was another moment of tense silence, all attention on Dominik. “Dominik the rat,” he said, as though spitting a sour taste from his mouth.

  Aurie’s eyes went wide, but apart from her, no one else reacted. Despite Valla’s proclamation, Sal had never heard the name.

  “The rat,” said Valla spitting. “Dominik the fucking rat, working in my fucking crew and sitting at my fucking table.”

  “My table, to be fair,” murmured Vinny.

  “Was never no rat,” said Dominik.

  “Aye, well, difficult case to make when it’s in your bloody name, ain’t it?” said Valla, putting a hand on her knife.

  “Was a bounty collector,” said Dominik. “I joined the Blood Paws as a boy—back before I went off to war—back before I was even a man. Years later, when I took work as a bounty collector, some of the scum I scooped up happened to remember me. Pretty soon word got out I was some kind of rat. Name stuck.” He shrugged. “Some names can’t help but spread on their own.”

  Valla stood. “Yeah, well, your name’s done just that. Somehow the whole Commission has your name on their lips, and they think it was you that done in both of the Scarvini boys.” Valla slowly wrapped her fingers about the hilt of her knife. “I’ve half a mind to collect the bounty on you myself. Give your corpse over to Don Scarvini and consider this mess settled.”

  Sal kicked back from his chair and stood to match Valla. He shot one hand into his pocket and crushed a cap of skeev.

  “Dominik’s given a good enough explanation for me,” Sal said.

  Valla slowly unsheathed her knife.

  Sal grabbed hold of the locket, his other hand extended, palm out.

  Valla sneered, jabbed the knife into the tabletop, and sat down.

  “Now, listen,” Sal said, lowering his hand. “Dominik is still here, and so am I. The Moretti Family is making a little noise, nothing more.”

  “Nothing more?” said Valla incredulous. “Nothing more this, Salvatori. You got yourself pulled in for a sit down with the boss man himself—or were you not going to mention your little visit to the Underway?”

  Aurie gave him a searching look, but Sal kept his eyes locked with Valla’s.

  “Me and the big man are made with the Moretti Family. Or did you forget?”

  “I didn’t forget anything. I only decided it wasn’t prescient.”


  “Wasn’t fucking prescient? You were taken to the fucking Underway for Light’s sake. You have any idea what that means?”

  “Better than you might think,” Sal said. “Wasn’t the first time I went in and came back out alive, and it won’t be the last. Don Moretti seems determined to put a stop to Dominik’s plan, whatever it is he thinks that might be.”

  “He’s already sent some of the street-level boys out looking,” said Odie. “White Eyes and Rooks too.”

  “That’s to be expected,” Sal said. “And when the street gangs come up empty-handed—”

  “If the street gangs come up empty,” Valla said, “then soon enough, it’s going to be us out there chasing our own tails.”

  “Well, that’s good for us then,” said Vinny. “Isn’t it? You and Odie can just stall the search. Throw out some false trails and all.”

  “How about this?” said Valla. “Why doesn’t that one just leave this crew right now, for good and all? Because if he doesn’t, Dominik the rat is going to get every fucking one of us killed.”

  “Look, Val, no one is dead yet,” Sal said with the most level, consoling tone he could manage. “No one here has to die in order for us to fix the situation, understand?”

  “Sounds like you have a plan,” said Vinny.

  “Don’t like new,” the big man said with a frown.

  “I agree, we already got us a plan,” said Dominik.

  “Right. Well, the plan might need a bit of an update,” said Sal, “ We’re going to need to move a few steps up in the process and take care of Don Scarvini a touch ahead of schedule.”

  No one spoke. It was as though the name had cast a spell of silence over them. Sal took advantage of the moment to push on.

  “Look, we know that Scarvini and Moretti have made an effort to uncover the identity of our crew. By now, for all we know, Dvorak, Svoboda, and Novotny have joined in as well. And if they haven’t, we can only expect that eventually, they will. Our one advantage is anonymity. Thus far, they seem to think Dominik alone is responsible, but with my name out there, it’s only a matter of time before they discover the rest of us have been involved from the start.”