Chapter 5: Sunday Lunch

Silvio Ruzzo's sedan pulled away from the curb while I was still staring at it.

Danny's mother pressed the little flip phone into my hand. "Take it. Play it for every one of them."

"I will."

"Make them say his name out loud."

I put the phone in my bag and kissed her on the cheek.

On the sidewalk, Remo opened the Lincoln's back door without speaking.

"Did you see him?" I asked.

"I saw him."

"He was here, Remo. He followed us."

"I know." He shut the door behind me. "I'll take you home."

I didn't argue, because for once I wanted to be at my father's house.

On Sundays after the big dinner, the family eats again at noon, just the men who matter.

Gaetano sat at the head of the dining room table with two of his captains, one on each side.

A plate of cold peppers sat in front of him.

He looked at me in my wrinkled dress and said, "You didn't come home last night."

"I was with Danny's mother."

The captain on his left put down his fork.

My father did not move at all.

I took the flip phone out of my bag and set it in the middle of the table, between the peppers and the bread.

"Say it," I told him. "Go ahead. Tell your friends who Danny was."

"Lucia, this is not the place."

"You made it the place when you let a man break my heart in front of forty people." My voice rose. "Play it."

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