Chapter 26: Carry It

The vote took four minutes.

The Don would stay in his own study, with the scarred captain's men on the door, until Sunday.

On Sunday the table would decide, and nobody would touch the box before then except Gemma, with three captains watching.

They went to Boston Harbor Savings Bank in two cars.

The manager sweated through his collar when Gemma set the brass key on his desk and said her mother's maiden name.

Box 1140 was long and gray, and it took both hands to lift.

She opened it on a table in the vault, with the three captains breathing behind her.

Inside lay a stack of ledgers in her mother's slanting hand.

Every page held dates, account numbers and amounts, and every account ended in the same shell company.

Under the ledgers were bank slips signed by Vittorio's accountant.

On top lay a note in blue ink: *Not one captain's name is on any of these. I checked twice. Only his.*

The scarred captain read it, and let out a short laugh.

"She protected us," he said. "A woman he murdered kept our names clean."

He put his hand flat on the ledgers.

"Your father's statement is paper, girl. This is proof."

Raffaele carried the box out himself.

That night the east wing was quiet, and the lamp burned low.

Gemma stood at the window with her arms around herself.

She had not let her hands shake all day, and now they did.

Raffaele shut the door behind him and turned the lock.

"Come here," he said.

"I'm fine."

"I know you are. Come here anyway."

She crossed the room, and he took her face in both hands and kissed her.

It was deep and unhurried, and it went on until her knees went soft.

"Tonight you don't lead," he said against her mouth. "Tonight I carry it."

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