Chapter 9: The Doctor's Second Note

That night Alessio had Ines chained in the wine cellar, with two soldiers on the stairs.

He sent Gemma home to her father's house under guard.

Then he went out to the garage, where my father sat alone in the dark in the front seat of his car.

I got into the back and sat behind him.

Alessio opened the passenger door and got in.

For a long time neither of them said anything.

"She is lying," my father said at last. "That girl wants to hurt us. She will say anything."

"She said a name."

"There are a hundred Paganos in this state."

"There was one on Route 9W," Alessio said. "He ran an auto body shop in Kingston."

My father's hand tightened on the wheel.

"You remember him," Alessio said. "Because I remember him. I remember the doorway, Tullio."

"Keep your voice down."

"Why? Who is listening? Everyone who might hear it is dead."

My father said nothing.

"Tell me what happened to the family," Alessio said. "The wife. The boy. The girl."

"That was eight years ago. It was business."

"Tell me."

"He stole from you," my father said. "He ran his mouth. You were young and you needed a name that frightened people. It was a good lesson."

"And the house?"

"The house burned. It was an accident."

"The drum was not an accident."

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