Chapter 6: Authorized Signer Not Recognized

"Funny thing," Benny said, drawing on his cigarette in the cold car park. "I've been wondering where you came from."

"Queens," I said. "Same as my mother."

"Sure. Sure you did."

He dropped the cigarette and stepped on it.

"The Commission sits Friday," he said. "We'll talk about your people then."

He walked back inside, whistling.

I stood there with my pulse in my ears and my father's watch ticking in my purse.

He did not know. If he knew, he would have said it.

He was only guessing, and he was guessing out loud, to see what I would do.

I did not sleep that night.

I sat in the guest wing of the brownstone with the lights off, watching the hours pass.

By the next morning the clock on Benny's laptop read 22:11:42.

They called me to Teo's study at ten.

Teo sat behind the big desk with his stitches nearly healed.

Benny leaned on the window.

Sheridan sat on the arm of Teo's chair in a cream dress, holding a notepad.

Fausto stood by the door with both hands on his cane.

A phone sat in the middle of the desk, on speaker.

"Landolfi," said a dry old voice.

It belonged to the Commission chair.

"The five families expect the settlement wired by eight tomorrow morning," he said. "All nine accounts. I have heard nothing."

"You'll hear it," Teo said.

"I have heard that the wires are returning."

Nobody in the room looked at me.

Sheridan lifted her chin. "There's been a small technical delay. I've sent a release to every account myself."

"And?"

She flipped her notepad. Her hand was not quite steady.

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