Chapter 16: Cassandra's Brother

The Karras restaurant on Second Avenue closed its doors to the public at seven.

By eight the back room held thirty men in suits, a long table of lamb and wine, and nobody who would call the police.

Lena walked in on Damian's arm with Cassandra a step behind them.

The captains stopped talking.

Stavros Karras sat at the head of the table with a man beside him who had Cassandra's long face and grey in his hair.

That was her father.

He did not look at his daughter.

"Damian," Stavros said, delighted. "You brought the ring."

"I brought it," Damian said.

He took the small velvet box from his pocket and set it on the white cloth in front of the old man.

Lena felt the room lean toward it.

Cassandra stepped forward, picked the box up and opened it.

The diamond was the size of a coat button.

"Thank you," she said, in a voice that filled the room. "It's beautiful, and I'm not wearing it."

Her father's head came up.

"Cassandra," he said. "Sit."

"Papa, where is Niko?"

"He is a guest of Stavros. We have discussed this."

"He's on a ship to Athens at dawn from Pier Nine. Ask Stavros why."

The room went silent.

A captain at the far end set down his fork.

Cassandra's father turned slowly toward the head of the table.

"Stavros?" he said.

"A school," Stavros said smoothly. "A good school abroad. The boy is wasted here."

"You told me he would walk out of that house at the wedding."

"Plans change, my friend."

"You gave your word in front of my family."

"And I'll keep it. I only said where he would stay."

"That's a lie," Lena said.

Every head turned.

She had not planned to speak, and her voice shook, but she kept going.

"This morning Cassandra got a text that says Pier Nine, tomorrow, dawn.

"You told Cassandra's father the boy was a guest. Now you're putting him on a boat."

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