Pipe Burst Guest novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Oath

They had taken Tullio's body out by the service door, and the stain was still on the boards.

I had told the manager to leave it.

Thirteen captains stood in the ballroom in their dark suits, around a table with one chair pushed back and nobody in it.

Aurelio came to my side with a book in both hands.

It was bound in black leather, soft at the corners, and it was thicker than I had imagined.

"Your father's," he said. "Every Don of this family has put his name in it."

"There's no woman's name."

"There wasn't one until you."

He opened it on the table to a blank page and laid a pen on the spine.

I looked down the long row of men.

The old captain stood nearest, with his hat in his hands.

Beyond him were the nervous one and his two sons, and four I knew by their faces from my father's funeral.

Past them stood the last three, and all of them had raised their hands for the petition.

They stood with their eyes on the floor, and the heavy one with the rings was sweating through his collar.

"Gentlemen," I said.

My voice carried to the end of the room.

"Two hours ago you voted to call me unfit."

Nobody answered.

"Nine of you did. I won't ask who, because I know. I was there."

The heavy one wet his lips.

"I will tell you what I won't do," I said. "I won't make any man here kneel. I'll make you a better offer than the one you had on Thursday."

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