Relief washed over me. “Really? That’s good news. Well… not that it will be hard for him to stop being a mob boss… but it must mean that there’s nothing physically wrong with him, right?” At Ramos’s nod, I continued. “So… he’s looking at this in the long-term.”
Ramos threw his empty bottle in the trash. “Yes. You know him well. I guess we’ll figure it all out at some point, but, for now, we’d better get back. What’s your plan for Vic anyway?”
“I have no idea.”
He chuckled. “Come on.”
I followed him out of the apartment. As we passed Jackie, she glanced up with a raised brow. She hoped we were being good, but she didn’t trust Ramos… or me. With a frown, I stopped beside her, and Ramos continued down the hall.
“So Jackie, how’s Uncle Joey doing? Is his shoulder all better?” Short of asking if Uncle Joey had any health issues; that was the best I could do. Maybe she’d tell me if something was going on.
Her brows rose. Where had that come from? “Like I told you yesterday, his shoulder’s fine.”
Oops, I’d forgotten about that. “Oh… that’s right. So… how about Miguel? Have you heard from him lately?”
“Yes. He’s coming home for a few days in a couple of weeks, so we’re looking forward to seeing him.”
“That’s great.”
“Yeah. We’ll have to get the family together.”
“Sounds good.” Of course we’d get together. Savannah would kill me if we didn’t. But it also cemented the fact that we were part of the family, and being Uncle Joey’s successor was basically a given. But, as long as he got out of the business, it should be okay, right?
Victor entered the office doors. His dark, curly hair showed signs of gray at the temples, and I pegged his age around forty-three. His clean-shaven face had an olive complexion, and his eyes were deep set and dark. He wore business casual, with blue jeans and a dark jacket over a gray, button-up shirt.
He smiled at us, but the worry of being summoned to Uncle Joey’s office kept him from speaking. Upon seeing Ramos opening Uncle Joey’s door, his step faltered, but he hurried on.
“He looks a little nervous,” I whispered to Jackie.
“That happens a lot.” She caught my gaze and we giggled.
“I’d better go.” I followed Victor down the hall and entered the office right behind him.
Uncle Joey waved me in, and I took the seat next to Victor in front of his desk. Ramos closed the door and took his position standing in front of it. Victor’s heart picked up speed, and his brow began to sweat. He knew something was wrong, but he had no idea what it could be.
Despite my worry about what would become of Victor, it hit me that I enjoyed this part of the job. Finding out if someone was cheating or lying brought me a sense of justice that seemed sorely lacking in today’s world.
Of course, I didn’t want him dead, but I did want the truth, and if he was cheating, he needed to pay the consequences. Hmm… if he knew, would Bob Spicer think I’d lost it and turned to the dark side? Maybe I’d be a better successor than I thought?
“Victor,” Uncle Joey said, leaning back in his chair and looking down at him. “You’ve been part of my family organization now for a long time, about twelve years, if I’m remembering correctly. I’ve appreciated your service, and I hope you feel you’ve been fairly compensated.”
“Yes,” Victor said. “I believe so, sir.”
“Good. Are you happy with your position in the business?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any plans to leave?”
“Absolutely not, sir.”
“That’s good to know.” Uncle Joey studied Victor with narrowed eyes. In response, Victor rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. “I’m hoping you can help me out with something.”
“Of course… whatever you need.”
“As you know, I’ve terminated my involvement in the drug business. That used to be your area of expertise, and I wondered if you’ve had contact with our partner since then.”
He shook his head. “No. After I told him we didn’t need his services anymore, that was the end of it, and I haven’t spoken with him since.”
“Did he seem upset?”
“Well… yes. He asked me if we had a better deal with someone else. I assured him that wasn’t the case and explained that we were stepping away from that part of the business for a time. I may have mentioned that it was because you needed to lay low for a while. I think it helped. I also may have promised him that he’d be our first contact once we got back in.”
“How did he take it? Did that explanation satisfy him?”
“Yeah. I haven’t heard from him since.” Victor’s brows rose. “Are you ready to get back in?”
“No.” Uncle Joey tapped his fingers against the desktop, and studied Victor until the man shrank back in his seat. “But, unfortunately, someone else has been buying and selling drugs under the Manetto name. Do you know anything about that?”
Victor’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to deny it, but Uncle Joey cut him off. “Be careful how you answer me. I’ll know if you’re lying, and it will be much worse for you.”
Victor glanced my way out of the corner of his eyes. He knew about my premonitions, and his heart began to pound. Having me there didn’t bode well for him, and he’d have to be careful. “I’m not sure, but if I were to guess, I’d think that one of the people who used to work for me… uh… you… may have stepped in to fill the vacuum.”
Uncle Joey nodded, expecting this. “And which one
