Page 85 of When She Unravels
Such is the fate of the clan’s submarines, the men tasked with delivering stipends to the lower-level members of thesistema.Napoletano’s father has been in that job for nearly twenty years, which makes him one of the longest standing submarines in the clan. They don’t have much power, but they usually have the best pulse on any rumors swirling around. “What has he heard?”
Napoletanotakes another drag of his cigarette and looks out the window. “The capos are getting nervous. Rumor is, Sal had ordered the hit on the Forgione funeral procession last week.”
“The bombing that killed the dead guy’s kid?” Ras’s tone is incredulous. “Why would he do that? The Forgiones haven’t been a problem for years.”
“A few possible explanations, but none of them are reasonable. It is not the behavior of a rational man. He doesn’t trust anyone these days.”
“Not even you?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.
“He’s never trusted me. He tends to dislike men who’s mothers he’s killed.” Our eyes meet and an understanding solidifies in the air between us. He wants to get his revenge on Sal as much as I do, and just like me, he’s been biding his time.
I wipe a speck of dust off my desk. “Do you know why I haven’t tried to get off Ibiza all this time?”
Napoletano nods. “Your sister.”
“I thought being capo here and staying far away from Casal would keep her safe. Turns out, that’s not the case. He ordered a hit on Martina.”
A dark cloud passes over his expression. “When?” he bites out.
“Last month. She managed to get away with the help of that woman you saw by the pool.”
Napoletano flicks his gaze to Ras. “The one you asked me to run through the system a few days ago. Valentina Garzolo.”
“Yes,” I say. “She gave us enough information to confirm Sal was the one behind it.” I summarize our knowledge of what happened, and by the time I’m done, a thoughtful silence blankets the room.
“Staying on the sidelines is no longer an option after this escalation,” I say. “I’m ready to take back what should have always belonged to me.”
Napoletano reaches for the ashtray on my desk and puts out his cigarette. “You’ve decided to trust me then.”
“We know you’re not a forgiving man,” Ras says.
We wait for him to voice his commitment. Without Napoletano, this will be much harder.
“I’m thirty-two this year,” he says finally, flicking a piece of lint of his leg. “My mother died when I was fifteen. Sometimes I tell myself it’s time to move on. I can’t even remember what it felt like to be loved by her. But I remember the burning rage when I saw her body and the vow I made to make him pay.”
“I know the feeling well,” I say.
He holds my gaze and nods. “It’s time for a change. I’ll help you.”
The tension in the room eases.
I pass him the folder containing details about our security at the compound. He flips through it. “I’ll audit your set up here and give Ras a list of suggestions,” he says before slipping the folder under his arm. “When I return to Naples, I can start planting seeds. You’ll need to give them time to grow.”
“Not just time. We need to give them fertilizer,” I say. “I need to demonstrate to the families that I can lead us better than Sal.”
“You can’t do that when you’re his work horse,” Napoletano says. “The flow of money from Ibiza needs to stop.”
“If we stop paying, he’ll tell his suppliers to stop delivering the goods,” Ras says. “Our revenue will be cut in half overnight.”
We’ll still have the legitimate businesses—restaurants, hotels, clubs—but they need customers. And those will dry up as soon as word gets around that drugs on Ibiza are suddenly hard to come by.
There’s only one thing we can do. “We need to find a new supplier. Cut Sal out completely.”
“That would spell the beginning of his end,” Napoletano says. “If his suppliers find out he can’t control his wealthiest capo, they’ll lose confidence. It’s only a matter of time before they abandon him and agree to work directly with you.”
“We have to find the right partner,” I mutter. “Sal is too well connected with the Moroccans and the Algerians. They won’t turn on him until I prove my power. I have to go further. The Colombians? But why would they take a bet on me, especially when I only need their supply until Sal’s suppliers turn on him? No, I need a temporary solution.”
“You have one sitting by your pool,” Napoletano says. “The Garzolo’s primary business is cocaine.”
