Chapter 9 - the coat pocket
Dante rose to his feet, shielding Rosa behind his back. The black ledger was closed in his left hand.
"A coup, Marco?" Dante’s voice was dangerously steady. "Using the council while my back was turned?"
"You've been chasing ghosts for forty-eight hours," Marco said, his pistol aimed at Dante's chest. "You moved a maid into the family quarters. You're accusing your own blood of treason. The council met an hour ago in emergency session. They voted five to two to place me in temporary control of the Chicago territory until you undergo a medical evaluation."
"And the note slipped under Rosa’s door threatening her daughter?" Dante challenged. "Was that the council, too?"
Marco blinked, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing his face before his mask hardened. "I don't know what lies that girl is feeding you, Dante. Hand over the ledger."
Rosa shifted behind Dante. Her hand moved swiftly, catching the edge of Dante's heavy overcoat draped over the armchair beside her. With remarkable dexterity, she slid Carmela's black diary into the deep inner pocket of the coat while Marco’s enforcers watched Dante's hands.
"I won't surrender command to a man who helped murder my wife," Dante said.
Marco's eyes flared with anger. "I loved Carmela like a sister! I protected her!"
"Then why did she write that she was being poisoned by someone in this house?" Dante roared, stepping forward.
The enforcers raised their rifles, but none of them wanted to shoot Dante Falcone. Even under council orders, killing the Boss carried a blood debt no man wanted to pay.
"Put the weapons down!" a sharp voice commanded from the corridor.
Old Man Vieri, the senior member of the Chicago council, walked into the room leaning on an ivory cane. His silver hair was neatly combed, his expression severe.
"What is the meaning of this circus?" Vieri demanded, looking between Dante and Marco.
"Dante is unstable, Vieri," Marco said immediately. "He’s compromising the family's security over domestic delusions."
Dante didn't back down. He pointed at Marco. "My wife was poisoned in this house eighteen months ago. She documented it in her personal ledger. And before Marco walked in here to stage this coup, Julian Rossi made contact with this estate."
Vieri froze. "Julian Rossi? Carmela's brother?"
"Yes," Dante said. "And if you want proof of who has been betraying this family, bring Dr. Kenneth Vance to this estate right now. He was Carmela's private physician before she died."
Marco stepped forward, his voice rising. "Dr. Vance moved to Florida a year ago!"
"No, he didn't," Rosa's voice cut through the room.
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All eyes snapped to the young maid. Rosa stepped out from behind Dante, her chin raised, looking directly at Councilman Vieri.
"Dr. Vance runs the Saint Jude’s clinic on the west side," Rosa stated clearly. "He’s the doctor Clara—Mrs. Falcone—hired to treat me. He never left Chicago. He’s there every Tuesday night. Which means he’s there right now."
