Chapter 2 - I did not touch Lucille again
Ten years earlier, I would have.
That is not a confession of virtue.
It is an admission of history.
I had built my reputation in a family whose legitimate businesses existed beside criminal ones for generations.
Shipping.
Construction.
Nightlife.
Importing.
And activities prosecutors described with less polite nouns.
My father taught:
Problems disappear when people are afraid enough.
Age taught me something different.
People who are terrified tell you whatever stops pain.
That does not make it true.
So I called my attorney.
Then security.
Then police.
Yes.
Police.
That shocked everyone more than the slap.
Lucille laughed.
“You’re calling cops?”
“I’m reporting what you did to my daughter.”
Her expression changed.
Men like me are expected to solve everything privately.
May you like
That expectation had protected too many dangerous people.
I was finished protecting her.
