Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Enzo locked the couchette door as Kathleen collapsed on the bunk and leaned against the wall. “That prick.”
“A rather mild way to describe that stronzo.” Enzo agreed as he sat down next to her.
“He is an asshole, isn’t he?” Her eyes were light, but her expression was pensive.
“Look at you learning all the worst words in Italian.” Her grin was quick with his offhand compliment. He reached for one of the to-go cups. “It’s his job to annoy us and try to keep us off kilter. Just remember that.”
“Doesn’t make me hate him any less.” She rubbed her face with both hands. “I think it would give me great satisfaction to smash his nose across his face.”
Enzo grinned as he removed the lid from his coffee. “I never realized you were so blood thirsty.”
“I wasn’t, but you know, changing circumstances require changing attitudes.
” She winked at him and then leaned forward and kissed him softly.
He deepened the kiss, but the vibration from her pocket shattered the moment.
With a heavy sigh, she drew the phone out, and he looked over her shoulder as she glanced at the screen. The Callahans.
She answered the call. “Hello?”
“Kathleen?” It was Mitch. “Got a minute? Is Enzo with you?”
She put it on speaker. “Yes, we’re both here.”
Enzo leaned over and said, “Can we call you back in two minutes?”
“Er, sure.”
Enzo killed the call.
“What are you doing?” Kathleen demanded as Enzo pulled her to her feet.
“We can chat with them later. I have plans for you,” he said loudly and then kissed her hard.
“This—”
He cut her off with a wave of his hand and then leaned over and whispered in her ear, “We were out of the couchette for a long time, and it doesn’t lock from the outside. Dominic’s men would have had plenty of time to plant a bug in here.”
Kathleen leaned back and stared up at him.
Now what the hell were they going to do?
He smiled at her. Then grabbed her hand and unlocked the door.
He pulled her out of the couchette and down the hallway after him.
She flipped off the guards again as they passed, feeling juvenile, but oddly delighted with the crude gesture.
They were going in the opposite direction from the dining car.
They went three cars down with Dominic’s people in tow when Enzo quickly stuffed Kathleen in the bathroom at the end of the car and came in after her.
He locked the door and grinned. “It’s a bit cozy but better than an airplane bathroom. ”
“They’re gonna know we’re in here on the phone.”
“Certainly,” Enzo agreed. “But they won’t know who we’re talking to or what we’re talking about. That’s the best we can do at the moment.”
She wanted to argue, but he was right. This was the best it was going to get. She pulled out her phone as Enzo handed her an AirPod. He matched them to her phone and then hit redial.
Mitch answered immediately. “Is it okay to talk now?”
“Yeah.”
“Bugs?” Mitch asked.
“Can’t know for certain, but I would guess yes.”
Mitch grunted. “We’re all here. I’m putting you on speaker.”
“What’s up?” Kathleen asked.
“Based on our research, things are not looking great. First things first. We’re gonna make this quick because we’re on an overnight flight. We should hit Paris about the same time as you, since you’re on the milk run and making so many stops.”
Hope flickered in Kathleen’s chest. Maybe the Callahans would be able to help them get away from their ever-present shadow.
Enzo shook his head as if he knew what she was thinking. “They can’t help us.”
“You mean with Dominic?” Mitch asked. “Unfortunately, Enzo’s right.
We won’t get there in time to be in place before the train arrives at the station, but I have a call in to some people.
We might be able to get someone in place to at least help a bit, if not launch a full-scale rescue. Keep your eyes open.”
Kathleen bit back a sigh. A little help was better than nothing.
“What did you find out?” Enzo prodded.
Logan’s voice came through the AirPods. “I spoke with Armand. You were right to be concerned about Vitale. Armand says Vitale has gotten himself into trouble. He entered new territory, being the middleman between the cartels and terrorist cells in the Middle East. Turns out he got a little bit too greedy and took too big a cut on a deal, and neither side was pleased with him. The cartel went after him for the money, and he told them he had invested it. He promised them a nice return on their investment if they just waited a few months.”
“Let me guess,” Enzo interrupted, “those months are up, and Vitale doesn’t have the cash.”
“Got it in one,” Logan agreed. “Apparently, Vitale invested in cryptocurrency.”
“Aw, merda.” Enzo exhaled harshly.
“What?” demanded Kathleen. “What’s the big deal?”
Logan continued. “Cryptocurrency has tanked recently. A lot of people lost a lot of money. Vitale, by all accounts, didn’t just lose the money he skimmed from the cartels; he lost a lot of other people’s money as well. He’s in the hole for close to a hundred mil, if rumor is to be believed.”
Kathleen suddenly felt ill. That was crazy money. Like, way insane money. She tried to take a deep breath but was quickly reminded that they were in a bathroom. Her stomach rolled.
“What does that mean?” she asked in a hushed voice. She was conscious that Dominic’s men were probably right outside the door.
As if they read her mind, someone pounded on the door. “Andiamo,” they shouted.
Enzo just shook his head at Kathleen. Ignore it, he mouthed.
Logan sighed. “It means that Vitale needs the treasure to pay off his debts. If he doesn’t come up with the money soon, the cartels will kill him.”
“And he thinks that the treasure will be worth that much?” Enzo asked.
“That’s what Ronald Wilson was rumored to be worth at the time of his passing. So yeah, Vitale is hoping that the treasure will save his ass.”
Enzo’s eyes narrowed, but Kathleen could tell he was lost in thought. Then he spoke. “That’s why he wants the map, not the treasure.”
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“The treasure is really the promise of a payoff. If he has that, he can bargain for more time. ‘I have the map that leads to Ronald Wilson’s treasure, I just need more time to find it.’ Or even bargain that ‘We’ll give you the map and we’re even.’ I can see him trying to sell that.”
Gage’s voice came down the line. “But can you see the cartel buying any of that?”
Enzo frowned. “You’re right. They might give him more time to find the treasure, but they wouldn’t let him off the hook for only the map. Vitale is just trying to buy time. If we give him the treasure, he’s out of time.”
It was Kathleen’s turn to frown. “But what does he need time for if he has the treasure and can pay them off?”
“Funny you should ask,” Logan said. “I asked Armand the same question. He said he thinks Vitale is trying to pull a swift one on some of the people he owes money to. He has to pay the cartels, but he’s trying to keep some of the money that he owes the other, less dangerous people.
He needs time to make that happen in a way where they can’t hurt him. ”
“Wait, you mean like he’s trying to put more security in place to protect himself?” she asked.
“Yes,” Logan agreed, “and trying to set up the right real estate that will allow him to be a presence in the scene but secure enough that the little guys can’t get to him.”
Enzo commented, “Essentially, Vitale needs time to pay off the cartels but insulate himself against all of the smaller assholes he’s ripped off.”
“In a nutshell,” Logan said, ‘yes.”
“On another note,” Gage piped up. “We looked into Carlotta, and you were right to be suspicious, Kathleen. Carlotta’s cousin Brad has been in jail for the past three months.
Apparently, he was so upset about not inheriting any money at the will reading that he went out drinking and smashed up a bar.
He’s still inside because he doesn’t have the money to make bail. ”
Kathleen pushed her hair out of her eyes as she blew out a breath. “So then how did he meet up with Bianca and Rocco?”
“He didn’t,” Enzo stated.
“Enzo’s right,” Gage confirmed, “it wasn’t him. It was Carlotta. Turns out she has a gambling problem. She’s in hot water financially, and her share of her father’s fortune was supposed to bail her out. But she couldn’t find it.”
Kathleen sighed. “Let me guess, she owes Rocco and Bianca.”
“Yup. She met Bianca when she was on a winning roll, and they became fast friends, out shopping and spending money like they didn’t have a worry in the world.
Carlotta’s luck ran out, and Bianca had Rocco extend Carlotta credit to cover her debts.
I’m guessing Bianca knew about the treasure.
Now, Carlotta is in deep with Bianca and Rocco, and the treasure is how she is supposed to pay them off. ”
It was all so much to process. Kathleen leaned against the bulkhead, her brain spinning.
“Why did Rocco and Bianca go to Vitale?” Enzo asked.
Apparently, his head wasn’t spinning. Kathleen bit her lip and tried to concentrate on what was being said. The thumping on the door started again, which wasn’t helping.
“I can answer that,” Logan piped up. “Rocco wants to be introduced to some of Vitale’s connections… The cartels specifically. He wants to make some deals with them. The ‘Ndrangheta are already doing it, and he doesn’t want to be left out.”
Enzo nodded. “He’s willing to deal with his sister and Vitale because he has his eye on expansion and solidifying his reputation as the head of the family by making deals with the cartels. That makes a lot of sense. I feel like we’re finally starting to see the whole picture.”