Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Dante
Sunrise is only an hour and twenty minutes away when I’ve taken care of the setup. Reino and I stand in the shadows, dressed in black jeans and hoodies, staring at the abandoned building as flames lick through the broken window on the second floor.
We’re quiet while we wait. I want to make sure everything goes according to plan. I don’t trust anyone other than myself with the task.
Reino checks his watch.
On cue, a siren sounds in the distance. The old lady living in the dilapidated house across the street would’ve called the fire brigade. She’s a bad sleeper and an early riser. My men did their homework when they scouted the city for a suitable property to burn down.
Reino watched her windows to be sure she was engrossed in her television show before we carried the body through the back into the building due for demolition. The deserted place is a good hideout, or that’s how it will appear when the accident is investigated.
We fitted out the room where we left the body with a portable gas stove, a crate to act as a table, and an old television, making it look like a temporary place where someone wanted by the cops would lay low. The final touch was an empty bottle of cheap spirits.
The electricity in the building is cut off, so I connected the television to the electric line running outside. A loose wire inside the plug caused the fire.
The young woman we left on a thin mattress in the corner had brown hair and delicate features, but she didn’t take care of herself.
Spider veins, like those caused by frequent drinking, covered her cheeks, and dirt matted her greasy hair.
A jogger found her body on a park bench.
The medical examiner declared alcohol poisoning as the cause of death.
I used the dead woman’s dirty fingers to leave prints on a bag and some cash, which I stashed under the staircase on the first level where the investigators will easily find it. My hacker has taken care of the rest, swapping the dead woman’s biometrics with those of Stacia Delacy.
When the sirens get closer, we walk to the car I parked around the corner.
The neighborhood has no street cameras and few inhabited houses.
The industrial buildings swallowed the residential area a long time ago.
Only a few people, like the old lady, refused to sell, maybe for sentimental reasons.
The sparse houses that populate the streets are squeezed between factories and warehouses.
When the drug lords moved in, crime devalued the properties. Struggling businesses quickly ran empty, and the few houses that survived became little drowning boats, going under with a sinking neighborhood.
Somewhere on the other side of the city, a rescue team is still pulling bodies out of the water. The tragic accident is already on the news. Speculation is that a fuel leak caught fire. It’s the only reason that explains the explosion that tore through the twin hulls of the catamaran.
Reino gets behind the wheel. “Home?”
“The office.”
He shoots me a look as he starts the engine. “Now? You’ll make Penelope think her concern is founded.”
“Not my office. Teszner Agglomerate.”
I need to bury myself in work.
“Are you going to sink the company?” he asks.
Destroying what Tatiana’s father has built seems like a logical move, but Leander already drove it into the ground. I have other plans for it.
Reino grins. “I’ll take that as a no.”
“On second thought, let’s take a detour to the Bronx.”
“You sure about that?”
“When am I unsure about anything?”
He stops at a red light. “I’m just saying it may not be the best idea, not in your current state.”
My smile is sardonic. “What state is that?”
“After a kill. You’re volatile. You need to blow off steam.”
My retort is dry. “She was already dead.”
“It’s not only that. You’re worried about Mrs. Morici. You’re worse when it comes to her.”
“Are you developing feelings for Teszner?”
He chuckles. “I’m not pitying the guy, although I should. But you may kill him if you go there now, and that’s not what you want to do.”
I drum my fingers on my armrest. “Then stop me.”
He only shakes his head, but at the next intersection, he turns the car around and heads toward the bridge.
When we arrive at the sorry excuse for a house into which Leander Teszner was forced to move because he had to sell his fancy apartment to cover his medical bills, Reino parks in the street.
As predicted, there’s no one around, not only due to the hour but also because Teszner can no longer afford protection.
None of the men who served him remained loyal.
He never inspired that kind of devotion.
The men stayed in his employ because he paid them well.
I have no doubt if I lose everything tomorrow, my allies and men will fight at my side to the bitter end.
That’s the difference between Teszner and me.
He bought respect. I believe in earning it.
Reino cuts the engine and takes a gun from the glove compartment. Mine is resting loosely in my grip. I get out and slip the gun into my waistband under the hoodie, keeping an eye on the sleeping neighborhood.
The broken planks of the porch steps that lead to Teszner’s door give me great satisfaction. So does the flimsy door. It takes Reino three seconds to pick the lock.
We enter a small room. The place smells like rot and disease. In the predawn light that filters through the window, I can make out a ratty sofa.
I close the door and flick the light switch.
At least there’s electricity.
Bloodied bandages are strewn over the coffee table next to a bottle of disinfectant. Empty takeout boxes litter the floor, flies buzzing around uneaten pizza crusts.
Reino covers his nose with his hand. “Jesus.”
Not bothering to keep my steps quiet, I make my way to the room next door and pause in the doorway to flick the switch on the wall.
A naked lightbulb hanging on a cable from the ceiling throws bright white light into the room.
A cockroach scurries across the floor and takes refuge in a suitcase that lies open in the corner.
Teszner pushes up from a reclining chair that, judging by the blanket, serves as a bed and feels around for a cane that stands within arm’s reach against a nightstand.
Bandages cover his eyes and hand. In contrast to the dingy environment, he’s wearing expensive silk pajamas, which must be a keepsake from his more privileged life.
Letting him struggle, I take in the rest of the room. A few shirts, pants, and jackets hang in an old armoire that’s missing a door. He really lowered his standards.
When he finally gets hold of the cane, he pushes to his feet while holding it like a weapon in front of him.
“Relax.” I chuckle. “It’s me.”
He stiffens, his bandaged face pulling into a mask of hatred.
I go closer. “I thought I’d check in on you to see how you were doing.” My smile is mocking. “Apparently, not so well.”
The cane shakes in his hand, but he doesn’t say anything because he can’t form words without his tongue. The unintelligible sound that comes from his mouth is the best he can do.
“Don’t worry.” I push the cane away. “I didn’t come here to kill you.”
He steps back, loses his footing, and drops down on the chair.
“I just wanted to see for myself how low you’ve fallen.”
Reino opens an adjoining door that leads to a closet bathroom with a moldy shower cubicle and a dirt-brown toilet.
Sticking his head around the jamb, he mutters, “Nice place.”
From the smell wafting from the bathroom, Teszner isn’t big on cleaning. I bet he never cleaned his own shit from his toilet before.
Even with a bandage covering his eyes, the helpless anger on his chubby features is clear.
Unable to resist, I go closer. At the sound of my footsteps, he leans back.
I cup his nape and hold him in place so that I can look into his eyeless face. “How does it feel? Crushing your windpipe and letting you choke on your own blood will be a merciful end compared to what you’re suffering now, but you don’t deserve mercy, do you?”
Sweat beads on his forehead as he strains in my hold.
“I could step on your face and pin you to the floor as I cut off your dick.”
He shudders.
“It’s a pity you wouldn’t be able to see that.” I tighten my hold. “I guess it’s a good thing you can still feel.”
“Dante.” Reino touches my arm. “Let’s go.”
An uncontrollable urge to squash the pathetic man in front of me like that cockroach under his clothes compels me to keep him in place.
“Dante.”
I look at Reino.
He tilts his head to the door. “Let’s go.”
I release Teszner with a shove. “I think I’ll let you rot. It’ll be more fun.” Turning my back on him, I follow Reino to the doorway. On the threshold, I stop and look back at the man cowering like a shivering poodle on the chair. “And don’t bother to lock your door. I’ll drop in often.”
The day breaks over the rooftops when we leave the shabby house.
Reino walks quietly next to me to the car. He only speaks when he’s steering the vehicle into the street. “I’m not going to say I told you so.”
“I didn’t kill him.”
“But you wanted to.”
My phone rings. I take it out of my pocket. It’s Sav. He knows I’m always up early.
I swipe the button to take the call. “Morning.”
“You need to come see me.”
“I can be there before breakfast.”
“I’ll get croissants.”
“Good,” I say before hanging up.
“Sav?” Reino asks, shooting me a sidelong glance.
“Who else?”
We arrive at the club before the bakery where Sav gets his croissants is open. A few men do the rounds, mostly for protection. It’s too early for the cleaning staff to be in. Anya, Sav’s wife, greets us downstairs.
Her smile is warm. “It’s good to see you, Dante.” She nods at Reino. “Now that you’re married, you’re too busy to visit us.”
“Circumstances.” I give her a friendly pat on the shoulder. “I’ll rectify that soon.”