43. Chapter 36
Lorenzo
The next morning
By the time Dash gets back from his shift at seven in the morning, I’ve already been awake for several hours, chugging coffee and staring at the Saturn Industrial Holdings files until my eyes are dry.
The files spread out across the dining table tell a complete story—and an almost entirely useless one.
There are property deeds, tenant agreements, tax filings.
Everything checks out as legitimate, just like Carlo promised it would.
These are real businesses with real income, and no ties to organized crime except for the Saturn Industrial Holdings name.
It’s useless because even though it tells me all the properties owned by the company, it doesn’t give me any indication of which one the arsonist will strike next.
I can’t find any pattern in the buildings that have been hit so far.
Maybe Dash’s fire marshal friend will find a pattern, but if one exists, it’s beyond me.
On the chair beside me is another stack of papers: a ledger I managed to smuggle out of Giovanni’s house. It contains his movements over the last few months: calendar entries, references to some conversations with various members of the Family, credit card statements.
None of it proves anything.
I was hoping to find something that would tie him to one of the fires, but no luck.
What I can confirm is that he was in the city the nights of the most recent fires. But the night of Father’s death? Nothing to account for his whereabouts that night. Besides, proximity to a crime isn’t proof.
The elevator doors slide open and Dash comes into the apartment, exhaustion written all over his face. His hair is mussed, and I can smell the lingering hint of smoke on him, like an old campfire.
“Hey,” he says, dropping his bag in the foyer. “Are those the files?”
“Yep.”
“Anything useful?”
“A little. I can confirm that Saturn is a Diamante holding company. Father created it in secret, and he was using it to legitimize the Family without the others knowing.”
“Oh, shit. That’s big.”
“It is.”
“And none of you knew?”
“No one but Carlo.”
“Wow. Not even your mother?”
“I guess not.” I tap one of the files. “He had slowly invested in or bought businesses and was transferring our assets to legitimize them. One of the companies was—or is, I suppose—Lo Scandalo.”
“Pepe’s club?”
“That’s right.”
“So that might be a future target?”
“Possibly. I hope not.”
“From what you’ve told me of Giovanni, this could really point to his motive.” Dash crosses to the table, close enough that I could wrap my arms around him. I want to, but I restrain myself. Not yet.
“I agree. There’s something else.”
He raises his eyebrows expectantly.
“Father wanted to make me his heir, not Giovanni.”
“Well, fuck. That sounds like motive.”
“It does. I just don’t know if Giovanni knew.”
“You could ask.”
I can tell that he’s joking. “That would go over well.”
He stifles a yawn. “I’m going to take a long nap. Are you going to be here, still, later?”
On impulse, I reach out and stroke his tired face. “I will be. You’re covered in smoke. You need to shower before you nap.”
He sighs, looking truly exhausted. “I’m too tired to shower.”
At that, I stand. “Come on. You’re showering. I’ll help.”
That’s all it takes to get him on his feet. “Should’ve said so first. I’d already be in the shower.”