Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
JULIET
Since the flowers arrived two days ago, I’ve been digging non-stop. Based on what I’ve found, the unknown number and the one who sent the flowers are two different people.
I’m a trained forensic accountant, so I know how to find inconsistencies.
I spent too much time during college learning how to find embezzlement, errors, and misconduct.
In one of my internships, I spent the entire summer learning how to find out someone was embezzling money.
It could be as simple as bills going unpaid from accounting, and no one catching it until it was too late and the money was gone.
Or someone signing off on payments, but the invoices still go unpaid.
Half the text messages I receive are genuinely trying to help, and they come in the mornings. The threatening messages and the flowers come in the afternoon. Either this person really doesn’t want me to find out, or it’s two people.
I’ve spent the last weeks compiling the evidence to present to Gino in the office he set up for me. Our offices are opposite each other’s, and he’s started leaving his door open, which he’s never done before.
All this office has right now is a maple wood desk, a sage green chair for me, two chairs in emerald green for guests, and some art on the walls.
I found some vintage paintings of dancers that I now have a place to put.
And some paintings of New York in different mediums like watercolors, oil paintings, and professional photos.
Bringing my focus back to my computer screen, I’ve got everything ready to show Gino—cell tower records, phone records from the different unknown numbers, and I found the shop where the flowers came from.
After the note rattled me, I got to work.
I asked Drew to see if he could grab locations from the numbers.
Every time I get a text, it’s from a different number, so it was hard, but he was able to get regional locations.
Not exact addresses, so we’ll probably never figure out where either of these texters live or where they text from.
Using my phone’s data, we could piece together some of the phone records, like timing and where the phones were from.
All are burners they must have paid cash for, because without the phone’s exact serial number we won’t know where they were purchased from.
But whoever they are must be keeping a store in business at this point with how many numbers and phones they are using.
Although it’s more logical that they are buying them from different stores.
The flower shop owner was very sweet, but could unfortunately give me nothing, except that the person who ordered and the one who picked them up were definitely different people. And that man muttered something about someone owing him, upset that he had to pay.
Walking into Gino's office, I find him focused on something on his desk.
“Gino,” I call out as I sit down in the chair across from him.
“Yes.” He looks up; we make eye contact, and a wide smile comes across his face.
“I found something I want you to take a look at. I don’t know if it’ll be helpful, but I wanted to show it to you anyway.”
“Okay, what is it?” He leans back in his chair.
“I know we’ve been looking for this mystery person, but I don’t think it's one. I think it’s two or more, and they don’t know about each other.”
He leans forward, looking at me to continue.
“I had Drew try to pull phone records and cell tower data. All numbers were from burners, but from completely different areas. The non-threatening ones seem to be in the city, whereas the threatening ones came from upstate. Unless this person is driving up there to send these messages, it’s different people. ”
“Any idea how we could figure out who it is or who they are?” he asks.
“Maybe. Since they’re burners, we can’t do much.
But the flowers might have more of an opportunity.
The shop is about fifteen minutes from here.
I called them and asked if they remembered this order.
The owner did, because the person who ordered them didn’t pick them up, and the person who picked them up wrote on the card. ”
I pause, but he lets me continue.
“I asked if I could see her security footage, and she said yes, so Drew is over there now looking it over,” I reply.
“Jules, this is good. Very good.”
His praise lights a fire inside of me.
“There’s something else I need to talk to you about.”
He looks nervous again. “What?” he asks.
“You need to tell Vanessa more of what’s going on. We both know she can handle it. And don’t you dare use the ‘she’s pregnant’ excuse because I will punch you,” I say as I glare at him.
“I know, but I can’t. Every time I see her, I lock up. I get scared if I say the wrong thing or tell her the wrong information; she’ll either lock herself in her house and never come over, or she’ll try to go to Italy herself.” He sounds defeated.
“The love of her life is currently being held somewhere and probably being tortured. Of course, she’s going to ask every question she can think of.
And of course, every time she sees you, she’s going to ask if he’s dead.
Because you aren’t telling her anything, she has an assumption in her head.
Alonso is doing his best at keeping her informed, but you aren’t telling anyone, including me, what they are telling you.
Have you even said anything to Gabe? He’s still there, and I’m pretty sure he would want to know what you’re being told. ”
“I’ve told him enough,” he grumbles.
“Enough? Gino, do you hear yourself? Mateo is your lifelong best friend, your brother-in-law, the father to your future nieces or nephews, and you’re what?
Trying to deal with it yourself? You know, I thought we moved past the whole secret-keeping and withholding information from everyone, but I guess not. ”
I’m done with this conversation, so before he can reply, I get up and leave his office.
I need a minute to breathe because if he keeps this up, no one is going to continue standing by his side. It’s beyond infuriating.
To clear my head, I start walking. Maybe it’s not the best decision with what’s going on, but I grab a jacket for the fall air, and I walk to Vanessa and Mateo’s house.
I enter through the side door and walk through the house. Alonso is sitting at the dining room table and signals with his head to the living room, telling me where Vanessa is.
Walking into the space, she’s sitting on the couch watching TV. She’s got a few months left to go in her pregnancy, and I know she wishes things were different; we all do.
“Hey, can I sit?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she whispers, offering a soft smile.
“Please tell me my brother is not being a complete idiot.”
“Well, not a complete idiot.”
She snorts. “He clearly didn’t get the message when I told him off yesterday. I overheard him talking to Lorenzo, and he still won’t give me much on what’s going on.”
“This isn’t a defense of him, but he’s so used to people questioning his decisions that he doesn’t know what to do when people just want to help,” I say.
“Haven’t you been friends for ten years? Why won’t he tell you things?” she asks.
“When most of us signed up for this, including your husband, Gino promised us the mafia part would go away, and we wouldn’t have to deal with rival families, weapons, dirty money, and drugs.
But he’s realizing it’s harder to leave this life than he initially thought.
” I pause briefly. “Gino is fiercely protective and doesn’t back down from a fight, but he doesn’t know how to do this fight without his best friend.
Mateo has always been the voice of reason for him, and he’s not here this time.
I’ve been able to help some, but when you spend your life being a duo like those two are…
it’s harder to accomplish things on your own.
”She groans. “I can see why he loves you. Which isn’t gross, but he’s my brother, so gross. ”
I roll my eyes at her. She always likes to break the tension with a joke.
“Vanessa, he’s trying; I know he is. But he feels like he’s let everyone down,” I say.
“He hasn’t let anyone down,” she whispers.
“We all know that, but he won’t believe that until he sees it.”
We spend the next hour silently watching the reality show that’s playing, and until now, I haven’t checked my phone.
Drew
Got the footage. I got a photo of the guy, so I’m going to see if I can find out who it is.
Gino
I’m sorry, can you please come back? I need to talk to you.
“I should probably get back,” I say. “I can start coming by more when you’re not at Gino’s house, if you want?”
“That would be great.” She smiles back.
She hugs me, and I leave.
I walk back to the house and notice that both Drew's and Ryan’s cars are parked outside.
Walking into the front door, I don’t hear anyone, so I assume they’re either in Gino’s office or the basement.
Then Ryan comes into view as he's walking down the stairs.
“Whatever you told him got him to listen,” he says.
“Uhh, listen to what?” I reply.
“He’s not going to take calls from the Russos or Lorenzo alone unless they call him and no one’s around,” Ryan replies.
“Really?” My shock is evident in my voice.
“Yeah,” he huffs out a laugh. “Clearly, you two dating gets him to remember there’s more than just him around here.”
“Thank God you’re here,” Drew calls out, walking down the stairs holding his laptop open. “He’s going a million miles a minute up there, and I can barely understand what he’s saying. Can you please calm him down?”
I swallow. I didn’t think what I said was going to hit, but I guess it did.
“Okay, I’ll go talk to him.”
I walk up the stairs and hear both Drew and Ryan leave out the front door.
Gino’s office door is open, and as I walk in, I see him almost exactly as I did earlier, intently staring at something on his desk.
“Hey, Ryan and Drew told me you let them listen in on a call you had?” I say.
He looks up, staring at me with those green eyes, and a smile crosses his face.
“Yeah, you were right. Most of you may not have signed up for this, but you’re here, so I should be getting help on all of this,” he replies.
It took months, but he’s finally listening. And the Gino Esposito I know and love is back at just the right time.