Page 253 of Anti-Heroes in Love Duet

He was mostly healed from the brutal beating I’d given him in the abandoned subway station under my apartment building, but he still had the look of someone who fought often and not very well. His nose was as lumpy as a bad mattress due to poorly set breaks, his neck thicker than an average man’s biceps and short on his big shoulders. He looked like a mafioso caricature, and I wasn’t sure if that would help or hinder the case.

He wasn’t there out of the goodness of his heart to testify against his own Family. We had men watching his house and his family. We’d told him that if he wanted any hope of surviving what he and his thugs had done to Cosima, he would confess.

“How many were there of you in the car?” Yara asked, deep into the interrogation, gathering speed and intensity like a runaway train.

“Uh, well, there was me, Philly, Pizza Paul, and Fedele.”

“And you all had weapons?”

“Yeah,” he said, likeduh.

“Can you be more specific?”

“We used Colt 6920s. They’re the best on the market.”

“Good to know,” Yara drawled, turning to make eyes at the media.

A few people tittered with laughter.

“Can you tell us who sent you toOttavio’sand with what purpose?”

Carter looked at her for a moment, licking his dry lips. His gaze darted to me for just a second, but it was long enough for him to feel the weight of my threatening stare.

“Agostino di Carlo ordered us to hit upO’sbecause he wanted to take out Giuseppe.” He looked at the judge. “That’s his uncle.”

“Thank you, I’m aware,” Judge Hartford said dryly.

“Why did he want to kill his own uncle?”

“He and his brother wanted to take over the, uh, the family business.”

Yara smiled comfortingly. “Of course. Thank you for being so honest with us today. Could you just tell us what you did with the weapons when you were done?”

“We dropped ’em in the Hudson.”

Yara turned to the screen set up to the right of the witness stand and clicked something on a remote. An image appeared of four automatic rifles in large plastic evidence bags.

“These Colt 6920s were found when we had a diver survey the area of the river Mr. Andretti recalled disposing the weapons in. As you can see, the guns match his description. They are also a match for the bullet wounds forensics found in Giuseppe di Carlo and his associate, Ernesto Pagano.”

Yara smiled beautifully at the judge.

He stared back at her, unmoved. “Any further questions, Mrs. Ghorbani?”

“No, Your Honor. The defense rests.”

“That went well,” I murmured to Elena, but I could tell by her thigh bouncing erratically beneath the table that she didn’t agree with me.

“Just wait.”

USA Dennis O’Malley was given his opportunity to cross-examine our witness. He was a short man with a studied energy, as if every movement was a calculation instead of an organic expression. He approached Carter with an almost robotic calm.

“What brought you here to testify today, Mr. Andretti?” he asked casually. “You don’t seem like the kind of man who values honesty or the law.”

“Objection,” Elena and Yara both stood to declare. “Speculation.”

“Sustained. Mr. O’Malley, please refrain from adding your personal opinions,” Hartford reprimanded lightly.

“Of course.” He adjusted his cuff links. “Please answer the question, though.”