Page 10

VICTOR

I descended the creaky wooden stairs into the damp, musty basement. My footsteps echoed off the bare walls. A single naked bulb flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows. Joey Rizzo stood waiting, hat in hand, shifting from foot to foot. Beads of sweat dotted his brow despite the chill.

“Mr. Cardello, I’m real sorry. It’s just…some of these shop owners are barely scraping by as it is. A few are threatening to go to the cops if I keep leaning on ‘em.”

I stepped closer until I towered over Joey’s wiry frame. He shrank back but had nowhere to go, trapped between me and the rough brick wall. I reached out slowly and straightened his rumpled collar, letting my hand linger near his throat.

“I don’t recall asking you about the shop owners.” I glanced over my shoulder at my lieutenant. “Phil, did I ask Joey here about any shop owners?”

Phil folded his thick arms across his broad chest, straining his jacket seams at the shoulders. “No, sir. You did not.”

“I did not,” I echoed, smoothing Joey’s lapel before sliding my hands into my pockets. “In fact, I didn’t ask you anything. I never said a word about the protection money. But you did. And it’s short.”

A bead of sweat rolled down his temple, trembling on his jaw before dropping onto his collar. His eyes darted to Phil, then back to me, searching for a shred of mercy. But I had none to spare for dishonesty.

“Well, Mr. Cardello, sir, it’s just that…I mean…” Joey stammered, tripping over his words as he fumbled for an explanation.

I let the silence stretch between us, the tension thickening with each passing second. Joey’s breathing grew more ragged. His hands shook as he clutched his hat like a lifeline. I savored his discomfort, letting him marinate in his own deceit.

“You know, Joey,” I mused, keeping my voice mild even as my words carried an undercurrent of steel, “I’ve always prided myself on being a fair man. I give people a chance to prove themselves, to show their loyalty. And when they do, I reward that loyalty. Generously.”

I let that hang in the air for a long moment, watching Joey squirm. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

I leaned in closer, my eyes boring into his. “But when someone betrays that trust, when they think they can pull the wool over my eyes…” I trailed off, letting the implication sink in.

Joey’s face paled. His lips trembled as he tried to form words. “I…I would never, Mr. Cardello. You know I’m loyal. Always have been.”

“That’s twice you’ve lied to me.”

Joey opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. No words came out. Just a dry, clicking sound as he tried to swallow past the lump of fear in his throat.

I savored his every twitch, every bead of sweat that rolled down his face. He knew he was caught, knew there was no lie he could spin that would save him now. But still, he tried.

“Mr. Cardello, I swear, I didn’t…I wouldn’t…” His voice cracked, desperation seeping into every word.

“Let’s cut to the chase, Joey,” I finally said, my voice low and measured. “We both know the real reason the protection money is light. And it has nothing to do with anyone threatening to go to the cops. They all know better.”

Joey’s eyes widened, his face going even paler. “I…I don’t know what you mean, Mr. Cardello,” he finally managed. “I would never?—“

“Steal from me?” I finished for him, my voice deceptively soft. “Skim a little off the top, thinking I wouldn’t notice? That I wouldn’t find out?”

Joey shook his head frantically, his hat tumbling forgotten to the floor. “No, no, I swear it! I’ve always been loyal to you, Mr. Cardello. I would never betray you like that!”

I sighed. “That’s three lies.”

“Four, sir,” Phil corrected.

I stepped back, letting Joey’s own terror do my work for me. His breaths came in short, panicked gasps as his eyes darted around the dank basement, looking for an escape that didn’t exist.

“Mr. Cardello, please,” he begged, his voice cracking. “I…I can explain. Times have been lean. I just needed a little extra cash. I was gonna pay it back, I swear!”

“Then you should have asked.”

“I…what?” Joey stared at me, confusion replacing the fear in his eyes. “I don’t understand. You…you would’ve loaned me money?”

I almost smiled at that. Almost.

Instead, I stepped closer, watching the fear rush back into Joey’s face. “You’re a smart man, Joey. Or at least, I thought you were. If you needed money, you should’ve come to me. I take care of my own.”

“I…I didn’t think…I was afraid…” Joey stammered, his voice trailing off into the damp air.

“Afraid of what? That I’d say no?” I cocked my head, studying him. “Or afraid I’d say yes, and then you’d owe me?”

Joey’s silence was answer enough. I let out a long, slow breath, shaking my head.

“You disappoint me, Joey. I had such high hopes for you.” I turned to Phil, silent and imposing in the shadows.

“Phil, do you remember when your mother was sick a few years back? How she needed those expensive cancer treatments?”

Phil nodded, his eyes never leaving Joey’s trembling form. “I remember, Boss. I was at my wits’ end, not knowing how to pay for it all. The hospital bills were piling up, and I was working every hour I could, but it still wasn’t enough.”

I smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “And what did I do, Phil? When you came to me and asked for my help?”

Phil’s voice was steady, filled with a quiet reverence. “You paid for everything, Boss.”

I turned back to Joey, letting the weight of Phil’s words sink in. Joey’s eyes were wide, his skin ashen under the flickering light.

“You see, Joey,” I said softly, “when one of my own needs help, I provide it. No questions asked. That’s what loyalty means to me. It’s a two-way street. I take care of my people, and they give me honesty and respect.”

Joey fell to his knees, his hands clasped in front of him. Tears streamed down his face, leaving glistening trails on his pallid cheeks.

“Mr. Cardello, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he babbled, his words tumbling out in a rush. “I made a mistake, a terrible mistake. I see that now. I was weak and stupid, and I let my fear get the best of me. But I swear to you on my mother’s grave, it will never happen again.”

I crouched down, putting myself at eye level with him. “Considering that your mother’s alive and well, that’s not much of a promise.” I patted his shoulder as I stood, looming over him. “And you’re right.”

He looked up at me, confusion and desperation splashed across his face.

“It will never happen again.”

I straightened my suit jacket and adjusted my cufflinks with deliberate, almost leisurely motions.

A sad smile played at the corners of my mouth as I pulled a cigarette from my silver case and lit it with a steady hand.

Drawing on the cigarette, the sweet, acrid clouds filled my chest, and I savored the brief moment of respite.

I turned to Phil and gave him a quick, silent nod. His expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of understanding in his eyes. Without a word, I clapped his shoulder and crossed to the stairs.

Phil’s heavy footfalls and Joey’s desperate pleas faded into the background, drowned out by the steady drip of water from a leaky pipe overhead and the creaking of wooden stair treads underfoot.