mom-and-pop grocery store that’d been in Antioch going on fifty years. It was even in colour. Had to be HD.
Wow. Hopefully we’ll get what we need.
Cole fast-forwarded the first images—the manager opening for the day, cashiers coming to work, the first customers of the day. He didn’t stop until the time stamp in the right-hand corner said sixteen thirty. A half-hour before Nikki got off work.
People came and went, until Pete saw a familiar figure. “Stop. There’s my dead guy. Billy Madden.”
Cole rewound a few seconds then punched play with vigour.
They watched Pete’s now dead CI walk into the store.
He wasn’t alone.
Nikki gasped and inclined forward.
Less than two steps behind Billy Madden, two men entered Marty’s like they owned the place. Both were dressed in dark clothing. Both wore sunglasses. Both had dark hair, one short, the other scraggly.
“That’s them. It’s really them,” Nikki breathed.
Pete reached for her hand and squeezed. Instead of pulling away with a snide comment like she’d done all day, she let him stay close, entwining their fingers. He wanted to throw his arm around her shoulders and pull her to his side, but he didn’t. Her hand would have to be enough. At least he could comfort her.
“What the hell?” Cole muttered, his gaze intent on the three men frozen on the screen.
“Billy’s with Caselli’s guys?” Pete mused.
“Guess now we know what his big score was,” Lee said.
Cole got inventive with curse words, shaking his head.
Pete smirked, glancing at his buddy, then back at the giant TV. He didn’t need to ask if Cole recognised the two thugs with his former CI.
“Luciano Marchetti. Goes by Luca. He’s a nobody to Caselli. Lower than Maldonado was.”
“Trying to make a name for himself?” Pete asked.
Cole dragged his hand down his face. “I guess. Maybe Caselli is giving him a shot to replace Bruno.”
“Makes sense,” Lee said. “With the guys we’ve taken out, plus new info, he hasn’t replaced Bruno Gallo. Not really. He’s tried a few guys out, but they haven’t done it for him.” She took a step closer, peering intently at Cole’s TV. “The other guy… Isn’t that Mickey Donati?”
Cole hit rewind. The three figures strolled forward again in slow-mo. He hit pause. “Yup. Caselli’s freakin’ nephew. Another shocker, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Yeah,” Pete said. “Sending his blood…”
“Oh, Caselli doesn’t give a shit that they’re related,” Cole said, meeting his gaze.
“Then why?”
“He’s a flippin’ idiot. Dumb as a box of rocks, for real. And young. Probably not even twenty-five.” Cole made a face.
Pete swallowed back a wince and forced his eyes on the TV, studiously not looking at Nikki. She wasn’t twenty-five yet either. Her birthday was a month away, in August. Guess information about her was a perk of taking her statement and having to write a report. But it made wanting her even worse. Letch.
“We brought him in for a chat a few months ago. He didn’t give us anything, but when we saw him about a week later, his arm was in a cast and he had a nice limp. Caselli didn’t have him killed, but someone beat the shit out him. Probably at his order,” Lee said.
“Guess the little blood tie kept him alive, though,” Pete said.
“I’m just shocked he would entrust such an important job to these two. I mean, he wanted Berto and his woman dead, right?” Cole gestured to the TV. “Mickey’s only in the organisation at all ’cause he’s Caselli’s sister’s kid. Now Luca, on the other hand, fancies himself as the world’s biggest badass. Not surprised he took out your dude.”
“He had to be the driver,” Nikki said.
Cole and Lee swung their heads around.
Nikki squirmed next to him and he squeezed her hand again. She inched closer but he still didn’t allow himself to put his arm around her.
“Good thinking,” Pete said, giving her a smile. He almost teased her about
Wow. Hopefully we’ll get what we need.
Cole fast-forwarded the first images—the manager opening for the day, cashiers coming to work, the first customers of the day. He didn’t stop until the time stamp in the right-hand corner said sixteen thirty. A half-hour before Nikki got off work.
People came and went, until Pete saw a familiar figure. “Stop. There’s my dead guy. Billy Madden.”
Cole rewound a few seconds then punched play with vigour.
They watched Pete’s now dead CI walk into the store.
He wasn’t alone.
Nikki gasped and inclined forward.
Less than two steps behind Billy Madden, two men entered Marty’s like they owned the place. Both were dressed in dark clothing. Both wore sunglasses. Both had dark hair, one short, the other scraggly.
“That’s them. It’s really them,” Nikki breathed.
Pete reached for her hand and squeezed. Instead of pulling away with a snide comment like she’d done all day, she let him stay close, entwining their fingers. He wanted to throw his arm around her shoulders and pull her to his side, but he didn’t. Her hand would have to be enough. At least he could comfort her.
“What the hell?” Cole muttered, his gaze intent on the three men frozen on the screen.
“Billy’s with Caselli’s guys?” Pete mused.
“Guess now we know what his big score was,” Lee said.
Cole got inventive with curse words, shaking his head.
Pete smirked, glancing at his buddy, then back at the giant TV. He didn’t need to ask if Cole recognised the two thugs with his former CI.
“Luciano Marchetti. Goes by Luca. He’s a nobody to Caselli. Lower than Maldonado was.”
“Trying to make a name for himself?” Pete asked.
Cole dragged his hand down his face. “I guess. Maybe Caselli is giving him a shot to replace Bruno.”
“Makes sense,” Lee said. “With the guys we’ve taken out, plus new info, he hasn’t replaced Bruno Gallo. Not really. He’s tried a few guys out, but they haven’t done it for him.” She took a step closer, peering intently at Cole’s TV. “The other guy… Isn’t that Mickey Donati?”
Cole hit rewind. The three figures strolled forward again in slow-mo. He hit pause. “Yup. Caselli’s freakin’ nephew. Another shocker, as far as I’m concerned.”
“Yeah,” Pete said. “Sending his blood…”
“Oh, Caselli doesn’t give a shit that they’re related,” Cole said, meeting his gaze.
“Then why?”
“He’s a flippin’ idiot. Dumb as a box of rocks, for real. And young. Probably not even twenty-five.” Cole made a face.
Pete swallowed back a wince and forced his eyes on the TV, studiously not looking at Nikki. She wasn’t twenty-five yet either. Her birthday was a month away, in August. Guess information about her was a perk of taking her statement and having to write a report. But it made wanting her even worse. Letch.
“We brought him in for a chat a few months ago. He didn’t give us anything, but when we saw him about a week later, his arm was in a cast and he had a nice limp. Caselli didn’t have him killed, but someone beat the shit out him. Probably at his order,” Lee said.
“Guess the little blood tie kept him alive, though,” Pete said.
“I’m just shocked he would entrust such an important job to these two. I mean, he wanted Berto and his woman dead, right?” Cole gestured to the TV. “Mickey’s only in the organisation at all ’cause he’s Caselli’s sister’s kid. Now Luca, on the other hand, fancies himself as the world’s biggest badass. Not surprised he took out your dude.”
“He had to be the driver,” Nikki said.
Cole and Lee swung their heads around.
Nikki squirmed next to him and he squeezed her hand again. She inched closer but he still didn’t allow himself to put his arm around her.
“Good thinking,” Pete said, giving her a smile. He almost teased her about
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