“The father was afraid of his son,” he says. “He should have cut Lucien off, but he was too much a coward and only did it after his own death. He left that girl in danger if you ask me.”

He looks at us as if expecting us to agree with him, which I do, and I’m sure my brother does too, but the old man is an opportunist. He is no ally of ours.

“Continue,” Amadeo says. “Explain why Lucien made those other payments to you.”

“Hell, maybe it’ll shed some light on who Dmitri Anders is,” I add.

He pales.

“You know the name. We’ll come back to that. The payments,” Amadeo says.

“I told Lucien I knew he had set his sister up. I threatened to turn him in to the authorities or, at the very least, tell his father. He wasn’t aware that his father already knew and had already acted. All he knew was that there would be repercussions if Geno ever learned the truth.”

“And Lucien believed you that Geno didn’t know.”

The old man nods.

“Wiley, I’ll give you that. Weren’t you afraid one or both would find out you were playing both sides?”

He shrugs a shoulder. “Geno trusted me, and I knew I could manage Lucien.”

“With friends like you, you don’t need enemies. Is that the expression?” I ask.

He gives me a nasty look.

“Turns out you couldn’t manage Lucien, though,” Amadeo says. “What happened tonight?”

“He thought to put an end to our agreement.”

“To you blackmailing him, you mean, considering he figured out you’ve been playing him for years at the reading of the will.”

“I could always make the disappeared men reappear,” the old man says.

“You’re very talented then, Mr. Brady.”

“Lucien is an animal. Any man who can do to his sister what he had done to her is an animal.”

“A point we agree on.” Amadeo steps right up to him. “You’re not going to breathe a word of any of this to anyone. I don’t ever want Vittoria finding out or remembering.”

“She won’t remember. Dr. Tilbury’s methods are sound.”

“I hope you’re right. Where would Lucien have gone?”

He shakes his head. “I wasn’t exactly a confidant of his, but I do know if he’s smart, he’ll be running from Dmitri Anders. Unless, of course, he found some way to repay him. I’m sure Anders would take a different sort of payment.”

I bristle.

He grins. “Keep her safe. If her brother gets to her… Well, let’s just say you don’t want her brother to get to her.”

20

VITTORIA