Tommy is both curious and frustrated. His father has not given him the autonomy that, say, Joey Colicchio gave to Saul. Tommy’s work life is a long series of telephone calls to ask for permission and reports on his day and bookkeeping he wishes he could outsource. Truthfully, he should tie the Colicchio woman to a chair and call his father. But he is just smart enough to know that having one up on Eli Leibovich would be huge—so huge, in fact, that maybe he would be rewarded with a little of the independence he craves. “How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he asks.

“How do I know you won’t kill Saul as soon as I give you what I have?” Sofia responds. “Trust.” She shrugs. “Honor.” And then, “It’s what our fathers would have done.”

“Tell me what you have,” says Tommy Jr.

“Promise me,” says Sofia, “that Saul will be unharmed.”

“I won’t touch the Jew,” says Tommy.

Sofia reaches into a pocket and pulls out a fistful of small, wire-bound notebooks. “This is all of Saul’s work for Eli,” she says. “I think he wants these docks. If you use these carefully, I think you’ll be able to stay one step ahead of him.”

Tommy reaches for the notebooks greedily, his hands outstretched wide in unabashed desire.

Sofia stretches her hand out to give Tommy the notebooks, to start a war between Tommy Fianzo’s Family and Eli’s. To save her husband. Sofia can feel her heartbeat in her fingers, her toes, thumping through the building itself. Tommy raises his head to listen. He can hear it too. The clang of blood in Sofia’s head sounds like feet hitting metal. And then the door to the office bursts open, and for the second time in as many days, Sofia gasps at the sight of Saul.

—

Saul’s breath is heavy from running up the stairs. A pen falls from Tommy Fianzo Jr.’s desk to the ground. It is the most ordinary clatter in the world.

“Saul Colicchio,” says Tommy, with barely suppressed delight. “Just the traitorous bastard I was hoping to see.” And then he has the nerve to look at Sofia, as if hoping for some praise. Good line, he might want her to say.

Sofia doesn’t notice because she is looking at Saul, who is looking back at her. “I’m so sorry,” he says, which is the most inadequate thing that has ever come out of his mouth. “I understand,” she says, which is the most inadequate thing that has ever come out of hers.