“It’s not good.” He unlocks the safe and hands me a sealed folder. “There’s not much else you can do here. Go home and read what I sent you. We’ll need to get ahead of it. If this was who I think it was, they tracked him from Europe to New Orleans and were pissed off enough to send soldiers. If they find out he survived, they’ll come back to finish the job.”

“How the fuck did I not know?”

“No one did. Not even your grandfather.”

“I want to know the instant he’s lucid.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Ezra says.

“No calls. No disappearing acts. He’s good at that.”

“I got this, Judge. I’ll call in private security.”

“Thank you.” I walk back into the motel room to look at my brother one last time. He seems to be asleep.

“Go,” Ezra pushes.

I do.

I don’t go home, though. I go to my office.

Mercedes is out on her lunch date with her friends, and when Raul calls to tell me she wants to go shopping, I agree. It’ll be a good distraction, and she may ask fewer questions later.

I expect to be home by dinner, but the information Ezra has gathered is worse than I would have imagined.

My brother has managed to get on the wrong side of the Italian mafia. He owes them money. A lot of it.

I spend most of the night reading through the thick file and reach out to my counterparts in that part of the world to learn as much about the family as possible. By the time I’m finished, I have a headache and am exhausted. It’s after midnight when I get to the house, which is quiet. Raul is having a beer with Paolo in the kitchen. I pour myself a scotch and join them.

“How was she?” I ask Raul.

“Pleased with the shopping. She put a dent on your card, though.”

“I’d expect no less.” I swallow the scotch, smiling. I am guessing she bought her friends a whole new wardrobe compliments of me.

“Where is she now?”

The men shrug their shoulders. “Had dinner with Lois a little while ago. I guess she went up to bed. Lois turned in early.”

“Alright. You two have a good night.”

I finish my drink and walk out of the kitchen. I’m passing my office to go up to bed when I hear something inside. I pause and listen at the door. It’s quiet for a moment, but then I am sure I hear the sound of a drawer closing.