Chapter 6 - SALVATORE WALKED INTO IL DESTINO
Three weeks later, Salvatore Moretti came to dinner.
Alone.
That frightened everyone more than an entourage.
Clara recognized him from the photograph.
Rico had already told staff:
No confrontation.
No private justice.
The financial evidence had been turned over through counsel to investigators handling corruption and organized-crime matters.
Salvatore had not been arrested.
Not yet.
He sat at Rico’s table.
Clara did not serve him.
Rico did.
Not food.
Questions.
“You met Elena without telling me.”
Salvatore smiled.
“She worried too much.”
“You ran collections under my name.”
“I made money under your name.”
“Without authorization.”
“You benefited.”
That landed.
Because Rico had.
Even if he had not known specific methods, money flowed upward.
Rico could not wash his hands just because Salvatore dirtied his first.
Then Salvatore looked toward Clara.
“So that’s the waitress.”
Rico’s expression changed.
Clara did not.
Salvatore continued:
“Elena always loved collecting strays.”
Rico stood.
Clara’s voice cut across the room.
“Sit down.”
Everyone froze.
Rico looked at her.
Then sat.
Salvatore laughed.
“You let waitresses command you now?”
Rico answered:
“I let people tell me when I’m about to do something stupid.”
That was new.
Then Salvatore said:
“You think Elena wanted to leave because of me?”
Rico stared.
“She wanted to leave because of you.”
Silence.
Salvatore stood.
“She was tired of watching you make fear look like fatherhood.”
That hurt because it came from an enemy.
Rico let him walk out.
No attack.
No disappearance.
No alley.
Two months later, Salvatore was arrested on financial and extortion-related charges supported by independent evidence.
Not Elena’s murder.
That remained unsolved.
Rico hated that.
May you like
But learned to live with the difference between suspicion and proof.
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