head. “I turned the investigation over to Renato and Romano.”
Vittorio was well aware his two cousins had voices considered the most powerful in the family when it came to persuading others to remember details, tell the truth and want to give any information to the brothers.
“What about the cameras?” Giovanni asked.
“Rigina is looking at all of them now,” Taviano said. “We make certain all cameras on the streets are working at all times. We might get lucky. There didn’t appear to be any tampering done to the ones under the eaves of the businesses.”
The placement of more cameras under the eaves of businesses along the street had been Taviano’s idea. He was very good with electronics.
“Which implies . . .” Vittorio urged a response.
“The cameras each store owner was required to put in and maintain outside their buildings’ fronts and backs were tampered with on the buildings up and down the alley. Someone knew those cameras were there, but didn’t know about ours,” Taviano explained.
“I can’t believe Suzette wouldn’t know what John was up to,” Eloisa said. “She and John have always told each other everything. I can talk to her. We’ve been friends for many years.”
Vittorio couldn’t imagine his mother being friends with anyone, let alone for years. He didn’t look at his sister, who had remained silent the entire time. John had been the one to help Emmanuelle learn to use a hammer and nails when she wanted to put up shelves in her bedroom herself. Of course, she’d gotten in trouble. Her parents hadn’t praised her for the good job she’d done, that had been Stefano and the rest of her brothers.
Vittorio wished he was sitting closer to Emmanuelle, but he’d entered the room late and the only chair open was across from Stefano. That left Emmanuelle sitting between Taviano and Giovanni but across from Eloisa. Eloisa always targeted her daughter when she was upset.
“I had Emme talk to her,” Stefano said. “She was able to get some information, but Suzette never saw the men who talked to John. She knew they had and she admitted to making the decision with him to deliver packages.”
Eloisa scowled at Stefano. “You sent Emmanuelle to talk to Suzette instead of coming to me first? John and Suzette have been my friends for years. It was my place.”
“No, it wasn’t. You’re not thinking clearly, which is exactly why I didn’t send you, Eloisa,” Stefano said. “Emmanuelle handled it with sensitivity, although personally, I wanted to shake Suzette. She didn’t think it was a betrayal to work for the Saldis because they didn’t ask for information about us.”
“Where were the packages delivered?” Vittorio asked before Eloisa could attack Emmanuelle, which she clearly was about to do.
“Suzette swore she didn’t know. They were given to John after hours and he took them. She said we could follow the car’s GPS. It was always on. John liked gadgets. The contents were downloaded by Rosina before the car was turned over to the police,” Stefano said.
“She had no idea what was in the packages?” Ricco asked.
“No, John handled everything,” Emmanuelle spoke for the first time. Her voice was tight, and she didn’t look at any of them. “Suzette didn’t want to know. She wanted the money, so she pretended what they were doing was all right. She claimed she didn’t believe it was illegal or that it was a betrayal. She couldn’t even say for certain someone in the Saldi organization had approached John. She didn’t actually see or hear anything, because she wasn’t there. John shared the information, so it’s hearsay.”
Eloisa made a sound in the back of her throat. Her eyes narrowed on her daughter. “You interrogated Suzette and that’s what you got out of her?”
“Yes, Eloisa, that’s what I got and those were my conclusions. Suzette admitted she wanted the money and she encouraged John to do whatever was asked of him. She didn’t want to know what it was, but she wanted him to do it.”
“That’s ludicrous. What woman wouldn’t want to know what her man was up to? Oh, wait, that would be you, my own daughter, having an affair with the enemy. What did you think Valentino Saldi was up to, Emmanuelle? Did you really think he loved you?” Eloisa’s voice was a sneer. “Because you didn’t notice all the other women in and out of his life? Because I noticed, and I believe I pointed them out to you.”
“Eloisa.” Stefano’s voice was pure warning.
“No, let her,” Emmanuelle said.