. . . maybe I will know what I want you to sing.”
Tony’s legs were stretched out in front of him, and his arms were folded across his girth, his little glass in his hand. He raised it to me, as if saying, “Don’t worry.”
Esther made herself a club soda, and I followed Sal from the room. He strode toward his study, and when we entered I closed the door behind us.
“Tony told me what happened in Harlem today,” Sal said, all the softness he’d shown Esther gone from his voice. “Is that why you’re here?”
“In part.”
“If they wanted to kill her, Benito, they would. It’s just not that hard to do. They are telling you both to shut your goddamn mouths,” he hissed.
“It’s too late for that, Uncle.”
He snorted. “Your whole life you’ve never said two words. Why can’t you be quiet now?”
“It’s too late,” I said again. I was not being insolent. I was being honest. Fate seemed to have all the momentum.
“There are no secrets, Benito,” Sal said, divining my thoughts. “Not in my world. Everyone knows who Esther is. Alexander knows who she is. He knows where she is. He’s always known. And he left her alone because she was no threat.”
“She didn’t know.”
He frowned, his brows rising as his mouth turned down. “And now she does?”
“Now she does. I told her everything I knew, which isn’t a whole hell of a lot.”
Sal sighed and poured himself another drink from the bottle on his desk. “Why did you bring her here, nephew?”
“She wanted to meet you.”
“Why?” he muttered.
“She wants to know more.”
“I know nothing that she’ll want to hear.”
I stared at him, waiting. He downed his drink.
“I don’t understand Jack. He didn’t owe Bo Johnson a damn thing. All these years, he’s looked after that girl like she was his responsibility. Now you’re doing the same thing.” He pointed at me with his glass. “She’s got you tied in knots. Her mother was like that. Bewitching.”
“You were in love with her?”
“I would have left Theresa for her. It would have broken ties with the Reina family, and her father would have made life hell, but I would have done it. Theresa and I had no children, and a man should be able to leave his wife if she can’t conceive.” Sal shifted in his chair, sighing. “Theresa knew I was in love with Maude. I tried to be discreet in the beginning, but Maude didn’t want to be inconspicuous. She enjoyed the attention. She let us all dangle, all but one. When she met Bo Johnson, she had no interest in anyone else.”
“That’s what Pop said.”
“That’s what he said, huh?”
I nodded. Pop didn’t need my protection anymore, but my stomach twisted at the admission.
“I thought when Bo Johnson went to jail, she’d want me back. Did he tell you that?” Sal asked softly.
“No.”
“She let me in her bed . . . once. That’s when I realized she was already pregnant. She was quite possibly even more beautiful pregnant than she was before. I’d never made love to a pregnant woman. But I liked it. I even told Maude that I would take care of her and the baby if she married me. I think I surprised her. And until Bo came back, I think she was considering it. Considering me.”
I wished I’d accepted the scotch. I had not expected his honesty, and meeting his gaze was painful.
“See?” Sal grunted. “I do not know anything Esther Mine will want to hear.”
“Do you know where Bo Johnson is?”
“I hope he’s dead.”
“But you don’t know?”
“I don’t know. I don’t care.”
“You don’t care, but you’ve made it hard for Esther to get work. You put the word out, and people listened.”
“It was for her own good. That’s what Jack didn’t understand. That’s what you don’t seem to understand.” He shrugged like he was surrounded by imbeciles. “I can’t protect you if you don’t listen to me.”
“I don’t want protection. Not for me.”
“For the girl?”
I nodded. “For the girl. And if that means being a Vitale, then so be it.”
His eyes widened in sudden understanding.
“I never thought I’d see the day,” he marveled. He laughed suddenly, the sound grating. Mocking. “Son of a bitch. Benito Vitale Lomento wants to join the family.”
“My whole life, I wanted nothing to do with this mess Pop called family,” I said, keeping my voice even, but my blood raged. “I watched a man die. I watched the Tonys wrap his body in a rug. I