Page 85 of Forbidden Whispers
Chapter 24
“Okay, wait, I missed what you started to say about what happened after the police arrested Nick and Johnny,” Ani said.
She was trailing behind Hugo as he carried a large plastic platter laden with an assortment of lunch meats and cheeses. He set it on the beachside picnic table and sat down across from Noah and Maggie. He’d invited them for a picnic lunch to celebrate the fact that Noah was no longer a suspect in the disappearance of Valentina. Noah could hardly believe it had only been forty-eight hours since they’d been held at gunpoint in that seedy motel room, afraid for their lives.
Next to the platter, Ani set down the condiment containers and loaf of sliced French bread that she’d been carrying. Then she plopped onto the bench next to Boon, who instantly rested his chin on her lap while she stroked the soft fur of his head. “I’m going to figure out where I know you from, you adorable pup,” she said, then waved her hand airily at the group. “Okay, you may continue!”
Everyone began building their sandwiches, while Hugo picked up where he’d left off. “So, after everyone was taken to the station, the FBI was called in.”
“Because of all the mafia stuff?” Ani said, spreading a layer of mayonnaise on one slice of bread.
Hugo smiled at her. “Yeah, because of all the mafia stuff.”
“So, where are Nick and Johnny now?” Maggie asked, squeezing mustard on top of the meat of her sandwich.
“Nick ‘the Knife’ Verilla and Johnny LaRocca are being held for kidnapping, assault and battery, and attempted murder for starters,” Hugo replied. “But it won’t be long before they’ll be dealing with a lot more charges than that.”
“Why?” Ani asked.
“Because the FBI was able to convince Valentina to testify against her father and the Detroit Partnership.”
“They can probably thank Eric for that. Getting her to agree was a hard sell after what happened with her mother,” Noah said, after swallowing a bite.
“What do you mean?” Ani asked, looking around the table. “What happened to Valentina’s mom?”
Hugo looked at his daughter. Noah could see that he was considering how much to tell her. “Valentina’s mom tried to escape from the Partnership with Valentina when she was a young girl,” Hugo said. “She was going to do exactly what Valentina plans to do, testify against them. But Valentina’s father, the head of the Detroit mafia, found them and brought them back. Her mother disappeared shortly afterward, and Valentina firmly believes she was killed on her father’s orders for what she tried to do.”
“Oh my gosh!” Ani said, her hand freezing mid-pet on top of Boon’s head. “That’s...awful!”
“It is,” Maggie agreed, pouring herself a cup of iced tea from the pitcher on the table. “After experiencing that, it’s completely understandable that she would be afraid to try the same thing.”
“But she is,” Hugo said, and popped a potato chip into his mouth. “She’s a brave woman. One of the FBI agents told me that over the past decade, criminal prosecutions of the Detroit Partnership have had little impact on their overall activity. But now, Valentina’s testimony is going to decimate the organization. Based on her evidence, they’re putting together seven prosecutions involving thirty-one individuals and multiple deaths.”
“Whoa!” Noah said, pausing before taking another bite.
Hugo gave a nod and began ticking off on his fingers. “They’re going to be indicted by federal authorities on charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, extortion, labor racketeering, mail fraud, taking bribes, obstruction of justice, violating the IRS code, and more. With Valentina’s evidence, they anticipate they’ll have an airtight case against the organization. Her father and many key players are going to be put away for good.”
“But after what you just said about her mom, isn’t there a risk that just like her mom, Valentina won’t be safe either?” Ani asked.
“That’s what she originally thought.” Maggie nodded. “That’s why she planned to simply fake her own death and toss Noah to the wolves.” Maggie looked at Noah and clasped his hand that was resting on the table beside her. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.
“There were some specific issues that occurred with regard to Valentina’s mom,” Hugo said. “The FBI agents were able to explain everything to Valentina, to help her understand what went wrong with her mom, and to make certain she could avoid making the same mistakes.”
“Like what?” Noah asked, taking a small cluster of grapes from the bowl on the table and tossing one into his mouth.
“Well, for one thing, even though her mother wasn’t supposed to stay in touch with anyone in the family, she made the fatal error of trusting one sister-in-law and maintaining communication with her. She thought the woman was a true friend. But it was easy enough for Valentina’s father to eventually track them down because of that connection.
“Valentina understands how crucial it is to avoid contact with anyone from her former life. She and Eric will be entered into the witness protection program where they’ll be given new identities and moved to a new location to start their lives over. Valentina is committed to doing this. She feels that she’s truly honoring her mother’s memory by not only breaking free from that life, but also making certain that her father and the Partnership pay for their crimes.”
“Wow,” Ani said with a shake of her head. “She’s really sacrificing a lot to do the right thing. I can’t imagine losing all of my friends—people I love—in one single instant like that.”