Page 35 of The Demon

“What can you tell me about this woman, Diana, and her brother?”

“We are working on that, but it appears she controls Giovanni’s mind. He will do anything to please her, even banishing his own sons and setting his daughter up to be married to a sadistic bastard.”

“It happens.” My father taps his fingers on the desk and says roughly, “Tell me what you know about his sons.”

“There are three of them. They were seduced by Diana Corietti before she married their father. It drove a wedge between them, and they hate one another, but not as much as they do their father.”

“Interesting.” My father nods. “Where are they now?”

“They each run operations for their father in separate countries. Leonardo is in New York, Matteo in Italy and Domenico in London.”

“So, they have set up a transatlantic business. Interesting. They have cast their net wide.”

“We can use that to our advantage.”

“Indeed.” My father appears satisfied with my responses and says with a hard edge to his words. “What have you told the girl?”

My heart leaps at the mention of Eliza and I say with a bored tone, “That I will help her, save her even, and the best way for that is to merge our families. She escapes her home and we form an alliance with the Mafia King.”

I choose my words carefully and watch keenly for my father’s reaction, who merely smirks. “Mafia King.”

He shakes his head. “Every man has a fool inside him who thinks he’s a king. Only a self-styled king reveals himself to be that fool.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

My father nods and laughs softly. “This king. I’m guessing Giovanni has spread this rumor himself.”

“What if it’s not Giovanni Ortega the rumors are about?”

Now I have his full attention and as his eyes dart to mine, I sense the interest deepening.

“What makes you say that?”

“It appears that Massimo Delauren fears a man known as the Mafia King. It’s doubtful he meant Giovanni Ortega.”

“I agree.” My father’s eyes glitter as he learns of something out of his control, and I know he will do everything he can to rectify that.

“Do you believe that Giovanni knows the identity of this Mafia King?”

“Possibly.”

I’m clutching at straws because I need my father’s help in discovering this man’s identity and he falls silent as he considers my information, his finger tapping on the desk providing the only sound in the room.

“What about Miss. Ortega? Has she spoken about this king?”

He glances up suddenly and I nod with a blank expression. “She was told she was working for him and placed in charge of the baby to make sure he was well cared for and safe from Massimo.”

“So, whoever put her there knew Massimo wouldn’t touch her. I wonder who he feared enough to allow that?”

I sense the challenge in the air as my father grapples with the puzzle and watch as he turns to his computer and studies the screen for a very long time.

I wait in silence, knowing not to interrupt his investigations, and then he sighs and slumps back in his seat.

“Nothing. What do we have so far?”

“A Swiss bank account set up in Eliza Ortega’s name and a cab journey from Massimo’s home that dropped her to the airport, where she took a flight to Zurich. We also have her account of events.”

“Why Zurich?” My father voices my own question and I shrug. “Possibly because its neutral territory and she could access her account easily.”