“Maybe,” Cain said, distracted. She shifted her attention from the two buffoons to the three sitting at the other end of the room.
“Anything?” Anthony asked into the mike in his sleeve as he lifted his glass of ginger ale.
“Are you sure you gave us the right table?” Claire responded. “Because all we’re getting is a big jumble of background noise.”
“Middle table, the one we marked as number four when we came in and canvassed earlier. You should be getting something.”
Shelby sounded impatient. “One of these days you’re going to figure out all these people we chase aren’t complete idiots. They’re keeping their voices low enough so they become part of the background, even with the most sophisticated equipment. We’re concentrating on Bracato and son since they’ve been nice enough to speak clearly.”
“Keep trying Casey and the woman with her,” Anthony said. “I just know she’s up to something.”
“Is there ever a clever way to hide that you’re talking to your wrist?” Emma asked, as she leaned in and kissed Cain’s ear again.
Before she said anything, Cain took hold of Emma’s hand and kissed her on the wrist while looking at the three men. “Unless you do it like this, there isn’t really a way.”
No one but Cain noticed a deliveryman walk in carrying a box and his clipboard. After a brief conversation with the hostess, he was directed toward Bracato’s table.
“Mr. Giovanni Bracato?”
“What do you want?”
“Delivery for you, sir. If you’d just sign here.” The deliveryman handed over the box.
“What the fuck is that?” Gino asked.
“How in the hell should I know? I’m eating dinner, for God’s sake. Who has something delivered to someone in a restaurant?” He ripped the tape off the top, noticing that the label didn’t have a return address.
When he removed the top, most of the people sitting close to them put their napkins up to their faces. From the stench, Giovanni had to guess the fish resting on the bottom was more than a few days old. He shoved it at the first waiter who appeared, but made sure to pick up the enclosed note.
Blue sends his regards.
It was short, but conveyed the point quite admirably, and he flipped the card over and over in his fingers before looking at his son. “Who’s Blue?”
“The manager of Cain’s club, Emerald’s. He’s working for Stephano now since the tragedy that put him out of a job.” He laughed at his own joke, oblivious to Giovanni’s rage. “He’s given us quite the insight into Casey’s business.”
“Shut up before we end up in jail.”
“What was in the box, Papa?”
Giovanni leaned over and whispered in his son’s ear. “A message for you and your idiot brother. Blue, or whatever his name was, is fish food. For a fucking Irish Mick, Cain’s up on Italian customs. Make sure you find your brother tonight and tell him someone sold him out.”
A wave of panic swept over Giovanni so fast, he was afraid his dinner was going to reappear. Before the waiter could get back to the kitchen with the box, a man at the back table stopped him and peeked inside it. Giovanni kicked himself for being so busy trying to burn a hole in Cain’s head with nasty looks that he’d failed to see the more-than-obvious feds.
“Man, that smells like a dead fish,” Joe said, holding his nose.
“Good detective skills, Simmons,” Anthony said sarcastically. “It’s a message from someone to Giovanni. Someone he knows and more than likely worked for him is dead.”
“Who do you think sent it?” Lionel asked.
“I’m sure it was the Girl Scout feeding tiramisu to the blonde as we speak. Tonight was nothing but them showing who has the bigger dick.” Anthony angrily handed the box back to the restaurant worker.
From the van Shelby laughed and shook her head. “If Tony’s comparing Cain to Bracato, my money’s still on her.”
“You sound like you really admire her,” Claire said.
“It’s more like a healthy respect for her as an opponent. Most of the agents who’ve tried to nail her in the past have tried to categorize her, but that doesn’t work because Cain’s hard to define. She believes every problem has a solution, then proves that it does.”
Claire removed her glasses and chewed on an earpiece. “Like I said, it sounds as if you find that admirable.”
“Let me put it this way. Some people study cobras and may even think they’re beautiful or admirable because they can survive. But I doubt they ever forget they’re deadly snakes. That’s how I feel about Cain Casey.”
“That she’s a deadly snake.”
“She’s not remotely snaky, but she is dangerous and deadly. Kyle didn’t see it, and I don’t think Bracato and his crew will either. She’s circling but isn’t the least bit ready to strike.”
“Would you like to tour the kitchen before you go?” Ralph asked the Caseys.
Hearing his voice prompted Claire to put her glasses back on and fool with the powerful mike to try and listen in on their conversation.
“We’d love to.” Emma answered for both of them. “That was excellent. In fact, I’ve already told Cain we have to come back soon.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Ralph pulled Emma’s chair out for her and helped her up. “I come to work every day and feel like I’m living a dream. Thank you both for trying the place.”
“You’re quite welcome. And thank Kevin for his little gift. I’ll put it to good use.”
Cain helped Emma with her jacket, peeling off some money to pay the bill. She enjoyed watching Emma fall back into the wife-of-Cain-Casey role she’d long ago perfected. Anyone who met her seldom forgot her soon. Emma made others feel loved and at peace.
Most of the kitchen workers glanced up from their tasks and smiled as Ralph took Cain and Emma through. The space looked chaotic, but in actuality it was like a coordinated ballet. Each person had a role, and the whole of their skills produced the food the restaurant was quickly becoming known for.
“I hope to see you both again soon,” Ralph said as he showed them to the back door. “Here you go.” He handed the keys to his car over to Cain. “Keep it as long as you like, and if you need anything else, just call me again.”
“When you finish tonight, Ralph, our car and driver will take you home, and I’ll have your car delivered to you no later than noon tomorrow.”
Cain and Ralph shook hands again, and Ralph returned to work.
Forty-five minutes later, Joe went to the bathroom, taking the long way around to peek into the kitchen to see what Cain and Emma found so interesting. Merrick and Katlin hadn’t moved from their table. Only the larger guard Shelby had reported earlier had stepped out for a smoke behind the building. The Bracatos were also watching the entrance to the kitchen, waiting for the women to reemerge and hoping to follow them to their next destination.
The chef the Caseys had been talking to was busy flipping something on the multiburner stove with no audience but the people who worked for him.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Joe muttered as he continued into the kitchen, sure that Emma and Cain were gone.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but you can’t come in here,” a waiter emerging with a loaded tray said. The sudden stop he’d made trying not to crash into the agent made the plates slide precariously to the edge. “Can I get you something?”
“I was just looking for some friends.” He glanced around, trying to spot a nook the women might have slipped into. “I saw them come in here and was waiting to tell them hello.”
“Unless your friends work for the restaurant, there’s no one back here, sir.” Another man dressed in kitchen attire took Joe by the arm and led him back toward the tables. “If you need anything else, please ask your waiter.”