Evan Arden 05 Irrevocable by Shay Savage

put my finger on it.
    “So Marcello sold some of them off early,” Paulie says.  “He probably made a deal with someone before he even got the weapons—maybe in exchange for info on them.”
    He’s really getting on my nerves.  He’s also probably right.
    “I want to know who Marcello met.”  I tap at the screen.  “White or not, they could still be southern gangs.”
    “We have no more worries from the gangs in the south,” Paulie says confidently.
    “Yeah,” I say as I lean back against the wall and cross my arms, “thanks so much for taking care of that, Paulie.”
    Jonathan laughs, and Paulie glares at me.  He starts to open his mouth but doesn’t get the chance to speak.
    “Enough.”  Rinaldo walks in and silences us all with a gesture.  Lucia follows him into the room and sits on the couch.  “Get me up to speed.”
    Beni takes it upon himself to tell Rinaldo everything we’ve learned, and I let him.  He seems to like playing top dog though he doesn’t seem capable of actually figuring anything out for himself.  He and Lucia exchange a few glances, but she says nothing.
    Once Rinaldo has all the information, he turns back to me.
    “Is there anyone left of Marcello’s group?”
    “Just one,” I tell him.  “Goes by Harpy.”
    “James Hartland,” Jonathan says as he clicks around on his laptop.  “He was one of Marcello’s dealers.”
    “Talk to him,” Rinaldo says to me.
    “Not going to be possible,” Jonathan says.  “Looks like he got checked into the hospital.  The dude’s in a coma.”
    Rinaldo glares at me, and I shrug.
    “Sorry, sir.”
    “Other options?”
    “Watch for sales on the street.”
    Paulie’s suggestion is beyond useless.
    “There won’t be any.”  I push off the wall and walk up next to Rinaldo.  “We should be checking the police reports and hospitals for gunshot victims.  Look for those who’ve been hit with Rugers.”
    “I can do that,” Jonathan says.  “It will take a while though.”
    “Focus outside the south.”  Rinaldo taps his fingers on the desk.  “Especially anything happening around the Russians.”
    “You got it.”
    The group begins to disperse as Rinaldo sits at his desk and looks over more of Becca’s paperwork.  Beni trails behind, waiting for Lucia to say goodbye to her father before following her out of the office.
    “Anything else, sir?”  We’re the last ones in the room, and Rinaldo is looking a little nervous.
    I can’t pinpoint why.  Yes, there are missing guns but not that many.  We’ve had bigger losses in the past, and they didn’t put him on edge this much.
    “No, you’re good to go.”
    “Are you sure, sir?”
    He looks up at me and sighs.
    “I’m sure, son.  See what you and Jonathan can track down.”
    “Will do, sir.”
    As I am about to leave, Felisa walks in the door.  I watch as her eyes widen a bit when she sees me.  She’s not expecting anyone else to be there, and she hesitates before moving the rest of the way inside.
    “Come on in,” Rinaldo says.  “We’re done here.  Evan, contact me later.”
    “Yes, sir.”  I walk out into the hallway, but don’t quite leave.  The door is only partway shut, and I can hear them talking inside.
    “I hope I didn’t interrupt,” Felisa says.
    “Not at all,” Rinaldo replies.  There’s a pause in the conversation, and I’m fairly sure their greeting has become more intimate.  “I’m worried about him.”
    “You worry about him a lot, darling.”
    Darling.   I feel a little nauseated.
    “He’s very important to me, Felisa.  He is as much a part of my family and this organization as anyone.  In some ways, he’s the strongest and most suited to come after me, but I don’t know…”
    “You’re wondering if he’s stable enough.”
    “As long as he’s working, he is,” Rinaldo says.  “It’s when he’s distracted from his purpose—that’s when he’s the most dangerous.”
    “Do you think he’d hurt