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"Anything’s possible," Corrado said "FBI, DOJ, CIA"

Vincent shook his head "What did you do to have the CIA working on a Saturday night?"

"You never know," Corrado said "Maybe they’re looking to recruit h he wouldn’t put it past theoverne services

"They were parked near the club this ht"

"And you’re just now pointing them out to me?"

"You should’ve spotted them yourself"

"You don’t think it’s someone like the Irish, do you? Russians?"

"No, it’s law enforcement"

"Must be a rookie on his first stakeout," Vincent said "Or else they’re intentionally letting themselves be seen"

"Either way, I’m offended What do they take me for? An idiot ouldn’t notice or a coould be intimidated?"

"Maybe they aren’t here for you," Vincent said "Maybe they’re watching ed "It would make more sense"

"Why?"

"Because you’re the idiot ouldn’t notice"

If Vincent weren’t a mature man, and if his brother-in-laouldn’t punch him for it, he would have certainly rolled his eyes then

"I’ll tell Sal," Corrado said "If they’re lurking, we’ll want to take precautions"

Corrado headed inside his house with a nod while Vincent strolled down the block He pulled a set of keys from his pocket as he stepped onto the porch of the white two-story house, using the worn copper key to unlock the front door The s his nose when he stepped into the corridor Heat wafted around hi

Vincent strolled through the e off the barren walls An ache in his chest h Vincent blamed it on the thick air, he kneas e hiainst the wall and closed his eyes He could see it then, the sunlight strea the blue curtains The house was cluttered with furniture and knickknacks, fa every inch of space

And he could hear it, footsteps running in the hall upstairs, the squeals of excited children as they played hide-and-seek Music streamed from a small radio, the sounds of Mozart and Beethoven

And Vincent could feel it, the warmth and love, the happiness he craved It was pure chaos, but it was his peace It was his ho else like it

And there she was, like always, fluttering around the house in her flowing summer dress, bare feet on hard wood, toenails painted soft pink She s

But when Vincent opened his eyes again, it all faded away He was left with nothing but darkness, silent except for his strangled breaths in the vacant rooh there was no electricity or furniture He would lie on the bare floor and stare at the white ceiling, tiht, though He couldn’t stay

The black Chevy Suburban was gone when he went back outside

Haven lay awake that night, unable to sleep She had spent her life belonging to other people, but for the first ti a possession--it was being a part of soht before, but Carmine did He asked, and Haven found she wanted to tell

She gave up trying to sleep around dawn and headed downstairs, surprised to hear noises in the fahts off but television playing He sat up when he spotted her, patting the cushion beside hi her hands in her lap "I’m surprised you’re awake so early"

"Couldn’t sleep," he said "Why are you up?"

"Saht I’d come downstairs and make sure the house was clean"

"No rush," he said "It’ll probably be a few days before ain"

She eyed Doone a lot"

"Yeah, been that way for as long as I can re for him to do soone?"

He laughed wryly "Don’t know, and don’t want to know Dad o so ouldn’t be a part of that Said he wanted us to have a normal life, so we could live like nor yourself, you know? Nothing normal about the situation with you We’ve all suffered because of the things he’s done, and I hate to think how much more we’d suffer if we knew the shit we don’t know"

She stared at him, confused, and he snorance is bliss"

Vincent slipped a hundred-dollar bill into the collection plate and sighed as his mother waved it on She hadn’t donated to the church in years, convinced the altar boys were stealing the h rammar school