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"I would not believe it, either," Giovanni said "Volkov would not take her just to kill her And in good nee can cross out everywhere with a lot of s"

"That’ll still leave a dozen properties," Caro to?"

"We start at the top," Giovanni said, pointing at a location in the north side of the city "Work our way down until we find her"

Sighing, Carmine ran his hands down his face in frustration "Why are you helping me, anyway? Everyone else said it was a waste of time, that it was a suicide mission"

"They do not understand" Giovanni’s voice was quiet as he sat down near Carmine "I warned them the Russians would make a move, but they did not listen The Russians invade our streets, and Sal does nothing They harass our people, and Sal does nothing They turn our people against us, and Sal does nothing Now they kidnap a girl, and what does Sal do?"

"Nothing," Car"

Giovanni nodded "If so, they will kill our people next I, for one, cannot sit back and allow the, Vincent’s stress level was at an all-tih The US Marshals drove hi a few blocks away Their team of lawyers waited when they walked into the courtroo seats at the defendants’ table Corrado appeared calm and confident in his black Armani suit, the complete opposite of how Vincent felt While it was a relief to be out of the prison attire, his button-up shirt choked hiovern Vincenthis tie as he addressed the court "Your Honor, we’re talking about racketeering, ga, extortion, fraud, and conspiracy to co thirty-five counts Releasing the ests neither man intends to stop"

Their lawyers argued their cases when the govern Fourth Amendment violations and unreasonable searches They said the evidence was flie, no confessions, no DNA The most they had were ruh to take a man away from his life Rocco Borza went on a passionate tirade about how the RICO Acts were being used to railroad innocent individuals, and how much of an injustice it was that they weren’t free It took everything Vincent had not to laugh He was guilty as charged, and the e let out a long sigh when both sides were done "While the governuarantees no one should be deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law We’re innocent until proven guilty in this country, and the defendants have yet to be convicted of any crimes They can’t be remanded without bail simply because you believe they may commit a crime in the future Therefore, the defendants’ petition for bail is granted Fifty thousand dollars, cash bond"

"Your honor," the prosecutor said, standing "We ask that the defendants surrender their passports, and that neither be allowed to leave the state"

Mr Borza interjected right away "One of my clients is a well-known doctor in North Carolina, where his per he stay in Illinois isn’t fair"

"Both defendants will surrender their passports," the judge ordered "If Dr DeMarco chooses to return hoathered the bail money as the men were processed out of the syste when Vincent walked out the front doors of the jail to coainst the side of her car, her face lined orry as if she had aged a decade over night

"Hey, little brother" She forced a s," he said "You’re starting to look like Ma"

She laughed aardly "Ouch, lo Speaking of Mom, you should call her She’s worried about you"

"That woman hates race the DeMarco nae way of showing her love I had to talk her out of calling the Department of Corrections to ask if the foot of your bed faced the door, since it’s bad luck She orried your soul would slip out while you slept"

Despite his stress, he h to be released today The bed faced the other way"

Things grew tense as they drove toward Portage Park in silence "Did Corrado get released?"

"Yes," she said "He went hoo"

Vincent turned to look out theHe wanted to ask about Carmine, but it was an answer he wasn’t ready to hear It had been teeks since the girl disappeared, and Vincent couldn’t ih

When they reached the Moretti’s house, Celia headed inside without waiting for hi when he heard her frantically whispering in Corrado’s office

"I couldn’t do it," she said "How am I supposed to tell him?"

"You know him better than anyone," Corrado said "He’ll take it better cooing to flip out"

"That may be true, but someone needs to tell Vincent"

Vincent stepped into the doorway "Tell me what?"

Celia stammered "Carmine orried Or, he is worried He couldn’t just sit around I suspected what he was going to do, but I couldn’t forbid him I didn’t even know if I should He’s an adult, and it’s not what she would want for him, and I knew you’d be upset, but it’s his life And he orried, Vincent You were in jail, and he didn’t knoho else to turn to"

Her stateistered with him "Don’t tell me heNo, there’s no way he went to the I did to ! He’s not that stupid, Celia!"

Her eyes filled with tears "I’"