Page 108 of Niccolo

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Ireturned to the wedding reception and discreetly took Dario aside.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, then added dourly, “Other than the obvious?”

“Does anything about this Turk and Mezzasalma business seem strangely uncharacteristic of Fausto?” I asked.

“You mean, besides him being a traitor who deserves to burn in Hell?”

I smiled darkly. “Other than that.”

Dario narrowed his eyes. “You’ve found something, haven’t you? Just spit it out.”

“I think these attacks are completely unlike Fausto.”

“But you were the one who said he was behind them.”

“And I still think he is. But Fausto is conservative and measured.Nothingabout those attacks matches his style. They were bold and audacious – shock and awe.”

“So what are you saying?”

“I think our uncle’s got himself a newconsigliere.”

“Well, heisa don now, after all – and he decided to go to war against us,” Dario said bitterly. “It would make sense to hire aconsigliere.”

“Yes, and I think I just met her.”

Dario’s eyes widened. “‘Her’?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Here at the wedding.”

Dario was even more shocked. “WHAT?”

“There was a young woman I was talking to – ”

“We saw. You seemed quitetaken with her.”

“Yes, well, sheismy type.”

“Murderous?” Dario asked drily.

I gave him some side-eye. “Brilliant.”

“And you think she was hisconsigliere?”

“I’m 99% positive.”

“What makes you so sure?”

I ticked off the evidence: giving me a fake name, disgraced chess grandmaster, hurting for money. “And her tactics with the Turk and Mezzasalma were essentially forks, double attacks, and skewers.”

“Speak so I can understand you.”

“Types of attacks in chess,” I explained. “Multiple attacks with one piece… attacking two things at one time… attacks where no matter what your opponent does, he loses a piece.”

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