Page 96 of Niccolo

A man’s voice answered on speakerphone.“Hello?”

“There’s going to be an important meeting in the parlor in the next 10 minutes. I need to hear what happens.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Keep me on the line while you do it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fausto put the phone on mute so the man on the other end couldn’t hear us.

“Who’s that?” I asked, stunned.

“One of their foot soldiers who’s still loyal to me.”

“A mole,” I realized.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!” I snapped.

“Orme?!”Aurelio asked, sounding almost wounded.

“I couldn’t takeanychance of him being burned,” Fausto replied unapologetically, “so no one but me could know.”

“Who is it?” Aurelio demanded.

“You don’t need to know.”

Aurelio looked like he was going to throw a fit. I spoke before he could start. “What’s the mole going to do?”

“Place a tiny microphone in the study, in a spot I prepared before I left. The mic is linked by Bluetooth to his phone. Even though he’ll be outside the room, we’ll hear exactly what they say.”

“What happens if they find the microphone?”

“They won’t, because he’ll remove it immediately after the meeting.”

“What if they checkbeforethe meeting?”

Fausto smirked. “That thought hasn’t even entered their heads yet.”

A crackling noise came from the phone, like someone rubbing the surface of a microphone.

“It’s done,”the man whispered –

Followed by receding footsteps and a door closing in the distance.

We waited breathlessly…

But nothing happened.

“Wow,” Aurelio said sarcastically. “So dramatic.”

Fausto shot him a hateful look.

Aurelio shut up again.

“Maybe they’re not going to meet in that room,” I said.

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