Page 100 of Taking Care of the Target

“And we’re just supposed to believe you’re not lying now?”

Vince leaned closer to the microphone in front of him. “Right now I’m in a courtroom and under oath, not standing in my uncle’s office with a gun pointed at me.”

“Did you trade your testimony in exchange for criminal charges to be dropped?” Uffizi had to already know the answer to that.

“Nope. Like I told the court earlier, I refused to join my uncle and ran the restaurant. He used my brother against me, and I stayed for too long because he was family. But it’s time for me to tell the truth about who he is and who he’s killed, and for him to pay for his crimes.”

He dared a brief glance at Carlo, who had a carefully neutral expression in place. But Vince knew him well enough to see the murderous gleam in his eye, and he had no doubt that given the chance, he’d strangle him with his own two hands.

Uffizi stood in the middle of the floor. His expression held a hint of frustration, but he obviously thought showing Vince’s access to the weapons and the supposed other eye-witness accounts would be enough to plant reasonable doubt. Cocky bastards, both him and Carlo. They truly thought they could get out of anything, no matter what evidence was stacked against them.

Finally, Vince was excused. As he started down from the witness stand, AUSA Birch said, “I’d like to call Cassandra Dalton to the stand.”

And he had a front row seat to the shocked and horrified expressions he’d so badly wanted to see.

***

Cassie’s hands shook as the bailiff escorted her into the courtroom. Luckily, the first face she saw was Vince’s. He shot her a reassuring smile that steeled her nerves, and she strode toward the stand.

Her steps faltered when Carlo looked her way. “That’s not Cassie,” he muttered. “I’ve never seen that girl in my life.”

As Cassie was sworn in, she noticed a frantic, whispered conversation going on between Carlo and his lawyer.

She sat and stated her first and last name as asked.

Carlo’s scrawny, bald lawyer shot to his feet. “Your honor, we were not aware of this witness.”

“She was on the list,” AUSA Birch argued.

“Yes, but no one’s seen her for months. My client hasn’t laid eyes on her since she simply stopped showing up for work. I request a recess to prepare for this unexpectedsurprisethe prosecution is trying to pull on us.”

Cassie wanted to argue that she hadn’t shown up because she watched the defendant blow someone’s brains out, but the judge pulled the two lawyers up for a sidebar. More frantic whispering ensued. AUSA Birch turned red as he argued, obviously doing his best to let the court hear her testimony right now. But Carlo’s lawyer argued right back. Then the judge told both of them to return to their tables.

“We’ll recess for just shy of forty-eight hours,” the judge said. “Proceedings will start the day after tomorrow at nine a.m.”

“I need more time than—” Carlo’s lawyer started, but stopped when the judge glared at him.

“I’m being generous,” the judge said. “You already had her name, and we have a jury who can’t go home to their families. I suggest you use this recess more wisely than you’ve used your discovery time.” He banged his gavel. “Until then, court is adjourned.”

***

Carlo sat across from his attorney for their emergency meeting. To say he was stunned when a supposedly dead girl took the stand would be an understatement. He’d alternated between livid and floored. Even as they’d sworn Cassie in he’d stared, thinking it wasn’t her, and the prosecution was trying to put an actress in her place.

Finally, he saw through the differences to the girl he hired all those months ago. Some of the sweet had worn off her, but it actually was Cassie. He caught the way she looked across the courtroom at Vince when the judge allowed the recess, and it was so fucking clear they were in on it together.

His nephew’s betrayal and lies—lies he should’ve seen through—sent anger coursing through his veins.I deserve some fucking loyalty after everything I’ve done for my nephews. Instead they turn on me.

Despite his best efforts, family had made him soft. But the soft side of him was long gone now.

“Is it done?” Carlo asked.

Uffizi glanced around as if someone else might materialize in this shitty room they got to meet in. “I did exactly what you told me to do.”

“Don’t worry. My friends will take care of everything else. As long as they got the location?” He arched an eyebrow.

“Your informant did a lot of digging and had to tail a pair of cops who are watching the street, but he found them. If anyone finds out I was involved…” Uffizi wiped the sweat beading at his forehead with the sleeve of his suit. Repulsive, even if it was cheap material.

“No one will find out. I should’ve just called Jackhammer the first time around. Then it’d already be done.” Carlo told himself there was no going back, so it was pointless to think of where he would be if he’d done just that. Cassie would’ve been long gone, and he’d only have to deal with an occasional twinge of regret over having such a sweet girl killed. Now he had to deal with suffocating regret all day long as he sat in his cell.

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