Chapter 16: The Waiting Game

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• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 51: Strangers with Secrets

  Lusso’s mouth almost dropped; it wasn’t what he was expecting. “Occupation,” he read aloud. “Runs an online fashion boutique. Specializes in vintage accessories and styling. Not a designer, but still in the fashion world.”Macholo let out a short breath and crossed his arms. “If she’s in fashion, then maybe she’s nothing. Just curious. Maybe she heard the name somewhere and thought it was cool.”Tellan shook his head slowly. “No, boss. I don’t buy it. She was too careful, and I believe she didn’t come just to party. She came to find something.”Macholo looked at Tellan, and then turned to Lusso. “We still need to keep an eye on her. Just in case. Let the don decide what happens next. If he says move, we move.”Lusso nodded. “I’ll flag her name and activity. If she books another night club or tries digging again, we’ll know.”“Good,” Macholo said. “Let’s wrap up for tonight.”Tellan grabbed his jacket and gave Lusso a pat on the back. “Thanks, man. You saved my skin.”“No problem,” Lu

• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 50: Dancing with a Ghost

  The music played soft and slow in the background now, a break between heavy beats that were being played lately. Kamala and Tellan sat across from each other, their drinks on the table. The flashing lights of Club Mirage bounced across their faces. There was a smell of perfume in the air, a little smoke, and the noise of conversations.Tellan leaned back in his seat and smiled.“Nice place, huh?” he said.Kamala took a sip from her glass. “Yeah. First time here,” she said with a light smile. Her eyes moved calmly around the club as she spoke.Tellan nodded. “Same here. Thought I’d check it out… looks like the kind of place that stays busy every night.”They talked a little more, just small things about the lights, the music and the crowd. But both of them were careful, choosing their words before they let them out.Then Tellan tilted his head slightly.“So… what’s your name?” he asked.Kamala smiled, she turned her eyes to the crowd like she had been expecting that question.“Ashley S

• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 49: Bait on Cotton

  She opened a design program and typed the name in large capital letters:ZAGAFFShe picked a heavy, rough font. The kind that looked like it belonged on a warning sign. She added a red shadow behind the black letters to make them pop.“Front and back,” she mumbled as she mirrored the design, ready for printing. “Let them see it.”She reached for the iron-on transfer paper she kept in a drawer; leftovers from an old fashion project. Her printer buzzed softly as the paper rolled out, fresh with the large letters.Kamala grinned as she held the printed sheet.“Perfect.”She grabbed her plain white T-shirt and laid it flat on the ironing board. Placing the transfer paper face-down, she pressed the hot iron over it, and she was careful with what she was doing.Steam rose, and her forehead glistened with small droplets. She counted slowly in her head as she worked.After a minute, she lifted the paper carefully. The name ZAGAFF now sat large and bright on the t-shirt’s front. She repeated t

• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 48: The Needle Plan

  Victor stood by the window, his fists clenched behind his back. The morning sun lit only half of his face; the rest was hidden in shadow. There was fire burning in his eyes, and he looked serious.He turned slowly to Titan and said, “First thing…we capture Matteo. That snake’s been watching Marco for too long. We end that today.”Titan nodded without hesitation. “Consider it done, boss. I’ll have my men on him in an hour.”Victor’s eyes narrowed a little. “Make sure it’s quiet. We don’t have to raise any eyes, and there shouldn’t be any mistakes.”“I’ll handle it myself if I have to,” Titan said without hesitation.Victor walked back to his chair and sat down, tapping his fingers on the table. “After Matteo is handled,” he continued, “we move to the next step. I’m going to send a few... messages.”Titan tilted his head. “Messages?”Victor looked up. “We leak a tip to the city council. A little information about where Nicholas Amaro’s money really goes; his shell companies, foreign acc

• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 47: Calculated Risks

  As the laughter died down, Nicholas turned his head slowly toward Matteo, who still stood quietly by the window, and it was now time to talk business.“Matteo,” he said, “any update on Marco Thompson?”Everyone turned to look at Matteo.Matteo stepped forward, with his hands behind his back. “I’ve been watching him closely; I didn’t make any move yet, I’m just observing.”Nicholas raised an eyebrow. “And?”“That building,” Matteo said, shaking his head. “Morano Enterprise; it’s no joke. There’s security all over with guards at every entrance, not forgetting cameras. You can’t just walk in and out without being questioned.”Nicholas nodded slowly, his eyes narrowing with concentration.“But I know his pattern now,” Matteo continued. “He leaves home at exactly 7:15 every morning. Gets to the office before 8. He uses the same vehicle; probably provided by the company, and he use the same route too.”Nicholas leaned back, thinking.“I even found out where he lives,” Matteo added. “He stay

• FASHION AND CRIME   Chapter 46: The Iron Flames

  The black van rolled quietly into the dark street, just before midnight. The sky was cloudy, and the air was too suffocating, like something big was about to happen.Leo sat in the front seat, looking out the window. His eyes were focused; he knew exactly what he was looking for. “There,” he said, pointing to a narrow street across the road from the club. “Park there, there’re no cameras.”Dallas nodded and slowly turned the wheel, guiding the van into the narrow path. It was dark and quiet, the perfect hiding spot.Across the street stood The Iron Flask, Victor’s club. The lights were still on. A few people were hanging around outside, talking or smoking. Music played softly from inside; and there were people there, who were having a good time.Inside the van, it was quiet. Everyone was getting ready.Leo opened the bag in his lap. Inside were the tools: bottles with gasoline, rags, gloves, and masks. Dallas checked his lighter. Jonah loaded a small fire starter. They all knew their