Cutter (51 page)

I’v
e
neve
r
bee
n
i
n
Fortuna’
s
hom
e.
I’v
e
onl
y
see
n
hi
m
o
n
th
e
stree
t
o
r
a
t
on
e
o
f
th
e
Italia
n-
America
n
‘clubs
’
tha
t
h
e
frequent
s.
H
e
neve
r
ha
d
an
y
particula
r
us
e
fo
r
th
e
ma
n
wh
o
wa
s
fuckin
g
wha
t
use
d
t
o
b
e
hi
s
sol
e
propert
y.I
thin
k
h
e
would’v
e
wante
d
Elle
n
t
o
liv
e
her
e
wit
h
hi
m
i
f
sh
e
would’v
e
agree
d
t
o
i
t,
bu
t
sh
e
despise
d
he
r
bi
g
brothe
r.
I
t
wasn’
t
consensua
l
se
x
tha
t
sh
e
engage
d
i
n
wit
h
hi
m.
H
e
brutalize
d
he
r
an
d
bea
t
he
r
an
d
torture
d
he
r
fro
m
tim
e
t
o
tim
e,
bu
t
n
o
on
e
i
n
he
r
famil
y
woul
d
believ
e
tha
t
th
e
Bi
g
Bos
s
wa
s
capabl
e
o
f
inces
t.
Elle
n
sai
d
th
e
dentis
t
an
d
hi
s
wif
e
wer
e
staunc
h
Catholic
s
wh
o
coul
d
no
t
believ
e
suc
h
a
thin
g
wa
s
possibl
e—
unti
l
Elle
n
ra
n
awa
y
an
d
go
t
marrie
d.
Sh
e
neve
r
talke
d
directl
y
t
o
Joh
n
Fortun
a
agai
n.
Bu
t
sh
e
di
d
se
t
m
e
u
p
wit
h
Sa
l
Donofri
o
.

I
mak
e
m
y
wa
y
towar
d
th
e
livin
g
roo
m.I
se
e
on
e
o
f
th
e
bodyguard
s
sleepin
g
i
n
th
e
chai
r
i
n
fron
t
o
f
a
televisio
n
wit
h
a
pictur
e
bu
t
n
o
soun
d.
He’
s
makin
g
i
t
to
o
eas
y.I
stan
d
b
y
th
e
lam
p.
Th
e
tabl
e
o
n
whic
h
i
t
rest
s
i
s
nex
t
t
o
hi
m,
o
n
hi
s
lef
t.I
don’
t
recogniz
e
thi
s
on
e.
I’
m
abou
t
t
o
cu
t
hi
s
throa
t
wit
h
m
y
nin
e-
inc
h
blad
e
whe
n
a
voic
e
tell
s
m
e
ver
y
softl
y,
ver
y
gentl
y,
t
o
sto
p
. 

I
pivo
t
an
d
I
se
e
th
e
Bos
s
himsel
f
.

He’
s
go
t
a
nin
e-
millimete
r
pointe
d
a
t
m
y
hea
d
.

‘Wh
y
don’
t
yo
u
si
t
dow
n?
W
e
ca
n
tal
k.
’

‘N
o,
thank
s.’
I
smil
e
.

‘
I
don’
t
thin
k
I
kno
w
yo
u,
d
o
I?’
Fortun
a
ask
s
.

‘Yo
u
don’
t
kno
w
m
e.
’

‘You
r
voic
e
sound
s
familia
r,
thoug
h.
’

Th
e
sleepe
r
i
n
th
e
chai
r
i
s
finall
y
arouse
d
.

‘Yo
u
awak
e,
Vit
o,
yo
u
sleep
y
fuc
k?’
Jacki
e
Morocc
o
rasp
s
.

‘Jesu
s,
Joh
n,
I’
m
sorr
y
—’

‘Shu
t
th
e
fuc
k
u
p
..
.
Loo
k
wh
o
jus
t
poppe
d
i
n.
I
f
I’
m
no
t
mistake
n,
it’
s
th
e
limpdic
k
wh
o
live
d
wit
h
m
y
siste
r
Mar
y
Margare
t.
An
d
th
e
sam
e
gu
y
wh
o
slaughtere
d
he
r
lik
e
a
n
anima
l.
’

There’
s
n
o
us
e
denyin
g
an
y
o
f
thi
s.
He’
s
recognize
d
m
y
voic
e.
He’
s
hear
d
i
t
ofte
n
enoug
h
whe
n
he’
s
trie
d
t
o
contac
t
hi
s
siste
r
a
t
ou
r
apartmen
t
i
n
th
e
cit
y
.

I
edg
e
clos
e
t
o
th
e
lam
p
whe
n
h
e
turn
s
hi
s
attentio
n
t
o
hi
s
failur
e
o
f
a
bodyguar
d
.