Chapter 6

Only four of the seven chairs at The Black Swan were occupied.

At midnight, Natalie stood before the men who had once served her father. Dom locked the back door. Vera pulled the curtains, checked the alley camera, and left a pot of coffee beside the register.

Old Frank sat in the first chair. Benny took the second. Vito and Paulie, brothers with young families near the railway line, sat apart from each other.

Three empty chairs said what no speech could.

"If you're here," Natalie began, "you know what Luca did."

Frank rubbed a thumb across his scarred knuckles.…