Page 73 of Family Ties and Alibis

“Because he didn’t.”

“I know for a fact you just left Tommy’s office. You told him I knew who killed Sal. He called you an idiot.” Vinnie shoved his hands in his pockets. “Either way, the cops are going to come down hard on you. Tell me the truth, and I’ll consider not pressing charges for you attacking me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

“Call me crazy, but in my line of work, I’ve had countless targets on my back and no longer take it personally. I accept it as part of the business I’m in.”

“You’re one tough dude,” she said in awe.

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Back to our negotiations. You might as well tell me the truth.”

She clutched the sides of her head, a pained look on her face. “Sal was making some side money by going to casinos like Treasure Cove and causing trouble.”

“For Tommy?”

“For Castellini,” she confirmed. “It started when Sal was playing poker at the Royal Flush Casino one night a couple of months ago. He ran up a tab and couldn’t pay it back. Tommy dragged him into his office and told him he planned to turn him in to the cops for cheating and trying to pass counterfeit bills.”

Ione continued. “Sal promised to pay Tommy the money but he needed some time. Tommy told him he had another idea, a deal they could work out instead.”

“What you mentioned…to go to other casinos, including Treasure Cove, and start causing the same sort of trouble,” Vinnie prompted.

“Exactly. When you kicked Sal out for good, he went back and told Tommy what happened. Boy, was Tommy ticked. He banned Sal from Royal Flush and told him that the money he owed, plus interest, was due. Either pay or he was gonna beat it out of him. That’s when Sal threatened to tell you what was going on.”

“So Tommy killed him,” Vinnie grimly replied. “To shut him up.”

“I warned Sal not to meet Castellini that night, but he went anyway,” Ione said. “Sal also planned to set Treasure Cove on fire which didn’t make Tommy very happy.”

“I guess that explains why the cops found a gas can near his body. He told me he was going to.”

Ione glanced over her shoulder. “Sal also told Tommy I knew everything.”

“Basically throwing you under the bus and putting you on Tommy’s radar.”

“I decided to be proactive. I contacted Castellini to let him know I was keeping my mouth shut. He told me he wanted you taken out. I guess it was his way of testing my loyalty.”

“The plan was to kill me?” Vinnie asked.

Ione made a slicing motion across her neck. “Yeah. Things didn’t work out as planned. For the record, it wasn’t Tommy you heard. It was my friend Wiley.”

“Was Tommy paying you?”

“Sure.” Her eyes slid to the side. “It was a pretty hefty chunk of change. The dude does not like you.”

“I’m aware of the fact, and even more so now. It’s time to call the police.” Vinnie pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Despite your confession and implicating Tommy, you’re still not off the hook. Even if I don’t press charges, you’ll face several others.”

“I’ve been in trouble before. Regardless, I did not actually commit a murder, and I can prove it.”

Things moved fast after Vinnie placed the call to the lead investigator. Ione stayed put, honoring her promise to tell the authorities what she knew about Sal’s death, Vinnie’s attack, and Tommy Castellini’s involvement in exchange for Vinnie not pressing charges.

Along with being an informant and insisting Tommy was the one who had murdered Sal, Ione provided proof—cell phone audio she’d recorded the day after Sal’s death, when she confronted Tommy and told him she wouldn’t rat him out.

The investigator confiscated her backpack and phone to be used as evidence. The police cuffed Ione and led her away before making their way inside Royal Flush to track Tommy down.

Vinnie lit a cigarette, waiting to see what would happen next.

“Hey.”

He turned to find Luigi, Tony, and Paulie jogging toward him.