Chapter 2 - The Physician and the Ledger
By eight in the morning, Dr. Arturo Valenti had set up his portable diagnostic kit in the sunlit sitting room on the second floor. Valenti had stitched bullet wounds for the Torino syndicate for twenty-five years without asking a single question, but seeing a frightened maid resting on an antique velvet chaise while Vincent stood guard by the window made his hands momentarily still.
"Her lungs show early-stage chronic bronchitis, aggravated by damp living quarters and harsh chemical solvents," Valenti said, removing his stethoscope. "If left untreated, it would have turned into severe pneumonia before winter. She needs a complete cycle of bronchodilators, clean air, and at least a month of rest."
"She will have whatever she needs," Vincent replied without turning from the glass. "Order the highest grade medications. Send the bills to my personal vault account."
Carmen sat upright, wringing her hands until her knuckles turned white. "Mr. Torino, please. If I do not clean, who will tend to the estate? The west corridor—"
"The west corridor has stood for eighty years and will survive without polish for a month," Vincent interrupted, turning to face her. "You are moving into the carriage house on the eastern grounds today. It has central heating, three bedrooms, and dry air. My estate manager has already transferred your belongings."
Carmen looked at the floor, overwhelmed by a dizzying mixture of gratitude and dread. In the world she inhabited, gifts from powerful men were never free. "What do you want from me, Mr. Torino?"
May you like
Vincent looked at her for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. "I want you to raise your child so that she never looks at another human being with fear in her eyes."
Downstairs, the front iron gates opened with a heavy groan. A black sedan entered the courtyard, its engine rumbling like a low growl.
