Chapter 4 - Fiona Opened the Wrong Garment Bag
Fiona Kelly hated guns, rich men, black SUVs and anyone who referred to women as “sweetheart” before nine in the morning.
Naturally, she became essential.
Megan had known Fiona since community college.
Fiona managed a vintage clothing warehouse and possessed two important traits:
she remembered everything,
and she distrusted everyone equally.
When Dean’s men moved Fiona “for protection,” she refused penthouse and demanded hotel room with deadbolt she controlled.
Dean paid.
She still complained.
Then, while collecting Megan's belongings from tailor shop, Fiona opened wrong garment bag.
Inside wasn't clothing.
It was cash.
$180,000.
And a disposable phone taped inside sleeve.
She called Megan.
“Please tell me you're laundering money badly.”
Megan froze.
“What bag?”
“Gray garment bag marked M.S.”
M.S.
Megan Shaw.
Someone had planted money in her workspace.
If police or Marinis found it, she'd look paid assassin.
“Don't touch anything.”
“I already touched everything. I am not CSI.”
Dean dispatched Dante.
Phone contained only one unsent text:
Payment delivered. Russo girl completed job.
Russo girl.
Someone was framing Dean as ordering Luca's death through Megan.
Lorenzo would have justification for war.
Dean:
“This is too clean.”
Samuel nodded.
“Anthony used same style.”
Anthony Russo had died six years earlier.
But network remained.
Who inherited it?
His son.
Julian Russo.
Dean's cousin.
Currently chief of legitimate Russo construction companies.
Quiet.
Educated.
Never carried gun in public.
Never challenged Dean.
Which made him dangerous.
Julian had benefited from Dean controlling criminal side while he expanded legal business.
Why start war?
Samuel:
“Because peace keeps Dean in charge.”
War could kill both Marini twins and Dean.
Then Julian becomes last major Russo bloodline.
Megan remembered Marco.
Where was he?
Nina finally received message.
DON’T TRUST J.R.
Confirmation.
Then no response.
Dean wanted Julian seized.
Megan objected.
“You have proof?”
“Enough.”
“No. You have initials and planted money.”
“He tried killing us.”
“You don't know he ordered it.”
Dean glared.
“Why are you defending him?”
“I'm defending the difference between suspicion and certainty.”
Samuel smiled faintly.
“Your tailor is smarter than you.”
Dean:
“She enjoys hearing that too much.”
They chose trap.
Fiona would pretend she never found cash.
Megan would return to shop publicly.
Rumor would spread she still possessed cufflink.
If Julian was framing her, he would react.
Dean hated using Megan as bait.
She hated being protected like furniture.
Compromise:
she volunteered knowingly,
security concealed,
Fiona stayed away.
Megan reopened tailor shop for one afternoon.
Jimmy nearly cried from stress.
“I sell suits. Why is organized crime using my buttonhole machine?”
Megan hugged him.
“You should retire.”
“I can't afford to.”
Dean later quietly purchased building? No. Don't use money control. He instead arranged legitimate security and reimbursed closures through insurance/legal settlement.
At 4:20, Julian arrived.
Not violent.
Carrying coat.
“Megan Shaw?”
“Yes.”
“Dean says you're the best.”
Lie.
Dean had never referred him.
Megan smiled professionally.
“What can I alter?”
“Inside pocket.”
Of course.
He placed charcoal jacket.
Megan inspected.
Hidden seam.
Inside a micro-SD card.
Julian watched her.
“You found it.”
“I wasn't supposed to?”
“I wanted to see whether Luca chose you for a reason.”
Her blood chilled.
“You knew Luca?”
“We all knew Luca.”
“Did you put money in my shop?”
His expression didn't change.
Wrong question maybe.
Then Julian said:
“You should have taken it and disappeared.”
So yes.
Megan kept face steady.
“Why?”
“Because Dean destroys everyone he loves.”
“You planted cash to save me?”
“To move you.”
“That sounds like something men say when they make decisions for women.”
He smiled slightly.
“You're exactly as difficult as Luca described.”
“Luca described me?”
“He said you notice seams.”
There it was.
Julian had been working with Luca.
Maybe not enemy.
Megan whispered:
“Who killed him?”
Julian looked toward window.
“Not you.”
Her breath caught.
“You were there?”
“After.”
“What?”
“When you ran from Luca's house, he was alive for eleven minutes.”
The room tilted.
“No.”
“The bullet hit below ribs. Bad, but survivable.”
Megan stared.
“Then who—”
“Someone entered after you.”
“Who?”
Julian's jaw tightened.
“Lorenzo.”
No.
Twin killed twin.
“Why?”
“Luca told him he was exposing trafficking through Pier Nine.”
Not drug trafficking.
Human labor trafficking.
Workers brought under false contracts, passports withheld, wages stolen inside garment import network.
That was why textile manifests.
Luca discovered Lorenzo and Anthony Russo network using fabric containers to hide exploited labor and cash.
He wanted expose without implicating himself? He had benefited too.
Still.
Lorenzo confronted.
Shot Luca again.
Fatal.
Then staged scene so Megan believed she killed him.
Julian arrived afterward because Luca had scheduled meeting.
He saw Lorenzo leave.
Why not speak?
“Because I was part of financial structure before I knew what cargo was.”
Julian would incriminate himself.
He began secretly helping Luca gather records.
“Then why frame Megan?”
“I didn't.”
“What about cash?”
“Not mine.”
Megan stared.
Julian looked genuinely surprised at unsent text.
Then who?
He whispered:
“Marco.”
Impossible.
Marco had vanished warning Dean about Julian.
Could be double.
Julian:
“Marco works for Lorenzo.”
That changed everything.
Nina's messages?
Could be manipulated.
Marco brought cufflink, gave blood sample, led Dean to Samuel—maybe deliberately to flush Samuel out and kill them.
Attackers used Russo cars to implicate Julian.
Marco had orchestrated both sides.
Then gunshot shattered shop glass.
Julian tackled Megan down.
Dean's concealed security returned fire.
Shooter escaped.
Julian had saved her.
Dean stormed in, weapon drawn, saw cousin over Megan.
His face became murderous.
“Move.”
Megan shouted:
“Dean, stop!”
He froze.
Julian slowly raised hands.
“If I wanted her dead, she'd be dead.”
Dean wanted kill him.
Megan stepped between.
“Marco is working for Lorenzo.”
Dean's expression changed.
“No.”
Julian handed micro-SD.
“Proof.”
Video.
Marco meeting Lorenzo at warehouse.
Date three months earlier.
Audio:
Once Luca is gone, we make Russo believe Marini did it. Once Dean retaliates, both families bleed.
Lorenzo:
And Megan?
Marco:
She'll be dead before anyone asks.
Dean stared at screen.
Nine years of trust collapsed in twenty seconds.
And Megan finally understood why Luca's cufflink disappeared.
Marco did not steal it to hide truth about Dean's father.
He stole it because truth would expose alliance connecting him to Lorenzo.
Now Megan wasn't merely witness.
May you like
She was unfinished business.
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