Chapter 3 - The Truck That Was Supposed to Fail
The next morning, a Vanguard Logistics truck rolled into Frankie’s garage.
She walked outside.
Gabriel stepped from the passenger side.
White shirt.
Black trousers.
Sleeves rolled to his elbows.
Dark tattoos ran across his forearms.
Frankie stared.
“What are you doing here?”
“I own trucks.”
“Congratulations.”
“This one has a problem.”
“You own fifty mechanics.”
“Today I want you.”
Leo appeared behind her.
Then immediately reconsidered and disappeared inside.
Frankie opened the hood.
“What happened?”
“Engine loses power under load.”
She worked for several minutes.
Gabriel watched.
“You planning to stand there?”
“Yes.”
“Then stand somewhere less useless.”
Gabriel moved.
Twenty minutes later Frankie froze.
“What?”
She reached beneath a fuel line.
Someone had made a tiny cut.
Almost invisible.
“This wasn’t mechanical failure.”
Gabriel’s expression sharpened.
“Explain.”
“Somebody damaged the line deliberately.”
“Could it have happened on the road?”
“No.”
Frankie wiped her fingers.
“Whoever did this knew exactly where to cut so it would look like ordinary wear.”
Gabriel called Marco.
“Where was this truck last night?”
“The South Dock.”
“Who had access?”
Marco hesitated.
“Russo’s crew.”
Frankie looked at Gabriel.
“That’s convenient.”
“Too convenient.”
Gabriel crouched beside the engine.
Frankie noticed him studying the cut.
“You understand engines?”
“My father drove trucks.”
She glanced at him.
“I thought you were born behind an oak desk.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
“My father unloaded ships. My mother cleaned offices.”
Frankie straightened.
“So how did you become this?”
“This?”
She gestured at him.
“Gabriel Costa.”
“That is a much longer conversation.”
A sedan suddenly entered the lot.
Leo ran outside.
“Frankie!”
Two men stepped out.
Russo followed.
Gabriel’s face became expressionless.
Russo stopped when he saw him.
“Gabriel.”
“Anthony.”
“I didn’t know you were here.”
“That seems to be happening frequently.”
Russo forced a smile.
“I came about the Bellini property.”
“My property,” Frankie corrected.
Russo ignored her.
“Development paperwork needs signatures.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“I gave Francesca seven days.”
Russo’s smile vanished.
“For what?”
“To prove you cheated her brother.”
Silence.
Russo laughed.
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Then you have nothing to worry about.”
Russo looked at Frankie.
“She’s manipulating you.”
Gabriel stepped between them.
“Be very careful about what you say next.”
Russo stared at him.
Then at Frankie.
Something ugly entered his eyes.
Gabriel saw it.
“Anthony.”
“Yes?”
“If anything happens to her, the investigation ends.”
Russo smiled.
“Exactly.”
Gabriel's voice dropped.
“Because I’ll already know who did it.”
Russo stopped smiling.
He left.
Frankie watched the sedan disappear.
“You just made this worse.”
“No.”
Gabriel looked at the damaged fuel line.
May you like
“Russo did.”
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