Free Blood Money by Laura M Rizio Page A

soon. Now will you help me?”
    How could he refuse? “What do you need, Maria?”
    “I need your investigators’ and detectives’ cooperation, your coroner’s report; and I need to know what you will do with any information that I turn over to you.”
    Rosa exchanged a glance with Nick. “As Nick has probably told you, the case is still open, pending the attorney general’s report.
    But I don’t see why I can’t receive information from you as long as it’s obtained legally—and I mean legally.” He emphasized the word legally . “With no hanky-panky, as we say here in America. The information leading to all evidence must be squeaky clean. Otherwise it will be thrown out —a waste of effort on your part and mine.” He took a sip of his almost cold coffee. “Joe was my friend, but friend or no friend, I’m the district attorney here. Do you understand that? Both of you. And I will decide how this information and evidence will be handled.”

C HAPTER X
     
    A month to the day after the Christmas party, the firm was celebrating again. This time the occasion was its reopening for business. The new, brass door plate read Silvio and Levin, P.C. Maglio’s name was conspicuously absent. The champagne flowed freely, and the same honored guests clinked glasses with the staff—happy that the biggest partying firm in Philadelphia was still alive and kicking.
    Marty Silvio grinned widely as he raised his glass to the Waterford chandelier in the conference room. He chewed on his unlit cigar between statements to the press. It would make the front page in tomorrow’s Philadelphia Inquirer and on the eleven o’clock news. “No Indictment” would be the paper’s headline.
    Soon the clients would be back in droves and the referrals would come pouring in. He couldn’t wait to stick it to the competing law firms who had been ecstatic about the potential eradication of Maglio, Silvio and Levin, and the prospect of its clients and cases looking for new lawyers. Fuck them , he thought, as he gave Margo Griffin a hug. The cameras clicked away. He didn’t care since his frigid wife only read church bulletins and couldn’t give a flying fuck who he hugged—or slept with. As long as he kept her personal account flush and paid all her current charge card bills, Celeste was happy and left him to his own devices.
    Margo slid from under Marty’s arm to catch up with Giorgio Santangelo, who was frantically overseeing the hors d’oeuvres and calling for a server to refill the crostini trays. Now that Margo was in charge of the firm’s social calendar, its parties and entertainment, she was in charge of Giorgio, too. She would make life miserable for him if her ignored her.
    “Giorgio, we need more rock crab. It’s going fast.”
    “I know. I’m holding more in the kitchen while the chef prepares a dill mayonnaise for it.”
    She licked her lips. “Take me back so I can sample some.” She shook her long brown hair back over her shoulders and took a deep breath, straining the buttons of her herringbone jacket.
    Margo’s obvious come-on made him nervous. He gestured toward the mayor, who was about to propose a toast and made his escape.
    “Get rid of those orchids,” she angrily called after him. “They’re dead.”
    “Putanna,” he muttered as he nodded to her, making his way to the kitchen.
    There was a hush over the filled room. Mayor Jack Filbert held out his glass, posing for the cameras.
    “I’m sure you all know that Mr. Silvio and Mr. Levin have been cleared of any and all wrongdoing. Charges of unethical conduct or mishandling of client funds against them personally have been withdrawn. The attorney general has concluded that the firm’s former partner was the only person to whom such conduct could be attributed. And I want to say, although I already know that you’re fully aware of this, the firm of Silvio and Levin is by far one of the most talented law firms in Philadelphia. It has been a bulwark of