As the sun rises, lighting up the room, Valentino's phone rings next to the bed. I extend my arm to retrieve it.
"Yes?" I answer.
"Who is this?" A man's voice asks on the other end of the line.
"Adelaide Ancona." He doesn't breathe.
"I need to speak with Valentino." He demands.
"That won't be possible"
"Why not?" I look at Valentino's body and the pool of blood spreading under his impressive physique.
"Come and see for yourself." I hang up knowing the Locals will come looking for their Boss and that when they don't find Valentino, they are going to start scrambling for a new leader.
I take Valentino's hand in mine and drag his body through the bedroom door and down the hall, leaving a long trail of blood behind. On the other side of the bedroom door, Lucio looks at me once before calmly walking back into his studio as though having witnessed nothing. I sit in front of the entrance to Valentino's house, his body by my side, and wait for the cavalry to arrive. I wait for an hour at most before I am surrounded by over a hundred Locals. They make a circle around me, not daring to approach, cautious and confused as to what the procedure in this situation is. But I know. Whomever kills the king takes the crown.
"Who are you?" Someone asks from deep within the crowd. I stand up and scan their faces one by one. Some recognize me, some don't, but everybody knows whose body is lying at my feet.
"Your new Boss."