Elizabeth Street - Laurie Fabiano [133]
Her thoughts churned. Inzerillo had children! Yes, that was it! She would kidnap one of his children and return the child in exchange for Angelina. It took only a few stops on the El to find the flaws in this plan. Giovanna had learned that kidnapping was a crime of mind games and strategy. If she took Inzerillo’s child, for the plan to be effective, they would have to believe that she was capable of killing the child. Additionally, it would prompt all-out war, and none of her stepchildren, nieces, or nephews would be safe.
Giovanna climbed the stairs to her apartment, not knowing her next move. She was relieved to see Frances and Mary already preparing supper and said a prayer of thanks for her stepdaughters, even though at the moment they were acting awkward. Rocco was also home and making their tenement even smaller by pacing its perimeter. Needing to put her feet up, Giovanna decided to take a few minutes to lie down and think about the conversation with Signora Palermo. Teresa’s information about Il Lupo’s gang and the bombing at the bank was also ringing in her ears.
“Where’s Angelina’s dress?” called Giovanna from the bedroom. It was missing from where she kept it under her pillow.
Frances and Mary exchanged looks in the kitchen.
“What does it matter? She can’t wear it,” answered Rocco, already defensive.
“What do you mean?” Giovanna yelled, louder than she ever had in her life.
Rocco was already putting on his jacket. “They came collecting clothes for the people of the earthquake. We had nothing left to give.”
“You didn’t have to give anything! We gave plenty! How, how could you?” Giovanna wailed with pain. “If I hadn’t sent the money to Scilla, we could have moved! We would have been far away from the schifosi. Because of the earthquake they have my daughter!”
Rocco slammed the door on the way out, leaving his daughters to comfort Giovanna. Mary and Frances expected their stepmother to be upset, but they hadn’t expected her to fall completely apart. They didn’t realize her rage was fueled by fear. Giovanna now knew who the kidnappers were and what they were capable of—and she was terrified. She lay on the bed, alternately clutching and punching a pillow. It was hours before she stopped blaming herself, the terremoto, her husband, and Lieutenant Petrosino for Angelina’s abduction. Frances and Mary had given up trying to console her and had sent for Teresa.
Teresa entered the apartment alone and began ministering her magic. Had she been a Costa by blood, it could have been said that she took after Zia Antoinette. But it was under the tutelage of her own mother that Teresa had become versed in the curses, rituals, and prayers that she was to master.
To release her sister-in-law’s demons, Teresa heated glass cups. Putting water around the rims, she placed them on Giovanna’s back, and with the suction they created, she captured the bad spirits. After this cleansing, Teresa took olive oil and made the sign of the cross on Giovanna’s forehead over and over while murmuring prayers. When she stopped, she spat twice on Giovanna’s head.
“That will take the pain away,” announced Teresa. “And soon you will sleep.”
Giovanna, weak from raging, submitted to all Teresa’s ministrations without resistance. Teresa sat by her bed, occasionally patting Giovanna’s hand and commanding her to sleep while she recited prayer after prayer.
Whether it was something Teresa had done, or exhaustion, Giovanna slept through the following day.
THIRTY-EIGHT
MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1909
Giovanna woke with a plan. If she couldn’t kidnap Inzerillo’s child, she would hold information hostage and demand her daughter in return. Lupo was an experienced thug.