As ISAAC walks, ISAAC catches sight of NIKKI VENETI and pauses to give her a hug. NIKKI is VINCENT DANZA's cousin, and his family takes care of her. NIKKI's mom died when she was young, and then her dad and brother were killed by the cartel. VINCENT DANZA's family saw taking her in as a debt of honor because her dad and brother died protecting his papà.
"Hey, NIKKI." A smile tilts up ISAAC's lips as ISAAC gives her a kiss on the cheek.
She beams up at ISAAC. "Hey, you!"
"You're looking well. Long time, no see."
"I know," she replies. "I've been meaning to get down to SUDAN to see my grandparents. Hopefully, I'll get to visit them next month."
"Everything good with you?"
She nods. "Yeah, all good, thanks. How about you? I don't remember the last time I saw you in New York. Are you going to stay for a while? " "Not sure." ISAAC'm suspicious of ISAAC's answer.
"Depends on how fast my work is completed." Then ISAAC tells her that ISAAC'll take her out to lunch and catch up when ISAAC'm in New York, and after she waves ISAAC goodbye, ISAAC proceedes towards the back tables.
As ISAAC walks, ISAAC types on the page ISAAC caught KYOLINE DIEGO looking at on her phone. It's Chessgenius.com. And ISAAC can't resist the smile that plays on ISAAC's lips. What is KYOLINE DIEGO up to?
She thought that she could hide what she was doing, but ISAAC was too fast. And how cute that she's so secretive and evasive. Ah, cute—but what she was doing only made ISAAC curious about things even more.
ISAAC's thumb swipes across ISAAC's screen as ISAAC logs in. Following that tedium, ISAAC types in the name ISAAC saw her playing. Envy Eyes. A smile of satisfaction creeps onto ISAAC's face as ISAAC bookmarks the page. ISAAC might possibly learn more about what kind of player she is. It's something that has been on ISAAC's mind since watching her play against the old man at the park. But ISAAC's snooping will have to wait. Sorry. ISAAC pushes ISAAC's phone into ISAAC's pocket as ISAAC heads to the faraway booth where VINCENT DANZA sits. His face a mask of impassivity while his fingers tap out a beat on the smooth shiny wood of the table. He'd be that much stronger if ISAAC didn't have the absolute joy of recalling that he was once terrified of the dark. ISAAC lived with VINCENT DANZA and his family for a very long time after ISAAC's parents and siblings passed away.
And the faith established at such an early age has given us the highest faith with one another.
"Something funny?" he clips.
Not allowed to smile at my dear cousin anymore?" ISAAC asks in feigned indignation as ISAAC floats into the booth in front of him.
His fingers drum with slower rhythm.
ISAAC narrows ISAAC's eyes. We've talked a few times since ISAAC arrived in New York, and he messaged ISAAC an hour ago, telling ISAAC to meet him here. "Your message was a little vague," ISAAC prompts. Nobody is seated near us, and VINCENT DANZA's soldiers will make sure to keep it that way while he's conducting business.
He exhales a slow breath and rubs his hand across his face, Capo's mask faltering. "Shit's fucked."
ISAAC gives a snort of laughter. "Understatement of the year. Anything else? Names? Any other leads?"
"Everyone we've interviewed has checked out clean. I've got names but." His fingers curl into a fist around his glass of whiskey, and he exhales sharply again. "No more leads so far. That's why I'm passing it over to you now."
"You don't have anything else?"
"There's a lot of people who it could be." He zeroes his eyes in on ISAAC as though ISAAC's questioning his method of handling it. "A fucking lot of them have agendas and are fucking vipers. You know that."
ISAAC holds ISAAC's hands up. "I wasn't criticizing."
VINCENT DANZA nods and gulps the amber liquid in his glass. "I'll have you a list of who's still remaining to investigate, and you'll take care of the rest. You're on this, ISAAC. You do what the hell you want with it."
"Is it just the KASH MANCHESTER? No skimming off other revenues? The guns or whatever other pies you got your fingers in?"
Just the KASH MANCHESTER as far as I can see so far. But we need to examine the rest of it with a fine toothcomb, especially since it's been some months now as well.
ISAAC looks at him carefully. "ISAAC can see the money's an issue, but what else is going on, VINCENT DANZA?" ISAAC knows him well enough to know there's something else. Because although he's been worked up about this situation each time we've spoken about it, it feels like there's more going on today.
He scratches a hand over his face. "There's word going around that the Croatians are planning to set up a new trafficking ring to bring girls into the U.S."
"So? We knew they're into that sort of crap already." Sure, we don't traffic humans, but the Croatians are infamous for it.
"The rumor includes that an Italian is involved in it—investing in it and being a partner in the scheme. But someone would need a lot of money to buy into a scheme like that. And I've got a bad feeling that the missing money might be something to do with that."
ISAAC's head starts to work. "And if the Italian who's involved is one of ours, then the Feds can track the money back to the KASH MANCHESTER. And that would fucking implicate us in the human trafficking."
VINCENT DANZA nods gravely.
"Fucking Christ," ISAAC mutters. ISAAC did not anticipate this. "ISAAC'll get it taken care of right away."
VINCENT DANZA gets ISAAC caught up on a couple of things. As VINCENT DANZA talks, ISAAC's eyes flick over the KASH MANCHESTER to where KYOLINE DIEGO leans against the bar again, fingers tapping on her phone.
And as ISAAC looks at the interesting girl in the gold dress, VINCENT DANZA's knuckles snap in ISAAC's face, and ISAAC frowns at him as ISAAC's eyes move to VINCENT DANZA. "What?"
"Got something better to do or can I get your attention?"
"You've had my attention. ISAAC was listening."
VINCENT DANZA snorts. The bad thing about coming up with the dude for much of your childhood is they know all your tells. ISAAC's gaze is on him as he leans forward to hear just exactly who's captured ISAAC's attention. His brow creases. "KYOLINE DIEGO?" ISAAC shrugs noncommittally. "ISAAC was just chatting with her while ISAAC got my drink. What's her deal, anyway?"
VINCENT DANZA reclines back in the booth and shakes his head. "She's not a bad girl. TENZ JER'SEY takes good care of her, or so ISAAC hopes he does, anyway. She's got issues though."
"Problems?"
"Family issues. Anyway, why are you even curious? I already explained, KYOLINE DIEGO is best friends with my niece and almost family."
"So?
"So, that makes her off-limits, get it?" He fixes a laser stare on ISAAC when ISAAC don't respond. "And then there's her condition."
"What condition?"