21

No one had forgotten the forgery incident. Everyone was still very aware that we had a mole among us. Things came to a head when I was 36.

In a rare break from his privacy and caution, Don De Luca invited several of us for an afternoon outing on his yacht. It was a beautiful day when Jimmy, Dana, Freddie, Nelson and I met him at the New Daria docks. We were told to bring our bathing suit and lots of sunscreen.

The first part of the trip was pleasant and relaxing. We drove the boat out into the ocean, had a few drinks, and had a few laughs. But then, everything changed. I noticed that both Don De Luca and Four Finger were holding their guns.

"When did you flip over?" Four Fingers asked.

When I picked up my .44 Magnum, I realized I wasn't the only one doing this. Dana had drawn her gun as well.

Unfortunately, it was useless. Two shots were fired simultaneously as Four Fingers shot Dana in the face. The location of the wound was deliberate, ensuring a closed-casket funeral. Considering where we were, I figured there wouldn't be a body for a funeral anyway.

(Nelson Relation +10 and Respect +10)

The smoking gun flew from her hand as her head snapped back and her eyes stared up at the blue sky. The origin of the second shot became apparent as Don De Luca clutched his chest with a surprised look on his face. He fell to his knees as blood seeped between his fingers.

Sure enough, she was wearing a wire. If murdering the Don wasn't proof enough, this certainly was decisive. Jimmy was trying to help De Luca, but it was a losing battle. DeLuca was dead.

(Perception +5)

Dana's body was wrapped in plastic and chains before being thrown overboard. Of course, do you want me to say? Yes, she was sleeping with the fish. I could hardly believe that Dana was the snitch. We came back to New Daria with a lot of questions about what this would mean for Life's Sketch Family.

To tell you the truth, everything fell into place quickly. The capos got together and discussed who the new Don would be. It was my great fortune that the job fell to Four Finger Nelson, the same man who brought me into the organization. As he was being created, we had room for a new capo. You'll never guess who got the job. Yep, that was the day I was created to caporegime for the Life sketch family!

My first act as capo was to fill in for Dana.

Lisa had been a long-time associate and was very happy to have been created. We did the whole ceremony, which was similar to mine, but Don Harcourt took the lead and I stayed as caporegime while we burned the image of the saint and pricked her finger with the dagger. I know Doug was disappointed, and while we had two spots open (between me being cast and Dana being removed), Don Harcourt had plans for the other position. The next order of business was deciding where my team would operate. It had to be a legitimate business that acted as a good front to allow us to get together unannounced. Now that Nelson was Don, he sold Lucky Lanes, and finding a new hangout was up to me.

(Lisa Ratio +10 and Doug Ratio -10)

Taylor was very excited about my new promotion. I think she felt this meant that I would suggest that it be done. It was still Don's decision, and unfortunately for Taylor, Don Harcourt hated her. Although Taylor was my friend, I had to agree with Four Finger. Taylor was a loose cannon and not suited to getting a button.

Janice and Daniel came to New Daria for Don De Luca's funeral. I was surprised when I was invited into the lawyer's office afterward. I didn't know Terrence De Luca very well, but he had been mentioned in the will. Janice was red-eyed from crying, but Daniel was composed. I was just one of many people who inherited a gift from the old Don. The painting I received was beautiful and worth about a thousand dollars. (Required 70 Relationship Don De Luca)

(Earned $1000 and relationship with Daniel -5)

My new life as a capo for Life's Family of Sketches was dominated by one overwhelming need: money. I needed to make sure my team was making enough money for me to send to Don Harcourt. It made me look at the men and women who worked for me in a new light. While the friendships were good, it was the ability to earn money that really mattered. Regularly, a representative of the Don arrived, looking for his money. No matter where it came from, he wanted the taste of it.

I consistently made my payments, the first few days, using my own money when necessary.

(Lost $3,000, Don Harcourt Relationship +10, Family Reputation +10 and Respect +10)

I was suddenly very nosy and interested in what everyone else was doing. I had to be, I was responsible for their earnings.

it was strange to be back at Wilma's house once more. Last time I was there was when I was just an associate getting my orders from Jimmy. Now I was the captain and gave orders to Jimmy. He seemed fine with the arrangement, despite the fact that he'd been working with the family longer than I had. He was a big earner and there was very little I needed to do to keep him on track.

I had a quota to make. I needed to send a bunch of money up the line. Since that was mostly coming from the money coming in from the team below me, every little bit helped. I saw the lines around Jimmy's eyes harden when I told him to increase his productivity, but he did as he was told and my share increased.

(Ratio Jimmy -20)