The Artful Goddaughter Read Online Free PDF Page B

the funeral.”
    â€œYeah. Nothing like a funeral to put ya in the mood for shopping.” Bertoni snickered.
    I kicked him in the shins with my pointy Jimmy Choos.
    â€œFuck!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.
    There was a collective gasp from every woman over forty in the room.
    â€œShit,” said Carmine. His face went white. “Aunt Miriam is looking this way.”
    All of a sudden, my big, brave cousins melted into the crowd.
    I immediately turned to Pete. “Why were you being friendly with that rat?” I might as well have called my fiancé a traitor. That’s what I was thinking anyway.
    Pete smiled and shrugged. “They invited me to a poker game tonight. After this is over.”
    â€œA poker game. With that lot?” I stared at him, not convinced. He was up to something. I was sure of it.
    â€œHey, Gina.” Sammy appeared at my side. “Miriam wants to see you about the funeral. In the crying room.”
    Of course, it’s not really named the crying room. They call it the quiet room. Rarely, if ever, does it live up to its name.
    While I made my way through the crowd, I stopped to corner Paulo.
    â€œDoes Joey know the conditions of my inheritance?” I asked him. I had his arm in a death grip.
    Paulo has the whitest teeth money can buy. They were all visible in his smile. “Nah. Didn’t want him to sabotage you.”
    That was a relief. I didn’t need Joey’s help. I was pretty darn good at sabotaging myself.
    â€œOf course, he’ll know if you don’t pull it off.” His smile turned crafty.
    I had a sneaking suspicion Paulo was enjoying this. “Why?”
    Paulo shrugged. “Joey will get to see the will. Then everyone will know.”

SEVEN
    A t nine, Pete left to play cards with the cousins. Nico got a lift home with Tiff and Uncle Manny. I stayed behind with the aunts to help clean up. Which usually meant, to hear the gossip. For once, I tuned it out.
    My job was to pack up the leftovers. All the while, I fretted and cursed.
    What if I couldn’t pull off the gallery job? Everybody in the family would find out. It would be humiliating. I’d have to move away. Change my name and skip the country. Maybe move to a small town in Tasmania or Bolivia.
    Would Pete come? Damn. He had built his career as a sports columnist on his football fame. Pete had been a quarterback in the majors. His career had been cut short due to a catastrophic knee injury. But Pete had been a well-known quarterback with a sterling rep.
    No, he wouldn’t want to start over with a brand-new name in a backwater burg. Bugger. And I wasn’t about to leave him behind. Guys like Pete didn’t come along every day. Looked like we were staying in The Hammer.
    Aunt Grizelda handed me a box of plastic wrap to bundle the leftovers. “You doing that heist for Uncle Seb, Gina? Good girl.”
    Jeesh, news travels fast in this burg.
    â€œIt’s not really a heist,” I said out loud, trying to convince myself. “Simply doing a teeny switch. Returning something that got out of place, so to speak. To its rightful place.” I nodded several times. When you put it that way, it sounded almost noble.
    She handed me a plate of cannoli and nodded. “Seb always felt guilty about that painting. Don’t know why. He made a living forging, so why get all antsy over one painting? He was weird, that one.”
    This is true, I thought to myself. A Gallo with a conscience. What a novelty.
    I handed her back the wrapped plate.
    â€œVince told me you had to return it or you don’t get the money,” she said. “That sounds more like Seb.”
    Sounds more like a Gallo too.
    I could use that inheritance, what with getting married and all. Not only that, I could help out my cousins. Fund Nico to set up his store. Even send Tiff away to school to become a certified gemologist.
    The last thing I wanted was the money going to