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he’s going to do next time?”
    “It doesn’t matter.”
    “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Do you want to die?”
    “I didn’t mean it doesn’t matter in the sense that I don’t care if I get hurt. I meant it doesn’t matter what Donnie’s planning. It’s better than if I go to the cops. Then I’m threatening his entire organization. Then there’s not even a debate my life is in danger.”
    Roxy stared out the windshield and took a few audible breaths. I waited for her to calm herself down before lobbing the questions I’d been waiting to ask.
    “Did you see Donnie at the memorial service or the funeral?”
    “God no,” Roxy said. “Why would he be there?” Roxy was implying that he wasn’t a relative or a close friend of the family.
    “Exactly. That means someone must have told him I was asking questions. That I may have appeared suspicious about the circumstances of my godfather’s death.”
    “Yeah. Obviously. I did.”
    I assumed she was joking until I glanced in her direction and saw her striking a defiant pose, looking straight ahead at the windshield, lips pressed tight, jaw elevated a few haughty inches. Then all my insides seemed to slide up into my throat. “You did what?”
    Roxy turned toward me, tilted her head and widened her eyes. “You’re kidding me, right?”
    I took a deep breath and exhaled. I felt horrible for even contemplating my best friend had ratted me out. I waved my hand as though surrendering. “I wasn’t suggesting that you talked to him—”
    “Yeah you were. But that’s okay. I understand. You’ve always been a cold psycho-bitch. I still love you. In fact, that’s probably the reason I love you . . .”
    “I’m just asking. How did he know what I was thinking? Did you mention our discussion to anyone?”
    Roxy laughed. “You’re officially on the verge of pissing me off. Yes. After you left the memorial service, I walked to the front, stood by the casket, and made an announcement to the general public. ‘My psycho-bitch former sister-in-law thinks my uncle was murdered! ’ ”
    I shook my head and muttered a few Ukrainian obscenities under my breath, the kind that used to sneak past my father’s gritted teeth whenever his family disappointed him, which was pretty much all the time. Roxy knew the same obscenities, I was sure. It was the order and cadence of delivery that distinguished one frustrated parent from another.
    “There had to be two hundred people at the memorial service,” Roxy said.
    I nodded. “Anyone could have overheard me.”
    “Just because Donnie wasn’t there, doesn’t mean he didn’t know half the people who were.”
    “True that,” I said.
    “Why are you doing this, Diana?”
    “Because I loved my godfather and someone killed him. I want to find out who and why.”
    “Oh yeah? Diana the noble warrior, since when?”
    I shrugged. “Since now.”
    “Come on. What’s this really all about?”
    I saw the logic in her question, but I didn’t have the time or desire to contemplate it. “This is just something I have to do. That’s all I know.”
    Roxy sat quietly for a moment. “So what’s the plan?” She infused her voice with a note of determination.
    “There’s obviously a link between my godfather’s business and Donnie Angel. I’m going to start there and see what I can figure out.”
    An incredulous laugh burst from Roxy’s mouth. It sounded more like a bark. “Sure. Of course you are. Piece of cake. And you’re going to do this all alone?”
    “That’s right. I do all my best work alone.”
    “It’s good you’re driving around in an old Porsche. You’ll blend right in wherever you go.”
    “It is what it is.” The truth was I had no choice. I couldn’t afford a rental.
    “Don’t you think he might be waiting for you? At my uncle’s house? Right now?”
    “Highly unlikely. He expects me to stay in New York or go somewhere else to hide. The last place he expects me to go is to his turf