Chapter 470 - 217: Kindling
Frank said nothing more after that, nor did he expect a reply from Barney.
He just took a deep drag from his cigarette and fell into thought.
’Luigi’s arrest was a sudden political earthquake for Leo.’
’According to standard crisis management procedure, Leo should have immediately held a press conference to announce the news publicly.’
’He should have emphasized his respect for the rule of law and promised his full cooperation with the FBI’s investigation. This would have drawn a clear line between himself and the assassin, preventing him from being swept up in the media storm.’
’That would have been the politically logical move.’
’But Leo didn’t do that.’
’Not only did he not make an announcement, he even forcibly suppressed the news.’
’Why?’
’There’s only one explanation.’
’Leo is planning something.’
’He’s trying to turn this huge crisis into a bargaining chip.’
’He wants to use Luigi.’
"Barney."
Frank looked up, his gaze stern.
"Did you notify anyone else when you came over?"
"No. Besides me and Rosa, only those two students know."
"And the students?"
"I locked them in Rosa’s apartment. Took their phones."
"Good work."
Frank breathed a sigh of relief.
"Listen, Barney."
"Luigi is a hot potato right now. If this isn’t handled properly, he’ll blow up in Leo’s face, and ours too."
"I need you to go back right now."
Frank gave the order.
"Watch those two students like a hawk. Even if you have to tie them up, don’t let them leave the apartment, and don’t let them post anything online."
"Tell them if they want Luigi to live, they’d better keep their mouths shut."
"And you make damn sure to keep your own people in line. Don’t let them go crazy in the streets, staging some kind of protest or demonstration."
"If even a whisper of this gets out, not even God can save that kid."
"What about you?" Barney asked.
Frank stood up, walked over to the coat rack, and took down his work jacket.
"I’m going to see Leo."
Frank put on his hat, covering his graying hair.
"I’m going to ask our esteemed Mayor just what the hell he’s planning."
Frank walked to the door and stopped.
He glanced back at the framed photo hanging on the office wall.
It was a picture of him and Leo in front of a prefab building on the night of their election victory.
"I hope he hasn’t changed,"
Frank said in a low voice.
"You should go," Barney said. "There isn’t much time."
「...」
The third-floor hallway of City Hall felt particularly empty late at night.
Leo sat behind his desk, the desk lamp casting a tight circle of light.
He toyed with a pen, his gaze fixed on a point in the empty space before him.
The office door was pushed open.
Frank Kovalsky walked in, bringing the late-night chill with him.
He looked even grimmer than usual, his brow furrowed and the corners of his mouth turned down.
Leo looked at Frank but didn’t rise to greet him.
"Frank, I gave you that 24/7 pass to City Hall to help me solve problems during emergencies and to facilitate communication between the Union and City Hall."
"It wasn’t so you could burst into the Mayor’s Office in the middle of the night without so much as a text."
Frank stopped in front of the desk.
He had come with a bellyful of questions, but Leo’s sudden reprimand caught them in his throat.
After a few seconds, he decided to dispense with the useless pleasantries.
"Where is he?"
Frank stared into Leo’s eyes, cutting straight to the point.
Leo calmly asked back, "Who?"
"Luigi."
Frank lowered his voice.
"I know you have him."
"Frank."
Leo leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers over his stomach.
"How do you know I have him?"
"The arrest was handled discreetly."
Leo’s voice echoed in the office as he looked at Frank and began to recount the details Ethan had reported to him.
"There was no shootout, no chase, and it didn’t draw any large crowd of onlookers."
"The officer in that patrol car was a veteran. They took Luigi directly back to the branch and put him in a solo interrogation room."
"Director Carter issued a gag order of the highest level."
Leo’s eyes sharpened.
"He cut all of the branch’s external communication lines, confiscated every officer’s phone, and even personally went to the server room to pull the Ethernet cables connecting the branch to the outside internet."
"From that moment on, the Pittsburgh Branch became an island."
"The FBI are still running all over the city. Their agents are tearing through apartment buildings in the Brooklyn District like headless chickens."
Leo’s voice was calm, but it carried a chill.
"Even the professionals in Washington, with their satellites and surveillance networks, don’t know where Luigi is."
"And yet you, Frank."
"You actually know."
Leo leaned forward slightly.
"Your information travels faster than the FBI’s."
"You have eyes in my police department."
It wasn’t a question. It was a statement.
Frank didn’t answer.
The two men stared at each other across the desk that symbolized power.
The air in the office grew thick.
Leo looked into Frank’s eyes and suddenly felt a sting of pain.
He was reminded of that abandoned pier on the banks of the Monongahela River.
Back then, Frank had been clutching the article that exposed Leo for selling out the port, angrily confronting him.
That was the first time a crack had formed between them.
At the end of that argument, Frank had torn the article to shreds and thrown the pieces into the river.
In that moment, they had established a tacit understanding.
Leo had thought they were bound together.