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Mercado drove from New Hampshire on the cool and clear evening. Evelyn Worthington provided the address for the young woman. She had a townhouse in Charlestown. Just a few blocks from Drew Patrick's girlfriend.
At first, Mercado couldn't believe his good fortune when Ricky told him where Jessica Casey lived. He figured he could take care of both of them in fifteen or twenty minutes. Then he began to wonder if it was too good. Too convenient.
Ricky could have double-crossed him to Eddie Garavito and it was a setup. He considered it more and decided he was being paranoid. Ricky was afraid of his crazy killer cousin. Then again, he would fear Garavito just as much. Maybe more.
Mercado debated the matter. In the end, he decided Ricky neither had the brains nor the stones to double-cross him. But he wanted to be certain.
He paid Ricky a visit when he got to Boston.
“Cuz, what are you doing here?” Ricky said as Mercado pushed his way into Ricky's apartment. Ricky's question was one of complete surprise. Not just at Mercado showing up at his place, but that Mercado was even in town.
“I wanted to ask you some questions,” Mercado said. He looked around his cousin's place. It was a small one bedroom on the second floor of duplex. Beige walls with no personal touches. Ricky furnished it with assembled pieces from Walmart.
Mercado said, “Eddie Garavito needs to pay you better.”
“I get by,” Ricky said.
“Tell me,” Mercado said, “while you're getting by, have you been sharing information about me with your boss?”
Ricky froze like a deer in headlights. Mercado patted Ricky's face with his meaty hand. Ricky was nearly as big as Mercado, but Mercado was meaner. And crazier. A dangerous combination.
“What have you been saying to Mr. Garavito?” Mercado said.
“Nothing, really.”
“We both know that isn't true.”
Mercado grabbed Ricky by the throat, pinned him to the wall, and squeezed. Ricky struggled to breathe.
“Let's try this again. What have you been saying to Eddie Garavito?”
Mercado loosened his grip enough to allow Ricky to speak. “You have to understand, Cuz, Eddie's a dangerous guy. He demands loyalty. I had no choice.”
“Am I not a dangerous guy?” said Mercado. “Does your family not demand loyalty.”
“Our family sucks,” Ricky said. “Look what your parents did to you.”
Mercado backhanded Ricky across the face with his free hand. It snapped Ricky's head to the left and opened a cut on his cheek. “Keep my parents out of this.”
“After that first girl died, I saw you hanging out in our old watering hole. No one remembered you. It had been a long time, and most of the old regulars are dead or in jail.”
“You saw me and didn't say anything?”
“I didn't think you wanted to be noticed so I stayed out of sight. After following you for a few days, you went to Quincy and killed that other girl.”
The veins in Mercado's neck were bulging. Rage was building. Mercado said, “Keep talking.”
Ricky continued, “When Eddie learned two of the escorts at Premier were dead, I put two and two together. Eddie has people all over Boston. I figured it was only a matter of time before he figured out it was you.”
“So you ratted me out?” Mercado said. His face turning a deep red.
“I had no choice, Cuz. I had to come clean to Eddie. If I hadn't, he would have killed me for not telling him about you.”
Mercado threw Ricky to the floor. He stood over him, staring Ricky down. His fists clenched and ready to unload the anger welling up inside him.
Ricky was cowering. It's not often you see a big man like Ricky cower.
Ricky said, “I tried to make it right by tipping you off about the PI and Eddie being on to you. I figured you'd stay away from Boston.”
“You figured wrong,” Mercado said. “Now I need you to come completely clean with me. What's going down tonight in Charlestown?”
“You weren't supposed to come back,” Ricky said. “I warned you to stay away.”
“You should have been more honest with me,” Mercado said. “I'll only ask one more time. What's going down tonight?”
Ricky took a deep breath. His eyes darted around the room. Mercado figured he was looking for a weapon. Even if he found one, he'd never get to it alive. Ricky must have come to the same conclusion. He said, “I'll tell you, but then you should leave town. And stay away.”
Mercado's eyes were bulging. Ricky could see them throbbing. “Don't tell me what to do,” Mercado said.
“They somehow got that Worthington lady to think another woman was sleeping with her husband. But the woman is a cop. A State Police detective. It's a sting operation to capture you.”
Mercado rubbed his hand across the stubble on his face. His face felt the way Ricky's voice sounded. Mercado said, “What about the PI's girlfriend?”
“That's true,” Ricky said. “I figured it wouldn't matter.”
“Because you assumed I wouldn't come back?” Mercado said.
Ricky nodded.
Mercado bent over and unleashed his violent rage on Ricky. He left his cousin's lifeless body crumpled against the wall.