Realistic or Modern The Oath - 1940s Gangster Drama - IC (Ended)

[ReverseTex]

Momentarily Hans was brought back to the War.... The smell of damp spruce and mud filled the air. Colonel Koepka strolled up to the small cottage located in the Austrian countryside, which was under suspeciton of harboring Jews. "Warte mit dem Auto," he spoke to his guards as he approached the door, who nodded and followed his command. Knocking on the weather-worn door, the man who answered surprised him. Quite stocky, but tall, like a tree trunk, the man studied Hans. "Good morning good sir! My name is Colonel Hans Koepka of the SS, may I come in" The man nodded, slowly stepping from the doorway allowing him to pass in. Dipping his head, Hans studied the room. Sparsely decorated, a sink sat in the far corner of the room, and a table closest to him. There was a small family area, and stairs leading to both a upper and lower floor. "So Colonel, is there a preticular reason for your visit today? I allowed your men to search by home 9 months ago?" The man sat at the small table as he spoke, gesturing for Hans to follow. Taking the offered seat, he answered. "Just a few questions I personally have if you don't mind?" "Not at all," the man responded....

A woman's voice snapped Hans out of his past. "Not a bad night, just contemplating the oddities of your city." He wasn't the slightest intrested in the woman, but he wasn't a rude man. If she wanted to converse, he'd do so. Plus, this would be his first Chicagoan he'd spoken to. Downing the last of the scotch, he spoke to the barmaid. "One for me, put the lady on my tab," Hans spoke before turning to the woman. "So fraülein, who is in my company tonight?"​

Foxy

​

 

[Lazy Taco]

Luca scowled as he remembered that Lucy and the others where there and ruined his plan. Sure he was pissed and wanted to go save James and rip Into his head that he needed to think before actually trying to attack the Romano's when there were a lot of people that where the gang. "Honestly I would go Save him and beat some sense into him afterward but...." He didn't say anything before placing a hand on her shoulder with narrowed eyes. "I don't really care if you want to not have anything to do with the family business but you should know that being around the Romano's is dangerous." She was gonna be targeted along with the others now. "The dead body from two days ago was just a warning Head, but today you saw the death of Vinnie wife, a war has just been declared." He explained to her before getting on the car he borrowed from his acquaintance. "Get in." It wasn't a request nor was it an order, but at the same time, he said it with a sharp tone on his voice.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Detective Edwards​

Edwards listened to Elise as she told her hilarious story. He raised an eyebrow when she got to the punchline, barely managing to crack a smile. "Oh wow. The dog..." he said, feigning enthusiasm. He really wasn't sure if he could listen to this woman for an entire evening. Whilst he was certain she was a nice person, she was far too energetic and excitable for his tastes. His wife was much more introverted.

The hotel seemed different as Xin slowed down near the front. Usually there were all sorts of suited and well-dressed people entering, conversing or leaving. The rich, the criminal, the innocent guests - they usually lapped the place up, much to Edwards' annoyance. He could hear Elise frantically telling Xin he'd passed the place, but he had a good idea of why, so he wasn't about to question the Sergeant's sudden detour.

When Edwards caught the man's eye in the rearview mirror, he had a good idea by now that something was amiss and Xin's face pretty much backed up his suspicions. "Good idea. I'll chat with them and see if I can get us a good table," he commented, feeling like he needed to play along to keep Elise out of the picture. When the car stopped, Edwards opened the door. "I'll see you two shortly," he said, before climbing out of the vehicle. With his back to the car, the Detective placed his hand inside his coat, double-checking his gun was in easy reach. Before he had chance to catch up with the three peope at the side door, they entered the building and closed it behind them. After trying to open the door, he realised he would have to enter the hotel through the conventional method - the main entrance.

Vincenzo Romano
​

Once he'd returned upstairs, Vinnie saw Leo sat on the piano stool with his head in his hands. He chose to leave the young man be, his eyes fixed on Gianna's corpse for a time. Right now, all he could think about was how he was going to make the Sullivans suffer. His mind was clouded, however, as he thought of how he would never wake up next to his wife again and never hold her in his arms. He needed a drink. He walked to the bar and poured himself some whiskey. As he began knocking the alcohol back, he suddenly stopped drinking and placed the glass down on the bar. His eyes were now fixed on the inevitable but unwelcome guest, Detective Edwards.

"Mr Romano..." he began, calmly walking towards the dance floor. He'd heard people talking in the lobby, so already knew what he was going to find here. He stopped close to Gianna's body, but not close enough to touch any of the blood or disrupt whatever was left of the crime scene. He crouched down and tilted his head as he looked at the hole in Gianna's chest. Still crouched down, he then turned his head up towards the balcony, as if he was retracing the path of the bullet. After taking time to inspect the scene, he stood up and turned towards the group of cops who had now joined him on the scene. "Two of you, go upstairs and check the area around the balcony. See if anything has been left behind. And I need another one of you to find me a camera, right now," he ordered. Gianna's body and everything around it would not be moved until he had been able to take photographs of the evidence.

Knowing how practised Vinnie was at answering questions - or not actually answering them - he would wait for Xin to join him before taking his statement. For now, he approached the mob boss and stood opposite him at the bar. Whilst on the inside he wanted to remind Vinnie that he had invited this and it had only been a matter of time before he lost someone, he knew that wouldn't help the situation. "I'm sorry for your loss," he simply told him. He could see Vinnie was affected by this and the Detective was not a man who would disrespect the dead.

Trignome

Sinead and Shannon Sullivan
​

Sinead looked to Luca and sighed. "I'm in this now whether I like it or not." When he told her to get in the car, she nodded her head and got in the passenger side. She didn't exactly want to go home, but she didn't have anywhere to go since her own place was trashed.

Shannon had been talking to Carrick to distract herself from worrying. She hoped Emmet would be home soon, whilst also worrying about Conor and James who she knew were at the Grand Hotel. She hated not knowing what was going on.

When Sinead returned home with Luca, Shannon got up to meet them in the hallway. "Luca? What's going on?" she asked, curious as to why he'd brought Sinead back from her friend's house.

Lazy Taco Foxy

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter and Conor Sullivan

​

James heard Lucy talking to Conor and when she said he needed to see a doctor, he shook his head a little. "No. No doctors. No hospitals," he told them. The fewer people that saw him like this, the less questions would be asked. He wasn't about to answer any questions and start giving the cops information. "I just need to rest," he told them.

Conor looked to Everett and nodded as Lucy told him to pull the car around to them so they could get away from the hotel. "James is coming back to our house. He can stay in one of the guest rooms. Perhaps Kate could check on him," he said, knowing the nurse was trustworthy. He then nodded to Lucy's instructions and helped James up onto his feet. As the injured man struggled to stand up straight without assistance, Conor patted the man on the shoulder. "You're alright, James. You were worse than this on our last night out," he said, trying to lighten the situation. "You couldn't even pronounce your own name that night."

It wasn't that James couldn't take a joke why he didn't respond, he was simply too distracted to acknowledge it.

Bellz Foxy

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray

Lucy silently cursed James for being so freaking stubborn as Everett went to gather the car and Conor began to help James to his feet. She knew by the look he was giving her that he was upset with both of the Sullivan siblings, but he had to have guessed that something like this could happen. Lucy didn't care how upset he was with her for not running like she had promised, no one knows what would have happened to James if they had not been searching for him. Conor made an excellent point about Kate being able to check up on him and Lucy was going to arrange for that as soon as they arrive home. "I will track her down when we get home." She told Conor and watched as he pulled James to his feet.

Lucy reached forward slightly, watching as James struggled to stand up straight on his own. Her face laced with concern as she worried he might fall. Conor, however, didn't seem as concerned. He patted his friend on the shoulder like it was nothing and tried to make a joke to lighten the mood. Lucy, despite the serious situation, found herself cracking a small smile at her brothers humor and tried to imagine James in such a state. He was always so formal and collected around her. She was slightly jealous that her brother got to have those experiences with him, without the tension. James seemed too concentrated to laugh at the little joke her brother made and she wondered what was distracting him.

"You alright doll?" Her voice was low and full of concern as she watched him zone out.​

 

[Trignome]

Xin took his time walking back to the hotel.

When he’d driven to the end of the street, he happened to pass by two parked police vehicles. One of the officers was in the process of sorting through markers and evidence bags in the supply box in the trunk. Lieutenant Xin parked right next to the cars and stepped out to talk to the officer. He was pleased about this coincidence for two reasons. Firstly, he’d just found someone trustworthy to send the young lady home while still remaining at the scene of the crime himself. Secondly, the CPD was making a good show of immediate response and handling of the situation, which would alleviate the criticism of “incompetence” from the public when this crime was inevitably reported in the news.

“A murder...what a turn of events,” Xin mused as he slowed to a meandering pace outside the main entrance. It was unfortunate that most of the party guests had left; at least some of the hotel personnel had stayed behind for questioning. He shifted the police equipment into one hand as he reached for the door handle.

“Excuse me, mister, where’d you get that stuff?” An officer standing just inside the entrance of the hotel stepped out to try and stop Xin from entering the building. “Civilians aren’t allowed to-” The officer did a doubletake. “Ah…sir, I can take those for you.” Xin passed the box and a thick roll of police tape over into waiting hands.

“And have you seen Frankson by chance, sir? He was supposed to bring this here himself.”

“I sent him on an errand,” the lieutenant answered vaguely as he stepped into the lobby of the hotel. “Has the body been moved yet? What is the time?”

“Quarter past 10, sir. The medical examiner is on her way.”

“Good work.” Xin left the other man to the task of setting up the perimeters of the crime scene. Most of the other patrolling officers had dispersed to secure the area for the investigative officers who received the report for this case. Finally, the CPD had gotten itself together for a major case. This was going to make positive headlines, for once. But the lieutenant knew his self-satisfied smile was inappropriate for the situation. He adopted a serious expression before circling around the edge of the room to get to the bar on the other side of the dance floor.

As he walked up to the two men, he gave a nod of acknowledgement and thanks towards Edwards for waiting. Then he looked straight at Vincent Romano and said in a polite but firm tone, “Detective Edwards and I would like to ask you about the circumstances of tonight’s crime. Though this might be discomforting for you, please give as detailed an account as possible.”

Misty Gray Vincent Romano, Detective Edwards

 

[Misty Gray]

James Porter

James' senses began to come a little bit clearer over time. He heard them mention tracking Kate down and letting him rest at their house, both things he wasn't going to disagree with. Despite the pain and uneasiness, he still didn't regret attacking the Romanos as they had been relentlessly targeting the Sullivans. He only regretted that Vinnie was still standing and now threatening him, but he couldn't remember a time when there wasn't a chance Romano was going to kill him. James would just have to get to him first, and to that bitch, Fortuna.

"I'm alive," James replied to Lucy. Her voice was soothing to him and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. Before this point, he hadn't been sure he'd see her again, but here they both were out alive to tell the tale. He didn't mean to sound like he was unhappy with her, but his head was a clouded mess and Conor was in the way of any openness he might be willing to exhibit. "I think I'm going to ache in the morning," he remarked.
​

Bellz

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano​

Vinnie hadn't responded to the Detective's condolences. Naturally, the men didn't like each other and Vinnie doubted the man cared at all. Eventually, Xin arrived and approached the two men. When the lieutenant asked for a detailed account, Vinnie simply nodded his head. Although the man was still a cop, Vinnie found Xin less provoking or abrasive than some of the others. As he was about to speak, he noticed Leo being taken aside by Sergeant Hunter, but it was not concerning as he knew Leo would tell the truth and that the truth would not go against the Romanos.

"I was brought here with my wife and kids to celebrate my birthday. Turns out they'd arranged a surprise party for me here," he began, his voice calm and controlled. At that point he made a mental note to reassure his kids that they were not to blame for this as they tried to do a good thing for him. "The party went on, as parties do. I decided I was going to enjoy myself and have a relaxing evening with my family and friends. Isn't that we all want, deep down?" he asked. "I believe it was approaching 9pm and I took my wife's hand so we could dance before the loud band started playing whatever passes for music these days. So, we danced for a couple of songs... right over there where my beautiful wife is laying dead," he said, pointing to Gianna's body as his calm voice began weaker and faltered.

"The next thing, um..." he began, by this point his eyes welling up with tears. "Next I hear a loud bang - gunfire. Then I looked down to Gianna and saw her bleeding from the bullet-hole in her chest." He rested his elbows on the bar, briefly placing his hand over his mouth as having to think about it again made him feel sick for a moment. After recovering, he took his hand away and looked back to the two men. "I know everyone was rushing around, panicking and leaving the building, but I don't really remember much of that. Everything around me became a blur. Apparently the assailant shot her from up there," he said, lazily pointing to the balcony. "All I know right now, is my wife is gone and I just don't know what to do without her," he said, no longer able to hold back his heartache, the tears streaming down his cheeks as he trembled. "Gianna didn't deserve this."

Trignome

 

[sprouhtt]

Alena was a mess, she decided to get up like her siblings told her so that can leave. Alena was broken, and when she was getting up, she felt numb. She felt as if all emotions became clouded and she felt nothing anything. But the pain of losing someone was still here and it was traumatizing for Alena, which is probably why she shut down. There were no salty tears running down her cheek, nor soft whimpers from her. Alena stood up and was as still as could be with no emotions written on her face, the only thing on her face was dried up tears. Alena waited for her siblings to lead the way. Alena could quite understand how Monte was so calm about this all, it's as if he hadn't lost anyone. Alena couldn't understand Monte at all, but then again he would never show his family his emotions. All he would do to Alena is yell at her.

Foxy neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex let go of Alena and stood up as Monte approached. She raised an eyebrow at the way he spoke to Alena, knowing that his tone was only going to make Alena's state worse. Before she had to say anything to him, he began to speak more gently to her and Alex watched as Alena stood up. Her facial expressions were blank, as she looked around the room, her eyes lingering a little on her mothers body. "Cops are already here" she said quietly to Monte, her voice came out in a monotone. As she waited to see if they were actually heading straight home or going to stick around Alex lit a cigarette.
Alex turned to see her father talking to a detective, she noted how he looked broken. "Get Alena out to the car, ill tell father" she basically ordered to Monte before walking off and over to her father. Alex placed a reassuring hand on his arm and waited till he stopped speaking before she spoke "Sorry to interrupt Detective" she said with a sad smile before turning to to face her father"Papa , Montes bringing Alena home now, do you want me to stay or will I take care of Alena" she asked him.
Foxy sprouhtt Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Vincenzo Romano
​

Vinnie looked to Alex as she approached. When she placed a reassuring hand on his arm he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Having sent most of his family and friends away, he had felt like it was up to him to deal with this alone. He nodded when Alex said Monte was taking Alena home. When she asked if he wanted her to stay, on the inside he knew he did, but he didn't think it was in her best interests to stay where her mother's body remained. "No, you'll be best going with them," he softly told her.

Detective Edwards was an opportunist and it seemed like an opportunity had just shown itself in Alex. "I'm Detective Steven Edwards. And you are Alexandra Romano, yes?" he asked, despite knowing exactly who she was. "Where were you standing when your dear mother was shot?" he asked. "Did you see anything suspicious at any point? Anything at all."
​

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex gave her father a soft smile as he squeezed her hand. When he said that she should go home, Alex wondered if he actually meant that and wondered if she should go with Monte and Alena or stay here regardless. Before Alex could make up her mind on what to do, she heard her name and turned to the detective addressing her. "Yes Im Alexandra" she confirmed. "I was standing near the stage " she said a tone of honesty and sadness clear in her voice. Thank god Alex could lie, or she would be royally screwed right now. Alex shook her head slightly when he asked did she see anything suspicious. "No I didnt see anything, who would do something like this, it was a family party" she said sadly.
​

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Detective Edwards​

When Alex questioned who would do this, Edwards had to force himself to not answer that question. He could think of quite a few people who Romano had made enemies of. Instead, he decided to go back to the the question he'd asked her. "Whereabouts near the stage? I need you to show me," he asked her. He went on ahead to where he thought Alex could have been stood, considerate to keep a distance from Gianna's body. "Was it here?" he asked, standing by the stage and looking up towards the balcony and mapping out the possible paths of the bullet. "Show me where you were stood and try to remember who was around you." It was possible someone else could have seen something from their position by the stage. Even if Alex wouldn't remember, Edwards still liked to push a subject to see if they suddenly changed their story or displayed clues to suggest they weren't being honest.

neverbackdown

 

[neverbackdown]

When he kept asking questions and wanted her to show him exactly where she stood, Alex realised she should have just got in the car with Monte. When he turned his back, she sighed inwardly to herself but followed him regardless. She made tears pool into her eyes, calculating in her mind the best answers to give. Being this calculating and cunning, Alex almost reminded herself of her brother Monte, maybe they were more similar than she thought. Alex got up to where he was and shook her head, while she was numb inside , she forced emotion onto her face so she looked broken on the outside. "No I was m-more over here" Alex's voice broke as she made her way to the side of the stage close to the bathroom door. From this angle she couldnt fully see the dance floor and would have herself been hidden from a lot of the people who would have been in the ballroom. Alex bit her lip as though she was thinking, "I wasn't paying attention so I dont know" Tears streamed down her face "I dont know who was around and it all happened so fast". Her breathing was heavy and Alex lessened it as she looked at the detective blinking away tears "Im sorry I cant be more help"
​

Misty Gray
Mentioned: Foxy

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray
Lucy smirked slightly, "and thank god you are." She murmured before eyeing her brother. "I-well, we were all very worried for you." Her cheeks were hot and she was thankful that James was still out of it. Turning quickly she wondered when Everett would get back with the car. She definitely didn't want to hang out around this place any longer and if they did, they would have a chance of getting caught.

It was quiet for a moment and she found herself over thinking Monte's words. What am I going to do? She had jeopardized the entire safety of her family by doing this and Monte was not known for his failures. She didn't know much about the Romano heir but from what she had heard, he wasn't someone you cross without leaving in a body bag. It never crossed her mind that he might be bluffing with her. The look in his eyes was far too fiery for him to simply let what happened go. Of course, he was right to blame her for his mothers death.

She was the one to kill Gianna Romano. That was his mother. Lucy couldn't even imagine what life would be like without her mother. And yet, she so very easily took the life of another. Without so much as a second thought, she pulled the trigger. She didn't mean to kill her, she was aiming for Vinnie. The man who has caused too much trouble within her family. Too much danger.

The familiar sting of tears were felt, breaching and overflowing down her face. Drawing in a shaky breath, she wiped at her eyes and shook her wet hair out. She was finally overwhelmed by all the events that took place, but now was not the time nor the place for tears. Straightening herself and turning back to face the men. "I wonder if Everett's okay."​

 

[Trignome]

When Vincent Romano began to calmly recount what he remembered, Lieutenant Xin quietly pulled out a small notepad and pen to record what was being said. After taking down the time and position that Mr. Romano said he and his wife were at when the shot was fired, Xin stopped writing and gave the other man a moment to recover. It was always distressing to see the family of a victim struggle to confront their loss; a family’s criminal background did not make a difference in the weight of a tragedy.

“No she did not. And neither do your children,” the lieutenant murmured in agreement to Vincent Romano’s tearful, pained sentiment. Xin’s brows creased as he quickly processed the notes he’d taken. Though it seemed the man was giving a thorough and detailed account of the events of the party, there wasn’t any substantial information to glean from what Mr. Romano was saying. The lieutenant had first guessed that Vincent Romano was being intentionally vague to deter the CPD from getting involved in this case, and possibly uncovering crimes previously committed by his own family. Xin mentally reproached himself for making such a bad assumption. Seeing the raw anguish reflected in the other man’s broken expression, it was likely that he was too caught up in the emotional aftermath to properly recall the details leading up to the murder of his wife.

In an ideal situation, he could give the Romanos time to properly grieve before assailing them with the more invasive parts of the investigation. But it would get exponentially harder for the CPD to bring the killer to justice with every passing day. Not to mention, he and Detective Edwards weren’t officially assigned as the investigative officers for this case…yet. He hated that he was acting with ulterior motives, but he saw this case as a chance to make progress on the reports that had been filed against the Romanos as well. Preying on the emotionally vulnerable, this is what you do now? Jon scoffed at his own behavior. It was disgusting. But it can’t be helped, the lieutenant tried to justify to himself.

Since Edwards had left to question one of the daughters, Lieutenant Xin was now alone with Vincent Romano. It was a good opportunity to ask a more insinuating question.

“After…the crime was committed, when many of the guests were leaving the building, do you remember seeing anyone of suspicion approach or attack any other member of your family?” He avoided making his words too personal. It would distress the other man more to be reminded repeatedly of his wife’s death.

“I only ask because of your sociopolitical standing in this city. There are many people in this city who support you,” Xin quickly assured Vincent Romano. “But there would also be people who, for political and personal reasons, would target you. If the bullet was fired from the balcony, it’s likely this was a premediated and deliberate act against your family.”

In fact, the lieutenant had a strong suspicion that this wasn’t an isolated incident. It was either another catalyst or consequence of the escalation of gang violence in the past weeks. Despite his personal misgivings about the head of the Romano family, Lieutenant Xin was determined to set them aside for this case. It was the CPD, and his, duty to protect the citizens of this city. And this included gang members as well.

Misty Gray Vincent Romano (Mentioned Detective Edwards)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans
​

Before Luca had chance to answer Shannon's question, Sinead looked her mother in the eyes and decided to come clean. "Luca brought me home from The Grand Hotel. I was given some work playing the piano there." It didn't take long for her mother to realise how much more dangerous and stupid than normal it was for Sinead to have been there tonight. Her scowl showed how she was feeling about that. As Sinead continued to speak, mentioning that Gianna had been killed and that she saw James being dragged away, Emmet would return home. "Are you bloody stupid or something?!" Shannon snapped, harshly pushing Sinead back into the wall. It was either that or a hard slap across the face. "I used to think you were intelligent and if anyone had the chance to do something good, it would have been you. You had better hope James makes it out of there alive..." she trailed off. "Emmet! Will you deal with your daughter, because I'm going end up doing something I regret." Shannon walked away and returned to the lounge, lighting up a cigarette as she felt her nerves building up. She'd been worrying about Conor all night but never expected James to cause any concern, and she figured he probably wouldn't have been in trouble if Sinead hadn't distracted him. It only just registered in her head that Gianna had been killed. The two women never got along, but she felt a little sad that her competition was now out of the picture - and that Vinnie wasn't dead.

Foxy

******
​

Whilst Everett drove the four of them back home, James sat with his eyes closed in the back of the car, with Lucy next to him. The confusion and blurred vision wore off during the journey. He decided he wouldn't publicly question Conor, but would instead ask him in private why he didn't stay where they had planned. Given the chance, he would also take the blame for shooting Gianna. It would hurt his pride to admit he missed a target, but it would be worth it to protect Lucy's name. It was during that thought that he looked to Lucy and gently squeezed her hand, out of view of the other two men. By the time they'd parked up in the Sullivans driveway, James was left with a killer headache and his muscles hurt, but he decided to get himself out of the car.

When they entered the house, James saw Emmet, Sinead and Luca in the hallway. Sinead looked pretty upset and then it suddenly came back to him that he had been trying to help her when Fortuna got hold of him. He was glad to see the girl was alive and well, but he was also pretty pissed off with her. Before he had chance to decide when he was going to tell everyone what Sinead had done, she burst into tears and gave him a hug, apologising for putting him into danger. Turns out he didn't need to be the bad guy and get her into trouble with her family as they seemed to know already.

It was clear he wouldn't be able to go rest just yet as Mr and Mrs Sullivan would want to know what had happened. He glanced to Luca, still annoyed that the guy hadn't bothered to show up at the family meeting the previous day and now it transpired it was because he was going off doing his own thing. James had to wonder if any of the Sullivan gang understood the meaning of teamwork. "I need to sit down," he irritably announced and walked into the lounge, blocking out the aches and pains. James practically fell back into the soft couch as he waited for the rest to join them. He couldn't help but smile at Shannon's relieved reaction to him still being alive. "Didn't realise you cared so much, Mrs Sullivan," he sarcastically teased.

James hoped he would get chance to speak with Lucy privately later.

Foxy Bellz Lazy Taco

 

[Misty Gray]

Detective Edwards​

Edwards expression remained completely neutral as he watched the girl's eyes begin to fill with tears. He exhaled deeply, massaging his chin between his thumb and index finger. He could see she was upset and rightly so, given that she had just seen her mother die. Still, his mind remained one-tracked as he awaited her answer to his questions. When her voice broke and she made her way to the side of the stage, towards the bathroom, he followed her. He looked around and it seemed plausible she wouldn't have seen anything from where she told him she had been standing. He slowly nodded his head, satisfied by her answer and that she wasn't paying attention. It wasn't odd that she wouldn't have paid attention to everyone around her, not at a party.

By this point, tears were streaming down Alex's cheeks and she was apologising for not being able to help. It was around that point that he thought of his own daughters, who were both around the same age as Alex and Alena. Although his profession was legal and respectable, it still came with dangers and risks to his own family, so he understood how difficult it was to have innocent children caught up in their parents' business. He wasn't a heartless man and his questions to her had been satisfactorily answered. "Don't apologise, Alexandra. You've been as helpful as you could have been," he said, his voice and face now softer. He would then motion for her to walk back around near to where Vinnie and Xin were. "We'll do everything in our power to find who did this," he assured her. "If you find out anything that could help us, you know where you can find us. Keeping information quiet will only benefit your mother's killer."

neverbackdown

Vincenzo Romano
​

"After the crime was committed?" Vinnie repeated Xin's words. His voice was filled with both grief and anger. "Well, after my wife had been shot, I held her in my arms and tried to stop her from bleeding, like there was any hope in that," he said, his voice loud as he showed Xin his hand that was still stained with dried blood. "I knew people were talking to me and everyone was rushing out around me, but I could only focus on Gianna. I don't remember seeing anything suspicious. Everyone appeared happy before and shocked afterwards, but I don't recall anyone suspicious." He pointed up to the balcony. "Whoever did it was too cowardly to show their face."

Vinnie nodded when Xin mentioned his sociopolitical standing and the crime being premeditated. He couldn't really deny that. "Oh yes, whoever did this planned it and I want them caught. If I knew more, I would tell you." After all of these years, Vinnie was an expert liar. Besides which, he didn't know for sure who had pulled that trigger and he doubted James had been acting alone.

Seeing Alex return and looking like she'd been crying, his heart sank further. "Lieutenant, how much longer are you going to keep us? I stayed behind because I wanted to make sure you guys could question me immediately, but I'm exhausted. I need to be with my family and away from here," he solemnly told Xin. This was the truth. He wasn't sure how much longer he could continue to hold back his grief and being in the hotel was making it all more difficult.

Trignome

 

[neverbackdown]

Alex mearly just nodded in response to the detectives statement about finding who did this. Alex herself knew that serving time behind bars was not a suitable form of revenge nor would it bring any comfort for the loss of her mother. Only death itself would be the favour that could be returned to the Sullivans.
Alex was relieved that Detective Edwards had bought her broken act however she didnt allow this relief to cloud her expression rather she kept the tears flowing as she walked over to her father as he talked to another detective. Maybe acting would be a suitable career choice, she thought to herself. As took her place beside her father.
Alex lit another cigarette as her father basically asked could they leave yet, she noted how broken he looked, an emotion she had never seen on her father. The pure anguish in his eyes pulled at her heartstrings and made Alex realise that she just wanted to go home and be with her family well what was left of her family.​

Misty Gray

 

[Bellz]

Misty Gray

The car ride home was longer than Lucy would have liked. It seemed like with James being injured, time was moving slower and slower. She would continue to eyeball him from her peripheral vision. His eyes were closed most of the ride, but he somehow managed to conjure a small smile on her lips when his fingers laced between her own and he squeezed her hands. Lucy's eyes continued to look towards the front of the car, both men in the front seat seemed to not noticed the couples small embrace.

Her cheeks were hot and she took a moment to turn her head and glance at him. Not caring if his eyes were open or not, she just wanted to take a peek. Her face was emotionless as she did a double take of James. She then turned back towards the front and the rest of the ride went by before she knew it.

Once they arrived at the house, it seemed that there was drama that Lucy was unaware of. She watched as Sinead practically jumped James inside of the hall whilst her father look flustered. Lucy raised an eyebrow and listened closer to what she was saying. How could this be her fault? She wondered, having been unaware of her little sister being in the hotel and James going to save her.

Once she made it to the kitchen, she realized how terribly she needed a drink and a smoke. She promised herself that she wouldn't smoke anymore. Her doctor informed her that if she continued, her health would suffer.

But nothing was wrong with a little drink...right? Grabbing a smaller glass, she poured herself some wine before heading towards the lounge. Once she got into the room however, she stood in the entryway. Wanting to stay out of the way of conversation for now. Her nerves were shot and small talk was something she would like to avoid for right now​

 

[Foxy]

Emmet Sullivan

​

When Emmet returned home, he wasn’t expecting quite so much chaos. For a moment he stood in the doorway, mouth agape as he surveyed the scene before him. Shannon was chastising Sinead, and seconds later, Everett, Lucy, Conor and James entered. He watched silently, struggling to find words as his wife stormed off.​

Setting down the bags in his arms, Emmet looked around with a frown on his face.​

“Someone tell me what the hell is going on.” He snapped, glaring at each and every one of them. A million thoughts raced in his head, frown deepening the longer he thought. Despite the feeling something had gone terribly wrong, Emmet couldn’t help but be thankful they’d all returned alive. Perhaps worse for wear, but nonetheless alive. He’d tried to busy himself that day and keep his mind off what was happening at the hotel, but clearly it was something he should have thought more about.

“Anyone?” He questioned. His eyes caught on Everett, who was lounging in a chair in the corner, nose in a book. He was surprised to see the young man, although he’d instructed him to keep an eye out for his family. Blinking, he turned to look at the man who looked the worst – James.

“I’m sure you have as good of a story as any of us.” Emmet growled, folding his arms and trying to control the trembling in his hands. Whatever had happened, it was certain his family was now in a lot of trouble, and Emmet would be carrying that weight on his shoulders trying to protect them.

Misty Gray Lazy Taco Bellz
​

Monte Romano

​

Monte helped Alena up, trying to urge her towards the door faster, though she was obviously struggling between grief and Monte’s rapid pace. ​

Getting to the car, Monte let his sister stand alone as he opened the door, gesturing her inside.​

“Come on Lena.” He frowned. Still numb, he was getting annoyed with their slow pace. He just wanted to get home and get a plan in action for revenge. He, of course, understood her feelings, but long ago he’d learned to cut them off. They made him unstable and clouded his vision. A man such as himself had to learn to oust his feelings, lest his skills fall off. Being emotionless was as much a part of looking strong as it was to his own survival.​

Impatient, Monte didn’t wait for Lena to get in, instead climbing in the driver’s seat and starting the car. Once she’d gotten in, the sibling rode home in silence, and upon arrival, Monte helped Lena into the house.

“Do you need anything?” He asked, turning her around to face him.

sprouhtt
​

Eleanor Ware

​

Eleanor gave a sweet smile to the man as he spoke. His unusual accent was one she didn’t hear often, or perhaps at all. It was very different from the accents of some of the Romano’s and their associates. As he spoke to the barmaid, Eleanor nodded at him in appreciation.

“Thank you.” Eleanor purred, sticking out a hand. “I’m Eleanor. I frequent this bar on occasion, and I’ve never seen you before. I take it you’re new to the city?”

She took in his appearance, biting her tongue to keep down any extra comments. She had many questions, of course, but she was in no hurry. Taking another sip of her drink, she leaned back in her chair, adjusting the dress which crawled ever so slowly up her leg. It was an annoyance, and while it drove men crazy, this time she had no intention of luring anyone in, including the gawking bargoers around her.

ReverseTex
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Everett Ware

Everett drove the other three in silence, preferring not to speak, both out of habit and feeling the tension in the car. On arrival, they all piled out, and while Everett could have gone home, instead he chose to come inside the Sullivan home, perching himself on a chair in the far corner of the room and procuring a book from his bag, propping it open on his lap as he surveyed the situation. Emmet had arrived shortly before them, and he was equal amounts angry and confused. As he demanded answers, his eyes had caught on Everett, who gave a quick nod to his boss, returning his eyes to his book. It was family business, after all. Emmet made no effort to keep Everett from eavesdropping, which he appreciated. Listening was his strong suit.​

 

[sprouhtt]

Alena waited until her brother was in front of her, she watched as Alex left to go and talk to their father. Alena didn't even have the write words to say to her sister to make her stay by her side. Instead she had Monte who was rushing her because of the cops that had already arrived. But Alena and Monte didn't get stopped by one of them since their father was handling everything. Alena watched as Monte opened the door, she let out a soft sigh before getting into the car.

When they drove off Alena was silent, the whole way back. Not once did she turn to Monte. She knew he wouldn't care about her feelings, he never did. Alena knew that he stopped caring a long time ago, and she didn't know what she did to cause him to be so irritated whenever he was around.

When they finally got home, Alena opened the door and walked out where they went inside the house. Alena heard her brother talking to her when she was getting carried away with her thoughts.

"You don't have to act like you care, I'll be fine." She told him as she stopped in front of the staircase. "I'll just do what you do...I'll stop caring about everyone I know and build a wall to keep all my emotions from clouding my mind." Alena said to Monte coldly.

Right now she wasn't thinking so straight or else she wouldn't have said that, but she knew that Monte didn't care about what she said since it wouldn't affect him. Alena's eyes were filled with tears, but not a single one dared to run down her cheek. Alena looked up at her brother and tried to look for someplace of comfort in his eyes.
Foxy

 

[ReverseTex]

The woman seemed harmless enough, and he was pleasantly surprised of her urgent sense of modesty. He didn't care to stare up her dress. "My pleasure, Eleanor." The name sounded British, though he could clearly tell she was far from it. Tipping his glass to her once his arrived he spoke. "Hans Kopeka."

Taking a quick sip, then setting the glass down gently he continued. "Now i'd presume your curious about my funny accent? To quickly sum it up, i'm German. But the more complicated answer, I would technically be Austrian by almost 15 kilometers, 9 miles for your weird American math." Hans usually started most conversations with that, if the other party didn't ask him already.

"But to answer your question, yes i'm quite new. I've been in New York for 2 years, and Miami for another year before. Very diverse climate here in America, Miami was to humid for me, New York was better to say the least." With a shrug Hans took another drink, "So i've heard it snows here? I'd imagine it's not like the Alps, but with as large of a city as Chicago is, i'm quite surprised."​

Foxy

​

 

[Trignome]

When Edwards returned with the young woman, it was clear she’d been crying. Jon wanted to offer some words of sympathy, but it was obvious that if he detained the Romanos any longer at the hotel, they were going to suffer from undue emotional strain. “I appreciate your full cooperation in this matter. If Detective Edwards has no more questions, you and your daughter may return home.” Lieutenant Xin pocketed both his notepad and pen. “The investigative officers may come by to ask the rest of your family for statements, but that will be in a few days’ time. Until then, Mr. Romano, please take the time to rest and recover…and contact the CPD if you do remember anything pertinent to the case.”

* * *​

He waited until Vincent Romano and his daughter had been escorted out of the hotel before turning to Detective Edwards. “Frankly, I don’t think the statement I received will be of much use. Mr. Romano's recollections seemed inaccurate and vague…but that could be due to his strained emotional and mental state.” Lieutenant Xin gave a sigh of resignation. “We may need to take a look at the guest list.” He glanced up at the balcony where the fatal shot had been fired from. “If possible, we should also look through the hotel records for residents that were staying through the time of the party.”

A sudden thought crossed Xin’s mind. He blinked and looked at Detective Edwards as a slow realization dawned on him. “Did you manage to speak with those three individuals who came through the side entrance? I do not think I’ve seen them with any of the officers here.”

Misty Gray Vincent Romano and Detective Edwards

 

[Misty Gray]

The Sullivans​

James looked to Emmet as he was singled out to explain what had happened. It was his place to explain, but things had gone quite different to planned and Emmet was already unhappy. "Everything started according to plan. That was until Vinnie suddenly moved and Gianna took the bullet intended for him. Gianna is dead, Emmet," he made clear. "From the balcony, I glimpsed a familiar face down by the dancefloor, standing by the piano," he said, pointing to Sinead who was standing in the same room but away from everyone else. James didn't enjoy getting her into trouble or making her feel bad, but if it would ensure she didn't put herself in danger again it would be worth it. "Instead of getting out like planned, I went down there to try get Sinead out of there safely. I let my guard down and was knocked out. Next thing, I wake up on the floor of some dingy hotel room with my hands tied, with Fortuna and two of Romano's men standing over me. Fortuna took great pleasure in torturing me." He touched both sides of his head with his hands. "I would not recommend having someone use a defibrillator to electrocute you from the head down," he bitterly added. "She let me go and I got a personal warning from Vinnie. It seems he intends on getting his revenge later."

Sinead listened as James spoke and covered her mouth as he mentioned what Fortuna had done to him. She felt so much guilt for being the reason he was hurt and the fact he could have even been killed. She looked to her father who was demanding an explanation. "I'd managed to find some work playing the piano and one of the jobs turned out to be at Vinnie's hotel. I didn't realise it was his birthday party until I was already there and I stupidly decided to stay," she began to explain. Her voice faltered as she trembled and tried to stop herself from crying. "I guess I thought it was my way of getting a little revenge on him. Had I known you guys were all planning on shooting the place up, I wouldn't have gone anywhere near there." She folded her arms tightly to try control her shaking. She was used to Shannon and Carrick being annoyed with her, but she knew she'd let everyone down this time. "I just wish James hadn't seen me at all..." Sinead remembered more than anything the way Vinnie had personally threatened her and that terrified her, but she knew everyone was in the same boat and she didn't want to add more worry.

Conor had listened to James and Sinead. He loved his baby sister dearly and had never been able to get mad with her before now. But both James and Sinead could have been killed because of her bad decision and there was no getting away from that. Normally he would console her or defend her, but all he could do was look away and avoid letting her know how angry he was with her.

Foxy Bellz Lazy Taco