CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY FOUR – THE RIVAL

Their final visit was to a small art gallery. The owner, a soft-spoken man named David Thompson, greeted them with a nervous smile. "I'm not sure I should be talking about this," David said, glancing around as if expecting to see Ricci's men lurking in the corners of his gallery. "Please, Mr. Thompson," Jasmine pleaded. "Anything you can tell us could help." David sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair. "It was subtle at first. Bad reviews appearing online. Potential buyers being scared off. Then one night, I came in to find half my inventory destroyed. Paintings slashed, sculptures smashed." "Let me guess," Marco said. "The police couldn't find any evidence?" David nodded miserably. "They said it was just vandals. But I know it was Ricci. He'd been pressuring me to sell the gallery to him. Said he wanted to turn it into some kind of high-end lounge." As they left the gallery, Jasmine felt a mix of anger and determination. "Marco, we have to stop him. He can't keep doin