CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE –DIAMOND IN THE ROGJ

One evening, as Joan was taking out the trash behind the shop, she overheard two of Scipione's men talking in low voices. "The old man's losing it," one grumbled. "This expansion, it's too much, too fast. We're spread too thin." The other man grunted in agreement. "And now I hear he's obsessed with finding some American girl who escaped. Has us chasing shadows instead of focusing on business." Joan's heart raced at the mention of herself, but she forced herself to remain still, listening intently. "Yeah, well, let's hope he gets over it soon," the first man said. "Or we might find ourselves working for the Russos again before long." As the men moved away, Joan's mind whirled with this new information. Scipione was still looking for her, but it was causing problems within his organization. Could she use that somehow? Over the next few days, Joan carefully began to probe for more information. She struck up casual conversations with customers, steering them towards gossip about the