George

“I’m one of your bosses, George,” I said. "I didn't find out until four months ago."

"Why haven't you told me until now?" he asked as he signaled for a server. "We're going to need a third pitcher and a shot of whatever is your strongest alcohol is. Thanks."

The server nodded and went on their way. 

"It wasn't the right time and it was agreed upon between the five of us for me not to say anything," I sad after drinking a gulp of the sangria - thankful we were just a quick walk's distance to the hotel. "Vince and the others never knew who you were but they were on the way of wanting to find out. I led them away from trying to find out."

"Yes, I am well aware," he said as he cleared his throat. "From the time I started until now, how many of them were serious?"

"Two. Vin and Matteo," I said.

"Thanks," George said to the server. "I just don't understand why, though. Yes, it was agreed upon by you and the others. There's got to be some good reason." 

"It was a mix of several things but due to the classification, I can't really share the exact why," I said as I poured myself sangria from the third pitcher, thankful that the server was bringing more food and water. "At the end of the day, you weren't in the know due to your safety - "

"My safety?" he asked. "I have been protecting you for several years."

"Once you checked in with the office with who you are and your team found out who my stalker was, I was informed. If this person was aware that you and the team knew - which led to me knowing - would cause you harm," I said. "It’d became dangerous because if you knew, we'd have to pull the protection from me and get you the protection instead. They had a manifesto explaining everything."

"Wow. Sounds crazy," he said. "Crazy like a fantasy."

"Here," I said taking my work phone out of my purse. "You recognize this phone; you've seen this countless times."

"Hello?" he asked as my work phone rang. "Giuseppe Gargiulo. December 19, 1975.  Badge number 18345."

There was a long silence from George as I knew that Ian Marlowe - my partner - was confirming what I told George.

"Thank you, sir," George said, hung up and handed me my work phone back. "I'm sorry that I doubted you."

"Thanks," I said. "I'm heading back to the hotel. Ian told me that I can get the hotel room upgraded; it'll be a suite of sorts. He did most of the arranging. Two separate beds in two private sleeping area, two bathrooms but a common kitchen and living room. I'll make sure that you're aware of the room number."

I grabbed my stuff and left George there. As I turned my head back to look at him, his head was in his hands. I knew that when I got back to the hotel that Ian would be there for George. I knew George wasn't the George that I knew. Giuseppe has an identical twin named Giovanni. Giovanni has been in and out of prison and psychiatric hospitals....Giovanni has been committing crimes and has recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia. 

You may be asking how I knew that the man across from me was Giovanni. It was because he had a gold tooth on his first pre-molar tooth; it was visible any time that he smiled...which was more frequently than George.