Greg raised his eyebrows, wondering what Tony was talking about.
"You mean ..."
"No, I didn't kill that wolf or shifter, or whatever he was. On the one hand, I fully understand why you suspect me. Although I don't see any merit in this for me. Moreover, using unique pistols with custom-made bullets to comite a murder is like sending an invitation card for lunch to all of the fluffies fellas out there. Do I really look so stupid?"
Greg wanted to object to something, but at this moment Tony put his hands under his jacket and fished out two pistols that were completely invisible from the outside. Greg immediately cut himself off, carefully watching the actions of a friend.
Anthony paused for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Then he exhaled and began in a hoarse, tired tone.
"These two pistols are special. Father ordered them when his business went up the hill. He had a childhood best friend, cousin Monty. I loved him when I was still a child. He often came with gifts, always cheerful and ready to fool around with kids. They started their business together. "
He paused for a moment, picking up words. Greg could guess by his friend expression how difficulty this story was for Tony to tell as if he was tearing apart a wound that barely healed.
" You know, Greg." - Finally Tony continued, looking somewhere in the distance. - "When I first met you, I immediately felt that you were very much like him. My father. He, too, was kind to his family. He laughed, fooled around, constantly teased my brothers and me and circled around my mother as if they had met only yesterday, and hadn't lived together for more than thirty years. But when it came to his work, in place of the good-natured fella appeared a cold, calculating boss, who, when he saw his goal, clung to it with a death grip, like a pit bull. I have not seen him like this until the last moments. Only a few months before the day when these pistols became mine, did I find out what my father actually did, and in what dirty mess tuged my older brothers along. And for what did Uncle Monty killed them all with a shot to the head from these very pistols before my eyes."
Greg froze, his skin started to crawl from the sudden chill. He did not expect such a turn. Tony's eyes were completely unfamiliar, hard and cold. As if at this moment he decided to show his second side to a friend without hiding anything. Even the face looked completely different, all the same features were formed in a slightly frightening way.
"Tony ..." - Greg began, not knowing what to say. The guy shook his head slightly, smiling sadly.
"They're not worth your pity. People who have crossed the line like my father, uncle, and brothers, always keep in mind that they are unlikely to end their days in a warm bed at an old age. So many sins stuck to them that they definitely are boiling now in a special pot full of spaghetti in hell. "
Greg frowned, trying to figure out the whole story. Tony, seeing his confusion, tilted his head slightly and smiled again, but this one was already a little warmer.
"Greg, my father was a mobster. Mafiosi. And my two older brothers followed in his footsteps. Uncle Monty was his right-hand man. After their death, a lot of stuff happened. I still try to forget these few years. But, luckily, I was able to pull my family out of this abyss. And you helped me more than anyone, even without realizing it. In you, I found an older brother to look up, who is ready for many things for the sake of family and friends, but without rolling people into concrete or shooting from machine guns. I didn't tell you anything, because I was afraid that you would look at me with disgust. My hands are smeared up to the elbows in the rotten blood of these bastards. I lived on dirty money, in a house soaked in lies. I ..."
His voice broke. Tony spread his hands helplessly, then buried his fingers in his hair. His face twisted in a grimace of disgust and pain.
"Fool." - Greg replied shortly and without any doubt, pulled his friend to him, hugging his shoulders. They stood like this for a couple of seconds. Tony didn't cry, but he was shivering a little. The tense shoulders gradually relaxed.
"Okay, let's end this pity party." - Tony mumbled embarrassed, moving away. - "We still have to figure out all this new mess. I think some dogos don't quite understand who they ran into. They definitely came to the wrong neighborhood."
Greg burst out laughing. His heart instantly became somewhat lighter. Together with such friends even a dozen giant wolves no longer seemed like a treat at all.
"I'm glad I told you everything, but one more question remains." - A sudden thought made Greg stop. - "You said that the pistols are unique and the bullets were also made by order. Then how could the second werewolf killer get them?"
Tony frowned and wondered.
"There may be several options, in fact. First, as they couldn't steal pistols from me, its always by my side, but the bullets ... Although it's still kind of impossible. There are not many of them left, two boxes. They were made by a craftsman whos feeding fish at the bottom of the river for a long time now. But someone could make the same, and maybe even make copies of pistols. I don't know if the master left any notes or charts. But on the other hand, why complicate things so much?"
Greg shrugged. It really looked like some kind of setup.
"Most likely the second murder was planned by evidence after the first one. This means that the killer either has access to the evidence, or he was present on the first occasion." - Greg began to clarify, thoughtfully measuring the road with his steps.
" If it's the first option, then this is definitely one of your furry friends. How about that bullheaded guy, Kiki? I didn't like him from the start. He has such an ugly mug." - suggested Tony.
"Perhaps you're right, but Kiki is actually a human."
"Come on! He looks like a child of a troll and one of those beauties from our lumberjack party."
Greg snorted but shook his head.
"I do not know, but somehow it feels unlikely. Why would he get involved in all this? Besides, he also helped us in many ways."
" That's right." - Immediately put in Tony, - "It is always the case. First, you win the trust of the target, besides, all the information flowing to you by itself, and then - Bam! And your enemy is already swimming with his face in a bowl of soup."
Greg paused, carefully peering into his friend's face. Anthony raised one eyebrow questioningly.
" What? You start to doubt me again?"
"No, I just thought - black fedora would really suit you ..."
" Oh, yea, haha. Very funny. Now I would be forced to hear all the jokes about the mafia that you know?" - Tony frowned.
" Only for you, I will google a couple of new ones." - Greg was gracious.
" Aaaawesome!" - Tony drawled.
" Yea, I know, I'm the best!"
By the time they already reached the roadside hotel. Fortunately, there was also a car rental.
While Tony dealt with the rooms, Greg managed to get a nice black rover. On the exit of the parking, Tony was already waiting for him with a pile of things in his hands. Greg slowed down and, without getting out, lowered the window by the passenger door.
"I already got the keys to the three rooms. Unfortunately, there were no more empty seats. They say they have a festival here tomorrow. So, as your most beloved friend, I am ready to sacrifice my innocence and spend the night with your future brother-in-law." - Tony said with a sigh, carefully laying the covers on the seat, which he apparently stole from the room.
Greg grinned.
"I think, first of all, Risa will not appreciate it, and since this woman copes with Brian so easily, then surely she has some hidden skills up her sleeves. I am even afraid to guess. And secondly, you seriously want us to struggle with your corpse now? No construction site nearby..."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Okay, okay, I'll hold those jokes down for some time. I think I'll be back in an hour, find some clothes for now and order some more food. Our werewolves are probably hungry, like ... wolves? Oh, and I will try to explain everything to them in a few words about you on the way. Or Brian will not calm down otherwise. For some reason, he doesn't particularly like you."
Tony shrugged.
" Well, do as you see fit. By the way about this Brian. I don't know why, but from the first meeting, I was hunted by a strange feeling that I had already seen him somewhere ..."
" Maybe it's because of Lana. They are quite similar. " - Greg didn't pay much attention to this.
" Maybe, although it's not quite like this. Just at the sight of him, there is always some kind of strange feeling that you are about to remember something, but you can make out a complete image."
Tony's face was a little worried, but Greg decided not to go into details. There were too many questions now. There was no time to worry about such simple nonsense.