Martelli had done quite a few things behind Bronte's back.
That included skimming off large sums of money that originally belonged to Bronte.
In the mafia, that sort of thing wasn't uncommon.
But if Bronte ever found out, Martelli would be as good as dead.
In the original storyline, after Bronte's death, Martelli became the new leader of the Saint Denis Mafia. Unfortunately, his business ability was nowhere near Bronte's level.
He gradually withdrew from the political arena and allowed the once high-society Saint Denis Mafia to fall into the state of an ordinary street gang.
In the original game, John later finds Charles making money in underground boxing, and the one running those fights is Martelli. That alone says enough about his capabilities. Bronte would never rely on organizing underground boxing to make money. His channels were broader and far more profitable.
Something as low-level as underground boxing would never have interested Bronte in the first place.
If Bronte hadn't been killed by Dutch, with his ability, he absolutely could have built the Bronte family into a renowned name in Saint Denis.
After leaving the villa, Mac went to find Martelli.
Saint Denis Grand Hotel.
This was the main base shared by Mac and Martelli.
Mac told him everything Davey had said.
Mac's thinking was simple—he truly regarded Martelli as a friend.
"Is this true, Mac?"
"You wouldn't lie to me, right? And Davey wouldn't lie to you, would he?"
Martelli's composure wavered.
If Bronte learned about what he'd done, he would definitely send someone to kill him.
"Get a grip, Martelli. Davey wouldn't lie to me, and I wouldn't lie to you."
"We're friends, aren't we?"
"If I hadn't argued with Davey, he probably wouldn't have told me any of this."
"Face it, Martelli."
Mac believed Davey had told him because he was working with Martelli.
They were brothers. There was no way Davey would just stand by and watch his business fall apart.
"You argued with Davey?"
"What happened, Mac?"
"You know this matters to me. I need to understand exactly what's going on."
Though shaken, Martelli still had his doubts.
He knew Davey and Bronte didn't get along. Their relationship was nothing like it appeared on the surface—behind closed doors, both of them wanted the other dead.
So it was entirely possible that this was a trap Davey had set for him.
Mac didn't think much of it and simply told him about Davey planning to shut down his operations and push him into marriage.
"Honestly, Martelli, sometimes I think I'm a fool."
"My brother Davey—he's opened so many factories, hired thousands of workers, and he's still expanding."
"He's even got a security company with hundreds of men. He wants me to run it."
"But I don't think I'm cut out for it. And I don't like that kind of life."
"Compared to that, casinos and women make me happier."
"So tell me, Martelli—am I an idiot?"
Head of a security company, or boss of a small gang—any fool would know which one to choose.
But Mac was exactly that kind of fool.
Listening to Mac lay bare his frustrations, Martelli truly believed him.
The bootlegging business had earned Davey a mountain of dollars. With so many factories and a security company under his control, it was true that businesses like casinos and brothels were beneath someone of Davey's stature.
That made it perfectly reasonable for Davey to pass this information along to Mac.
"What should I do, Mac? Work with Davey?"
"If he's willing to help me, I'll never forget the favor."
"We're friends, right, Mac?"
"Help me."
Even as the second-in-command, Martelli knew the truth. If Bronte made a move against him, the men below would stand with the boss, not him. He wouldn't stand a chance.
"Don't worry, Martelli."
"Davey's different from us. He's smart. He's got vision."
"He'll know how to help you."
"I'll talk to him about your situation."
"Just wait for my good news."
Mac thumped his chest confidently as he made the promise.
"Thank you, Mac."
Martelli spoke from the heart.
He was also grateful that he had befriended Mac.
Davey and Bronte were enemies. By all logic, they shouldn't have gotten along so well.
But somehow, the two of them were cut from the same cloth. Over time, their friendship had become sincere.
...
Davey had been extremely busy these past few days, caught up in endless social engagements.
Using the connections brought by Pinkerton, he met with members of high society—attending banquets, drinking, chatting.
Getting Trappett appointed as the new Chief of the Saint Denis Police Department to replace Benjamin would not be easy.
There were many power brokers operating behind the scenes, each with their own interests and preferred candidates.
In most cases, the new chief wouldn't be promoted from within the department. More likely, someone would be transferred in from the eastern United States.
And whoever that was would almost certainly have their own backers.
The competition was fierce.
After all, the position of Chief of the Saint Denis Police Department was extremely lucrative.
There was also the matter of making Jean Marc mayor.
In the original storyline, Arthur didn't kill Marc, which allowed him to expose the mayor's crimes and force his resignation.
But now, the political landscape in Saint Denis had already shifted in subtle ways. Whether Marc could smoothly take office as mayor was still uncertain.
And lobbying on Marc's behalf also meant building political goodwill, paving the way for better cooperation in the future.
Davey didn't believe Jean Marc would be ungrateful.
Jean Marc was an idealist. He wanted to make Saint Denis a better place.
And that was exactly what Davey wanted as well.
They shared the same political goal.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (40 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.