A family council was called the next day. Orsino, very much a junior,
had never been admitted to one before. He knew why the exception was
being made, and didn't like the reason.
Edward Falcaro wagged his formidable white beard at the thirty-odd
Syndic chiefs around the table and growled: "I think we'll dispense with
reviewing production and so on. I want to talk about this damn gunplay.
Dick, bring us up to date."
He lit a vile cigar and leaned back.
Richard W. Reiner rose.
"Thomas McGurn," he said, "killed April 15th by a burst of eight machine
gun bullets in his private dining room at the Astor. Elsie Warshofsky,
his waitress, must be considered the principal suspect, but--"