Chapter 4 - Caterina’s SecretDante did not believe photographs.
Photographs could be altered.
He did not believe family stories.
Families were experts at rewriting history.
But he believed his mother’s handwriting.
He had seen it on birthday cards, recipes, letters, and the final note she had left beside his hospital bed when he was nineteen.
The writing on the photograph was hers.
“When did you get this?”
“Vittorio.”
“You call him by his first name?”
“He raised me.”
Dante stared.
“You said your father was Gabriel.”
“He was.”
“Then Vittorio is your grandfather.”
“Yes.”
Everything rearranged itself.
Isabella had not stumbled into his life.
She had been sent.
“What were you looking for?”
“The birds.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
He laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I knew they mattered. Vittorio said Caterina hid proof inside one of them.”
“Proof of what?”
“What happened to my father.”
Dante turned away.
“Your father died in a fire.”
“My father survived the fire.”
Dante looked back.
Isabella’s eyes filled.
“He died twelve years later.”
“How?”
“Your father found him.”
Silence.
“Careful.”
“I know what Salvatore Moretti meant to you.”
“You know nothing about my father.”
“I know he had Gabriel beaten to death in Newark.”
Dante crossed the distance between them so quickly Isabella flinched.
He stopped inches away.
“Do not confuse my restraint with permission.”
She held his gaze.
“I’m not afraid of you anymore.”
“You should be.”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“I’m afraid of Vittorio.”
That stopped him.
“What does he want?”
“The second bird.”
“Why?”
“He says Caterina recorded everything.”
“Inside a mechanical bird?”
“She modified it.”
Dante remembered something.
His mother had been strangely protective of the birds.
Never wind them backward.
Never submerge them.
Never let anyone repair them.
At the time, he had assumed sentiment.
Now he wondered.
He called Nico.
“Get the bird from Isabella’s room.”
Isabella shook her head.
“It’s gone.”
Dante looked at her.
“What?”
“Vittorio took it after I returned.”
“He came inside?”
“No.”
“I left it in the greenhouse like he instructed.”
Dante swore softly.
A knock interrupted them.
Nico entered.
His face told Dante something had happened.
“What?”
“We found a vehicle near the south gate.”
“Whose?”
“Elena’s.”
Dante frowned.
“She didn’t leave.”
“No.”
Nico handed him a photograph.
The driver’s window had been smashed.
On the front seat lay Sophia’s stuffed cat.
Dante looked up.
“Where is Sophia?”
Nico’s face hardened.
“We’re checking.”
Dante was already moving.
They found Elena in the laundry room.
Alone.
“Where’s Sophia?”
Elena turned.
“With Teresa.”
“She isn’t.”
Everything left Elena’s face.
“What?”
Dante’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
No greeting.
A distorted male voice spoke.
“You have something that belongs to us.”
Dante looked at Isabella.
“What?”
“The second bird.”
“I don’t have it.”
“Then find it.”
A child whimpered in the background.
Elena heard it.
Her knees nearly gave way.
“Sophia!”
Dante caught her arm.
The voice continued.
“Midnight tomorrow. St. Agnes Cemetery. Caterina Moretti’s grave.”
“If you hurt her—”
“You’ll do what?”
The caller laughed.
“You don’t even know who your enemies are anymore.”
The line went dead.
Elena grabbed Dante’s shirt.
“You get her back.”
Her voice shook violently.
“You get my baby back.”
Dante looked into the eyes of a mother whose worst nightmare had just walked through his gates.
Every instinct in him wanted violence.
But violence would not bring Sophia home safely.
So he made Elena a promise.
“I will.”
Then Nico’s phone buzzed.
He looked at the screen.
“Dante.”
“What?”
“We found Teresa.”
Dante knew from his face.
“Alive?”
Nico nodded.
“Unconscious in the pantry.”
“And Sophia?”
“Gone.”
Elena covered her mouth.
Then Teresa’s radio recording arrived from security.
The last thing captured before she was attacked was Sophia’s tiny voice.
Not screaming.
Talking.
“Why are you here again?”
Dante replayed it.
Again.
Meaning Sophia knew the kidnapper.
Then a man answered.
And Elena whispered:
“I know that voice.”
May you like
She stared at Dante.
“That’s my brother.”
Related Stories
