Chapter 4 - What Luca’s Father Locked Away

We went to West Addison before midnight.

Luca drove.

Sal sat beside him.

I sat in the back with Vanessa.

Victor was not invited.

He followed anyway.

Luca noticed his headlights two blocks behind us.

He said nothing.

The house at 2417 looked ordinary.

Red brick.

Narrow porch.

A child’s bicycle near the steps.

One upstairs light.

Vanessa gripped the door handle.

“Noah is here.”

Luca looked at her.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

Then the front door opened.

A woman stepped onto the porch.

Dark hair.

Gray sweater.

Bare feet.

She looked like Vanessa around the eyes.

But older.

More tired.

Elena Bellini stared at the black sedan.

Then at Sal.

Then at Luca.

Her face changed.

“Vanessa?”

Vanessa got out first.

Elena ran down the steps.

The sisters held each other.

Not elegantly.

Not carefully.

They held each other like people who had spent years pretending distance did not hurt.

Then a small boy appeared in the doorway.

Red pajamas.

One mitten.

The right one.

Luca looked at the left mitten in his hand.

Noah saw Vanessa.

“Mom?”

Her knees almost gave out.

She crossed the yard.

He ran to her.

Luca turned away.

I think he did it to give them privacy.

Or maybe because he suddenly understood what had nearly been taken from him by a lie.

Sal touched his shoulder.

“The room is in the basement.”

Luca looked at the house.

“You’ve been here before?”

“Once.”

“With my father?”

“Yes.”

Vanessa looked up.

“Why?”

Sal hesitated.

“Because your father was there too.”

Elena froze.

“My father?”

Sal nodded.

“Twenty years ago.”

Before anyone could ask more, Victor’s car pulled up.

He stepped out.

“No one goes inside.”

Luca turned.

“This is my house.”

Victor smiled thinly.

“On paper.”

“That’s usually how ownership works.”

Victor walked toward him.

“That room contains private Bellini material.”

Luca’s eyes hardened.

“So you admit you know what’s inside.”

Victor stopped.

Too late.

Elena looked at her father.

“You told me that room was empty.”

He ignored her.

“Noah needs to go upstairs.”

Vanessa held her son tighter.

“He stays with me.”

Victor’s voice softened.

“You are upset.”

“No.”

She looked at Luca.

“I’m finally not afraid.”

That was the moment Victor lost control.

He stepped forward.

Sal moved between them.

Victor shoved him.

It wasn’t hard.

But Sal was seventy-one.

He stumbled.

Luca caught him.

Then looked at Victor.

I had seen Luca angry before.

This was different.

Quiet.

Cold.

Finished.

“Touch him again and you leave in an ambulance.”

Victor stepped back.

Nobody doubted him.

Sal straightened his coat.

“I’m all right.”

Luca held out his hand.

“The key.”

Sal gave it to him.

The basement smelled like dust and old wood.

Behind a storage shelf was a metal door.

No label.

One lock.

The brass key turned.

Inside was not money.

Not guns.

Not anything dramatic.

Just shelves.

Boxes.

Ledgers.

Photographs.

Old answering-machine tapes.

And one desk.

Luca switched on the lamp.

Vanessa picked up a folder.

Her father’s name was written across the tab.

She opened it.

Then sat down.

“What?”

Luca moved closer.

Inside were copies of payments.

Dates.

Account numbers.

Names.

One name appeared repeatedly.

Daniel Mercer.

Victor stood in the doorway.

“That proves nothing.”

Elena lifted another folder.

“This is Daniel’s handwriting.”

Vanessa looked at her.

“You knew?”

“He sent me copies before he died.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because Dad told me if I contacted you, he would take Noah permanently.”

Victor exhaled.

“Enough.”

Luca opened a drawer.

Inside was a cassette recorder.

Beside it sat an envelope.

SAL.

The old driver stared.

His hands began to shake.

Luca gave it to him.

Sal opened it.

One page.

Handwritten.

His eyes moved across the words.

Then filled.

“What does it say?” I asked.

Sal looked at Luca.

“Your father knew Daniel.”

Luca went still.

“How?”

Sal swallowed.

“He was helping him.”

Victor turned toward the stairs.

Luca blocked him.

“No.”

Victor looked at him.

“You have no idea what you’re opening.”

Luca’s voice was low.

“I think that’s exactly why my father locked it.”

Sal looked back at the letter.

Then at Vanessa.

“There’s more.”

Luca waited.

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

Sal read the last line aloud.

“If anything happens to Daniel, do not trust Victor Bellini.”