Chapter 5: The Man at the Funeral
Vittorio turned toward the sound.
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Stay where you are.””
The man in the gray coat didn't move.
He simply smiled.
“Daniel, if you fire that weapon, you'll never find the girl.””
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
“What girl?””
The man nodded toward Lucy.
“Not her.””
Vittorio felt Lucy's arms tighten around his neck.
“Who are you?””
The man looked almost amused.
“You really don't recognize me?””
“No.””
“You've gotten older.””
Vittorio's jaw tightened.
“Name.””
The man sighed.
“Thomas Vale.””
Daniel's expression changed.
Vittorio stared.
Thomas Vale.
His father's former security chief.
The man who had been beside Vittorio during the warehouse explosion.
The man who had identified Matteo's body.
The man who had stood beside the grave.
Vittorio whispered, “You died.””
Thomas smiled.
“No.””
“You disappeared.””
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Thomas looked toward Lucy.
“Because Matteo told me to.””
Vittorio stepped forward.
“What happened that night?””
Thomas's smile disappeared.
“Your brother didn't die.””
The words struck harder than any physical blow.
Vittorio shook his head.
“I saw the body.””
“You saw what they wanted you to see.””
“My brother's ring was on that body.””
“Because Matteo gave it to someone else.””
“Why?””
Thomas's eyes hardened.
“Because he knew your father was going to kill him.””
Silence.
Daniel lowered his weapon slightly.
Vittorio stared at Thomas.
“My father?””
Thomas nodded.
“Your father wasn't running a shipping company.””
Vittorio's expression changed.
“I know what my father was.””
“No,” Thomas said.
“You know what he told you he was.””
A noise came from the passage behind them.
Lucy whimpered.
“Daddy…”
Vittorio looked at her.
Thomas said, “We don't have much time.””
“You kidnapped my daughter.””
“I protected her.””
“You terrorized her.””
“I told her the truth.””
Vittorio stepped closer.
“You put her in a hidden room.””
“I moved her because someone else came for her.””
“Who?””
Thomas looked directly at him.
“Your wife.””
Vittorio froze.
Daniel glanced toward the tunnel.
Thomas continued.
“Bianca knew about this passage before you did.””
Vittorio's stomach tightened.
“That's impossible.””
“Ask her.””
“She was upstairs.””
“She was supposed to be.””
Thomas looked at Lucy.
“She came down here last night.””
Lucy shook her head.
“She wasn't alone.””
Vittorio's voice became low.
“What did she do?””
Thomas hesitated.
“She brought someone.””
“Who?””
Before Thomas could answer, a gunshot exploded through the underground room.
Thomas jerked backward.
Daniel pulled Vittorio down.
The bullet struck the wall.
“Get Lucy behind me!””
Daniel dragged the child behind the stone table.
Vittorio crouched.
“Where?””
“Tunnel entrance!””
Another shot.
Stone shattered above Vittorio's head.
Thomas rolled behind a pillar.
“She's here!””
Vittorio's blood froze.
“Who?””
Thomas looked at him.
“Bianca.””
A third shot.
Then a woman's voice echoed through the passage.
“Vittorio!””
It was Bianca.
“Give me my daughter!””
Vittorio stared toward the tunnel.
“Bianca?””
Her footsteps approached.
Daniel whispered, “Sir, don't move.””
Bianca appeared in the doorway.
Her hair was disheveled.
A handgun was in her right hand.
Her eyes were wet.
“Lucy!””
Lucy pressed herself against Vittorio.
“Daddy, don't let her take me.””
Bianca's face crumpled.
“Sweetheart, come to Mommy.””
Lucy shook her head violently.
“No!””
Bianca looked at Vittorio.
“She's confused.””
Vittorio stared at the weapon.
“You shot at us.””
“I shot at Thomas.””
“Why?””
“Because he took her.””
Thomas laughed from behind the pillar.
“You're still lying.””
Bianca spun toward him.
“Shut up!””
Thomas stepped into view.
“You told Vittorio you were upstairs.””
“I was.””
“You came down here at 2:17.””
Bianca's face went pale.
Vittorio looked at her.
“How do you know?””
Thomas said, “Because I was watching.””
Vittorio's eyes narrowed.
“Watching what?””
Thomas reached into his coat.
Daniel raised his weapon.
“Slowly.””
Thomas pulled out a small black drive.
“I have twelve years of recordings.””
Vittorio stared at it.
“Of what?””
“Your family.””
Bianca whispered, “No.””
Thomas looked at her.
“Every conversation.””
Vittorio took one step forward.
“Give it to me.””
Thomas shook his head.
“Not yet.””
“Why?””
“Because you need to understand something first.””
Thomas pointed toward the ceiling.
“Matteo is alive.””
Vittorio said nothing.
Thomas continued.
“He's been inside this house before.””
Daniel frowned.
“When?””
Thomas looked at Vittorio.
“The night your mother died.””
Vittorio's face changed.
His mother had died six years after Matteo's supposed death.
A stroke, according to the family doctor.
A quiet death.
A closed casket.
No suspicion.
No investigation.
Thomas saw the recognition in his eyes.
“You remember that night.””
Vittorio whispered, “I was there.””
“You weren't alone.””
Vittorio shook his head.
“My mother was sick.””
“She wasn't sick.””
Bianca lowered her weapon.
“Thomas…”
“Tell him.””
“Don't.””
“Tell him what you saw.””
Vittorio looked between them.
“What did you see?””
Bianca's lips trembled.
“Nothing.””
Thomas laughed bitterly.
“She saw Matteo.””
Vittorio felt the floor shift beneath him.
“No.””
“Standing in the doorway.””
“No.””
“He watched your mother die.””
“Stop.””
“He walked away.””
“Stop!””
Vittorio's shout echoed through the underground chamber.
Lucy began crying.
Vittorio immediately lowered his voice.
“I'm sorry.””
He touched her hair.
“I'm sorry.””
Thomas watched him.
Then his expression softened.
“You deserved the truth.””
Vittorio looked at the black drive.
“Give it to me.””
Thomas did.
Vittorio caught it.
“What's on it?””
“Everything.””
“Why now?””
“Because Matteo knows you've started asking questions.””
A phone began ringing.
Everyone froze.
It was coming from Thomas's coat.
Thomas reached inside.
His face changed.
“That's not my phone.””
The ringing stopped.
A message appeared on the screen.
Thomas looked at it.
Then handed the phone to Vittorio.
One photograph.
Lucy.
Taken five minutes earlier.
But Lucy was visible in the picture from above.
The photograph had been taken from inside the underground room.
Vittorio slowly looked upward.
There was a tiny camera embedded in the ceiling.
A red light blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Thomas whispered, “We're being watched.””
The phone rang again.
This time, the caller ID showed a single name.
*MATTEO ROMANO.*
Vittorio answered.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then a man's voice came through.
Older.
Calm.
Familiar.
“Hello, little brother.””
Vittorio couldn't breathe.
“Matteo?””
A quiet laugh.
“You finally remembered me.””
Then the call ended.
Immediately, every light in the underground room went out.
Lucy screamed.
Daniel shouted, “Everyone down!””
In the darkness, Vittorio felt a hand grab his wrist.
Not Lucy's.
May you like
Someone whispered directly into his ear.
“You shouldn't have answered.””
