Chapter 7 - SOFIA HAD BEEN CLOSER THAN ANY OF THEM KNEW
Brooklyn contained more than two million people.
But only one middle school matched the limited information Dominic had.
Roman refused to go inside.
Gemma noticed that mattered.
A man who entered rooms expecting everyone else to adjust had suddenly become afraid of frightening an eleven-year-old girl.
They waited across the street at dismissal.
Children poured down the steps in winter coats.
Roman stood beside the SUV.
Silent.
Then Gemma saw her.
Dark hair.
Green backpack.
A narrow face.
Matteo’s eyes.
Roman stopped breathing.
Sofia walked beside another girl, laughing about something.
Normal.
Safe.
For one beautiful second, Roman simply watched.
Then an older woman appeared near the corner.
Elena.
Roman knew her immediately.
Ten years had changed her, but not enough.
Elena saw Roman.
Her face emptied.
She grabbed Sofia’s hand.
Sofia looked confused.
“Mom?”
Elena turned away.
Roman did not chase her.
Instead he said, “Elena.”
She stopped.
Roman stayed where he was.
“I’m not here to take her.”
Elena turned slowly.
Sofia looked between them.
“Who’s that?”
Elena’s grip tightened.
Roman answered gently.
“My name is Roman.”
Sofia frowned.
“You know my mom?”
“Yes.”
Elena closed her eyes.
Sofia studied Roman.
Then her expression changed.
She opened her backpack.
Pulled out a folded piece of paper.
A child’s drawing.
Not the old one.
A newer version.
A house.
Elena.
Sofia.
And a tall man drawn beside a black car.
Roman stared.
“Why did you draw me?”
Sofia looked embarrassed.
“Grandma Maria showed me pictures.”
Roman’s voice disappeared.
Elena whispered, “Not here.”
They went to a quiet diner three blocks away.
Roman sat opposite Sofia.
Gemma beside him.
Elena kept one hand near her daughter’s shoulder.
Sofia ordered hot chocolate.
Roman ordered nothing.
“You’re my uncle?” Sofia asked.
Roman nodded.
“Your father was my brother.”
“Mom said he died.”
“He did.”
“Were you friends?”
Roman almost laughed.
Gemma watched his face soften.
“Sometimes.”
Sofia considered this.
“Mom says brothers fight.”
“She’s right.”
“Did you love him?”
Roman swallowed.
“Yes.”
Sofia nodded, satisfied.
Then returned to her hot chocolate.
Children could walk through emotional minefields and stop for marshmallows.
Elena looked at Roman.
“You shouldn’t have found us.”
“My mother left me a letter.”
Elena’s face changed.
“She kept it.”
“You knew?”
“I wrote part of it with her.”
Roman leaned forward.
“Who killed Matteo?”
Elena looked at Sofia.
Gemma understood.
“Sofia and I can look at the jukebox.”
Roman turned to her.
Gemma gave him a small nod.
She took Sofia toward the old music machine near the counter.
Sofia whispered, “It doesn’t work.”
“I know.”
“Then why are we looking at it?”
Gemma smiled.
“Adults sometimes need privacy.”
“That’s weird.”
“Very.”
At the booth Elena spoke for almost ten minutes.
Roman barely moved.
Finally Gemma and Sofia returned.
Roman’s expression was impossible to read.
Elena looked exhausted.
Gemma waited until Sofia went to wash her hands.
Then Roman said, “Vittorio didn’t kill Matteo.”
Gemma sat.
“Who did?”
“Elena’s brother.”
Gemma stared.
Elena’s eyes filled.
“Caleb was twenty-three. Vittorio had him moving stolen artwork. Matteo discovered it.”
Roman’s voice was flat.
“Caleb thought Matteo was going to kill him.”
“He panicked.”
Elena shook her head.
“They fought. Matteo fell against an exposed steel corner.”
Gemma understood.
“It wasn’t planned.”
“No.”
Roman looked toward the restroom.
“Sofia’s father died because a frightened kid made one terrible decision.”
Elena whispered, “Vittorio turned it into murder.”
Roman looked at her.
“He moved Matteo’s body. Threatened Caleb. Used the death to bury the forgery scheme.”
“And your mother?” Gemma asked.
“She arrived afterward.”
Elena wiped her eyes.
“Maria wanted Caleb to surrender.”
“Why didn’t he?”
“He was terrified Vittorio would kill him before he reached a police station.”
Roman’s jaw flexed.
“So my mother helped him run.”
Elena nodded.
“Only until she could find a safe way to bring everything out.”
“What happened?”
“Vittorio found Caleb first.”
Gemma felt the answer coming.
“Is he dead?”
“Yes.”
Roman looked down.
Another dead young man swallowed by older men’s choices.
Elena continued.
“Daniel took the film. Maria protected me and Sofia. Dominic moved us.”
Gemma asked, “Why did Dad suspect Adrian?”
“Because Caleb used Adrian’s name when arranging the warehouse meeting.”
Adrian had not knowingly sent Matteo into a trap.
Someone had used him.
Answer one.
Open two.
Gemma looked at Roman.
“So Vittorio covered up Matteo’s death. Stole from the family. Threatened everyone. But he didn’t actually kill Matteo.”
“No.”
“And now he’s back.”
Roman nodded.
“Why?”
Elena reached into her purse.
She removed a folded auction catalog.
A private collection sale scheduled in three days.
On the cover was Woman at the Blue Window.
C17.
The missing painting.
Gemma stared.
“He’s selling it.”
“Through a shell owner.”
Roman’s voice hardened.
“He thinks the film is gone.”
Elena looked at Gemma.
“Until your dress tore.”
Gemma froze.
“What?”
Elena knew.
“Your father contacted me before he died.”
Gemma’s heart pounded.
“He said he had hidden the C17 film someplace nobody connected to the Costas would ever search.”
“My mother’s dress.”
Elena nodded.
“Daniel gave the dress to your mother years earlier. After she died, it came back to him. He never told you what was inside.”
Gemma sat back.
Her father had not accidentally left danger in her life.
He had hidden evidence in an ordinary object.
Then died before he could remove it.
Roman’s expression changed.
“If Vittorio knows the marker survived…”
“He’ll know Gemma has the film,” Elena said.
Roman turned toward her.
Gemma saw fear in his eyes for the first time.
Not for himself.
For her.
Sofia returned.
“Mom, can we go now?”
Elena nodded.
Roman stood.
Sofia looked at him.
“Will I see you again?”
Roman seemed unprepared for the question.
“If you want.”
Sofia thought about it.
“Okay.”
She hugged him.
Briefly.
Awkwardly.
Roman’s arms stayed frozen for half a second before settling gently around her.
When Sofia pulled away, Roman looked almost stunned.
Then Gemma’s eyes moved toward the diner window.
Across the street, a black sedan had been parked since they arrived.
A man inside lifted a phone.
Not calling.
Photographing.
Roman followed Gemma’s gaze.
His expression became ice.
The sedan pulled away.
Roman did not chase it.
He only said, “He knows.”
Gemma looked at him.
“Vittorio?”
Roman nodded.
May you like
Then he turned toward Elena and Sofia.
“We’re not hiding anymore.”
