Chapter 4 - THE COP WHO BURIED THOMAS PARKER
Megan ran before anyone could stop her.
“Leo!”
Roman followed despite the fresh stitches pulling beneath his shirt.
They found the boy outside a guest bedroom, staring through a window.
“Mom!”
Megan dropped beside him.
“What happened?”
He pointed.
“There was a man.”
“Where?”
“Outside.”
Roman crossed to the window.
Three floors below lay a stone terrace, garden, and high perimeter wall.
No one.
“What did he look like?” Megan asked.
Leo frowned.
“Old.”
Roman turned.
“How old?”
“Like Grandpa Alvarez.”
Mrs. Alvarez shouted from the hallway, “I heard that.”
Leo continued.
“He was standing by the trees.”
“What was he wearing?”
“A black coat.”
Roman looked at Nico.
Nico was already speaking into his radio.
“Search north garden. Thermal cameras. Nobody shoots unless fired upon.”
Megan held Leo against her.
“Did the man say anything?”
“He waved.”
“Anything else?”
Leo hesitated.
“He did this.”
The boy tapped three times against the wall.
Pause.
Then twice.
Megan's blood turned to ice.
Thomas.
Or someone who knew Thomas's signal.
Roman saw her reaction.
“Take Leo into the safe room.”
“No.”
“Megan.”
“Every time somebody tells me to go somewhere safe, another dead person shows up.”
Roman crouched beside her.
“The police are outside.”
“Then let them in.”
“Reese is leading them.”
“We don't know Reese is corrupt.”
“Thomas wrote it.”
“My husband also let me believe he was dead for four years.”
Roman didn't answer.
“He isn't exactly winning awards for honesty.”
That landed.
Roman nodded once.
“Fair.”
Nico returned.
“Police have a warrant.”
“For what?”
“Kidnapping David Kesler.”
Megan stared.
“David ran away.”
“They claim witnesses saw Roman's men force him into a vehicle behind the restaurant.”
“That didn't happen.”
“I know.”
Roman looked toward the front of the house.
“Evidence?”
“Anonymous video.”
Roman's mouth tightened.
“Convenient.”
Elena appeared.
“Vittorio.”
Everyone looked at her.
“This is how he works.”
Roman's expression hardened.
“He isn't confirmed alive.”
Elena stared at her son.
“Keep telling yourself that if it helps.”
The front intercom buzzed.
Detective Reese's voice came through.
“Roman DeLuca, we have a lawful warrant. Open this gate now.”
Roman took the intercom.
“This is private property.”
“I know where I am.”
“You have two minutes to send me the warrant electronically.”
“One.”
“Then get comfortable outside.”
Megan stared at him.
“You talk to police like that?”
“Only when they're rude.”
“This is rude?”
“You should hear me when I'm annoyed.”
Despite everything, Megan almost laughed.
Then her phone vibrated.
Her real phone.
Unknown number.
She opened the message.
DON'T TRUST REESE.
A photograph arrived.
David Kesler sat inside a vehicle.
His mouth was taped.
Behind him was a digital clock.
11:26 p.m.
Current time.
Megan's pulse jumped.
Another text appeared.
HE ISN'T ROMAN'S PRISONER.
HE'S MINE.
Megan showed Roman.
Roman read it.
“Thomas?”
“Maybe.”
Another message.
ASK REESE WHAT HAPPENED AT PIER 17.
Roman looked at Nico.
“Pier Seventeen.”
Nico immediately searched his tablet.
“Vale warehouse annex.”
“Six years ago?”
“Closed one month before the fire.”
Elena looked suddenly ill.
Roman saw it.
“Mother.”
She turned away.
“What happened there?”
“Nothing.”
“That answer doesn't work anymore.”
The police intercom sounded again.
“Thirty seconds, Roman.”
Megan stepped toward Elena.
“What happened at Pier Seventeen?”
Elena's shoulders dropped.
“Thomas met Vittorio there.”
Megan stared.
“Why?”
“Because Thomas had proof David was selling Vale schedules to a rival group.”
Roman frowned.
“Which group?”
“The Moretti organization.”
Roman's face darkened.
Megan knew enough from Jimmy's whispered criminal history lesson to understand the name mattered.
“Your enemies?”
“Sometimes.”
Roman looked at his mother.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“All six years?”
“Yes.”
“And you said nothing.”
“I was protecting you.”
Roman laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“Apparently everyone protects me by lying.”
Megan felt that sentence in her chest.
Before anyone answered, the gate alarm beeped.
Nico checked the monitor.
“They're cutting the chain.”
Roman's expression emptied.
“Let them enter.”
Nico looked surprised.
“Boss?”
“Open the gate.”
The front doors were opened before police reached the house.
Detective Alan Reese entered first.
He was older than Megan remembered.
Gray hair.
Heavy shoulders.
Same patient eyes that had looked at her across a kitchen table four years earlier and told her Thomas had died instantly.
Her stomach twisted.
Reese saw her.
He stopped.
“Megan.”
She hated how naturally he said her name.
“Detective.”
“I didn't know you'd be here.”
“That's strange.”
“Why?”
“You knew everything else about me.”
His eyes sharpened slightly.
Roman stepped beside her.
Reese looked at him.
“Mr. DeLuca.”
“Detective Reese.”
“I have a warrant to search these premises for David Kesler.”
Roman extended his hand.
“Warrant.”
Reese handed it over.
Roman barely glanced at it before passing it to Nico.
“You may search the rooms listed. Nothing else.”
Reese smiled.
“You've done this before.”
“Unfortunately.”
Officers spread through the house.
Megan stayed in the foyer.
Reese approached her.
“You shouldn't be here.”
“Why?”
“This man is dangerous.”
Roman looked almost bored.
Megan folded her arms.
“Which one?”
Reese's smile disappeared.
“Megan.”
She stepped closer.
“You came to my apartment four years ago.”
“Yes.”
“You told me Thomas died.”
“He did.”
“Did you see his body?”
Reese paused.
Roman saw it.
So did Megan.
“I saw the medical report.”
“That isn't what I asked.”
Reese looked at Roman.
“What has he told you?”
“Nothing compared to what my dead husband told me tonight.”
For the first time, Reese's control slipped.
Only a fraction.
But enough.
“Thomas?”
Megan's heart hammered.
“You sound surprised.”
Reese recovered quickly.
“If someone's pretending to be Thomas—”
“Pier Seventeen.”
Reese stopped speaking.
There it was.
Recognition.
Roman moved closer.
“What happened there?”
Reese looked from Roman to Megan.
“Nothing relevant.”
Megan whispered, “You are a terrible liar.”
His jaw tightened.
Upstairs, an officer shouted.
“Detective!”
Everyone looked toward the staircase.
Two officers descended carrying a black duffel bag.
Nico swore.
“I checked that room.”
One officer opened it.
Inside were David Kesler's wallet.
His watch.
His bloodstained shirt.
And a knife.
Megan stepped back.
“No.”
Reese looked at Roman.
“Interesting.”
Roman remained calm.
“Planted.”
“Of course.”
The officer lifted the knife.
Megan recognized the black handle.
Roman did too.
It was the weapon used to stab him.
Reese's attention sharpened.
“Looks like we found more than Mr. Kesler.”
Roman glanced at Nico.
Nico's face was furious.
“How did that get upstairs?”
Reese turned.
“Roman DeLuca, you're under arrest for the kidnapping of David Kesler and suspicion of aggravated assault.”
Police moved forward.
Megan stepped between them.
“Wait.”
Roman said quietly, “Megan.”
“No.”
Reese stared at her.
She pointed at the evidence bag.
“That knife was in the alley.”
Reese frowned.
“How would you know?”
“I pulled it out of Roman's side.”
Silence.
Roman closed his eyes briefly.
“You what?” Nico muttered.
Megan ignored him.
“The knife was left beside a dumpster after I used my apron to stop the bleeding. Roman's men arrived before police. Whoever brought that knife here either went back to the alley or already had someone watching.”
Reese's gaze hardened.
“Move aside.”
“You knew where the knife was, didn't you?”
“Megan.”
“You didn't ask how Roman was stabbed. You didn't ask whether this was the weapon. You saw it and immediately called it evidence.”
Reese stepped closer.
“Move.”
Roman's voice became quiet.
“Don't touch her.”
Several officers tensed.
Reese smiled thinly.
“There he is.”
Roman remained still.
“The dangerous mafia boss you've been hoping to find?”
“You make my job easy.”
“Then why do you need planted evidence?”
Reese's face changed.
Nico's tablet suddenly beeped.
He looked down.
Then up.
“Boss.”
“What?”
“The anonymous kidnapping video.”
Reese's eyes moved toward him.
Nico continued.
“I found the original metadata.”
Roman waited.
“It was uploaded from a Chicago Police Department network.”
The foyer went dead silent.
Every officer looked toward Reese.
Reese's face drained of color.
Then all the lights went out.
Megan heard someone shout.
A gunshot cracked through the darkness.
Then another.
Roman grabbed Megan and pulled her behind a stone column.
“Stay down.”
Emergency lights flashed red.
An officer screamed from upstairs.
Nico shouted, “North hall!”
Roman moved.
Megan caught his arm.
“Don't.”
He looked at her.
“My son is upstairs.”
That was enough.
They ran.
By the time they reached the second floor, smoke filled the corridor.
A bedroom window stood open.
One officer lay unconscious near it.
Leo's safe-room door was wide open.
Mrs. Alvarez stood inside, shaking.
“Where's Leo?” Megan screamed.
Her face collapsed.
“He was right beside me.”
Megan's entire world stopped.
“No.”
On the floor sat Leo's toy dinosaur.
Beneath it was a folded note.
Roman picked it up.
Three words were written across the paper.
BRING ME ROMAN.
Below that:
BARRINGTON. MIDNIGHT.
Megan looked at the clock.
11:47.
Thirteen minutes.
Roman stared at the message.
Then Megan's phone rang.
She answered.
Thomas's voice filled the line.
“Megan.”
Her knees weakened.
“Where is my son?”
A pause.
May you like
Then Thomas said the one thing she never expected.
“Leo is with me.”
