THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME KEEP MY LEFT HAND UNDER THE TABLE WHILE SERVING HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER—THEN HIS FIANCÉE SAID, “SHE CAUGHT IT IN THE SILVERWARE DRAWER,” BEFORE HE EVEN ASKED WHY MY FINGERS WERE SWOLLEN
"THE MAFIA BOSS WATCHED ME KEEP MY LEFT HAND UNDER THE TABLE WHILE SERVING HIS ENGAGEMENT DINNER—THEN HIS FIANCÉE SAID, “SHE CAUGHT IT IN THE SILVERWARE DRAWER,” BEFORE HE EVEN ASKED WHY MY FINGERS WERE SWOLLEN.
I had almost finished clearing the dinner plates.
One more table.
That was all I needed.
But my left hand had swollen so badly that I couldn't straighten my fingers, and every time I tried to lift another plate, pain shot through my wrist.
So I kept my left hand hidden beneath my apron.
And carried everything with my right.
My name is Nora Williams.
I was twenty-nine, had worked at Luca Moretti's Chicago mansion for ten months, and had spent the last four hours pretending there was nothing wrong with my hand.
The bruises had started turning purple.
Two of my fingers were swollen.
And I had seventy-one dollars left until payday.
Missing another shift wasn't an option.
Neither was telling Luca what I'd discovered in the downstairs office that afternoon.
Twenty-four guests sat beneath the chandeliers, celebrating his engagement to Vanessa Bellini.
Vanessa wore a red silk gown.
Diamond earrings.
A beautiful smile that hadn't left her face since the guests arrived.
At the head of the table sat Luca Moretti.
Thirty-nine.
Black suit.
White shirt.
The kind of man who noticed when someone was trying very hard to appear normal.
I approached his chair to remove his dinner plate.
Normally, I would have steadied the stack with my left hand.
Tonight, I reached awkwardly across my body with my right.
The top plate slipped.
I caught it against the edge of the table.
Vanessa sighed.
""For heaven's sake, Nora. Do you need both hands explained to you?""
My face burned.
""I'm sorry, ma'am.""
""Then use them.""
I tried to straighten my left fingers.
Pain shot through my wrist.
The plate slipped again.
Before it could fall, Luca caught it.
""Leave it.""
He placed the plate on the table.
Then looked directly at my left hand.
""Nora.""
My stomach tightened.
""Yes, Mr. Moretti?""
""What's wrong with your hand?""
Before I could answer, Vanessa gave an embarrassed laugh.
""She caught it in the silverware drawer this afternoon. Apparently, closing a drawer is beyond her abilities.""
My heart nearly stopped.
Because I hadn't told anyone my hand was injured.
And Vanessa knew perfectly well that the silverware drawer had nothing to do with it.
Luca slowly turned toward his fiancée.
""The silverware drawer?""
""Yes, darling. She's been complaining about it all afternoon.""
I stared at the tablecloth.
I hadn't complained.
I'd barely spoken to anyone since four o'clock.
Luca looked back at me.
""Did you catch your hand in a drawer?""
I could feel Vanessa watching.
""Yes, sir.""
""When?""
""About four.""
""What were you doing?""
""Putting away cutlery.""
Vanessa immediately added, ""She was helping Mrs. Carter prepare the silver for dinner.""
Luca looked at her.
""You saw it happen?""
""No.""
""Then how do you know what she was doing?""
Vanessa smiled.
""She told me.""
His eyes returned to mine.
""Did you?""
My throat tightened.
""Yes.""
The answer came too slowly.
Luca noticed.
""Show me your hand, Nora.""
My heart started pounding.
""It's really nothing, sir.""
""Let me see.""
Slowly, I brought my left hand out from beneath my apron.
The swelling was immediately visible.
Dark bruises crossed the back of my hand, and two fingers were swollen around the knuckles.
One of the guests quietly lowered her fork.
Luca studied my hand.
""Have you seen a doctor?""
I shook my head.
Vanessa sighed.
""For heaven's sake, Luca. She pinched her fingers. Do we really need to interrupt our engagement dinner?""
He ignored her.
""Nora, did somebody hurt you?""
My eyes immediately lifted toward Vanessa.
I regretted it before I could look away.
Because Luca followed my gaze.
And saw the warning in her expression.
He looked back at me.
""Are you afraid of losing your job?""
My eyes burned.
""Yes, sir.""
""You won't.""
Vanessa gave an uncomfortable laugh.
""She's making this much more dramatic than it was.""
Luca turned toward her.
""You seem very certain about an accident you didn't witness.""
Her smile tightened.
""She told me what happened.""
He watched her for another second.
Then stood.
""Nora, leave the plates.""
""I can finish dinner.""
""You're done for tonight.""
""Please, sir. I need the hours.""
""You'll be paid.""
He looked toward the head housekeeper.
""Mrs. Carter, take Nora upstairs. Have Dr. Harris examine her hand.""
Vanessa put down her glass.
""She doesn't need a doctor.""
Luca looked directly at her.
""How do you know?""
Silence.
I started toward the doorway.
""Nora.""
I stopped.
He was watching me carefully.
""Was Vanessa alone when you hurt your hand?""
My stomach dropped.
I looked toward her without meaning to.
She was staring directly at me.
""No, sir.""
Luca's expression changed.
""Who else was there?""
I couldn't answer.
Vanessa reached for her champagne.
""Darling, surely we can discuss the staff after our guests leave.""
Luca looked at me for several seconds.
Then nodded.
""Go get yourself examined.""
I left.
And for the next forty minutes, he behaved as though nothing unusual had happened.
He finished dinner.
Discussed the wedding.
Listened to his guests.
Even smiled when Vanessa mentioned their honeymoon.
By dessert, she had relaxed.
She thought he'd forgotten about my hand.
At 10:09, Vanessa went upstairs.
Luca waited until her bedroom door closed.
Then entered his study and called his head of security.
""Daniel. Who visited the downstairs office this afternoon?""
Five minutes later, Daniel returned.
""Boss, Miss Bellini had someone here around three-thirty.""
""Who?""
""A man named Andrew Keller.""
Luca frowned.
""Should I know him?""
""He's an insurance investigator.""
Luca slowly looked up.
""Insurance?""
""Yes, boss.""
""Why would Vanessa need an insurance investigator?""
Daniel hesitated.
""According to the gatehouse, she said he was here to inspect some of the wedding jewelry.""
Luca stared at him.
""Find out what he was actually investigating.""
Ten minutes later, Daniel called back.
""Boss, Keller's office says he was hired privately.""
""By Vanessa?""
""Yes, sir.""
""What was he investigating?""
A pause.
Then Daniel answered.
""Your mother's jewelry collection.""
Luca went completely still.
His mother had left him a small collection of antique jewelry.
Most of it had remained in the family safe since her death.
Vanessa had asked several times whether she could wear one particular necklace to the wedding.
Luca had refused.
It was the necklace his mother had worn on her own wedding day.
He looked toward the study door.
""Bring Nora here when the doctor finishes.""
Twenty minutes later, I sat across from Luca with my hand bandaged and elevated on a small cushion.
He placed a business card on his desk.
Andrew Keller.
Private Insurance Investigations.
My face went pale.
""Nora. Was this man in the downstairs office?""
I nodded.
Luca leaned forward.
""What was he doing with Vanessa?""
My voice trembled.
""He was looking at photographs of your mother's jewelry.""
Luca stared at me.
""Which jewelry?""
""The emerald necklace. The diamond bracelet. Some earrings.""
He was silent for a moment.
""Did Vanessa take anything out of the safe?""
I swallowed.
""Not while I was there.""
""What did you see?""
I looked toward the closed study door.
""Vanessa had a small velvet box on the desk.""
My eyes filled.
""She opened it and showed him an emerald necklace.""
Luca's expression changed.
""What happened next?""
""He took several photographs. Then he said something was wrong with it.""
Luca leaned forward.
""What was wrong?""
""He said the emeralds weren't genuine.""
For several seconds, Luca didn't move.
Then he quietly asked, ""What did Vanessa say?""
I swallowed.
""She told him that was impossible. She said your mother had worn the necklace for thirty years.""
Luca stared at me.
""And your hand?""
My voice broke.
""I was bringing fresh coffee into the office. Vanessa didn't know I was standing outside.""
I wiped my eyes.
""When she saw me, she grabbed the velvet box and ordered me to leave.""
""What happened?""
""I asked whether I should take the coffee back to the kitchen.""
My hands started trembling.
""She slammed the office door while my hand was still against the frame.""
Luca looked at my bandaged fingers.
""Did Keller see that?""
I nodded.
""He told her she should call someone to help me.""
""And?""
""She told him to mind his own business.""
For several seconds, Luca said nothing.
Then he reached for his phone.
""Daniel. Check the family safe. I want to know whether my mother's emerald necklace is still there.""
A pause.
""And Vanessa?""
Luca looked toward the closed study door.
""Don't tell her anything.""
He ended the call.
Then I caught his sleeve.
""Mr. Moretti, there's something else.""
He turned.
My voice trembled.
""When Mr. Keller said the emeralds were fake, Vanessa didn't look surprised for very long.""
Luca studied my face.
""What did she do?""
""She asked whether the insurance company would notice.""
His expression changed.
""And what did Keller say?""
I swallowed.
""He said they would if anyone filed a claim.""
Luca slowly lowered his phone.
""What claim?""
My eyes filled again.
""I don't know, sir.""
Then I remembered something else.
""But Vanessa told him she wasn't planning to file anything until after the wedding.""
Luca went completely still.
""Did she say why?""
I nodded.
My throat tightened.
""She said she needed you to wear the real necklace around your neck at the wedding first. Because once everyone had seen it, nobody would question when it disappeared."
