Chapter 4 - THE CRESCENT MOON CLASP
The wind howled against the glass panes of the greenhouse, but inside, the silence was deafening.
Luca’s thumb traced the tarnished silver crescent moon on the boy’s wrist. His hands, which had remained steady in the face of rival guns and federal indictments, were shaking.
Answer one: The boy, Leo, was connected to Vanessa through his eyes, and connected to the missing David through the timing of his abandonment.
Open two: How on earth did a child abandoned by David end up with a bracelet belonging to Luca’s murdered brother, Marco? And was Marco's death an accident at all?
"Mr. Moretti?" Natalie asked, her voice trembling as she watched his reaction. "Do you know that bracelet? The police told me it was just cheap leather when I tried to use it to find his parents."
Luca slowly released Leo’s wrist. He stood up, towering in the shadows of the overgrown plants.
"Six years ago," Luca said, his voice completely devoid of emotion, "my younger brother Marco was struck by a car late at night. The driver fled. When the paramedics found Marco, his wallet was gone. And so was his custom leather bracelet. The police ruled it a robbery turned hit-and-run."
Natalie gasped, pulling Leo protectively against her legs despite her injured ankle. "Oh my god. You think... you think the man who gave me Leo killed your brother?"
"No," Luca said, his eyes darkening as the puzzle pieces slammed together with sickening violence. "I think the man who gave you Leo was running for his life from the person who actually killed my brother."
He looked at Leo’s piercing green eyes. Vanessa's eyes.
"And I think the killer is currently drinking my champagne."
Natalie hugged the boy tightly. "But why? Why would Vanessa kill your brother? She didn't even know you back then!"
"That's exactly what I'm going to find out," Luca said. He stripped off his heavy wool overcoat and draped it over Leo, wrapping the child in warmth. "But first, I'm getting the two of you out of here."
Luca reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a number reserved only for extreme emergencies.
"Daniel," Luca said when his security chief answered. "Bring the armored SUV to the service road behind the greenhouse. Now. No headlights. And Daniel?"
"Yes, Boss?"
"Consider everyone inside the main house a hostile. Including the bride-to-be."
Luca hung up. He turned to Natalie. "You're taking Leo to my private safehouse. Daniel will stay with you. You'll be guarded by men who have been loyal to my family for forty years."
"What about you?" Natalie asked, her eyes wide with fear for him. "She's dangerous, Mr. Moretti. You saw what she did to that poor old woman. If she realizes we know—"
"She won't," Luca said, his tone icy. "Because I’m going to go back inside, smile, and cut the cake."
Five minutes later, the black SUV rolled silently to a stop behind the greenhouse. Daniel stepped out, heavily armed and deeply confused, but he asked no questions as Luca helped Natalie and Leo into the back seat.
"Keep them safe," Luca ordered Daniel. "If anyone approaches the safehouse, shoot first."
"Understood."
Luca watched the SUV disappear into the night. Then, he adjusted his tie, smoothed his suit, and walked back toward the mansion.
He slipped through the kitchen, checking the door to his private office to ensure Eleanor was still safely locked inside. Then, he stepped back into the grand dining room.
The jazz music was still playing. The guests were laughing.
But as Luca scanned the room, his blood ran cold.
Reversal: Vanessa wasn't mingling with the guests. She wasn't drinking champagne. She was standing at the head of the table, weeping hysterically into a lace handkerchief, surrounded by concerned socialites.
Luca pushed his way through the crowd. "Vanessa? What happened?"
Vanessa looked up, her makeup artfully smudged with tears. She practically threw herself into his arms.
"Oh, Luca, thank god!" she sobbed loudly enough for the entire room to hear. "I went upstairs to powder my nose, and I caught her! That wretched little maid!"
Luca stiffened. "Natalie?"
"Yes!" Vanessa cried, pointing a trembling finger toward the hallway. "She was in my bedroom, tearing through my things! I tried to stop her, but she shoved me against the vanity and ran away into the night!"
The guests gasped in horror.
Cliffhanger: Vanessa reached into her cleavage and pulled out a glittering, diamond-encrusted object. "She was trying to steal this! Your mother's antique rosary! Thank god I wrestled it away from her before she could escape with your family's legacy!"
Vanessa held up the rosary for the crowd to see.
May you like
But Luca didn't gasp. He didn't react at all.
He just stared at the diamonds in her hand, because his mother's antique rosary was currently sitting safely inside his locked wall safe—and the cheap, wooden rosary Vanessa was holding actually belonged to Eleanor Vance.
