Chapter 4 - THE COAT IN THE BUS STATION LOCKER
The fluorescent lights of the bus terminal hummed loudly.
I stared at the crayon drawing in my hand, reading Frank’s frantic handwriting over and over again.
Vanessa found the real will. Tell Luca his daughter isn't safe in her own bed.
“The real will?” Rosa whispered, reading over my shoulder.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
Luca’s father, the former head of the syndicate, had died two years ago. His will had left everything to Luca, completely cutting out Matteo and Vanessa’s family, who had expected a massive payout.
If Vanessa found a real will... maybe one that gave control to Matteo, or placed the fortune in a trust for Mia...
“She needs Mia out of the way,” I breathed, the sickening truth settling in my chest. “If Mia inherits, Vanessa gets nothing. That’s why she needed me in the house. She was planning to kill Mia and blame me.”
Rosa gripped my arm, her fingers digging into my skin.
“Claire, look,” she pointed at the heavy wool coat still in my hands.
I looked down.
The dried blood on the left sleeve was stiff and dark. But sticking out of the inside lining, barely visible through a tear in the fabric, was a corner of a thick envelope.
I pulled it out.
It was sealed with red wax, bearing the Moretti family crest.
“He saved it,” Rosa sobbed quietly. “Frank found the will Vanessa was trying to destroy, and he saved it.”
Suddenly, a massive hand clamped down on my shoulder.
I screamed, spinning around.
Standing right behind us, his face bruised and his eyes wild, was Matteo Moretti.
“Give me the envelope, Claire,” Matteo demanded.
He wasn’t holding a gun, but he didn’t need to. He was twice my size, and the desperation radiating from him was lethal.
“How did you find us?” I backed up, pushing Rosa behind me.
Matteo laughed, a broken, hysterical sound.
“You think Frank was the only one who tracked people? I put a GPS tracker in Rosa’s purse three weeks ago when I realized Frank knew too much.”
He held out his hand.
“Give it to me. Now. If Vanessa finds out I let you take that will, she’ll kill me. She’ll release the debt markers to the Russians, and they’ll gut me.”
“You ran my brother off the road,” I spat, pure hatred burning in my throat.
Matteo flinched, but his eyes hardened.
“It was just a job! I didn’t know you! I just needed the cash!” He stepped closer, cornering us against the metal lockers. “I don’t want to hurt you, Claire. Just give me the envelope.”
“No.”
The voice didn’t come from me.
It came from Rosa.
Before Matteo could react, the sixty-three-year-old widow reached into her black purse, pulled out a small, heavy can of pepper spray, and sprayed it directly into Matteo’s eyes.
Matteo roared in agony, his hands flying to his face. He stumbled backward, crashing into a trash can.
“Run!” Rosa yelled, grabbing my hand.
We sprinted across the slick tile floor of the terminal, bursting through the double doors into the cool Chicago night.
“Where do we go?” Rosa gasped as we ran down the dark street.
“Back to the estate,” I said, clutching the envelope tightly to my chest.
“Are you crazy? Vanessa is there!”
“Mia is there!” I cried. “Frank’s note said she isn’t safe in her own bed! With Vanessa locked in the basement, who knows what her contingency plan is?”
We flagged down another cab a few blocks away. I paid the driver double to break the speed limit.
The ride back was a blur of adrenaline and terror.
When we reached the massive iron gates of the Moretti estate, they were wide open.
There were no guards at the front entrance.
“Something is wrong,” Rosa whispered.
We slipped out of the cab and walked up the long, curving driveway. The mansion was completely silent. The party guests were gone. The catering trucks had vanished.
We entered through the side door leading into the kitchen.
The lights were off.
I pulled my cell phone from my apron, turning on the flashlight.
As the beam of light swept across the marble floor, I froze.
Lying in a pool of blood near the refrigerator was Daniel, the head of security. He was unconscious, a massive gash on his forehead.
“Someone hit him,” Rosa gasped.
If Daniel was down, that meant Vanessa wasn’t in the basement anymore.
“Mia,” I breathed.
I didn’t wait for Rosa. I sprinted up the back stairs, taking two at a time. My lungs burned, but I didn’t stop until I reached the second floor.
I ran down the long, carpeted hallway toward Mia’s bedroom.
The door was cracked open.
I pushed it wide, the beam of my flashlight cutting through the dark room.
The bed was empty. The covers were thrown back.
“Mia!” I yelled, panic ripping through my throat.
Silence.
I spun around, checking the closet, under the bed, the adjoining bathroom.
She was gone.
As I backed out of the room, my flashlight hit something shiny on the floor near the doorway.
I bent down and picked it up.
It was a delicate silver bracelet. The one Luca had given Vanessa for their engagement.
She had taken Mia.
Suddenly, the lights in the hallway flipped on, blinding me.
I raised a hand to shield my eyes.
Standing at the end of the hall, holding a loaded handgun, was Luca Moretti.
His eyes were completely black with rage. His white dress shirt was covered in Daniel’s blood.
He raised the gun, aiming it directly at my chest.
“Where is my daughter, Claire?” Luca demanded, his voice a lethal whisper.
I held up my empty hands, terrified.
“I don’t know! Mr. Moretti, please! I just got back!”
Luca took a step toward me, his finger tightening on the trigger.
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“You just got back?” Luca snarled. “Then why did Vanessa just call me and say she caught you trying to kidnap Mia?”
TITLE: The Lie In The Locked Bedroom
