Page 25 of The Italian Reckoning
“But I don’t answer. And when I do, I tell her to fuck off.”
So Sarah wants to get Gio down to the station to force him to talk to her. It sounds like she’s meeting the same dead end I am.
“I tell her that,” Gio continues, “because youtoldme you would find her killer, but it’s been over a month now, you fuck. Where is the bastard?”
“Look… I don’t have anything yet. I know that Belle was snatched from a club and my good standing with the Russians allowed me to get the CCTV, but there was nothing clear. Whoever took her knew exactly where to avoid the cameras.”
“So it was a Russian?” His eyes spark with life.
“I can’t say for sure.”
That spark dies. “Oh.”
“Given what we know, it looks like it was some random thug or brute who saw an opportunity and took it. I’ve been trailing and checking with all the taxi and bus drivers around where shewas found because there was no evidence that the killer drove. I’m hoping someone saw something or picked the killer up.”
“That’s a lot ofhope,” Gio mutters bitterly.
“I know. But if this was a random asshole, then you know as well as I do that they’re not held down by any kind of family rules or loyalty. It makes it harder.” I wish I had better news for him. I wish I could take his hand and bring him to the killer and let him work out every drop of hurt and grief that clouds his face.
I wish my friend was still deepening his laughter lines rather than frowning through a cloudy room, smoking himself into a stupor. At least he’s not drinking.
“Maybe I should talk to that cop, then.” Gio coughs raspily. “Ain’t they the ones who would be able to track down some maniac?”
“We own the police, Gio. There’s nothing they can do that I can’t.”
“Then fucking do something!” he yells abruptly. “Find out who he is! Do something so I can go to my wife and tell her that it’s okay because we put the bastard in the ground! Let me visit Belle’s grave with the news that her killer will burn in hell for the rest of eternity! Why are you just sitting around doing nothing?”
To Gio, it likely looks that way, and there’s no use telling him how long it’s taking me to track down more bus drivers, taxi drivers, and club goers than I care to count. Since my father allows me no help, I’ve been doing this solo, but that doesn’t mean I’m putting in any less effort.
“Gio—”
“No! I want that fucker! I want his head on a spike, you hear me? I want to go to sleep hearing his screams of pain instead of Mia’s sobs! I want… I want her back. I want Belle back. I never should have let her leave, I never…”
Gio breaks down into choking, waspish sobs as the grief overwhelms him, and my heart shatters in my chest. Rising, I sitnext to him and pull him into my arms. He resists at first, but within a few seconds he crumples in my hold and wails.
I hold him tightly and stare at a sliver of light peeking through the curtains while fighting the sting of tears behind my eyes. Listening to his pain is hard, but it’s nothing compared to what he’s feeling, so I remain right by his side and hold him through it.
He’s right.
He deserves answers. He deserves justice.
And if my father won’t give me any kind of leeway, then maybe I need to change how I go about this.
I hold Gio until he falls silent, then I help him drag his exhausted body through the house to his bed. He doesn’t say a word. He simply lies down and rolls onto his side facing away from me.
“If you need me, Gio, just call,” I say softly. “I’ll come visit again soon.”
The hot sun is like stepping back into a completely different world and a shiver curls down my spine despite the heat. I’m moving too slowly on this case by myself.
I need help.
Reaching the end of the path, vibrations against my hip pull my attention down and a coded text message blinks onto my screen.
[DAD] Birds on the hunt. You took too long.
Fuck.
My father wasn’t kidding about Sarah. He’s already got an assassin on her!
