Page 52 of The Italian Reckoning
If he were a more reasonable man, I’d try to explain to him about why Sarah is important to me, but after last night, I’m not sure I can give him an honest answer. I can’t even be honest with myself. Leaving the table, I head out onto the balcony and breathe in the warm morning air while dialing Cormac’s number.
“Hello?”
“Hey. I wanted to give you a heads up. Sarah’s making the call.”
“I’ll get my people out of there.”
“Thanks. Did you find anything more?”
“Sadly, no.” Cormac sighs deeply. “I spent all night tracing the parcels Sarah got but they were shipped from bumfuck nowhere. So either the killer is going out of his way to throw us off the scent or he’s a lot smarter than we’re giving him credit for.”
“If he kills again, she’ll never forgive herself.”
“You really care about her, don’t you?”
Glancing over my shoulder to ensure Sarah is still absent, I nod. “Is that bad?”
“She’s a cop.”
“I know.”
“I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. Look at me and Evelyn. Never would have thought the love of my life would come from where she did, but that’s how it works, isn’t it? It’s always the ones we least suspect.”
“Hey, now.” ,I chuckle. “I didn’t say anything about love.”
“No, but I know you Rocky. This is the most time you’ve spent on anything. Ever. Especially when you’re getting nothing out of it.”
“Whatever.”
“Mmhmm. Keep me updated.”
“Will do.” The call ends with another message from my father typed out in all capitals, expressing his hatred at my lack of responsibility to the family. Blood should come first, and then the people we pay to keep safe. Putting a cop ahead of the family is the ultimate betrayal, and he’s running out of patience to set me back on the right path.
It’s not worth texting him back because half way through reading that text, I get a message from Gio. His is much warmer and typed out much like a formal letter. He thanks me for being the leader the family deserves and not forgetting about him and for doing everything I can to try and find Belle’s killer. He also thanks me for the groceries I sent and explains he’s away to spend time with his wife while he waits for me to call.
I wish I could call with good news.
I wish I had that fucker under my boot to make sure he doesn’t harm anyone else ever again. I can’t imagine what Sarah went through or how she lives carrying the guilt she does, so if I can help her catch this fucker and put that pain to rest, my debt will feel clear.
If that were the only reason for sticking around her, my problems would clear up easily.
Since the second body will hit the news not long after the cops arrive, I fill Gio in on the second body but assure him that we have a lead. He replies with a thumbs up, which makes me smile.
At least he’s not mad.
Wandering back into the penthouse, Sarah’s raised voice immediately turns my blood to ice.
“—gonna let you get away with it again! Not this time!”
“Sarah?” I rush through to the other room.
Sarah stands at the far end with tears in her eyes and one hand buried deep in her hair. She’s bent at an angle while shepaces back and forth, visibly distressed by whoever is on the other end of the call.
Is her boss giving her shit? Given how much pushback she received when mentioning The Painter, it doesn’t surprise me that a second body might not be enough to reopen the investigation, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t at least look into it.
“Sarah?” I try again with a low voice, but she turns her back on me and walks away.
“No, you listen here, you twisted piece of shit?—”
