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“I’ve got him at the location. When are you coming?” Giuseppe asked.
His brother wasn’t responsive, though. Giuseppe was surprised because Massimo had been clawing for the opportunity to get his hands on Ricardo. Now, the silent treatment.
“Massimo, did you hear me?”
“I can’t talk about this right now,” Massimo finally said dismissively.
“Why?” Giuseppe pressed. He’d gone along with securing the package and wanted to see Massimo lose it on him.
“Why the stall?”
Because I haven’t heard from Isotta,” Massimo replied.
“She’s probably just shopping or something,” Giuseppe joked.
Massimo wasn’t able to contain his concern, which showed up as anger.
“She can’t shop for twenty-four hours,” Massimo bit.
“What?” Giuseppe asked. “She’s been gone that long?”
When Massimo didn’t respond, Giuseppe got the feeling that there was a problem.
“I’m on my way.”
“I’m worried,” Romina sighed.
“It’s too early to worry,” Giordano replied, trying to assuage his wife.
Massimo paced back and forth, hearing his parents but trying to block them out, which was wholly unsuccessful. He hadn’t been worried about his wife, not initially. Then, the longer it took for her to get home, the more concerned he got. Massimo didn’t want to call her family to voice his concern. They would think him weak and incapable of protecting his wife, which was his responsibility.
“It’s not too early, Dad,” Massimo corrected. “Isotta has been gone more than a day, and there has been no response to my calls. If something bad hasn’t happened to her, where is she? Huh?” His eyes scanned those of his parents. “Where is she?”
His parents exchanged glances. His mother avoided looking at her son.
“I know we haven’t checked in with her family yet, but maybe it’s time to do so,” Giordano conjectured.
Had it been a day earlier, Massimo would have balked at the idea of calling the Conti household. But given the amount of time that had passed and that he hadn’t heard anything from Isotta, he entertained the notion. Massimo considered it for another moment.
“I don’t know how to reach them.”
“I do,” Giordano replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone, where he had the number saved.
Immediately, Massimo started pacing the floor, and when he heard his father address one of the Contis, he listened intently.
“What’s going on?” Giuseppe asked, being mindful of speaking quietly when he walked in and heard his father on the phone.
“Your father is trying to see if Isotta’s family has talked with her. Shhh,” his mother replied.
“Yes, my son, Massimo, didn’t have your number, so he couldn’t call,” Giordano explained. “Here he is.”
Giordano handed the phone to his son, who was still in the middle of pacing.
“Yes, good evening,” Massimo said, trying not to sound anxious. “I wanted to see if Isotta was there?”
“She’s not,” he repeated.
“I understood she came to your house the other day. Did she say she was going anywhere else after that?” Massimo asked, still trying to maintain some level of couth.
