Gigi is curled up on the couch, wrapped in one of my blankets. Her head is propped on a pillow. The color has returned to her face and she looks more vibrant.
Nonna’s sitting in the armchair with a blanket tucked around her. Her hands are folded in her lap. A sickly expression is still plastered on her face.
Salvatore and Bruno are at their own homes with guards posted outside.
I sit in the other armchair across from them.
The fireplace is on and the television is playing a romantic comedy with the sound off.
My heart feels full. My family is with me, but there are still a lot of questions that need answers.
My burner dings.
Closing in on the fish, going swimming very soon.
I look at Nonna and Gigi. “Are you well enough to tell me what happened to you two? If we are ever going to find out who’s behind this I need all the details.”
A disgusted expression crosses Gigi’s face. “Obviously Elio is the one behind this. I never want to see him again.”
I reach over and pat her hand. “Relax, you don’t want to upset yourself. Don’t worry. I’m taking care of it. Just tell me what happened.”
Gigi takes a shaky breath. “After we had the argument, I went home. I grabbed my keys and drove to Elio’s townhouse. When I arrived he seemed really nervous and not as excited to see me. He told me he was going to take me to brunch at a new restaurant.” She pauses, her hands gripping the blanket. “The waiter seated us at a table in the back. We didn’t even have a chance to look at the menu when three men in suits approached our table. One of them asked me my name. I refused to tell them so Elio did. Then one of the men pulled a gun out on me and grabbed my arm. Another man told Elio the suitcase was in his car. I screamed and tried to run but the men grabbed me and rushed me out the back door.” She squeezes the blanket harder. “I yelled to Elio to help me, but he didn’t do anything. He acted like he didn’t even exist. He took his coffee and walked out the front door. He didn’t even look at me.”
“Madonna mia,” Nonna mutters. “What a fucking piece of shit.”
I drum my fingers on the armrest. How interesting that Gigi’s version of what happened is different from that bastard’s account.
Elio is definitely a dead man after this.
“The men pulled me into the alley and threw me into the back of a black SUV. I screamed and they hit me. Then they took my phone and threw it out the window. One of the men put a clothover my face then everything went black. When I came to, I was in a hospital bed.”
“That man sold you for money,” Matteo yells from the kitchen. “Wait until I get my hands on him.”
Gigi hangs her head. “You were right, Cipi. I should have listened to you. I should have known Elio had an angle. I’m sorry.”
I sit next to her and give her a hug. “Don’t worry about it. We were all fooled.” I look at Nonna. “What happened during the time we were searching for Gigi.”
Nonna wrings her hands. “I was outside the house tending to my roses. Bruno was helping me. I don’t have the strength to drag the hose anymore. A white Bentley pulled into your driveway. Madeline got out with a container. She was dressed in her fancy clothes with her pearls.” Nonna scoffs.
“You don’t like Madeline?” I look at her.
Nonna shrugs. “She is alright. I never cared too much for her. I feel like she tries to ride other people’s coattails to the top. But your Nonno was the one who brought her on as a silent partner. He said it would make the business look more legitimate.” Nonna shifts her weight. “Her investment was barely ten percent. We didn’t need her at all. Anyway, she rang your doorbell but you weren’t home. She saw us across the street and came over. She said that you and Dominic came to visit her and were asking questions about Elio. She wanted to reassure you of her loyalty to the family by baking muffins. I told her that I would take them and give them to you when you got home. Then she left. I brought the muffins inside and left them on the kitchen table. Bruno finished helping me in the gardens and then I went upstairs to take a nap. When I woke up, Bruno was gone. He messaged me and said he had to go somewhere with Salvatore. Later on, I was cooking in the kitchen and I got hungry. I decided to try one of Madeline’s muffins to see ifthey were still bad. I took a bite and continued cooking. Then I started feeling weak, my head hurt, my chest hurt, and I was having trouble breathing. I thought I was having a heart attack. I must have fainted because when I woke up, I was at the hospital.”
“Did anyone come to visit you while you were home?”
Nonna shakes her head.
“The results came back for the labs on the muffins. They tested positive for cyanide,” Lucia calls from the kitchen.
“The muffins were for you, Cip.” Matteo grabs plates from the cabinet. “Madeline was trying to kill you.”
“Or maybe the muffins were poisoned at Madeline’s house and she didn’t know,” Lucia adds.
“I feel like Madeline is behind all of this. After all, she did have connections to the Marconi Family,” I insist.
“Back then everyone had dealings with everyone. It was survival of the fittest,” Nonna explains.
“Madeline can’t be working alone.” Lucia walks into the living room and sits on the couch. “She can’t be in all these places at once, someone has to be helping her.”
