He releases me, much to my dismay, and heads to the kitchen. He returns with a pair of gloves on his hands. Grimacing, he reaches into the box, and wrenches the object out of the snake’s tail.
When he places it on the table, I see it’s another chess piece.
A golden rosewood chess piece.
The piece from my dad’s set.
Only this time it’s a rook.
My blood runs cold. “That’s another piece from Father’s chess game.”
“That’s not the only thing in the box.” Dominic reaches in again and pulls out a raven feather.
“A chess piece and a raven feather were in the first package too. Lucia said she was told it was from Marconi.”
A serious look crosses Dominic’s face. “That’s impossible, the Marconi Family was wiped out in ‘95.”
“That’s what I said. But they were known for leaving a raven feather on the bodies of the people they killed.”
“How poetic,” Dominic muses. “Real Edgar Allen Poe of them.” He takes off the gloves and drops them in the trash. Then he closes the lid of the package. “I’ll take this box to my team and we’ll dust it for fingerprints, though I doubt there'll be any. And I’ll get rid of the snake.”
“Thank you.” I rub my temples trying to get the image of the reptile out of my mind.
Dominic chuckles, “Snakes were always your biggest fear.”
“Still are,” I mutter. “But not many people know that.”
Dominic’s eyes meet mine. “It could be why they sent it. That’s another piece of evidence proving that it’s someone close to you. Someone who knows your deepest fears.”
Before I can reply, the chime on my phone goes off, indicating someone is at my front door. Before I can see who it is I hear a loud bang and Lucia comes storming into the living room.
Her eyes are wide and panic is etched across her face. “Cipi!” She freezes when she sees Dominic standing next to me.
“What the hell?” she gasps. “What the fuck ishedoing here?”
“Lucia, I told you about this at the hospital.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think this traitor would be in your house!” Lucia shouts.
“Nice to see you too, Lucia, it’s been a long time,” Dominic drawls.
Lucia scowls at him, then latches onto my arm. “We have to go.” Tears form in her eyes and she stammers. “Bruno’s been shot!”
Time stands still and I’m hoping I misheard her. “What?”
“Someone shot Bruno. They found him at the warehouse,” Lucia repeats.
“Our warehouse?”
“Yes.”
“Is he…”
“He’s alive. Barely. They got him to the hospital. But Cipi it’s bad. He’s in surgery.” She begins to sob. “We need to go. Now. He might not make it.”
Chapter eight
Bruno can’t die.
