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Holy fuck,I thought.
For a few moments I watched as they conversed before coming over.
“I’m Mason Zacharra,” I told him and his eyes widened.
Nora offered a tight smile, probably annoyed by my sudden presence. “Yes, this is my co-work Mr. Zacharra.”
The man stuck out his hand and I shook it. I watched him look me over but I could tell he didn’t want to be in my company much longer. My name carried weight in Italy. The DeLuca’s had a history here of course. If they were the land upon which their kingdom set, then the Zacharra’s were the shadows of that kingdom that kept the world spinning.
“Gisella’s apartment is up those steps,” Mr. Corisini smiled.
A meowing appeared and I looked down to find a cat as black as night rubbing against Nora’s legs. She stepped back and the cat followed.
“Ah, this Gisella’s cat. She named him Midnight,” Mr. Corisini dipped down and picked the creature up.
I offered it a scratch behind the ears and it purred. Nora was already walking off and I nodded to the old man before following along behind her.
“Could you have shown more disgust,” I chuckled.
“I’m not a cat fan,” she noted.
“Oh?”
“I love dogs, though.”
Nora shrugged her shoulders and I went up the steps. She loved dogs, and not cats. It told me she valued loyalty over independence. Pushing thoughts of Nora away, I entered into Gisella’s apartment my mind going into investigative mode. The one room apartment was decorated in relatively bright colors. Surprisingly, a picture of Tia and Tessa DeLuca sat by her bedside, along with an unopened Dr. Pepper. Gisella had loved Dr. Pepper when we were teens.
How long has it been since you’ve seen her?The dark voice was stirring.
A very long time,I thought back.
The space smelled closed off as if no fresh air had touched it in a very long time. I couldn’t remember what the post mark was on the envelope that her landlord had sent.
“Mr. Corisini says he hasn’t seen Gisella since the beginning of the month.” Nora’s voice cut through the quiet as she moved around the space.
My eyes surveyed the unmade bed and I wondered if Gisella had had a lover over?
Nora came to stand beside me. “He also said that the night he last saw her she was getting into a town car.”
“So she definitely left with someone,” I nodded taking in the information.
Stepping into the very small and cramped bathroom, I ran my eyes over everything. Half empty bottles of shampoo lined the side of the tub and the shower curtain had been pushed back. Turning around, my reflection caught in the mirror. My dark hair had gotten long from my time in Alaska. I was due for a cut and my dark beard was due for a trim. Opening the mirror that led to the medicine cabinet I found nothing out of the ordinary.
“Hey, she has a computer,” Nora said from the other room.
I stumbled out to find her holding a laptop, a smile on her face.
“Like I said…I have a certain set of skills,” she smiled.
“Where was it?”
“Under her mattress,” Nora jerked her thumb in the direction behind her.
Rolling my eyes, I went to take it from her.
“It’s dead,” she handed it to me. “No charger in sight.”
I grumbled annoyed by my ex’s ways. “Gisella loved to make life hell as a teenager. Nothing has changed.”
