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And the reason Elisabetta had called the locksmith was because Gia had emailed her, informing her of the financial audit for the family and requesting access to Rocco’s safe. She was reacting in exactly the manner we had hoped.
Now I needed to play my part. I would be at the funeral home before Sofia to pay my respects and play the grieving godson. If I had to comfort a grieving daughter at the same time, then so be it.
We drew up at the home and, as expected, Sofia was nowhere in sight thanks to a broken-down delivery truck that had landed her in a line of cars that would take another ten minutes to clear. I greeted Romeo Campanale, the funeral director for la famiglia at the door, and he offered me suitable condolences. Lucio waited outside while I went in. Rocco had been prepared for viewing, as, unlike me, Sofia had an appointment. I barely glanced at the bastard responsible for Papà and Mamma’s deaths. Revenge on him was no longer my motivation.
Startled, I leaned back against the wall and gazed unseeing at the plain cream ceiling. It was true. Sofia and Elisabetta were still going down, not because of Rocco, but because they had threatened Alessandro. Still threatened him. That was the reason I had asked for the delay in finalizing the papers. It kept Alessandro safe until tomorrow, which hopefully gave me time to find the boy. Once I had him, it didn’t matter who his uncle was.
Not that I would forget about Gabriel, but I had other ideas for dealing with him. Namely, to help Marcello.
I needed Sofia to spill the boy’s location, but even though I considered her an easier target than Elisabetta, how could I possibly get her to trust me without her thinking I would blame her?
Smiling, but not in humor, in satisfaction, I quickly texted Lucio my instructions. We needed a demonstration, and I knew it would work. It might not have worked with Elisabetta, but I knew Sofia thought she was irresistible.
I squeezed my phone so hard I thought the case might crack, and willed Alessandro to stay strong. If everything went according to plan, I was coming for him later today.
I glanced at my phone as the next text came in from Lucio. I had to keep her there for ten minutes. No problem. I was about to give her exactly what she wanted and if that involved gunfire, I would take a bullet for Alessandro any day of the week.
29
Dario
Iquickly moved to the chair by Rocco’s body and sat down, running my hands through my hair to look a little less put together, and elbows on knees, I held my head in my hands.
I heard the door open, and a slight feminine gasp, which was ridiculous, as she would have been informed I was in here. I looked up, standing hurriedly and backing away, looking as if I’d been caught in a vulnerable position. Really, I’d said Sofia could start a career on Broadway, but I was doing a passable job myself. I bowed my head. “My apologies,cara. I would never want to intrude upon your grief. I will leave—”
“No, Dario, please. I know you are as distressed as I am. My father thought of you as the son he never had.”
I kept my eyes on her, looking for all the world as if I was hoping to believe her. “I swear I won’t stop until I find out who—” I broke off, swearing, then apologized again. “My time has been taken up with other matters.”
She looked sympathetic, and I knew she would be aware of the overnight delay until my divorce was finalized.
“As if I didn’t have enough to do,” I growled out for effect, noticing that for a grieving daughter, she’d never even glanced at her father’s body.
“You have had bad news?” she asked demurely, stepping closer, concern etched all over her face.
I didn’t reply immediately because I wanted her to believe she had to coax out of me the information she already had.
I glanced over at Rocco and sighed. “It is ridiculous, given what you are going through.”
“I know I’m not as clever as my father,” Sofia said, and I was sure saying that absolutely killed her, “but if you need someone to listen…” Her voice trailed off.
I gazed at her, making it obvious I was weighing up telling her, and she reached out and patted my hand. “I said I had hoped I would become a friend of Alessandro’s, but you do know that is extended to you as well, surely.” I clasped her hand and squeezed it, letting go and turning to the chair, drawing it out for her. I took the other one to bring us close.
“As I said, I don’t wish to intrude on your grief.” She hitched a sob and almost blindly reached for my hand, which I obligingly gave her.
“Mamma couldn’t come until later, so if you don’t mind, it’s a comfort not to sit alone.” Her eyes widened. “Unless, of course, you have to deal with other things. I’m sorry, I never asked if you had successfully managed to speak to Alessandro.”
I wondered if she thought it weird we were talking about my marital troubles with the body of her father two feet away from us.
“Actually, that’s why I came here.” I huffed a bitter-sounding laugh. “I just met with my husband and his lawyer. The divorce is final, subject to documents being finalized tonight. Apparently, I coerced him into marriage and he is frightened for his life.” I squeezed her hand a little tightly to show my anger.Maybe she would take that to mean he certainly did need to fear for his life.
“He’s really going through with it?” Sofia whispered in shared horror. “But what if the five families—” She stopped herself. “Apologies, Dario. I didn’t mean to be so insensitive.” She glanced at Rocco’s body as if to intimate she had an excuse for speaking out of turn, when I knew every word was calculating.
“You are right. And I have to believe that this is deliberate. That he is working for my enemies. I am hoping that when I go through my uncle’s papers, I may find some clue about where he and his mother came from. I absolutely know he isn’t doing this without motivation, and I won’t rest until I find out what it is.”
I saw the flash of fear in Sofia’s eyes not hidden quickly enough and knew she was scared witless I would find out about the auctions. After such a betrayal by her father, she knew there was no way I would marry her, and I could see the wheels turning in her head.
“I am embarrassed,” I added apologetically, “that I have had to order his safe opened. Private papers should be left to you and your mother, but I have to discover a reason for such behavior.”
