Chapter 4 - A CHILD’S MEMORY NEVER FORGETS A MONSTER
The crayon drawing slipped from my fingers.
It fluttered to the floor like a dying leaf.
The nice grandma.
Luca’s mother.
She had died of a sudden heart attack in her sleep. That was the official story.
But my son had been at the estate that day.
His school had closed early. Mrs. Carter had let him play quietly in the upstairs hallway while I cleaned the silver on the first floor.
“Leo,” I choked out, kneeling beside his bed. “Are you sure?”
He nodded.
“She dropped something when she did it.”
He reached into his pajama pocket.
And pulled out a heavy, tarnished silver cross.
A rosary piece.
“I found it on the floor after the scary lady ran away,” Leo whispered. “I didn’t want her to come back for it.”
My stomach turned to ice.
Vanessa hadn’t pawned the rosary.
It broke when she murdered Luca’s mother.
I had to tell Luca.
But if I did, Vanessa would know Leo was a witness.
She would kill my son.
I grabbed my phone. It was 1:14 AM.
Before I could dial, a heavy knock echoed through my small apartment.
Three sharp raps.
I froze.
Nobody visited me here. Nobody knew my address except the estate management.
I crept to the door and looked through the peephole.
It was Luca.
He was standing in the dim hallway, wearing a dark trench coat.
I unlocked the door and pulled it open.
“Mr. Moretti, what are you doing here?”
He stepped inside, his presence dominating the tiny room.
“Vanessa checked her travel case,” he said quietly. “She noticed the pawn ticket was missing.”
“Did she suspect me?”
“Yes. She demanded I fire you immediately for theft.”
My heart stopped. “Sir, I swear—”
“I didn’t fire you, Rebecca. I told her I already knew about the watch.”
Luca looked around my worn, cramped living room.
“She panicked. She made a phone call from the garden. My men recorded it.”
He pulled his phone from his coat pocket and pressed play.
Vanessa’s frantic voice filled the room.
“He knows about the watch. Harris, listen to me. If Luca digs into my finances, he’ll find the payments I made to you. You need to get rid of the original death certificate. Tonight.”
The recording clicked off.
Luca’s eyes met mine. They were hollow with grief and rage.
“Dr. Harris signed my mother’s death certificate,” Luca whispered. “The same doctor who stitched your arm today.”
I couldn’t breathe.
I looked down at the drawing on the floor.
Then at the silver cross in Leo’s hand.
I didn’t have a choice anymore.
“Mr. Moretti,” I said, my voice shaking. “Dr. Harris didn’t just lie on a piece of paper.”
I picked up the drawing and handed it to him.
Luca looked at the crayon strokes.
He stared at the red-haired woman holding the pillow.
Then he looked at my six-year-old son.
“Leo,” Luca said softly, dropping to one knee. “Did the scary lady see you?”
Leo shook his head. “No. But she was wearing a heavy black coat. And it smelled like almonds.”
Luca stood up slowly.
His face drained of all color.
“My mother was allergic to almonds,” he whispered. “Her throat would close in seconds.”
He turned to the door.
“Pack a bag, Rebecca. You and the boy are coming with me.”
“Where?” I asked, terrified.
“To a safe house. Because Dr. Harris just called Vanessa back.”
Luca pulled open the front door.
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Standing in the hallway, holding a suppressed pistol, was Dr. Harris.
TITLE: THE DOCTOR WHO MENDED MY ARM CAME TO BREAK MY FAMILY
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