Chapter 2 - THE MAN WHO KNEW MY NAME
The red light on the electronic device blinked again.
Forty wealthy guests were completely silent.
The voice from the piano mechanism hadn't just spoken to Vanessa.
It had spoken about me.
Luca didn't look at the device.
He looked at Vanessa.
His dark eyes were terrifyingly calm.
“Who is on the other end of that frequency, Vanessa?”
She took a step backward, her diamond necklace trembling against her collarbone.
“I don't know, Luca! I swear!”
“You arranged the piano maintenance.”
“I just made a phone call!”
“To whom?”
Before she could answer, the device crackled again.
“Vanessa. Stop talking.”
The voice was distorted, metallic, and completely calm.
“The maid has already ruined the schedule. Don't make it worse.”
Luca reached into the piano.
He didn't hesitate.
He crushed the small electronic device between his fingers.
The red light died.
The room exhaled.
Luca turned to his security chief, Marco, who was already moving toward the doors.
“Lock down the estate. Nobody leaves. Not the guests. Not the staff.”
Marco nodded and vanished into the hallway.
Luca turned back to me.
I was still sitting on the piano bench, my hands resting on my lap.
I was shaking.
“Natalie,” Luca said softly.
“Yes, sir.”
“You said you recognized the melody I play.”
“Yes, sir. My grandfather used it.”
Luca stepped closer.
“My father played those notes every night before he was murdered.”
I stopped breathing.
The entire room seemed to shrink.
“I didn't know that, sir.”
“He said a man named Samuel taught it to him. An old piano tuner he met in Brooklyn.”
My grandfather.
Luca continued.
“My father died trying to protect a secret he shared with Samuel.”
Vanessa suddenly spoke.
“Luca, this is ridiculous. She’s a maid trying to exploit a coincidence.”
Luca didn't even look at her.
“Vanessa, you have exactly one minute to tell me who you let into this house yesterday.”
Vanessa’s face crumpled.
“He said he was an auditor!” she cried.
Luca frowned.
“An auditor?”
“For your father’s estate! He said there were discrepancies in the accounts. He told me if I let him inspect the music room privately, he wouldn't freeze my trust fund.”
“And you believed him?”
“He showed me documents, Luca! Real documents!”
Luca’s jaw tightened.
“Where did you meet him?”
“At a charity luncheon last week. He approached me.”
“What was his name?”
Vanessa hesitated.
She looked at me.
Then she looked at Luca.
“He didn't give me his last name.”
“His first name, Vanessa.”
She swallowed hard.
“He said his name was Arthur.”
I stood up so fast the piano bench scraped against the hardwood floor.
Luca looked at me.
“Natalie?”
My hands were shaking violently now.
“Arthur?” I whispered.
Vanessa glared at me.
“Yes. Arthur. Why?”
I looked at Luca.
“My grandfather had an apprentice.”
Luca’s expression sharpened.
“Named Arthur?”
I nodded.
“He worked in our shop for three years. He learned everything my grandfather knew.”
“When did he leave?”
I felt a cold sweat on my neck.
“He didn't leave, Mr. Moretti.”
The room went completely silent.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean Arthur died five years ago in a warehouse fire.”
Vanessa let out a sharp, hysterical laugh.
“She’s lying! I sat with him yesterday!”
Luca stepped toward me.
“Are you certain he died?”
“I went to the funeral, sir. I saw the casket.”
Luca stared at me.
Then he reached into the open panel of the piano.
He felt around the heavy wooden soundboard.
His fingers brushed against something caught in the wires.
He pulled it out.
It was a heavy, tarnished silver pocket watch.
He held it up by its broken chain.
“Does this belong to your grandfather’s apprentice?”
I looked at the watch.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
I reached out and touched the engraved back.
“No, sir.”
Luca frowned.
“Then whose is it?”
I looked up into the mafia boss’s eyes.
“It belongs to my father.”
Luca went completely still.
Because my father had been dead for twenty years.
And his watch had been buried with him.
May you like
Until today.
TITLE: THE GRAVE THAT WAS ALREADY EMPTY
