Chapter 8 - THE FIRE IN THE STUDY
I squeezed my eyes shut, pressing my back flat against the wall of the closet as Vanessa’s footsteps grew closer.
Click.
She turned the handle of the closet door.
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from the hallway outside the study.
“Hey! You can’t be in here!” a deep voice yelled.
Vanessa cursed under her breath. She quickly stepped away from the closet, hiding the gun back inside her trench coat just as a Chicago PD detective walked into the room.
“Ma'am, this is an active crime scene,” the detective said sternly. “You need to leave the premises immediately.”
Vanessa gave him a flawless, tearful smile. “I’m so sorry, Detective. I’m Luca’s fiancée. I just came to get some of his clothes for the precinct. He must be so cold in holding.”
“We’ll take care of him. Out. Now.”
Vanessa shot one last suspicious glare toward the closet before turning on her heel and walking out with the detective.
I didn't exhale until I heard the front door of the mansion slam shut.
My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor of the closet, clutching the voice recorder to my chest.
I had the proof. I had the smoking gun that proved Vanessa murdered Julia.
I scrambled out of the house the same way I came in and ran three blocks to flag down a cab.
When I finally burst through the doors of the police precinct, Madison and David were still sitting exactly where I left them.
“I found it,” I panted, rushing up to them.
Madison jumped up. “Found what?”
“Proof,” I said. “Vanessa killed your mother. Not Richard. Not Luca. Vanessa rigged the car to protect a frame-up for the New York mob.”
David’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
“I have it on tape,” I pulled the recorder from my pocket.
Before Madison could even react, the heavy metal doors of the holding area buzzed open.
We all turned.
Walking out of the secure hallway, adjusting his suit jacket, was Luca.
He wasn't in handcuffs.
Madison let out a choked sob and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.
Luca caught her, holding her tightly. “I got you, baby. I got you.”
“Dad, how are you out?” Madison cried, stepping back to look at his face. “They said they had a confession tape!”
Luca smiled grimly. “They did. But my lawyers pointed out that the audio was deepfaked. AI-generated. The precinct captain had no choice but to release me pending investigation.”
He looked over Madison’s shoulder and locked eyes with me. “Did you find the coat?”
I walked over and handed him the recorder. “I found it. It’s all here, Mr. Moretti. Vanessa confessing to the sabotage.”
Luca stared at the small plastic device. A terrifying, cold fury settled over his features.
“David,” Luca said, turning to the young doctor. “Take Maddie to the safehouse in Evanston. Do not leave her side. Do not open the door for anyone but me.”
“Dad, what are you going to do?” Madison asked, grabbing his arm. “The wedding is tomorrow. Richard said there’s a bomb at the church!”
“I know,” Luca said softly. He reached up and gently touched the silver cufflinks on his sleeves. The ones she had given him.
“You’re still getting married tomorrow, Maddie,” Luca said.
Madison stared at him like he was insane. “How? The church is rigged! Vanessa’s family wants us dead!”
“They want a public execution to take my territory,” Luca corrected. “So, we’re going to give them a wedding they will never forget.”
He turned to me. “Claire. I need you to do exactly what I say. If we pull this off, my daughter gets her life back. If we fail, we all die tomorrow.”
I nodded without hesitation. “What do you need me to do?”
Luca’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous, calculating light.
“I need you to call Vanessa,” Luca said. “Tell her you found the recorder. Tell her you want a million dollars to keep your mouth shut, and tell her to bring the money to the church tomorrow morning at 10 AM. One hour before the ceremony.”
My blood ran cold. “You want me to blackmail a murderer?”
“I want you to bait a trap,” Luca said. “Vanessa won't bring money. She’ll bring a gun. And when she walks into that church tomorrow, she’s going to find out exactly why they call me the Boss.”
He looked back at Madison and David.
“Go. Rest. Tomorrow, you’re walking down the aisle.”
Luca turned and walked out of the precinct, leaving us standing in the lobby.
The plan was set.
But as I pulled out my phone to dial Vanessa’s number, my thumb froze over the screen.
Because a text message had just popped up on my phone from an unknown number.
It was a photo of my own mother, walking out of a grocery store in Ohio.
May you like
And underneath the photo was a single line of text:
“Don't make the call, Claire. Or your mother is dead.”
