Chapter 6 - THE PRIEST WHO BURIED TWO PEOPLE ALIVE
Clara woke in a church basement.
That seemed almost funny.
Not enough to laugh.
Her hands were tied loosely in front of her.
No blindfold.
Father Dominic Russo sat across from her.
Black clerical shirt.
No collar.
He looked tired.
Not violent.
That did not make Clara feel safer.
“You shouldn’t have taken me.”
He looked at her.
“I know.”
“Good.”
“You’re surprisingly calm.”
“I clean a Mafia Boss’s house.”
He almost smiled.
Then stopped.
Clara looked around.
Old folding tables.
Boxes of Christmas decorations.
A statue of Saint Anthony missing one hand.
She recognized the basement.
St. Michael’s.
Ben’s school held holiday concerts upstairs.
“You’re very bad at hiding places.”
Dominic sighed.
“I’m not trying to hide from Matteo.”
“Then why am I here?”
“To keep him from moving too quickly.”
Clara stared.
“You kidnapped the wrong employee.”
“What?”
“I don’t know anything.”
“You found the cuff link.”
“Ben did.”
“You found the note.”
“Ben did.”
“You know where Carlo’s evidence is.”
“No.”
Dominic studied her.
“You’re lying.”
“No.”
He leaned back.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You don’t fear me.”
“I do.”
He blinked.
Clara continued:
“I just don’t think pretending otherwise helps.”
Something changed in his face.
Clara realized he was more ashamed than dangerous.
That mattered.
“What did Gallo do to you?”
His head snapped up.
“How do you know?”
“People don’t help men like that for free.”
Dominic looked away.
“My son.”
“Carlo told Matteo.”
He stared.
So the DeLucas were ahead.
Good.
“My son made mistakes.”
“Gambling.”
“Yes.”
“Gallo threatened him.”
“He owned him.”
“Where is your son?”
Dominic’s face tightened.
“Dead.”
Clara waited.
After tonight, fake deaths required skepticism.
“Are you sure?”
He looked at her.
That landed.
“No.”
There.
Clara leaned forward.
“Did you see a body?”
“No.”
“Then maybe Gallo lied.”
Dominic laughed bitterly.
“You think this is that simple?”
“No.”
“I gave him information.”
“Angela’s schedule.”
His eyes closed.
“Yes.”
“Did you know he planned an attack?”
“I thought he planned to stop Carlo’s car.”
“That sounds bad enough.”
“It was.”
He looked at his hands.
“He said nobody would get hurt.”
Clara gave him a look.
Dominic laughed weakly.
“I know.”
“Did you help after?”
“No.”
“You buried Angela.”
“I buried a body identified as Angela.”
“And Carlo.”
“Another.”
“You knew Carlo survived.”
Dominic looked away.
“When?”
“Three days later.”
Same pattern.
Everyone knew something.
Nobody told Matteo.
“Why?”
“Gallo sent a photograph.”
“Of Carlo?”
“Yes.”
“Alive?”
“Yes.”
“What did he want?”
“Silence.”
“And you gave it.”
Dominic nodded.
Clara shook her head.
“You helped Ben believe his uncle was dead.”
“Yes.”
“You sat with that child at a funeral.”
His face broke.
“Yes.”
“Then why take me now?”
“Because Gallo called.”
Clara froze.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“What did he say?”
“That Matteo found Carlo.”
“How would he know?”
Dominic looked at her.
“Someone at the boatyard.”
Inside again.
Always.
“What does Gallo want?”
“Grand Central box.”
Clara frowned.
Dominic saw.
“You really don’t know.”
“No.”
He closed his eyes.
“I made this worse.”
“Yes.”
Surprisingly, he smiled.
Clara continued:
“You can still stop.”
“He’ll kill my son.”
“If he’s alive.”
Dominic’s eyes filled.
“You don’t understand.”
“I understand exactly.”
Clara’s voice softened.
“You’ve spent years obeying because he convinced you one person you love will die if you stop.”
Dominic stared.
“That’s what Victoria did to Ben.”
He flinched.
“And look what it did to him.”
Silence.
Clara continued:
“You want to save your son?”
“Yes.”
“Then stop teaching Gallo that threats work forever.”
Dominic laughed quietly.
“A maid giving moral advice to a priest.”
“A priest kidnapping a maid.”
“Fair.”
Upstairs, a door opened.
Footsteps.
Dominic stood.
Clara’s body tightened.
“Who?”
He looked toward the stairwell.
“I told nobody this location.”
That was bad.
Very.
He untied Clara.
“Behind the furnace.”
She stared.
“What?”
“Move.”
“Why should I trust you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
Honest.
“Move anyway.”
They heard another door.
Men.
At least two.
Dominic pulled an old handgun from a locked cabinet.
Clara hated that.
But hid behind the furnace.
Two men came downstairs.
Not church.
Not DeLuca.
One said:
“Father.”
Dominic’s face hardened.
“How did you find me?”
“Mr. Gallo wants the woman.”
Clara’s stomach dropped.
Dominic said:
“No.”
The man almost laughed.
“No?”
“She doesn’t know anything.”
“Then she’s useless.”
That was worse.
Dominic understood.
His weapon rose.
The men raised theirs.
Then the basement lights died.
Clara froze.
A voice came from the stairwell.
Anthony.
“Everyone keep their hands where God can see them.”
Dominic almost laughed.
Matteo’s men entered from two sides.
The Gallo men surrendered.
Quickly.
No shooting.
Clara emerged.
Matteo came down the stairs.
His face changed when he saw her.
Relief.
Immediate.
Stronger than she expected.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No.”
Dominic lowered his gun and handed it to Anthony.
Matteo looked at the priest.
“You took her.”
“Yes.”
“You gave Angela’s route.”
“Yes.”
“You knew Carlo lived.”
“Yes.”
Each answer worsened Matteo’s face.
Dominic continued:
“And Gallo’s son is inside your organization.”
Silence.
Matteo stared.
“What?”
Dominic looked toward the captured men.
“One of them told me upstairs.”
“Name.”
Dominic hesitated.
“Anthony.”
Everyone turned toward the security chief.
Anthony’s expression did not change.
Clara frowned.
Again.
Same move Victoria made.
Too easy.
Matteo did not draw.
Good.
“Full name.”
Dominic looked confused.
“What?”
“Gallo’s son’s name.”
“Anthony Gallo.”
The security chief laughed once.
“My name is Anthony Marino.”
Matteo looked at Dominic.
“You thought he meant him.”
“Yes.”
Clara stepped forward.
“There are two Anthonys.”
Everyone looked at her.
She knew staff.
“The east-gate supervisor.”
Matteo frowned.
“Anthony Gallo?”
“Anthony Greco.”
Clara shook her head.
“He changed his badge last month. Payroll still says Anthony G.”
Anthony Marino’s face hardened.
“How long has Greco been with us?”
“Three years.”
Matteo’s blood chilled.
Three years inside the estate.
Access.
Ben.
Angela.
Schedules.
He had been promoted after the roadside attack.
Recommended by—
Father Dominic.
Everyone looked at him.
Dominic’s face went white.
“I didn’t know.”
Matteo almost laughed.
“Your favorite sentence.”
Anthony Marino called the estate.
No answer from Greco.
Gone.
Security audit showed he left eleven minutes earlier through service gate.
Clara asked:
“Victoria?”
Matteo froze.
They called.
Victoria’s guard answered.
Door open.
Room empty.
No sign of struggle.
Matteo looked at Dominic.
“Gallo’s son took her.”
Dominic’s face tightened.
“Or she went with him.”
Clara shook her head.
“No.”
Everyone turned.
“How do you know?”
“Her shoes.”
Matteo frowned.
“What?”
“When she came downstairs this morning, she was wearing slippers.”
“Yes.”
“If she planned to run, she’d take shoes.”
Simple.
Again.
Clara continued:
“And coat.”
Cold outside.
No coat.
Taken.
Anthony Marino nodded.
“Good.”
Matteo looked at Clara.
“You notice everything.”
She shrugged.
“People leave messes.”
They moved quickly.
Grand Central.
The key.
Gallo would expect the evidence there.
Matteo called Carlo at the secure clinic.
“Where exactly?”
“Lower luggage corridor. Track 32 maintenance access. Box 118.”
“Combination?”
“No combination. Key.”
“Anything dangerous?”
“Only truth.”
“Very reassuring.”
Clara looked toward Matteo.
He ended the call.
“You’re staying with Ben.”
She frowned.
He held up a hand.
“Not because I’m ordering you.”
“Good start.”
“I need someone he trusts.”
Her expression softened.
“That’s different.”
“Yes.”
“Then yes.”
Matteo paused.
“Thank you.”
Clara stared.
“You’re getting strange.”
“So I’m told.”
At the estate, Ben ran toward Clara the moment she entered.
“You came back.”
She knelt.
“So did your dad.”
The boy looked past her.
Matteo stood there.
Ben hugged him first.
Another small miracle.
Then Ben whispered:
“Victoria?”
Matteo hesitated.
The boy noticed.
“She’s gone?”
“Someone took her.”
Ben looked scared.
Matteo crouched.
“We’re going to find her.”
“Why?”
The question surprised him.
“Because she hurt you?”
“Yes.”
“And lied?”
“Yes.”
“Then why help her?”
Matteo looked toward Clara.
She let him answer.
Good.
“Because someone doing wrong doesn’t mean we leave them with someone worse.”
Ben thought.
Then:
“Will she come back here?”
“No.”
Matteo answered honestly.
“Not to live.”
Ben relaxed.
Important.
“Okay.”
Matteo stood.
Clara caught his sleeve.
“What?”
“Come back.”
Two words.
Not from his son this time.
From her.
Matteo looked at her hand.
Then her face.
Something unfamiliar moved between them.
Not now.
Later.
If there was later.
“I’ll do everything I can.”
Same answer.
Truthful.
Enough.
At Grand Central, box 118 opened at 11:51 p.m.
Inside sat Carlo’s ledger.
Three audio tapes.
One photograph of Gallo and Angela.
Angela alive.
Dated four months ago.
Matteo stopped breathing.
Four months.
Not seven.
Alive at least four months ago.
Behind her, a motel sign.
Albany.
Anthony Marino whispered:
“Boss.”
Matteo barely heard.
Then he saw the writing across the back.
Angela’s handwriting.
MATTEO — IF YOU FIND THIS, DO NOT COME LOOKING FOR ME UNTIL GALLO IS IN CUSTODY.
He stared.
The next line:
BEN IS THE REASON I STAYED AWAY.
PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
Matteo closed his eyes.
Alive.
His wife had survived.
And chosen not to return.
The truth hurt differently than death.
Then Anthony found another note beneath the photograph.
A current address.
Not Albany.
Brooklyn.
Only six blocks from Matteo’s estate.
Matteo stared.
Angela had been near Ben.
May you like
Near him.
All this time.
