Chapter 4 - THE KEY COVERED IN RUST
The bronze key felt heavy in my palm. It was freezing cold, despite having been inside Vanessa’s purse all evening. The rust flaked off onto my skin, dark red and brittle.
"Underwater," I whispered, the realization hitting me like a physical blow. "Isabella's car went off the bridge into the river."
Luca’s eyes were pitch black in the dimly lit dining room. "The police dragged the car out of the water four years ago. They gave me her wedding ring, her necklace, and her purse. But this key was missing from her keychain. I noticed it immediately, but the detectives told me it must have snapped off in the crash and washed away."
I stared at the rusted metal. "How did Vanessa get it?"
"That’s exactly what I intend to find out."
Luca reached for his suit jacket draped over a chair. He slid his arms into the sleeves, adjusting his cuffs with a frightening, calculated calmness. He wasn’t the embarrassed father from the dinner table anymore. He was the man who controlled the Chicago underworld.
"Rachel," he said, pulling out a sleek black phone. "I need you to stay in Caleb’s room tonight. Lock the door from the inside. Do not open it for anyone except me."
"Where are you going?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"To pay a visit to a pawn shop on the South Side." He pointed to the stack of receipts scattered on the table. "Vanessa’s family is broke. I’ve known that for months. I let them keep up appearances because I wanted peace. But she hasn’t just been pawning her own jewelry. She’s been pawning things stolen from this house."
He started toward the door, then stopped. He turned back, his gaze softening just a fraction.
"Lock the door, Rachel. You are a brave woman for standing up to her tonight. Don't make me regret leaving you alone here."
"I won't let anything happen to him," I promised.
I ran upstairs as soon as the front door clicked shut. The house felt cavernous. The wind howled against the windows as the Chicago storm worsened. I slipped into Caleb’s room, locked the heavy oak door, and dragged a heavy armchair in front of it just to be safe.
Caleb was still fast asleep, clutching the baseball glove.
I sat on the edge of the chair, pulling a blanket over my knees, and stared at the door handle. An hour passed. Then two. The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed 2:00 AM.
I must have dozed off, because a sudden sound jolted me awake.
It wasn't a knock on the bedroom door.
It was a soft, rhythmic scraping noise coming from outside the window.
I froze. Caleb’s room was on the second floor. Nobody should be outside that window.
I crept toward the glass, keeping my body pressed against the wall. The rain was lashing against the panes. I peeked through a crack in the velvet curtains.
Below, in the driveway, the security lights had been turned off. But in the flashes of lightning, I saw a black SUV parked with its engine idling. A man in a dark raincoat was standing on the roof of the vehicle, reaching up toward the heavy oak trellis that climbed the side of the mansion.
He was trying to get into the house.
I rushed to the bed and shook Caleb gently. "Caleb. Sweetheart, wake up."
The boy groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Miss Rachel? Is it time for the game?"
"Shh," I whispered, pulling him out of bed. "We’re going to play a quiet game. Grab your glove. We need to hide."
Caleb’s eyes widened in the dark, sensing the fear in my voice. He didn't cry. He grabbed his baseball glove and his blue jersey.
I pulled him into the large walk-in closet, sliding the heavy mirrored doors shut behind us. We sat in the pitch-black corner, hidden behind long rows of winter coats. I pulled him tightly against my chest, covering his mouth with my hand.
Seconds later, I heard the faint click of the window latch giving way.
Cold wind and rain immediately swept into the bedroom. Wet boots hit the hardwood floor with a heavy thud.
I held my breath. Caleb was shaking against me.
The footsteps moved slowly around the bedroom. Drawers were pulled open and tossed to the floor. The mattress was lifted and dropped. The intruder wasn't just looking for a child; he was searching for something specific.
The footsteps stopped right in front of the closet doors.
I closed my eyes, praying the man wouldn't slide the glass open.
Then, a cell phone buzzed loudly in the bedroom. The intruder grunted and answered it.
"He's not here," a deep, raspy voice said. "The bed is empty."
There was a pause as the person on the other end spoke. Even through the closet doors, I could hear the tinny, frantic voice of Vanessa Bellini coming from the speaker.
"Forget the kid!" Vanessa shrieked through the phone. "Just find the rosary! If Luca realizes who I sold it to, he’ll kill my brother!"
The intruder sighed. "Miss Bellini, the boss said to bring the boy to ensure your silence. The rosary is secondary."
"The rosary is the only proof!" Vanessa screamed. "Tear the room apart!"
The intruder ended the call. His shadow passed back and forth in front of the closet gap.
Then, the bedroom door suddenly burst open with a deafening crash.
"Drop the phone," a familiar, deadly voice commanded.
It was Luca.
I heard a brief struggle, a heavy thud, and the sound of something metal hitting the floor. Then, complete silence.
"Rachel?" Luca called out, his voice laced with panic. "Rachel, where are you?"
I pushed the closet door open and stumbled out with Caleb. Luca was standing in the middle of the room, breathing heavily, his suit soaked with rain. The intruder was unconscious on the floor, his hands zip-tied behind his back.
Caleb ran to his father. Luca dropped to his knees, burying his face in his son's neck.
"I've got you," Luca whispered. "I've got you."
Luca looked up at me over Caleb's shoulder. His eyes were burning with a terrifying rage.
He reached into his wet coat pocket and pulled out a delicate, silver rosary with a broken clasp.
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"I went to the pawn shop," Luca said quietly. "Vanessa didn't pawn this for money, Rachel. She gave it away as blackmail to keep a secret."
He held the rosary up. Caught in the silver chain was a small, torn photograph that made my heart stop beating entirely.
