Chapter 7 - THE RED LEDGER
“Clara!” I screamed.
I scrambled out from under the table, dragging Leo with me.
Clara’s eyes flicked to me.
For one fraction of a second, the hardened survivor vanished. She was just my big sister again.
“Anna,” she breathed. Tears instantly spilled down her cheeks. “Oh, God. Look at you. You’re so beautiful.”
“Mommy!” Leo cried, trying to pull away from me to run to her.
“Stay there, Leo!” Clara commanded sharply. Her grip on the gun didn’t waver. “Stay with Aunt Anna.”
Luca didn’t raise his weapon at Clara. He just stood there, a shadow in the dim emergency lighting that had just kicked on.
“You have the ledger, Clara?” Luca asked.
“I dug it out of the wall in the manager’s office twelve years ago while Richard was busy moving the body,” Clara said, stepping forward.
She reached into her wet coat and pulled out a small, thick book bound in cracked red leather.
“I didn’t know what it was at first. But when Richard jammed that necklace in my pocket and called the cops, I knew I needed leverage. So I mailed it to myself at a PO Box.”
Clara looked at Mama Moretti.
“I spent twelve years running from your ghosts. Raising my son in motels. Looking over my shoulder every time a car slowed down.”
She tossed the red ledger onto the table. It landed with a heavy thud next to the gold watch.
“Take it,” Clara said to Luca. “Take it and give me my life back. Clear my name. Tell the police Richard framed me.”
Luca stared at the red book. The key to absolute power in Chicago.
He slowly reached out and picked it up.
He didn’t open it.
May you like
He looked at Clara.
“I can’t clear your name with this, Clara,” Luca said softly.
