Chapter 4 - Domenico Comes Home Early)
Domenico entered his own house at 1:13 in the morning and knew immediately that something was wrong.
There were no staff in the entrance hall.
The security monitors beside the office were offline.
A wet footprint crossed the marble near the west corridor.
And Valentina was standing at the top of the staircase fully dressed.
"Domenico."
She smiled as if surprised.
"What are you doing home?"
He removed his coat slowly.
"Where's Ruby?"
"Sleeping."
"Where's Rosa?"
Valentina's smile weakened.
"She left."
"No."
One word.
Nothing more.
Valentina walked down three steps.
"I don't know what you've been told."
Domenico looked up at her.
"I haven't told you what I've been told."
She stopped.
He saw the mistake register.
"Where is my daughter?"
A bedroom door opened upstairs.
Ruby appeared.
She wore a cream sweater over her pajamas.
The pink blanket trailed behind her.
Domenico was halfway up the staircase before she spoke.
"Daddy."
He lifted her into his arms.
Ruby buried her face against his neck.
Domenico closed his eyes.
For three seconds the house disappeared.
Then he felt her thumb moving against her palm.
He pulled back.
"Look at me."
Ruby looked at him.
"Did someone hurt you?"
She glanced at Valentina.
That was enough.
Domenico turned.
Valentina's face hardened.
"Don't do this."
"Do what?"
"Turn one frightened child's imagination into an accusation."
Ruby clung tighter.
Domenico carried her downstairs.
Daniel and Rosa entered through the west corridor.
Valentina stared at Rosa.
Rosa stared back.
Domenico saw the rope marks on her wrists.
He set Ruby down behind him.
"What happened to Rosa?"
Valentina shook her head.
"I have no idea."
Rosa laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
"Your brother does."
Valentina looked toward Daniel.
"Where is Marcus?"
Daniel replied, "We're looking."
Domenico faced Valentina.
"You have five minutes to explain why a woman who's worked for my family for thirty years was tied inside my guest cottage."
"I didn't know."
"Wrong answer."
"Domenico."
"Four minutes."
Valentina's composure cracked.
"This is insane."
Ruby whispered, "She wants the blue bird."
Domenico turned immediately.
"What blue bird?"
Ruby looked at Rosa.
Rosa nodded.
Ruby reached beneath her blanket.
Her hand came out empty.
The child's face changed.
She searched again.
Then again.
"It's gone."
Valentina did not move.
Domenico watched her.
"The key," Rosa said.
Domenico looked at her.
"What key?"
Rosa explained.
When she finished, Domenico's attention returned to Valentina.
"You knew about this?"
"No."
Ruby pointed at her.
"She took it."
Valentina's voice sharpened.
"Stop lying."
Ruby flinched.
Domenico's face became expressionless.
Valentina realized what she had done.
"Domenico, I didn't mean..."
"You raised your voice at my daughter after she accused you of stealing something."
"I'm under attack in my own home."
Domenico stared at her.
"Your home?"
Valentina said nothing.
Domenico crouched in front of Ruby.
"Where did Mommy give you the key?"
"In my room."
"Do you remember when?"
Ruby nodded uncertainly.
"Before she went to heaven."
His throat tightened.
"Did she say what it opened?"
"The blue bird."
"I know. But did she show you anything?"
Ruby frowned.
Then looked toward the second floor.
"Mommy's music."
Domenico stood.
He knew exactly what she meant.
Lucia's old music box remained inside her dressing room.
The blue bird music box.
They went upstairs together.
Domenico placed it on the dressing table.
The small porcelain bird was cracked along one wing.
He had not touched it in years.
Ruby climbed onto a chair.
She pressed the bird's head.
Nothing happened.
Domenico examined the base.
There was a tiny keyhole underneath.
Everyone looked at Valentina.
She lifted both hands.
"I don't have the key."
Domenico turned to Daniel.
"Search her room."
Valentina exploded.
"You don't get to search my belongings."
Domenico's eyes met hers.
"Everything in this house belongs to me."
Valentina stepped closer.
"After everything I've done for you?"
Domenico answered quietly.
"If you have nothing to hide, this takes five minutes."
Valentina looked toward Ruby.
Ruby stared back.
Valentina smiled slowly.
"Fine."
The key was not in her room.
It was not in Marcus's guest suite.
It was not in the office.
But Daniel found something else.
Six airline confirmations.
Three cash envelopes.
Ruby's passport application.
A forged medical referral.
And a transfer authorization bearing Domenico's signature.
Domenico studied the page.
"I never signed this."
Valentina folded her arms.
"You did."
"No."
"You sign hundreds of documents."
"I know my signature."
Daniel placed another file on the table.
It described Ruby as emotionally disturbed.
Violent.
Unpredictable.
A danger to herself.
Domenico read each page.
His face became colder with every paragraph.
"She has never done any of this."
Valentina said nothing.
Domenico looked at her.
"You were going to send her away."
"I was trying to help her."
"You forged my name."
"I protected you from making an emotional decision."
Rosa whispered, "My God."
Domenico closed the file.
"Leave."
Valentina blinked.
"What?"
"Leave my house."
"You can't be serious."
"Tonight."
Valentina laughed nervously.
"After four years?"
"Tonight."
Her eyes filled, but the tears looked almost convincing enough to be dangerous.
"Domenico, I loved you."
He looked at Ruby.
"No. You loved proximity to me."
Valentina's face changed.
Then she smiled.
"You still don't know what Lucia did."
Domenico froze.
Valentina saw it.
She stepped toward him.
"You think your dead wife was a saint?"
"Don't."
"She kept things from you."
"What things?"
Valentina looked at the music box.
"Ask the blue bird."
Domenico's jaw tightened.
"You said you didn't know about the key."
"I said I didn't have it."
Daniel's radio crackled.
A guard's voice came through.
"We found Mr. Russo's vehicle."
Daniel answered.
"Where?"
"South road."
A pause.
"It's empty."
Another pause.
"But there's something in the trunk."
Domenico looked at Daniel.
"What?"
The guard replied over the radio.
"A woman's handbag."
Rosa went pale.
She recognized the description before anyone said the name.
May you like
Lucia's handbag.
The one she had been carrying the day she died.
