Chapter 6 - The Lie Marcus Told)
Marcus Russo wore a neck brace when Domenico entered the hospital room.
Detective Shaw stood beside the window.
Two officers were outside.
Marcus smiled.
"You came."
Domenico ignored him.
Shaw raised one hand.
"Before anyone speaks, understand that this is an active investigation."
Marcus laughed softly.
"Tell that to him."
Domenico looked at the bruising on Marcus's face.
"Who hit you?"
"You did."
"I was at my house."
"You sent someone."
"Why?"
"Because I know what happened to Lucia."
The room changed.
Shaw watched both men.
Domenico took one step closer.
"What happened to my wife?"
Marcus looked pleased.
"Now you want to talk."
Shaw said, "Mr. Russo, if you have information about Lucia Moretti's death, you should give it to me."
"I want a lawyer."
"Then stop making statements."
Marcus looked at Domenico.
"But maybe we can make a deal."
Domenico's expression did not change.
"You tried to send my daughter away."
Marcus shrugged, then winced because of his neck.
"Valentina did."
"You helped."
"Prove it."
"Lucia's handbag was in your trunk."
Marcus's smile weakened.
"Planted."
"By me?"
"Maybe."
Domenico leaned closer.
"If I wanted to destroy you, Marcus, I wouldn't need an old handbag."
Shaw intervened.
"Enough."
Domenico stepped back.
Marcus watched him.
Then he said the one thing guaranteed to hurt.
"Lucia was leaving you."
Domenico stopped.
Marcus smiled again.
"Didn't know that, did you?"
Shaw looked at him.
"Leaving him for whom?"
"Not a person."
Marcus closed his eyes.
"She was taking Ruby."
Domenico's jaw tightened.
"Ruby was two."
"She was afraid of you."
"That's a lie."
"Is it?"
Marcus opened his eyes.
"Check the vault."
Domenico stared at him.
"You know about the vault."
Marcus realized his mistake.
Shaw noticed too.
"I thought you said the handbag was planted," she said.
Marcus looked at her.
"It was."
"Then how do you know about a vault?"
Silence.
Shaw moved closer.
"Mr. Russo?"
Marcus turned his face toward the window.
"I want my attorney."
Domenico left.
Outside the room, Shaw followed him.
"Do not confront Valentina."
"She's still at my house."
"And she stays under observation until I know whether I have grounds to arrest her."
Domenico looked at Shaw.
"Marcus just admitted knowledge of a vault connected to my dead wife."
"He implied knowledge."
"That's enough for me."
"Fortunately, you're not the one issuing warrants."
Domenico almost argued.
Then stopped.
Shaw studied him.
"You want the truth?"
"Yes."
"Then stop giving them opportunities to make you look dangerous."
Domenico glanced toward Marcus's room.
"He accused me of attempted murder."
"And you walked in looking like you wanted to finish the job."
Domenico gave her a flat look.
Shaw did not blink.
"Go home. Protect your daughter. Let me handle Marcus."
Domenico returned to the mansion.
Valentina was waiting in the library.
She had changed into a cream dress.
She was drinking coffee.
"You went to see him."
Domenico closed the door.
"Marcus knows about Lucia's vault."
Valentina looked at her cup.
"So?"
"So you said you didn't."
"I don't."
"He does."
"Marcus knows a lot of things I don't."
Domenico sat opposite her.
"He says Lucia was leaving me."
Valentina finally looked up.
"She was."
He felt the statement like a physical blow.
"How do you know?"
"She told me."
"When?"
"Two weeks before she died."
Domenico stared at her.
"You barely knew Lucia."
Valentina smiled sadly.
"That's what you thought."
"What does that mean?"
"We met without you."
"Why?"
"Because she was frightened."
"Of me?"
"Of what you were becoming."
Domenico leaned back.
This was the shape of a lie designed carefully enough to contain pieces of truth.
He remembered the final months of Lucia's life.
He had been expanding the company aggressively.
He traveled constantly.
They argued.
Lucia accused him of living inside meetings.
He accused her of creating problems whenever things were finally going well.
Their last conversation had been an argument.
Domenico had carried the guilt for three years.
Valentina knew that.
She knew where to press.
"She said you cared more about control than family," Valentina continued.
Domenico watched her.
"Did she also tell you about the blue bird?"
Valentina's fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
"No."
"Then why were you searching for the key?"
"I wasn't."
"Marcus was."
"You'll have to ask him."
Domenico stood.
Valentina called after him.
"You don't want to believe she was leaving because then you would have to admit you failed her."
He stopped at the door.
For a moment Valentina thought she had reached him.
Then Domenico looked back.
"Maybe I did fail Lucia."
Her smile almost appeared.
"But whatever my failures were, they don't explain why you forged papers to take my daughter."
Valentina's face hardened.
Domenico opened the door.
"And they don't explain why Lucia's missing handbag was in your brother's car."
He left her alone.
Upstairs, Ruby was coloring at a table beside Rosa.
Domenico sat with her.
She pushed a picture toward him.
It showed three people.
Ruby.
Domenico.
Lucia.
Beside them was a blue bird.
Domenico swallowed.
"You remember Mommy?"
"A little."
"What do you remember most?"
Ruby thought.
"Her singing."
"Anything else?"
"She smelled like oranges."
Domenico smiled painfully.
Lucia's perfume had contained orange blossom.
Ruby pointed at the drawing.
"Mommy cried in the garage."
Domenico's smile disappeared.
"When?"
"Before heaven."
"Why?"
"Uncle Marcus was yelling."
Rosa looked up.
Domenico remained very still.
"What was he yelling about?"
Ruby rubbed her thumb against her palm.
"He said she couldn't keep copies."
Domenico felt the room tilt.
"What copies?"
Ruby shook her head.
"I don't know."
"Did you see anything?"
"A black book."
Domenico and Rosa exchanged a look.
The black folder.
"Where did Mommy put it?"
May you like
Ruby pointed to the picture of the blue bird.
Then she whispered, "Under my blanket."
