Chapter 6 - The Price of Lucy’s Life
The exchange location was the old Castellano lodge in the mountains.
Bruno knew immediately why Carlo chose it.
No neighbors.
One road.
No cellular service for nearly six miles.
Vittorio had taken Bruno there as a child.
Carlo had taught him to fish in the lake behind it.
Memories could become weapons when held by the wrong person.
Anna sat beside Bruno in the SUV.
On her lap rested the original ledger.
Or what Carlo believed was the original.
Desmond had photographed every page.
More importantly, the federal investigators handling Salvatore had already received copies.
Carlo could burn the ledger.
He could not burn the truth.
Anna did not know that.
Bruno hadn't told her.
Her fear needed to look real.
Because it was real.
“You stay in the car,” Bruno said.
“No.”
“Anna.”
“My daughter is inside.”
“And Carlo expects you to behave like a terrified mother.”
“I am a terrified mother.”
“Exactly.”
She looked at him.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Anna said quietly, “If something happens to you—”
“It won't.”
“You can't know that.”
“No.”
His voice softened.
“But I know what I'm willing to risk.”
Her eyes searched his.
The emotion between them had been growing in all the spaces where neither wanted to acknowledge it.
Wrong time.
Wrong circumstances.
Perhaps that was why it felt so real.
Anna touched his hand.
“Bring her back.”
“I will.”
Bruno entered alone.
Carlo waited beside the fireplace.
Lucy sat on a sofa.
Unharmed.
The instant she saw Bruno, she jumped down.
“Mr. Bruno!”
Carlo caught her shoulder.
Bruno's jaw flexed.
“Let her go.”
“Ledger.”
Bruno held it up.
Carlo smiled.
“You always were predictable.”
“My father disagreed.”
“Your father mistook restraint for virtue.”
“And you mistake cruelty for intelligence.”
Carlo's smile vanished.
Bruno tossed the ledger onto a table halfway between them.
“Lucy first.”
Carlo pushed her forward.
Lucy ran.
Bruno crouched and caught her.
She wrapped both arms around his neck.
He closed his eyes for half a second.
Then whispered, “Run to Mommy.”
She ran outside.
Carlo moved toward the ledger.
Bruno remained still.
“It's over.”
Carlo laughed.
“No. It's finally mine.”
“The government already has copies.”
Carlo stopped.
Bruno watched understanding arrive.
Then rage.
“You're lying.”
“No.”
Carlo grabbed the ledger and opened it.
His face changed.
Sirens sounded faintly in the distance.
Carlo pulled a pistol.
“You betrayed your family.”
Bruno stared at him.
“No. I stopped confusing family with criminals.”
Carlo fired.
The shot tore through Bruno's side.
He staggered.
Outside, Anna screamed.
Desmond's men stormed the lodge.
Carlo tried to escape through the rear entrance.
He made it twenty feet.
Agents waiting outside arrested him.
Bruno remembered almost none of that.
He remembered falling.
He remembered blood.
And then Anna.
She was suddenly beside him.
“Bruno.”
Her hands pressed against his wound.
“Look at me.”
He tried.
“Lucy?”
“Safe.”
“Good.”
“Stay awake.”
“Bossy.”
“Bruno!”
He smiled faintly.
It was the first time she had ever called him by his first name without fear or formality.
“Say it again.”
“What?”
“My name.”
She stared at him as though he were insane.
“Bruno.”
“Again.”
“Bruno.”
His eyes closed.
The last thing he heard before everything disappeared was Anna saying it again.
He woke in a hospital seventeen hours later.
Desmond sat in the corner.
“You look terrible,” Bruno murmured.
Desmond looked up.
“You were shot.”
“Still no excuse.”
Desmond laughed.
Then Anna entered.
She stopped when she saw Bruno awake.
Neither spoke.
She crossed the room.
And slapped his shoulder.
Not the injured one.
“You lied to me.”
Bruno blinked.
“Good morning.”
“You already sent copies.”
“Yes.”
“You let me believe we were giving Carlo the only evidence.”
“Yes.”
“I spent the entire drive thinking my father's last words were about to be destroyed.”
“It made your fear convincing.”
Anna stared at him.
Then she started crying.
Bruno's expression changed immediately.
“Anna.”
She leaned down and wrapped her arms around him carefully.
He held her.
Neither pretended it meant nothing.
Lucy arrived ten minutes later carrying a drawing.
It showed three people.
Anna.
Lucy.
Bruno.
Bruno looked at it.
“Why am I enormous?”
Lucy shrugged.
“You're big.”
“Fair.”
Then he noticed they were holding hands.
His eyes moved to Anna.
She had noticed too.
Lucy climbed carefully beside him.
“Are you gonna die?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
Bruno hesitated.
Promises mattered.
“I promise I'll do everything I can not to.”
Lucy accepted that.
Then she whispered, “Good.”
“Why?”
“Because Mommy likes you.”
Anna nearly choked.
“Lucy!”
Bruno's mouth twitched.
Lucy continued.
“She looks at you when you aren't looking.”
Bruno looked at Anna.
“Does she?”
Anna turned bright red.
“Children need naps.”
Lucy shook her head.
“I already had one.”
Desmond stood.
“I suddenly have urgent security business.”
He escaped.
Bruno smiled.
For the first time since the photograph appeared, the room felt safe.
Then a federal agent entered.
“Mr. Castellano?”
“Yes?”
“We recovered something from Carlo's vehicle.”
He placed an envelope on the bedside table.
Anna recognized the handwriting immediately.
Her mother’s.
The envelope was addressed to her.
May you like
And beneath her name were four words:
Tell Bruno the whole truth.
