Chapter 8 - The Grave Above the Sea
Stefano disappeared before Luca could question him.
His phone went dark.
His apartment was empty.
His security detail claimed they had been dismissed the night before.
That was enough for Luca.
"Find him."
Two words.
The villa moved.
Elena watched men leave in cars.
Others arrived.
Phones rang constantly.
But Luca didn't shout.
That was what frightened her most.
His anger had gone beyond noise.
Matteo knew something was wrong.
"Where is Uncle Stefano?"
Luca hesitated.
Elena watched.
This was the moment.
The old Luca would lie.
The father Elena had been pushing him to become did something else.
"We don't know."
Matteo frowned.
"Is he bad?"
"We don't know that either."
"But you're angry."
"Yes."
"At me?"
Luca crouched.
"Never because of this."
Matteo studied his face.
Then nodded.
Progress, Elena thought.
Small.
But real.
Later Matteo appeared in Elena's room wearing shoes and carrying a small backpack.
"Where are you going?"
"Mama."
Elena's heart sank.
"Matteo."
"I want to see her."
This time he did not sneak away.
That mattered.
Elena sat beside him.
"Did you ask your father?"
"He'll say no."
"Ask anyway."
Matteo shook his head.
Elena held out her hand.
"Come on."
They found Luca in the library.
Matteo nearly turned back.
Elena squeezed his hand.
"Papa?"
Luca immediately looked up.
"Yes?"
"I want to visit Mama."
Silence.
Elena watched Luca fight every instinct he had.
No.
Too dangerous.
Not now.
Instead, he said,
"Okay."
Matteo blinked.
"Okay?"
"Yes."
"When?"
Luca looked toward the window.
"Today."
The graveyard stood on a hillside overlooking the Mediterranean.
Sofia Santoro was buried beneath an olive tree.
Her marker was simple.
Elena expected something enormous.
Instead, there was only white stone.
SOFIA BIANCHI SANTORO
Beloved Mother. Beloved Wife.
Matteo carried flowers.
Luca carried nothing.
At first.
Then, just before they left the car, Signora Russo handed him one white rose.
He stared at it for several seconds.
Then accepted it.
Matteo ran to the grave.
Elena stayed behind.
Luca walked slowly.
The feared man of Palermo seemed unable to approach one stone.
Eventually he reached it.
Matteo placed flowers down.
"Hi, Mama."
Luca closed his eyes.
Elena looked away.
This moment did not belong to her.
Then Matteo called.
"Elena."
She hesitated.
"Come."
She approached.
"This is Elena," Matteo told the grave.
Elena's throat tightened.
"She saved me."
Luca looked at her.
"She tells Papa no."
Elena laughed through sudden tears.
Luca almost smiled.
"Mama would like that," Matteo continued.
Luca looked at the stone.
"Yes."
His voice broke slightly.
"She would."
They remained there for almost an hour.
Matteo talked.
About school.
About dinosaurs.
About Elena.
About how Luca made terrible sandwiches.
Then the boy wandered several yards away with a guard to collect fallen olives.
Elena stood beside Luca.
"He needed this."
"So did I."
It was the first time he admitted it.
Luca placed the white rose on Sofia's grave.
"I'm sorry."
Elena pretended not to hear.
A sound came from the road below.
A vehicle.
Fast.
One of the guards immediately spoke into his radio.
Luca's body changed.
"Matteo."
The boy turned.
"Come here."
Everyone moved.
The approaching car did not enter the cemetery.
It stopped near the lower gate.
A man stepped out.
Paolo Greco.
Elena recognized him immediately.
Luca did too.
Two guards moved toward him.
Paolo raised both hands.
"I'm alone."
"That's irrelevant," Luca said.
"I have information."
"Then speak."
Paolo looked toward Matteo.
"Not here."
Luca's face hardened.
"You do not decide where."
Paolo glanced toward Elena.
"Bellini isn't hiding from you."
"What?"
"He's waiting."
"For what?"
"Stefano."
Luca became still.
Paolo continued.
"Stefano isn't working for Bellini."
Elena felt the twist coming before he finished.
"Bellini is working for Stefano."
Silence.
Luca took one step forward.
"Explain."
Paolo swallowed.
"Your cousin began moving money years ago. Bellini covered the transactions."
"Sofia discovered it."
"Yes."
Luca's face became empty.
"Did Stefano kill her?"
Paolo looked toward the grave.
"I don't know."
"Wrong answer."
"It's the truth."
Luca moved closer.
Paolo held his ground.
"But I know he followed her that night."
"Why?"
"She had evidence."
"What evidence?"
"A ledger."
Luca frowned.
"Paper?"
"Handwritten. Names, payments, routes. She didn't trust computers."
"Where is it?"
"Nobody knows."
Luca looked at Sofia's grave.
Paolo continued.
"Stefano thought she had it with her."
"Did she?"
"No."
"How do you know?"
"Because he searched the wreckage."
Elena's stomach turned.
Matteo was far enough away not to hear.
Luca's voice became dangerously quiet.
"You were there."
Paolo closed his eyes.
"Yes."
Everything stopped.
Luca grabbed Paolo by the jacket.
The guards moved.
Elena stepped forward.
"Luca."
He didn't hear her.
"Luca."
His hand tightened.
Paolo did not resist.
"I didn't touch her."
"You watched."
"Yes."
"You watched my wife die."
"I arrived after the crash."
"And said nothing."
"I was afraid."
Luca's fist drew back.
Elena caught his wrist.
He turned toward her.
The rage in his eyes frightened her.
"Not here."
"Move."
"No."
"He knows."
"Then make him talk."
"He deserves—"
"Matteo is watching."
That reached him.
Luca looked toward his son.
Matteo stood in the distance.
Confused.
Afraid.
Luca slowly released Paolo.
Elena exhaled.
Paolo adjusted his jacket.
"There's something else."
Luca turned.
"Sofia knew she was being followed."
"How?"
"She called someone."
Luca's face tightened.
"She called me."
"No."
Paolo shook his head.
"Before you."
"Who?"
Paolo looked directly at Elena.
"San Giovanni Hospital."
Elena froze.
"What?"
"She called the hospital."
"Why?"
Paolo reached into his coat carefully.
A guard immediately moved.
Paolo stopped.
"I have a copy of the old phone record."
Luca nodded.
He handed over a folded paper.
Elena looked at the number.
She knew it.
It belonged to the maternity wing.
Sofia had called San Giovanni Hospital the night she died.
Elena looked at Luca.
"Why would she call maternity?"
Luca's face had gone pale.
Paolo answered for him.
"Because Sofia Santoro had discovered something about her son."
Matteo laughed in the distance, unaware.
And suddenly the investigation was no longer only about Sofia's death.
May you like
It was about Matteo's birth.
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