Chapter 5 - Lily’s Question
Lily Miller met Gabriel Moretti properly on a Sunday afternoon.
She was eight years old, missing one front tooth, and entirely unimpressed by his reputation.
Sophie had brought her to Moretti Tower because the new food program needed weekend volunteers.
Gabriel entered the basement expecting employees.
Instead, he found Lily standing on a chair attaching a new sign to the refrigerator.
NIGHT TABLE.
Gabriel stopped.
“Night Table?”
Lily turned.
“Mom says ‘charity refrigerator’ sounds sad.”
Sophie appeared carrying containers.
“Lily.”
“What?”
“Get down.”
“I’m almost done.”
Gabriel held the chair steady.
Lily looked at his tattooed hand.
“Did that hurt?”
Sophie closed her eyes.
“Lily.”
“What? It probably did.”
Gabriel considered the question.
“Yes.”
“Why'd you do it?”
“I was younger.”
“That doesn't answer it.”
Gabriel looked at Sophie.
She was trying not to laugh.
“Your daughter interrogates people.”
“She gets it from nobody I know.”
Lily climbed down.
Then she looked directly at Gabriel.
“Are you mafia?”
The room became completely silent.
Sophie nearly dropped a container.
“Lily!”
Gabriel stared at the child.
Lily waited.
Finally he said, “People call me many things.”
“That's what Mom said.”
Gabriel glanced at Sophie.
She turned red.
Lily continued.
“Mom says labels don't tell you whether somebody is good.”
Gabriel looked back at her.
“What does?”
“What they do when nobody is looking.”
The sentence hit him harder than any accusation.
It was almost exactly what had happened with Sophie.
He had watched her when she thought nobody important was looking.
And discovered more character in a basement refrigerator than in half his executive board.
“What do you think I am?” Gabriel asked.
Sophie looked alarmed.
Lily considered him seriously.
“I don't know yet.”
Gabriel nodded.
“Fair.”
Then Lily handed him a stack of napkins.
“You can help.”
And for the next hour, Gabriel Moretti stocked a refrigerator.
Word spread through the building.
Nobody believed it until someone took a photograph.
Gabriel in a five-thousand-dollar suit holding plastic forks while an eight-year-old girl instructed him where to put soup.
The picture went viral before dinner.
Sophie was horrified.
Gabriel's communications director was delighted.
Gabriel wanted everyone involved fired.
Lily thought it was hilarious.
But beneath the unexpected warmth, danger was moving closer.
Antonio had disappeared.
Two shell companies had emptied their accounts.
Victor had begun cooperating with prosecutors.
And Detective Russo had discovered something disturbing about Salvatore Moretti's death.
His medical records had been altered.
Someone had changed the original toxicology request.
Gabriel received the call while Sophie and Lily were still downstairs.
“There's enough to reopen it,” Russo said.
Gabriel walked into the corridor.
“Cause?”
“Unknown.”
“That's not an answer.”
“It's the only one I have.”
“Antonio?”
“Possible.”
Gabriel looked through the glass door at Sophie.
She was laughing because Lily had put a hairnet on backward.
For a moment, Gabriel saw something his life rarely contained.
Normality.
It frightened him more than violence.
Because suddenly he had something to lose.
Russo continued.
“Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
“Antonio's car was found.”
“Where?”
“O'Hare.”
“He left?”
“No record of him boarding.”
Gabriel’s stomach tightened.
A distraction.
He returned to the basement.
“Sophie.”
She saw his face.
“What happened?”
“You're leaving.”
“Gabriel—”
“Now.”
Lily looked between them.
Sophie lowered her voice.
“Don't frighten her.”
Gabriel controlled his expression immediately.
That, more than anything, showed how much Sophie had begun changing him.
“There's a security concern.”
“Antonio?”
“Yes.”
Sophie took Lily's coat.
They left through a private garage.
For three days, nothing happened.
Then, Wednesday morning, Lily failed to arrive at school.
Gabriel received Sophie's call at 8:14.
Her voice was shaking.
“She isn't here.”
“Where are you?”
“School.”
“Where's the driver?”
“He says he dropped her off.”
Gabriel stood.
“Did you see her enter?”
“No.”
“Sophie, listen to me.”
“I told you I didn't want this life near her.”
“I know.”
“You promised.”
“I know.”
Her breathing broke.
“Find my daughter.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
“I will.”
The security footage showed Lily exiting the vehicle.
Then a woman approached her.
Lily recognized her.
That was obvious.
She went willingly.
Gabriel zoomed in.
Sophie stared at the screen.
“No.”
“You know her?”
Sophie covered her mouth.
“That's my sister.”
Gabriel turned.
“You have a sister?”
“Half sister.”
“Name?”
“Rebecca.”
“Why isn't she in your employee file?”
“Because we haven't spoken in six years.”
Gabriel's eyes narrowed.
“Why?”
Sophie looked terrified.
“Because Rebecca used to work for Antonio Moretti.”
And suddenly Gabriel understood why Sophie Miller had been employed inside Moretti Tower for five years.
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Maybe their meeting had never been accidental at all.
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