Chapter 9 - The Night Rosa Disappeared
Rosa did not answer her phone.
Dante called again.
Straight to voicemail.
He immediately contacted the rehabilitation facility.
A receptionist answered.
"Mrs. Bellamy? She's in her room, sir."
"Put a nurse with her. Now."
"May I ask—"
"Tell her daughter someone is concerned about her safety."
The receptionist hesitated, then agreed.
Dante turned toward Meredith.
"If anything happens to Margaret—"
Meredith interrupted gently.
"Anger won't help us, Dante."
He stared at her.
She had the kind of composure he once admired in experienced businesspeople.
Now he saw something else.
A woman who had learned that frightening people indirectly was often more effective than threatening them outright.
Richard remained near his desk, looking ill.
Meredith slipped her phone into her handbag.
"I understand Thomas's daughter has recovered certain personal belongings."
Dante said nothing.
"Old paperwork can be confusing," she continued. "People occasionally misinterpret documents they don't understand."
"Then you should have no objection to independent examination."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"Your uncle warned me you were becoming difficult."
"My uncle has a habit of speaking for people."
"And you have a habit of becoming sentimental."
She moved toward the door.
"Tell Miss Bellamy that revisiting the past can be expensive."
Dante's phone rang.
Marco.
"Mrs. Bellamy is safe. One of our people is with the facility administrator. No unauthorized visitors are being allowed in."
"Rosa?"
"We can't reach her."
Dante felt an unfamiliar coldness settle beneath his ribs.
Two hours earlier, Rosa had left Dante's residence to visit her mother.
She had insisted on traveling with only one driver, a middle-aged employee named Daniel who had worked for Dante's family for almost twenty years.
They stopped at a pharmacy on the way.
Rosa purchased a hand cream Margaret liked and a packet of peppermint candies.
When she returned to the car, Daniel was speaking into his phone.
He ended the call immediately.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Of course, miss."
Ten minutes later, his phone rang again.
He looked at the screen, then at Rosa through the rearview mirror.
"Miss Bellamy, Mr. Moretti's security team has asked me to make a brief stop."
"Where?"
"A nearby office. There's an urgent document you need to review."
Rosa frowned.
"Dante didn't mention anything."
"It's concerning your father."
That was enough to make her hesitate.
"Can I call him first?"
"Certainly."
She dialed.
No connection.
Unknown to Rosa, Dante was inside Richard Hargrove's office, where mobile reception was notoriously unreliable.
Daniel pulled into the underground garage of a commercial building.
Rosa looked around.
"This doesn't seem right."
Daniel stopped the engine.
His hands trembled against the steering wheel.
"I'm sorry, Miss Bellamy."
Her stomach dropped.
"What?"
He turned.
His eyes were wet.
"They have my granddaughter."
Before Rosa could respond, two people approached the car.
A woman in a gray coat opened the rear passenger door.
"Miss Bellamy. Please come with us."
Rosa gripped her handbag.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who would prefer not to make this difficult."
Daniel lowered his head.
Rosa looked between them.
Then she asked one question.
"Is your granddaughter really in danger?"
Daniel nodded miserably.
Rosa drew a shaky breath.
"Then I'll come."
When Dante returned home that evening, the house was silent.
Mrs. Alvarez stood near the staircase holding Rosa's scarf.
"She never came back, sir."
He looked at the scarf.
The pale-blue wool was familiar.
Rosa had worn it the afternoon they first kissed.
Seven years ago.
He had bought it from a street vendor after she complained that Chicago winters were personally offended by her existence.
Now it rested in his house while she was missing.
Marco approached.
"We found Daniel's vehicle."
"Where?"
"Lower Wacker Drive. Empty."
"Daniel?"
"Alive. He walked into a police station twenty minutes ago."
Dante turned sharply.
"What did he say?"
"Someone threatened his family and forced him to take Rosa to a garage. He's cooperating."
"And Rosa?"
"No confirmed location."
Dante closed his eyes.
He remembered the last thing she had said before leaving.
Don't worry. I'll be back for dinner.
He had smiled.
I'll try not to burn it.
Now he would have given away every restaurant he owned to hear her complain about his cooking again.
Rosa awoke in a comfortable bedroom.
That frightened her more than a basement would have.
There were fresh flowers on the dresser.
A tray of food beside the bed.
A private bathroom.
And a locked door.
She went to the window.
The view showed a dark stretch of water and industrial buildings in the distance.
Lake Michigan.
Possibly the southern waterfront.
She checked her handbag.
Her phone was gone.
Her wallet remained.
Someone had taken her keys and the photocopies of her father's letter.
But not the tiny brass key, which still hung beneath her sweater on a necklace.
She had kept it after opening locker 317.
A habit.
A reminder of her father.
Now she was grateful.
The door opened.
Meredith Sloan walked inside.
Rosa instinctively stepped backward.
"You."
Meredith smiled.
"Good evening, Rosa."
"Where am I?"
"Somewhere private."
"Why?"
"Because we need to discuss your father's notebook."
Rosa folded her arms.
"I don't have it."
"I know. Your attorney has it."
"Then you're wasting your time."
Meredith placed her handbag on the dresser.
"You look like Margaret."
Rosa went still.
"Don't talk about my mother."
"She was always a sweet woman. Thomas was terribly devoted to her."
"You knew my father?"
"Very well."
Meredith sat on the edge of a chair.
"He was brilliant. Unfortunately, he had difficulty understanding how business worked."
"He understood that unsafe buildings shouldn't be approved."
The older woman's smile faded.
"Careful, dear."
Rosa stared directly at her.
"Did you have him killed?"
Meredith said nothing.
For one terrible second, Rosa thought she saw the truth reflected in the woman's eyes.
Then Meredith stood.
"Your father made decisions that affected powerful people. I'm offering you an opportunity to avoid repeating his mistakes."
"What opportunity?"
"Sign a statement confirming that the notebook contains unverified personal notes. Then publicly withdraw any allegations concerning East Harbor."
"And Victor?"
Meredith shrugged.
"His behavior was unfortunate. I'm sure a private settlement can be arranged."
Rosa laughed bitterly.
"You think I'm going to apologize for being assaulted?"
"I think you have a sick mother and a future worth protecting."
Rosa felt rage rise beneath her fear.
"My father didn't sell his integrity. Neither will I."
Meredith studied her.
Then she moved toward the door.
"You have until tomorrow morning."
"Or what?"
The older woman turned.
"Or Dante Moretti will discover how much pain one stubborn woman can bring into his life."
The door closed.
Rosa stood motionless.
Then she heard voices in the hallway.
A man spoke.
"Does Carlo know she's here?"
Another answered.
"He arranged it."
Rosa closed her eyes.
Dante's uncle.
Again.
May you like
She looked toward the dark window.
And decided that if she was going to survive this night, she needed to stop waiting for Dante to save her.
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