Chapter 3
Chapter three
Wild curls, hurricane eyes, and flushed cheeks make up my best friend. She stands before us, her chest heaving beneath a leather jacket as her gaze fixes on me.
“Cipi!” She gasps, rushing to my side.
I don’t know whether to hug her or slap her.
Lucia sits on the edge of the bed and grabs my hand. “Thank God, you’re okay! I came as soon as I heard.”
Her fingers are cold, and her appearance is disheveled. I may be going down to hell to ask the devil for a favor, but my best friend looks like she’s already gone.
“I can’t believe this happened!” She hugs me tight, her caramel-highlighted waves brush against my arms.
She pulls back and takes in our speechless faces. Confusion fills her espresso-colored eyes. “Why are you all looking at me like that? What’s wrong?”
“Lucia, where the fuck have you been?” Bruno throws up his hands in exasperation. “The guards have been scouring the city looking for you!”
Lucia looks surprised. “I was at the warehouse, waiting for the shipment. But the shipment didn’t come.”
“That’s because it was delivered today like we originally stated,” Bruno yells.
“Another delivery came instead,” Lucia snaps.
“Still, on my birthday, Luc,” I cry. “You were supposed to be at the party with me.”
She turns to me. “You’re the one who told me to go.”
“What? No, I didn’t. I called you multiple times and you didn’t answer. Then I texted and told you to get your ass to my party,” I huff.
Lucia presses her red lips together as she pulls two phones out of her pocket. “You texted me on the burner. Right here.” She holds the screen to my face.
I blink as words come into focus.
Lucia, shipment is arriving earlier than expected. Take care of it, then come to the party.
Sure enough, there is my name in the sender box and a time stamp of an hour before the party started.
“I didn’t send that,” I protest. “I know that’s my burner number, but that’s not my message. How did it get on your phone?”
Salvatore walks over and stares at the screen. “Maybe someone took your burner when you were getting ready for the party and sent the message.” He studies the flip phone. “Or it could be an SMS spoofing job. I’ll have to check with A.J. in tech.”
“You know it could only have been a request from you that would make me late to your party,” Lucia whispers. “I wouldn’t miss your party for the world.”
“I know,” I admit. “I was so stupid to think you blew me off. But what would ever make you think that message was from me? I don’t talk like that.”
Lucia shrugs. “Well it was your number so I assumed it was you. Plus, there was a lot going on. I was running around for the party so I didn’t pay close attention.”
I shift my gaze to Bruno and Salvatore. “Do you mind if I talk to Lucia privately before everyone comes back, unless there is more we have to discuss?”
Salvatore nods. “No, we’re good, Farfalla, we’ll head back to the compound and try to get more answers to this mystery.”
I shoot Bruno a look. “Don’t do anything to you-know-who. I’ll handle it.”
Bruno holds up his hands in defense. “I won’t for the moment, but I can’t promise I won’t be thinking of how to kill him in the most torturous way possible.”
“You can think whatever your heart desires, but acting on it is a different story.” I roll my eyes.
“I’m posting a guard outside your door until the hospital releases you,” Bruno adds.
“Grazie,” I reply.
They exit, leaving me alone with my best friend.
“How are you?” Lucia begins.
“I’m surviving,” I grumble.
“Cipi, I can’t believe you would think I’d miss your birthday party. You know if I wasn’t there it was because I had orders from you.” Lucia leans forward and squeezes my hand.
I sigh. “I know. Tell me everything that happened yesterday. You mentioned that a delivery did come but it wasn’t the shipment we were expecting.”
Lucia sinks into the chair next to me. “This is all my fault. I should’ve double checked with you in person before I went to the warehouse.”
“It’s okay,” I assure her. “The message came from my number. There is nothing that would have made you question that it wasn’t from me. The text would have fooled me too if I hadn’t been looking closely at it.”
Lucia takes a deep breath. “I spent the morning running errands. Later that day, I was getting ready for the party when the text came through on the burner phone. I texted you back but you didn’t respond. I tried to call but you didn’t pick up, so I dropped everything and drove to the warehouse.”
“So what got delivered?” I ask.
“I was waiting with a few of the soldiers, when this old man driving a truck pulled up. I asked about our shipment, he said that it was coming tomorrow, and this was something that you had special-ordered to arrive today.”
“But I didn’t request an important delivery.” I shift my weight and feel a slight jolt of pain down my side.
“Something felt off about the whole exchange. Two young guys hopped out and took three large boxes from the cargo area. I had them stack the delivery against the far wall.”
“Did you see what was in it?”
Lucia shakes her head. “The old man told me that you requested the boxes remain sealed until you open them. He kept talking my ear off too as I was signing the papers. Normally deliveries go quick but this one felt like eternity even the guards were getting restless.”
“Maybe he was stalling on purpose,” I shiver. Lucia grabs another blanket and places it over me. “I called you multiple times and texted you on your regular phone but you didn’t respond.”
“Because I was an idiot and left my regular phone in the car. I thought you were going to text me from the burner since this was a transaction. By the time we had finished and were securing the warehouse, another guard pulled up and told me you had gotten shot. I rushed here as fast as I could.”
“Did the old man say who he was? Was there any signage on the truck?”
Lucia shakes her head. “No, it was just a plain white box truck. But the old man did say the delivery was from Marconi.”
My heart leaps to my throat. “Marconi? No, that can’t be.”
Lucia nods. “That’s what he said. He said that he was delivering a special order to Cipriani Capuano from Marconi. And you had requested the boxes remain sealed until you came and opened them yourself.” She studies my face. “Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?”
“It can’t be Marconi. Did he say a first and a last name?”
“Just Marconi…Interesting name,” Lucia muses.
“There is nobody with that name still alive today,” I reply. “Marconi as in the Marconi family. They were wiped out in 1995. They were rivals of my father back in the day.”
“Hmmm, maybe it’s a coincidence?” Lucia offers.
“Luci, you know nothing in this business is coincidental. Everything is calculated and well-thought out in order to send a particular message. Plus I didn’t order anything from a Marconi and that name is not associated with anyone we deal with.”
“This doesn’t look good. Someone makes a delivery from Marconi on the day you get shot at your own party. Could someone be trying to resurrect the name and send a message?”
“It looks like it.” I groan. All of this is making me realize that I need his help more than I want to admit. “I didn’t want to do this but I’m going to have to stoop to drastic measures to get to the bottom of this.”
Lucia arches an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Cipi?”
“It appears that whoever shot me is affiliated with or is someone in our inner circle. I can’t rely on our normal crew to figure this out because they may be the one who wants me dead.
In order to find the killer, I’m going to have to get someone from the outside.
Someone who knows my lifestyle but isn’t part of it and will remain neutral. ”
“Who the hell are we going to get that can do that?” Lucia scratches her head.
I take a deep breath. “Dominic Cartieri.”
“What the fuck! Dominic! How the hell is hiring your ex to find your killer remaining neutral?” Lucia cries. Her eyes narrow. “Oh I hate him. He broke your heart and you want to get him on the case. I would have killed him.”
I take a deep breath. “This isn’t about feelings right now, this is about logic. You were there when things ended between us. He chose the law over me. He believes in justice.”
Lucia places the back of her hand against my forehead.
“Are you feeling okay, Cipi? You’re talking crazy.
Yes. I remember the breakup, but have you forgotten, you’re the complete opposite of everything he believes in.
I’m sure he would love nothing more than to charge the Capuano Family with a bunch of crimes and put us all behind bars. ”
I scoff. “Dominic would never do that, he can keep his mouth shut.”
“Cipi, he works for the FBI.”
“Not anymore.” I smirk. “He retired.”
Lucia wrinkles her nose. “Retired? Isn’t he a little young for that?”
“I don’t know, but according to my sources, he retired out of the blue two years ago and opened an investigation firm. It’s become the best in Chicago. High-powered celebrities and billionaires have gone to him.”
“You’ve been keeping tabs on your ex?” Lucia smirks.
“No, of course not,” I lie. “Matteo told me about it.”
“Yeah, alright,” Lucia rolls her eyes. “Let’s get back to reality here.
What makes you think Dominic is even going to want to help you find your killer?
As you said earlier, he is an uptight law-abiding citizen.
I doubt he’ll want to help his ex-girlfriend who’s a mafia boss and smuggles weapons and drugs into the country, then launders the money through luxury nightclubs. ”
“I’ll pay him,” I groan.
“That company he has is making him billions of dollars. I’m sure he doesn’t need your dirty money.”
I glare at her. “Then I’ll have to find his weakness and use it against him.
Everyone has a price.” I sigh. “I’m not happy about doing this, Lucia.
I haven’t spoken to Dominic in over a decade and I would love nothing more than to keep it that way.
He never approved of what our family did and he made me choose between the two. ”
“And I believe you made him choose as well.” Lucia remarks.
I bow my head and don’t reply.
Lucia bolts upright in her chair. “Oh my god, I almost forgot. There was more to that strange delivery.” She gets up and walks over to her bag that she had dropped on the floor by the door.
“The old man gave this to me after I signed for the shipment. He said to give it to you and not leave it in the warehouse.” She pulls out a black box wrapped in a blood-orange ribbon.
“There aren’t any toxic substances on the ribbon or box. ”
“Did he say who it was from?”
“No. I guess Marconi, since the three crates in the warehouse were from him.” She presses the button on the hospital bed to move me upright, then places the box in my lap.
I wince and take the tag between my fingers. Turning it over, I see my name Cipriani written on this paper. The letters have been clipped from a magazine and pieced together.” I shake the box and hear a muffled clunk.
I tug at the blood-orange ribbon and it falls away. Jiggling the top free, I peer inside.
A black satin pillow fills the bottom of the box. On top of it is a king piece from a chess set and lying across it is a black raven feather.
Lucia leans over. “Well, that’s a weird gift.”
I take the raven feather out. “The Marconi family is the only one who used black raven feathers to symbolize their reign. Whenever you saw this, you knew they were behind it.”
“Then it’s a warning,” Lucia folds her arms. “But who could send their symbol if they’re all dead?”
“Maybe someone is playing games.” Laying the raven feather on the bed, I remove the chess piece.
It’s not the feather that worries me, it’s this chess piece, because I know it’s mine.
The smooth polished body narrows into a crown etched with a cross at the top.
The piece is made of golden rosewood and crafted by hand. I would know this piece anywhere.
Turning it over I see the initials V.C. carved in the bottom.
Vincenzo Capuano.
My father.
“This chess piece is from my father’s set,” I whisper.
“What?” Lucia takes the piece from my hand and turns it over. “Yes. I remember this piece. You used to play with him when you were little.”
I nod. “This was a unique set that Father had designed just for him. I haven’t seen it in ages. I remember it was at their house on a table by the window…” my voice trails off.
“That means someone had to take it from your mom’s house in order to send it to you.” Lucia’s eyes widen. “Then it is someone in your inner circle who is out to get you.”
My stomach twists. “Someone is sending a message.”
“But I don’t understand. The king piece must symbolize your father and the feather over it represents death. But your father is already dead. He died of a heart attack, he wasn’t murdered.”
“Maybe he was murdered and we missed something. I always thought his death was strange.”
“But why now Cipi, it’s been fifteen years. You’re the queen. Why didn’t they put the queen in there?”
“I don’t know, Luci.” A chill runs through me along with a million questions. “Only someone close to me that knew my father loved chess and had access to the board could do this.”
“Maybe Dominic is our only option,” Lucia grumbles.
Voices outside in the hall interrupt us. It’s Mama, Nonna, and Gigi. Quickly I shove the items back into the box and slam down the lid. “Quick! Hide it in your purse. I don’t need my family to worry anymore than they already are.” I shove the box into Lucia’s hands and she dumps it into her purse.
The door opens and my family walks in. Nonna is still complaining about the coffee. Their faces change from somber to delight when they catch sight of Lucia.
“Lucia! Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick,” Mama cries.
They hug and kiss her.
Resting my head against the pillows, frustration wells in me.
I don’t want to see Dominic Cartieri.
I don’t want to hear his voice.
I don’t want to remember the past and the passion that burned between us.
I don’t want to need him.
But I do.
The second I’m discharged from the hospital, I’m going to do something I swore I’d never do. I’m going to the devil’s office and ask for his help.
Because there are too many ghosts trying to claw their way out of the past, and if I don’t watch out I’ll be joining them.