Chapter 7 - The Night Chicago Stood Still|
"Find my daughter."
Luca's voice was barely above a whisper.
But within seconds, the Moretti mansion transformed.
Security guards flooded the corridors.
Every exterior light came on.
Cars raced toward the gates.
And men who had worked for Luca for decades suddenly looked frightened.
I stood beside Sophia's empty bed, struggling to understand how a child could disappear from a guarded mansion.
Mrs. Carter was sobbing.
"I turned away for one moment."
Luca approached her.
"What happened?"
"Someone knocked on the bedroom door. A woman said there was an emergency downstairs."
"Who?"
"I thought it was Vanessa."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"I opened the door, and she told me you needed me immediately. I stepped into the hallway."
Mrs. Carter began shaking.
"Then somebody grabbed me from behind."
Luca looked at the red mark on her wrist.
"Did you see his face?"
She shook her head.
"When I came around, Sophia was gone."
I glanced toward the balcony.
There was no ladder outside.
No obvious way for someone to carry a child down.
Then I noticed the curtain.
One edge was caught in the balcony door.
And beneath it lay a tiny blue hair ribbon.
Sophia had worn that ribbon at dinner.
I picked it up.
"Mr. Moretti?"
He turned.
I held it out.
His face changed.
"That's hers."
I nodded.
"Someone took her this way."
One of the security guards stepped onto the balcony.
A moment later, he shouted.
"Boss!"
Luca hurried outside.
I followed.
Below us was a narrow maintenance terrace connecting the second floor to an old servants' staircase.
I'd used it once when workers were repairing the main stairs.
Most of the staff didn't even know it existed.
But someone did.
Someone who knew the house.
Luca turned toward his security chief.
"Find Elena Rossi."
Daniel nodded.
"We're already working on it."
"And Vanessa?"
"Her car is missing."
Luca's phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered immediately.
"Where is she?"
A distorted male voice replied.
"Still alive."
I watched Luca's entire body stiffen.
"If you touch my daughter—"
"Save the threats."
There was a pause.
Then the caller continued.
"Bring Caroline's flash drive to the old Bellini warehouse by midnight."
Luca glanced at the clock.
11:18 p.m.
Forty-two minutes.
"Let me speak to Sophia."
The voice laughed.
"You're not negotiating."
"Let me hear my daughter."
Silence.
Then a small voice came through the phone.
"Daddy?"
Sophia.
I covered my mouth.
Luca closed his eyes.
"Baby, I'm here."
"I'm scared."
"I know."
"They said you wouldn't come."
His voice broke.
"Nothing in this world could keep me away from you."
Someone grabbed the phone.
The distorted voice returned.
"Midnight. Alone."
The call ended.
Luca stood motionless.
Then he turned toward Daniel.
"Prepare the cars."
Daniel hesitated.
"Boss, it's a trap."
"I know."
"If you go alone—"
"I'm not leaving her."
I stepped forward.
"Mr. Moretti."
He turned.
I swallowed.
"There's something wrong."
His eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"The caller asked for the flash drive."
"Yes."
"But how did he know we'd found it?"
Luca froze.
I continued.
"Only the people inside this house knew about the music box."
Daniel looked toward Mrs. Carter.
She shook her head desperately.
"I haven't told anyone."
Luca's gaze shifted toward the doorway.
Then toward the security guards.
Someone had been listening.
Someone inside the mansion.
I remembered Antonio standing in Sophia's bedroom.
His confident smile.
His insistence that the letter belonged to the family.
And something else suddenly clicked.
"Mr. Moretti."
"Yes?"
"Antonio knew about the letter before he saw it."
Luca nodded.
"I remember."
"Then he may have known where the music box was hidden."
Daniel's phone rang.
He answered.
After several seconds, his expression darkened.
"Boss, we located Elena Rossi."
"Where?"
"She's been working under another name in Wisconsin."
Luca frowned.
"Is she involved?"
Daniel hesitated.
"She was found dead this afternoon."
The room went silent.
"How?"
"Apparent homicide. Local police are investigating."
Luca stared at him.
Then slowly looked toward the phone in his hand.
Whoever had taken Sophia was eliminating people connected to Caroline's investigation.
One by one.
Suddenly, my own phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number had sent me a photograph.
Sophia sat in a metal chair inside a dark warehouse.
Her wrists appeared to be bound.
Beneath the photograph was a message.
IF YOU WANT THE GIRL TO LIVE, COME WITHOUT LUCA.
My hands began shaking.
A second message appeared.
WE KNOW ABOUT YOUR FATHER'S SURGERY. WE KNOW WHERE YOUR PARENTS LIVE.
I looked toward Luca.
He was already studying my face.
"Megan?"
I swallowed.
Someone had made a terrible mistake.
They thought threatening my family would make me betray Sophia.
Instead, they'd given us something we desperately needed.
May you like
A second contact.
And possibly our first chance to find her.
