Chapter 7 - The Man Who Was Supposed to Be Dead
Michael Bellucci held a knife against Norah’s throat.
Sebastian held absolutely still.
That was the most frightening thing about him.
Luca had drawn his weapon.
Shaw had hers.
Victor stood near the workbench with both hands visible.
Bellucci looked at Sebastian through the mirror.
“My son.”
Sebastian’s face did not move.
“Take the knife away from her.”
Bellucci smiled.
“You sound like Alessandro.”
“Take it away.”
“He raised you well.”
“He raised me to recognize leverage.”
Bellucci’s smile faded.
“Then you understand.”
“No.”
Sebastian’s voice lowered.
“You think she is leverage because you arrived twenty minutes too late.”
Bellucci’s eyes flicked toward the desk.
The ruby.
Still embedded partly in cut resin.
Norah understood.
He thought Sebastian had it.
He did not know she had moved it.
One tiny motion before the lights failed.
Jeweler’s instinct.
Protect the stone.
The ruby was no longer on the desk.
It was inside her sleeve.
Bellucci looked toward the resin shell.
Empty.
His arm tightened around Norah.
“Where is it?”
She did not answer.
The knife pressed closer.
Sebastian took one step.
Shaw said, “Don’t.”
He ignored her.
Bellucci looked at him.
“You want her alive?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Norah noticed.
So did Bellucci.
Interesting.
“Then she gives me the key.”
Sebastian stared at Norah.
Not at the ruby.
At her.
“You don’t have it.”
Norah understood.
He was giving her the lie.
“No.”
Bellucci’s grip tightened.
“Wrong answer.”
Norah inhaled slowly.
Her father taught her something when she was twelve.
People holding delicate tools focus on the tool.
Not the hand.
She let her left hand drop as if weak.
Bellucci watched Sebastian.
Good.
Norah moved.
Not dramatically.
Two fingers drove into the pressure point between Bellucci’s thumb and wrist.
The knife shifted.
She ducked.
Sebastian crossed the room before the blade hit the floor.
He struck Bellucci once.
Hard.
Luca reached them.
Shaw shouted.
Victor moved toward the back door.
“Stay!”
For one chaotic second, everyone chose a direction.
Bellucci hit Sebastian back.
The resemblance was suddenly visible in motion.
Same balance.
Same controlled violence.
Norah hated that.
Blood recognizes itself in ugly ways too.
Luca pinned Bellucci against the bench.
Shaw secured his wrist.
Sebastian stood over him.
Bellucci laughed.
“You hit like me.”
Sebastian wiped blood from his lip.
“I learned from Alessandro.”
The answer landed.
Bellucci’s face changed.
Good.
Norah pulled the ruby from her sleeve.
Victor saw.
“So did he.
Bellucci smiled.
“Leonard always did teach women to hide things where men wouldn’t look.”
Norah stepped closer.
“You killed him.”
Bellucci looked at her.
“Your father made choices.”
“That is not an answer.”
“It is the only one you get.”
Shaw tightened the handcuffs.
“You can save the philosophy for an interview room.”
Bellucci laughed.
“You think you can book me?”
“Yes.”
“On what?”
“Burglary. assault. unlawful restraint. weapons.”
“You have no idea who I am.”
Shaw smiled.
“I know exactly who you were.”
Past tense.
That irritated him.
Good.
Sebastian looked at the man who had fathered him.
Not father.
Furnished DNA.
The distinction was becoming important.
“Why did you kill Leonard?”
Bellucci’s expression hardened.
“He would not give me the ruby.”
“Why did you need it?”
“To open Mirella’s archive.”
“What archive?”
Bellucci looked at Victor.
Victor’s face changed.
There.
Norah saw.
Victor knew.
“Ask your uncle.”
Sebastian turned.
Victor said nothing.
Bellucci laughed.
“Still playing loyal brother.”
Victor looked at Shaw.
“Get him out.”
Bellucci leaned against the bench as Luca and Shaw moved him.
“Your mother chose the wrong Romano twice.”
Sebastian’s jaw tightened.
Bellucci continued.
“First Alessandro.”
Then he looked at Victor.
“Then Victor.”
The room froze.
Norah stared.
Sebastian did too.
Victor’s face went gray.
Bellucci laughed all the way to the door.
After they took him out, silence remained.
Sebastian looked at Victor.
“My mother and you.”
Victor rubbed one hand over his face.
“Not like that.”
“Then explain the sentence.”
“After she came back.”
“Two years ago?”
“Yes.”
“She came to you instead of me.”
“She did not know where you were.”
“I live thirty minutes away.”
“She did not know what year it was.”
The anger stopped.
Again, Mirella’s condition interrupted every simple emotion.
Victor continued.
“She recognized me.”
“Why?”
“I was there when she left.”
“Seventeen years ago.”
“Yes.”
“You helped her.”
“Yes.”
“After claiming Alessandro did.”
“I helped both of them.”
Sebastian stared.
“Both.”
Victor nodded.
The story rearranged again.
“Alessandro knew she survived?”
“Yes.”
Sebastian sat down.
Norah had never seen him sit because he needed to.
“He knew for seventeen years.”
“Yes.”
“And let me believe she was dead.”
Victor’s voice softened.
“Yes.”
Sebastian looked toward the floor.
“Why?”
“Bellucci.”
Victor pointed toward the door through which Michael had been taken.
“Michael wanted the archive. Mirella wanted him exposed. Alessandro wanted you out of it. They created a lie large enough that everyone would stop searching.”
Norah crossed her arms.
“Except Bellucci didn’t.”
“No.”
“And Leonard?”
“Leonard helped distribute the evidence.”
“Then why did Bellucci wait nine years to kill him?”
“He did not know Leonard had the ruby until later.”
“How?”
Victor looked at Norah’s father’s sample drawers.
“Someone told him.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
She believed he actually did not.
That was almost refreshing.
Sebastian stood.
“My mother.”
Victor nodded.
“She is at the estate.”
“Take me.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
Victor looked at Norah.
Sebastian did too.
Norah understood the question.
“You go.”
He frowned.
“You’re not coming?”
“This is your mother.”
“You are involved.”
“I am not family.”
The words landed strangely.
Too hard.
Sebastian looked at her.
“No.”
Norah blinked.
“What?”
“You’re involved.”
“That is not the same.”
“No.”
He stepped closer.
“You found the film. Your father hid the evidence. Bellucci put a knife to your throat because of this.”
“I noticed.”
“You come.”
It was an order.
She almost refused because of that alone.
Then he added:
“Please.”
Norah stared.
Victor looked away.
Luca, returning from the alley, almost walked back out.
Sebastian Romano had said please.
Apparently miracles occurred under fluorescent workshop lighting.
Norah sighed.
“Fine.”
They left the workshop under police seal.
Bellucci was taken into state custody under an alias while Shaw began contacting federal partners she believed had no connection to his old task force.
The ruby stayed with Norah.
Shaw objected.
Norah objected more.
In the end, they sealed it in an evidence pouch and Norah carried it while Shaw documented chain of custody.
Sebastian’s family estate occupied several wooded acres above the lake.
Stone gates.
Old trees.
A main house designed to make visitors feel temporary.
Norah hated it immediately.
“You grew up here?”
“Yes.”
“That explains you.”
He looked at her.
“You say that often.”
“The house keeps providing evidence.”
Victor led them through the oldest wing.
Dust.
Covered furniture.
No staff.
At the end of a corridor stood a locked door.
Victor used a brass key.
Inside was not a bedroom.
It was a small private apartment.
Warm.
Lived in.
Flowers.
Books.
Medical equipment discreetly arranged.
A woman sat near the window.
Silver hair.
Thin shoulders.
Dark eyes.
Mirella Romano.
Alive.
Sebastian stopped in the doorway.
Norah watched the most controlled man she had ever met forget how to move.
Victor whispered:
“Mira.”
The woman looked up.
Her gaze passed over Norah.
Then Victor.
Then Sebastian.
Nothing.
Sebastian took one step.
“Mom.”
Mirella frowned.
He stopped breathing.
“Mom.”
She looked at his face.
Longer.
Then lifted one hand.
“Alessandro?”
Sebastian’s expression broke.
Not loudly.
Just enough.
“No.”
Victor moved forward.
“Mira, this is Sebastian.”
She stared.
“Sebastian.”
“Yes.”
Her eyes filled.
“My boy?”
He crossed the room.
Kneeled beside her chair.
“Yes.”
Mirella touched his face.
“You got old.”
Norah looked down because grief this private deserved somewhere to hide.
Sebastian laughed through something that was not laughter.
“So did you.”
Mirella smiled.
Then looked frightened.
“Where is Alessandro?”
Sebastian froze.
Victor answered gently.
“He’s gone.”
“Gone where?”
No one knew how to answer death to someone whose memory would not stay.
Mirella looked at Norah.
Her eyes sharpened unexpectedly.
“Leonard.”
Norah stepped closer.
“I’m his daughter.”
Mirella’s face changed.
“Norah.”
Norah stopped.
“You know my name.”
Mirella reached for her hand.
“Little red coat.”
Norah’s heart stopped.
A memory.
Age five.
Her father’s workshop.
A woman with dark hair who gave her a sugar cookie.
Norah had forgotten.
“You met me.”
“Yes.”
Mirella smiled.
“You put glue in your hair.”
Sebastian looked at Norah.
She ignored him.
“That happened once.”
Mirella laughed softly.
Then her attention shifted to the evidence pouch.
The ruby.
Her face changed completely.
Fear.
“No.”
Sebastian stood.
“What?”
“No.”
Mirella tried to pull away.
“Don’t open it.”
Norah stared.
“The ruby?”
“Don’t.”
Victor moved closer.
“Mira.”
She grabbed Norah’s wrist with surprising strength.
“Leonard lied.”
Everything stopped.
“What?”
Mirella’s eyes were suddenly clear.
“He told everyone the ruby opens the archive.”
Norah’s pulse changed.
“It doesn’t?”
Mirella shook her head.
“No.”
“What does it open?”
Mirella looked at Sebastian.
Then whispered:
“A confession.”
Sebastian’s face hardened.
“Whose?”
May you like
Mirella’s eyes filled.
“Mine.”
