The doctor finished with both Cosimo and Elio.
I helped as much as I could, and I was glad to have the distraction –
Because an hour and a half after leaving, Vincenzo still hadn’t returned with my mother.
I tried calling her cell phone to find out what was going on –
But I got no reply.
My imagination began to run away with me. I imagined the most horrible things – like men with Uzis walking into the bar and slaughtering everyone inside.
Stupidly, neither Vincenzo nor I had thought to give him my cell phone number. Once I’d shown him my mother’s picture, he walked out.
I had no way to contact him – so I asked Elio if he could call Vincenzo.
“No,” he answered. “We don’t have everyone’s numbers, just our team lead.”
“What? Why?”
“In case we ever get arrested, our bosses don’t want the cops to be able to tie all of us together.”
“I thought you guys bribed the cops to leave you alone?!”
He shrugged. “Some of them. Not all of them.”
By the time Adriano walked in, I was frantic.
“Adriano!” I cried out.
He looked tired… drained… almost haunted. Gone was the fiery temper from earlier. It was like he’d seen something horrible –
Something even worse than what had happened at the hotel.
“What happened?” I asked, alarmed.
“Nothing,” he said. He gave me a strange look – probably a reaction to seeing me without my wig on for the first time. “Where’s your mother?”
“Vincenzo hasn’t come back with her yet!”
“How long ago did he leave?”
“Over an hour! I call her every five minutes, but she won’t answer!”
A shadow passed over his face as he glanced at Massimo and Lars.
Both men looked alarmed –
And all my worst fears were confirmed.
“Oh my god,” I whispered, then burst into tears.
“It’s fine, it’ll be fine,” Adriano said quietly. “I’ll call him – just calm down.”
I stifled my tears while he called Vincenzo, who answered immediately.
“Hey, boss.”
I could hear the raucous sounds of a bar as Adriano put him on speakerphone. “What the fuck’s going on? Why aren’t you back yet?”
“The old lady isn’t here.”
“What do you mean she isn’t there?!”
“She’s not here. I’ve been waiting for half an hour, but she hasn’t come in.”
“Why didn’t you go to her place?!”
“I, uh… I don’t know where she lives.”
“Why didn’t you call Bianca?!”
“I didn’t get her number. I realize now I should have, but I didn’t think about it at the time. I was just trying to get out the door as fast as possible – ”
“Please, we have to go check on her,” I begged Adriano.
“If you tell me where it is, I’ll go over there now.”
“No,” Adriano said, and my heart stopped. I was about to scream at him when he said, “I’m coming. Stay at the bar in case she shows up.”
Then he hung up and turned to me. “Give me the address and I’ll go get her myself.”
“I’m going with you,” I said.
“No – ”
“YES. She’s my MOTHER. I’ve done everything you asked – please. Please, I have to go with you.”
Adriano looked conflicted for a second… then nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.”
“That might not be the best choice,” Lars said.
He was trying to be diplomatic, but his meaning was clear:
We might find something horrible back at my parents’ apartment…
And he didn’t want me to see it.
Adriano smiled grimly. “Which is why you and Massimo are coming with me.”
Massimo’s ordinarily placid face grew angry. “We’ve got hired killers out there slaughtering Cosa Nostra, and you want us to go put ourselves in danger for a civilian?!”
Hired killers out there slaughtering Cosa Nostra.
I stared at him in horror.
Adriano didn’t see my reaction because he got right up in Massimo’s face. “If they’re after her mother, that means her mother is valuable. Which means she knows something. Which is something WE need to know. So let’s GO.”
Adriano took me by the arm and gently pulled me towards the stairs.
After a second’s hesitation, both Lars and Massimo followed behind us.
