Chapter 5 - The Woman in the Kitchen
The first thing Chloe heard was a man whispering.
“Upstairs.”
Another answered.
“Moretti wants the old woman alive until she signs.”
Chloe’s blood turned cold.
She pulled Beatrice closer behind the kitchen island.
Gabriel was somewhere in the dark.
No lights.
No security system.
No cell signal.
Only wind pressing against the windows and footsteps moving through the house.
Beatrice’s breathing became shallow.
Chloe took the older woman’s hands.
She signed slowly against her palms.
Look at me.
Beatrice did.
We are going to move.
Stay close.
Beatrice nodded.
Chloe remembered seeing a pantry door near the refrigerator.
If it had another exit, maybe they could reach the garage.
If it did not, they would be trapped in a room full of canned tomatoes.
Not ideal.
A shadow passed across the wall.
Chloe lowered her head.
One of the intruders entered the kitchen.
He held a flashlight.
The beam swept across the countertop.
Chloe held her breath.
Beatrice shifted.
Her pearl bracelet tapped softly against the cabinet.
The flashlight stopped.
Chloe closed her eyes.
The man moved closer.
Then a hand came out of the darkness behind him.
Gabriel grabbed the intruder.
There was a brief struggle.
A thud.
Then silence.
Gabriel crouched beside Chloe.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
“My mother?”
Chloe signed.
Are you hurt?
Beatrice shook her head.
Gabriel whispered, “There are at least four.”
“How do you know?”
“I counted.”
“Of course you did.”
He looked toward the pantry.
“There’s a service corridor behind there.”
Chloe stared.
“You built a secret corridor?”
“It’s not secret.”
“It’s behind a pantry shelf.”
“It’s for staff.”
“You have staff tunnels in your house?”
“Chloe.”
“Right.”
They moved.
Gabriel pressed a concealed switch.
The pantry shelving opened.
Chloe stared at him.
“Not secret.”
“Move.”
They slipped inside.
The passage was narrow.
Emergency lights glowed faintly near the floor.
Beatrice held Chloe’s arm.
Gabriel led them toward the garage.
Halfway there, voices echoed behind them.
“They’re in the corridor.”
Gabriel swore.
“Run.”
Beatrice could not.
Her knees were too weak.
Chloe wrapped an arm around her waist.
Gabriel turned back.
“Take her.”
“What about you?”
“Go.”
Chloe looked at him.
“No dramatic sacrifice.”
“This isn’t dramatic.”
“You’re holding a gun in a secret tunnel.”
“Chloe.”
“Fine.”
She helped Beatrice forward.
A door appeared at the end.
Chloe shoved it open.
The garage lights were off.
Three cars sat inside.
The side exit was ten yards away.
They were almost there when someone stepped from behind an SUV.
Carlo Vescari.
Chloe recognized him from Gabriel’s description.
Heavyset.
Gray beard.
Dark coat.
He pointed a weapon toward them.
“Stop.”
Chloe stopped.
Beatrice’s grip tightened.
Carlo smiled.
“Mrs. Costello.”
Beatrice could not hear him.
He apparently did not understand that.
“Come here.”
Beatrice stared.
Carlo became irritated.
“I said come here.”
Chloe’s fear briefly collided with disbelief.
“She’s deaf.”
Carlo looked at her.
“I know who she is.”
“Then why are you yelling?”
His expression changed.
“You’re the waitress.”
“Unfortunately.”
He stepped closer.
“You’re causing a lot of problems.”
“I get that at performance reviews.”
“Enough.”
He reached for Beatrice.
Chloe moved between them.
Carlo raised the weapon.
“Move.”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
“You think Gabriel will protect you?”
“I think you’re talking too much.”
A voice came from behind him.
“She does that.”
Gabriel.
Carlo spun.
Two shots cracked through the garage.
Chloe dropped to the floor with Beatrice.
A car window shattered.
Carlo stumbled behind the SUV.
Gabriel moved closer.
Another shot.
Then Dante and three security men rushed through the side entrance.
Within seconds, Carlo was pinned against the concrete.
Gabriel walked toward him.
There was blood on Gabriel’s sleeve.
Chloe stood.
“You’re hurt.”
“It’s nothing.”
“That usually means it’s something.”
Gabriel ignored her.
He looked down at Carlo.
“Where is Vincent?”
Carlo laughed.
“You think this matters?”
Gabriel crouched.
“Where is he?”
“You already lost.”
Gabriel’s face became very calm.
Carlo continued.
“Pier 19 goes up at midnight.”
“We evacuated it.”
Carlo smiled wider.
Gabriel’s eyes changed.
“What?”
Carlo said, “Pier 19 was never the target.”
Gabriel grabbed the front of his coat.
“What is?”
Carlo looked toward Beatrice.
Then he laughed.
“You really should have learned her language.”
Gabriel hit him.
Once.
Hard.
Chloe stepped forward.
“Gabriel.”
He turned.
She shook her head.
Not because Carlo deserved kindness.
Because Gabriel needed answers more than revenge.
Gabriel understood.
He released him.
Dante pulled Carlo upright.
“Take him.”
Carlo was dragged away.
Gabriel pressed a hand against his upper arm.
Chloe saw blood between his fingers.
“You were shot.”
“Grazed.”
“Sit down.”
“I’m fine.”
“Sit.”
Gabriel stared at her.
Chloe pointed toward a bench.
“Do not make me translate your mother.”
Beatrice was already signing furiously.
Chloe smiled.
“She says sit down.”
Gabriel sat.
Chloe found the first aid kit inside the SUV.
She cut the torn sleeve.
The bullet had carved a line across his upper arm.
Not deep.
But ugly.
She cleaned it.
Gabriel watched her.
“You’re calm.”
“I’m not.”
“You look calm.”
“I used to work nights in an emergency room cafeteria.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“That qualifies you for bullet wounds?”
“No.”
Chloe wrapped gauze around his arm.
“But it taught me rich men complain more than children.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
Beatrice sat beside him.
She touched his face.
Then signed.
You came back for us.
Chloe translated.
Gabriel looked at his mother.
“Of course.”
Beatrice’s eyes filled.
Her hands moved slowly.
Your father always came back too.
Gabriel’s face changed.
Chloe lowered her gaze.
This felt private.
Then Beatrice signed something else.
Gabriel noticed Chloe hesitate.
“What?”
Chloe sighed.
“She says your father learned sign language in six months.”
Gabriel looked at his mother.
Beatrice nodded.
Gabriel stared down at his bandaged arm.
“I know.”
It was the first time he sounded ashamed.
Dante returned.
“We have a problem.”
Gabriel stood.
“What now?”
“The harbor evacuation is complete.”
“Good.”
“But Carlo was telling the truth.”
Dante held up a tablet.
“We intercepted a message sent from Vincent’s phone.”
Gabriel took it.
Chloe moved beside him.
A single line filled the screen.
MIDNIGHT.
COSTELLO CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL.
Chloe frowned.
“Children’s hospital?”
Gabriel’s face drained.
“My family foundation owns it.”
Dante nodded.
“There’s a charity gala tonight.”
“How many people?”
“Six hundred.”
Beatrice suddenly grabbed Gabriel’s arm.
She signed desperately.
Chloe translated.
“She says Vincent mentioned children.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“When?”
“During the conversation she overheard.”
Beatrice continued.
He said you would lose everything your father built in one night.
Gabriel’s eyes closed.
The hospital had been founded in his father’s name.
Hundreds of families were inside.
Doctors.
Nurses.
Children.
Donors.
Employees.
Six hundred guests gathered for a gala.
And if Vincent had planted something there, evacuating one warehouse had merely moved everyone’s attention away from the real target.
Gabriel looked at Dante.
“Call the police.”
Dante hesitated.
Gabriel snapped, “Now.”
For the first time, there was no concern about reputation.
No concern about secrets.
Only lives.
Chloe looked at Beatrice.
The older woman’s face was pale.
Gabriel began walking toward the SUV.
Chloe followed.
He turned.
“No.”
“What?”
“You stay here.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Chloe.”
“Beatrice might remember something.”
“She can tell you here.”
“And who translates?”
Gabriel stopped.
Chloe lifted an eyebrow.
“Exactly.”
Beatrice stepped between them.
She signed.
We go together.
Gabriel stared at his mother.
Then at Chloe.
He looked as though he wanted to argue.
Instead he opened the SUV door.
“Fine.”
Chloe climbed inside.
Gabriel looked toward the black horizon.
It was only four in the afternoon.
Midnight was eight hours away.
Somewhere in Chicago, Vincent Moretti believed he was several moves ahead.
May you like
What he did not know was that the woman he had dismissed as irrelevant had finally been heard.
And Beatrice Costello was not finished talking.
