Chapter 4 - The Man in the Dark Sedan
Enzo’s voice dropped.
“Who was sitting beside Lily?”
Calvin shook his head.
“I don’t know.”
“You just said—”
“I said the person who did it was beside her.”
Calvin swallowed.
“The instructions came through Whitcomb. Somebody inside wanted the blame to land on the waitress.”
Nora felt her pulse quicken.
“Why me?”
“Easy target.”
Price asked, “Who gave Whitcomb the instructions?”
“I never met them.”
Enzo stepped closer.
Calvin immediately added, “But Whitcomb did.”
“When?”
“Three days ago.”
“Where?”
“A parking garage near Lake Shore.”
“Did you drive him?”
“Yes.”
“Who did he meet?”
Calvin hesitated.
“A man in a dark coat.”
“That describes half of Chicago.”
“He had a silver cane.”
Marcus, standing near the door, suddenly became very still.
Nora noticed.
So did Enzo.
“What?” Enzo asked.
Marcus shook his head.
“Nothing.”
Enzo stared at him.
“Marcus.”
The lawyer sighed.
“There’s one person I know who uses a silver cane.”
“Name.”
“Victor Serrano.”
Hargrove muttered, “Impossible.”
Nora asked, “Who is he?”
Nobody answered immediately.
Enzo finally did.
“My former business partner.”
“Former?”
“He tried to take something that belonged to me.”
Nora glanced toward Lily’s room down the hall.
“Your territory?”
Enzo’s face hardened.
“My daughter.”
That silenced her.
Marcus explained.
“Three years ago, Serrano believed marrying his son into Enzo’s family would end several disputes.”
Nora stared.
“Lily was three.”
“The proposal was for the future.”
“That’s insane.”
Enzo looked at her.
“Yes.”
It was the first time he had agreed with her without argument.
He continued.
“I refused publicly.”
“And Serrano disappeared?”
“Hargrove forced him out of Chicago.”
Hargrove said, “We thought he went south.”
Price folded his arms.
“If Serrano came back, why poison Lily instead of attacking you?”
Enzo looked toward his daughter’s room.
“Because killing me starts a war.”
Nora understood.
“Harming Lily destroys you first.”
Enzo’s jaw tightened.
“Yes.”
His phone rang.
Hargrove answered instead.
“Speak.”
Then his expression changed.
“When?”
He looked at Enzo.
“Whitcomb’s gone.”
Price stared.
“What?”
“He was being transported downtown.”
Hargrove listened.
“The police vehicle was struck at an intersection. Whitcomb ran.”
Price cursed.
“That information should’ve been restricted.”
Marcus said quietly, “Meaning someone knew the route.”
Hargrove replied, “Or someone inside law enforcement is involved.”
Enzo looked at Nora.
“Go home.”
She blinked.
“What?”
“This is no longer your problem.”
“You think somebody tried to frame me for poisoning your daughter, and now it’s no longer my problem?”
“I’ll handle it.”
“That sentence doesn’t make me feel better.”
“It wasn’t designed to.”
Nora shook her head.
“Whitcomb knows where I live.”
Enzo stopped.
Nora continued.
“My employee record has my address.”
Hargrove muttered something unpleasant.
Enzo immediately made a call.
“Two men to Nora Hayes’s apartment.”
Nora stared at him.
“Excuse me?”
“To protect it.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“You shouldn’t have to.”
Before she could reply, Lily’s door opened.
A nurse stepped out.
“She’s asking for her father.”
Enzo entered.
Nora remained outside.
A minute later, Lily’s small voice carried through the partly open door.
“Where’s the lady?”
Enzo answered, “What lady?”
“The waitress.”
Nora blinked.
Enzo appeared at the door.
“She wants you.”
“Me?”
He looked equally confused.
Nora entered.
Lily lay under a white blanket, IV taped to her arm.
“You’re okay,” Nora said softly.
Lily nodded.
“Daddy said somebody changed my lemonade.”
“Yes.”
“I knew it tasted bad.”
“You were smart to tell him.”
Lily looked at Enzo.
“I told you.”
“I know.”
“You didn’t listen fast enough.”
Enzo looked momentarily defeated by a six-year-old.
“You’re right.”
Lily turned to Nora.
“Did you catch the bad guy?”
“Not yet.”
“You will.”
Nora smiled slightly.
“Why are you so sure?”
“Because you noticed my straw.”
Enzo looked at Nora.
Lily reached beneath the blanket and pulled out a small paper crown from her birthday party.
One corner had been crushed.
“I didn’t get to finish my birthday.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Can you come when we do it again?”
Nora glanced at Enzo.
He said nothing.
Lily frowned.
“Daddy.”
Enzo sighed.
“If Nora wants to.”
Nora smiled.
“I’d like that.”
Then Lily’s expression became serious.
“There was a man.”
Enzo leaned forward.
“What man?”
“Before Nora came back.”
The room went silent.
“What did he look like?”
“I don’t know.”
“You saw him?”
Lily nodded.
“He leaned over my chair.”
Enzo’s entire posture changed.
“Who?”
Lily thought.
“He smelled like Grandpa’s old office.”
Marcus frowned.
“What does that mean?”
Lily wrinkled her nose.
“Cigars.”
Enzo asked, “Anything else?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
“He said my name.”
Nora felt cold.
“What exactly did he say?”
Lily looked at her father.
“He said, ‘Happy birthday, little Castellani.’”
Enzo stood.
Marcus’s face had gone pale.
Nora noticed immediately.
“Marcus?”
The lawyer did not answer.
Enzo turned.
“You recognize it.”
Marcus slowly nodded.
“That phrase.”
“What about it?”
Marcus looked at Enzo.
“Your father used to say it.”
Enzo’s eyes narrowed.
“So?”
“So did his brother.”
Hargrove froze.
Enzo whispered the name.
“Salvatore.”
Nora looked between them.
“Who is Salvatore?”
Enzo’s answer came quietly.
“My uncle.”
“Where is he?”
Marcus swallowed.
“Officially?”
“Yes.”
May you like
“Dead.”
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