Chapter 13 - The Father They Buried
Valerio watched the footage without breathing.
His father opened Alessia’s hood, reached inside, and remained there for nearly two minutes.
Then Cesare entered the garage.
The two men argued.
There was no audio.
Vittorio pointed toward the car. Cesare shook his head. Vittorio shoved him.
Alessia felt sick.
“Your father touched my brakes.”
Valerio’s voice was rough. “We don’t know that.”
“You spent a year telling me not to jump to conclusions, and now I understand why.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No. What happened to me wasn’t fair.”
He flinched.
The video continued.
After Vittorio left, Cesare returned alone.
He opened the hood again.
Then the recording ended.
Two men had touched the car.
Only one had cut the line.
Sofia sank into a chair.
“I knew they fought that night.”
Valerio turned on her.
“You knew?”
“Your father told me Cesare wanted Alessia frightened. Not killed. He said he stopped him.”
Alessia stared.
“And you believed that?”
“I wanted to.”
There it was again.
The family religion.
Wanting to believe.
Carlo opened another file from the flash drive: a voice recording made by Luca three days after the crash.
Vittorio says he stopped Cesare. Cesare says Vittorio ordered it. One of them is lying. I’m keeping copies outside the house.
Valerio’s face changed.
“Outside the house where?”
The recording continued.
If anything happens to me, ask Elena Moretti at Saint Michael’s.
Alessia frowned.
“Elena Moretti?”
Sofia whispered, “Your mother’s attorney.”
Elena had retired years earlier and entered a convent after her husband died.
By noon, they were driving toward Saint Michael’s on the north side.
Alessia sat beside Valerio.
Neither spoke.
Finally he said, “I should have told you about Luca’s report.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid you’d leave.”
She looked at him.
“So you made the choice for me.”
His silence admitted it.
At Saint Michael’s, Sister Elena Moretti greeted them in a small office.
She took one look at Alessia and said, “You have your mother’s eyes.”
Then she unlocked a cabinet.
Inside was a sealed envelope marked for Alessia.
May you like
A second envelope was marked for Valerio.
And a third bore the name VERONICA SALVI.
