Chapter 3 - THE SECOND PIECE
Nico sent Tomas upstairs with two guards.
Not Rafael.
Two others.
That mattered later.
At the time, I only noticed that Rafael remained beside the door.
The black gloves.
The stillness.
Nico turned back toward Serafina.
“Who was the man in the kitchen?”
“I don’t know.”
“That lie is beneath you.”
She stared at him.
He stepped closer.
“You gave him my family necklace.”
Silence.
“My nephew saw you.”
Nothing.
“And he saw the same man the night my sister died.”
Serafina’s jaw tightened.
Nico suddenly looked toward the message on the burner phone.
Did you get both pieces?
“What is the second piece?”
Serafina’s face changed again.
Only slightly.
That was enough.
Nico turned to Rafael.
“My office safe.”
Rafael nodded once and left.
Serafina stood.
“You don’t need to—”
Nico looked at her.
She stopped.
Thirty seconds later, Rafael returned.
His black-gloved hands were empty.
“The safe is open.”
Nico’s entire body went still.
“What’s missing?”
Rafael looked at Serafina.
Then answered.
“Your grandfather’s pocket watch.”
Teresa whispered something in Italian.
I had seen the watch only once.
Heavy silver.
Cracked crystal.
The Bellandi crest engraved on the back.
Nico’s grandfather had carried it through two wars and three federal investigations.
After he died, Nico locked it away.
“Why the watch?” I asked before remembering I was not part of this family.
Nico looked at me.
Then at Serafina.
“Yes.”
He walked closer to her.
“Why my grandfather’s watch?”
Serafina smiled faintly.
“That’s the wrong question.”
“What is the right one?”
“Why would your grandfather keep two heirlooms locked in different places?”
Nobody answered.
Then something heavy tugged at the right side of my apron.
I frowned.
I reached into the deep pocket.
Cold metal met my fingers.
My heart stopped.
I pulled out the Bellandi pocket watch.
The room erupted.
Serafina pointed at me.
“There!”
Her voice came alive.
“I told you. She’s a thief.”
I stared at the watch.
“No.”
Nico looked at me.
I shook my head.
“I didn’t take this.”
“It’s in your pocket,” Serafina said.
“You put it there.”
She laughed.
“When?”
“In the upstairs hallway.”
Her expression flickered.
I remembered.
After I had questioned the necklace, Serena—Serafina—had stepped from her dressing room.
She had brushed into me.
One hand grabbing my waist.
“Sorry,” she had said.
She was never sorry.
“You planted it when you bumped into me.”
Serafina leaned back.
“Convenient.”
I looked at the watch.
My mother’s voice came back to me.
Objects remember where they have been.
I turned the watch toward the chandelier.
The glass was cracked.
Inside the crack was a fine white powder.
I leaned closer.
“Sir.”
Nico watched me.
“This watch was in your safe?”
“For three years.”
“Velvet-lined?”
“Yes.”
I pointed.
“Then this dust shouldn’t be here.”
He stepped closer.
White powder had settled inside the crack in the crystal.
Serafina’s shoulders tightened.
I looked toward her.
“The west dressing room is being renovated.”
Nico’s eyes moved to her.
“Drywall.”
I nodded.
“She kept the watch there before putting it in my pocket.”
Serafina stood.
“You cannot possibly know that.”
“I cleaned your dressing room yesterday.”
I looked at her shoes.
“There’s still drywall powder along the edge of your closet.”
Her face changed.
Nico said,
“Search the room.”
Serafina finally lost control.
“No.”
That single word told everyone more than a confession.
Nico nodded toward two guards.
They left.
Five minutes later, one returned holding a black velvet pouch.
Inside were tiny metal flakes.
And a key blank cut to match Nico’s office safe.
Serafina sat down slowly.
Nico stared at her.
“You copied my key.”
She said nothing.
“You stole the watch.”
Nothing.
“You switched the necklace.”
Nothing.
“You gave the real necklace to a man connected to my sister’s death.”
Nothing.
Nico leaned both palms on the table.
“What were you going to do with the two pieces?”
Serafina looked at him.
May you like
And smiled again.
“You still think this is about jewelry.”
