What He Pulled From The Velvet Clutch

The walls of Luca’s office felt like a cage.

It was past midnight. The guests had been evacuated by Luca’s remaining loyal security. Vanessa had been locked in a guest room under guard. Leo was fast asleep on Luca’s leather sofa, completely oblivious to the nightmare unfolding around him.

I sat in a heavy velvet chair.

Across the desk, Luca was staring at the Polaroid photograph.

“Ten years ago,” Luca said softly. “This photo was taken ten years ago.”

“My mother told me my father abandoned us,” I whispered, wiping a tear from my cheek. “She said he packed a bag and left. But she was there. She was in the car with him when he was working for your family.”

Luca looked up. His eyes were bloodshot.

“Marco said your father was a loose end. Ten years ago, my father ordered a purge of all outside contractors who knew too much. If your father was one of them…”

“He didn’t run away,” I finished, my voice breaking. “He was murdered.”

Answer one: My father hadn’t abandoned me. He was killed by the Moretti family to protect their secrets.

Open two: If my mother knew, why did she lie? And why did she let me work in this house?

The heavy oak doors opened.

Two of Luca’s guards walked in, escorting a woman in a faded wool coat.

My mother.

She looked older than her fifty years. Her hands were gripped tightly in front of her, the knuckles white with arthritis.

“Mom,” I breathed, standing up.

She wouldn’t look at me. She kept her eyes glued to the floor.

“Mrs. Reed,” Luca said quietly. “Have a seat.”

She sat rigidly in the chair next to mine.

“Your daughter found something interesting tonight,” Luca said. He placed the fake silver engagement ring on the desk. “Vanessa Bellini claimed she fenced my platinum diamond ring at your pawn shop.”

My mother finally looked at the silver ring. She didn’t flinch.

“Vanessa Bellini is a fool,” my mother said, her voice raspy. “She brought the real ring to my shop on Tuesday. She was crying. Said a man with a scarred hand told her to give it to me to hold. She said the man threatened her life.”

Luca leaned forward. “And you took it?”

“I took it to protect the girl,” my mother said, gesturing to me. “Marco came to my shop an hour later. He demanded the ring. He told me if I didn’t hand it over, he’d kill Emma tonight during the party.”

I grabbed my mother’s hand. “Mom... Marco framed me anyway.”

“I know,” she whispered, squeezing my fingers. “He never intended to let you live, Emma. Because of who your father was.”

Luca crossed his arms. “If Marco wanted the watch for the bank coordinates, why did he want the engagement ring?”

My mother looked at Luca.

“Because Marco is stupid,” she said simply. “He thought the coordinates were in the watch. They aren’t.”

Luca frowned. “My grandfather had them engraved in the watch casing.”

“And your father had them removed ten years ago,” my mother replied. “He didn’t trust a pocket watch that could be dropped or stolen. He wanted the numbers somewhere safe. Somewhere they could be hidden in plain sight.”

She reached into her deep coat pocket.

She pulled out a small, worn velvet box. Not red. Black.

She opened it and placed it on the desk.

Inside sat the magnificent, heavy, platinum emerald-cut diamond ring. The real one.

“Your father had the coordinates micro-engraved into the platinum setting underneath the center stone,” my mother said. “Only a jeweler with a loupe would ever see it. When Marco told Vanessa to bring the ring to me, he just wanted her to get rid of it so you’d be distracted. He didn’t know he was throwing away the very thing he’s been hunting for three years.”

Luca stared at the magnificent diamond.

He had given his fiancée the key to his family’s empire, completely by accident.

Suddenly, the office door flew open.

Marco stood in the doorway, bleeding from a cut on his forehead, holding a silenced pistol.

He hadn’t fled on the motorcycle. He had faked his escape.