Chapter 7 - THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT
The restaurant reopened six weeks later.
New management.
New safety procedures.
A renovated kitchen.
Transparent payroll records.
Employees received training.
Marco remained head chef.
Sonia became dining-room supervisor.
She hadn't expected the promotion.
But Dante had insisted she interview for the position like everyone else.
She did.
And earned it.
---
Opening night was busy.
Reservations filled the dining room.
Customers praised the food.
Marco nearly cried when the first review arrived.
Sonia laughed.
For a few hours, everything felt normal.
Then the lights went out.
At 9:17 p.m., the restaurant fell into darkness.
A woman screamed.
Glasses shattered.
Sonia froze.
Then emergency lighting flickered on.
Someone had cut power to the building.
A man stood near the kitchen entrance.
Vinny.
He held a small black bag.
His face was pale.
His eyes wild.
“Everybody stay where you are!”
Sonia's heart hammered.
Vinny looked directly at her.
“You ruined everything.”
She stepped back.
“Vinny.”
He pointed toward her.
“Your father should have kept his mouth shut.”
Dante emerged from the rear corridor.
His expression changed when he saw Vinny.
“Vincent.”
Vinny laughed bitterly.
“Of course you're here.”
Dante raised his hands slightly.
“Let's talk.”
Vinny shook his head.
“No more talking.”
He reached into the bag.
Sonia's stomach dropped.
But before he could pull anything out, Luca moved from the side entrance.
Vinny spun.
A struggle followed.
The bag fell.
A metal object skidded across the floor.
Security restrained Vinny until police arrived.
No customers were seriously injured.
But Sonia couldn't stop shaking.
---
Afterward, Dante found her sitting in the empty dining room.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded.
Then shook her head.
“I don't know.”
He sat across from her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Sonia whispered:
“He knew where I worked. Where I lived. Everything.”
Dante looked down.
“I should have anticipated he might come back.”
Sonia shook her head.
“You can't control everyone.”
He smiled sadly.
“I'm learning that.”
She looked at him.
“Good.”
---
Later, investigators searched Vinny's bag.
Inside were documents.
Cash.
A burner phone.
And a photograph of Robert Mitchell.
May you like
On the back, someone had written:
THE LAST WITNESS.
