Chapter 2 - THE MAN WHO WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE
Vincent Russo was Dante's cousin.
He was also the man who had been coordinating the search for Dante's missing wife, Elena.
That was what I learned fifteen minutes after Sophia pointed at him.
Vincent stood near the restaurant entrance with rain dripping from his coat.
Dante rose slowly.
“Why are you here?”
Vincent smiled.
“Looking for you.”
Dante didn't return the smile.
“How did you know where I was?”
Vincent glanced toward the booth.
“I have people.”
Sophia pressed herself against my side.
I felt her trembling.
Dante noticed.
His face hardened.
“Leave.”
Vincent blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“Now.”
The restaurant fell silent.
Vincent looked around.
Then laughed softly.
“Dante, you're making a scene.”
Dante stepped closer.
“My daughter is frightened of you.”
Vincent's smile disappeared.
“She's confused. Her mother's disappearance—”
“Don't.”
One word.
Cold enough to stop the conversation.
Vincent stared.
Then slowly nodded.
“Fine.”
He turned and left.
But before he reached the door, he looked back at Sophia.
And smiled.
Not kindly.
Not reassuringly.
It was the kind of smile adults use when they want children to remember a warning.
Sophia buried her face against my shoulder.
Dante sat beside us.
For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.
“Miss?”
“Maya Carter.”
“Maya.”
He looked at Sophia.
“Would you stay a little longer?”
I glanced toward Tony.
He nodded.
I turned back.
“Of course.”
Sophia remained beside me.
I found a small box of crayons in the restaurant's storage cabinet.
There were twelve colors.
Including purple.
When I placed the purple crayon in front of her, she stared at it for several seconds.
Then began drawing.
A square.
A door.
A little round knob.
And beside it, a strange symbol.
Three curved lines.
I leaned closer.
“What's that?”
Sophia didn't answer.
She drew another shape.
A flower.
Five petals.
Then she colored the flower purple.
Dante watched.
His expression shifted.
“That's impossible.”
I looked at him.
“What?”
He pointed at the drawing.
“That flower.”
I waited.
He swallowed.
“My wife has a tattoo exactly like that.”
Elena Russo had a small purple flower tattooed behind her left ear.
Dante said she got it when she was nineteen.
A reminder of her grandmother's garden.
Sophia had drawn it perfectly.
But the strange symbol beside the door was something Dante didn't recognize.
I looked at the child.
“Sophia, did Mommy show you this door?”
She nodded.
“Was it at home?”
She shook her head.
“Was it somewhere else?”
A nod.
Dante leaned forward.
“Where, sweetheart?”
Sophia's hand began shaking.
I touched the edge of the paper.
“It's okay. You can draw instead.”
She took a breath.
Then drew something beneath the door.
A long rectangle.
Several little squares.
And a yellow circle.
I studied it.
It looked like a building.
Maybe a hallway.
Maybe a train.
I wasn't sure.
Dante took out his phone.
He photographed the drawing.
Then called someone.
“Rafael.”
A pause.
“I need you to find every property Vincent has accessed in the last seventy-two hours.”
Another pause.
“And Rafael?”
His voice lowered.
“Do not tell Vincent.”
When he ended the call, he looked at me.
“You've done more for my daughter in twenty minutes than anyone has in three days.”
I shook my head.
“She just needed someone to listen.”
Dante stared.
Then looked at Sophia.
She was still drawing.
For the first time in three days, she was doing something other than staring at walls.
Dante stood.
“I'd like to compensate you for your time.”
I immediately shook my head.
“No.”
He frowned.
“Maya—”
“Your daughter needed a purple crayon. That's all.”
He studied me.
Then smiled faintly.
“You're not afraid of me?”
I considered lying.
Instead, I said:
“I'm terrified.”
He laughed once.
A surprised sound.
I continued.
“But your daughter is more frightened than I am.”
His smile disappeared.
He looked down.
May you like
And for the first time, Dante Russo seemed to understand that fear wasn't always something he caused.
Sometimes it was something he needed to protect someone from.
