Chương 8
"I thought leaving would stop it," he said.
"What?"
"The pressure."
Maria frowned.
"Explain."
Anthony looked toward the hallway where Daniel and Lily had disappeared.
"When Luca found out money was being moved, he thought he could handle it inside the family."
Maria said nothing.
"Then he realized the people involved had protection."
"From Marco?"
Anthony looked at her.
"I don't know."
The uncertainty returned.
Maria hated it.
"Then why did you say his name?"
"Because Luca did."
Anthony leaned forward.
"He told me, 'If I am wrong about my father, I lose my brother.
If I am right, I lose my family.'"
Maria felt something twist inside her.
That sounded like Luca.
Not the version people talked about.
Not the confident businessman.
The man who always carried impossible choices alone and called it responsibility.
"Why didn't he tell me?"
Anthony looked at the photograph.
"Because he thought telling you would put you in danger."
Maria laughed softly.
The sound had no happiness in it.
"He always thought deciding for me was the same as protecting me."
Anthony looked away.
"Yes."
The agreement hurt.
Because it meant someone else had noticed the thing she had spent years excusing.
Maria stood and walked to the window.
Outside, Lily was sitting on the porch steps with Daniel.
Daniel was talking.
Lily was listening.
Neither of them knew how much damage adults could hide behind ordinary conversations.
"I need to talk to Thomas," Maria said.
Anthony stood.
"No."
She turned.
"No?"
"Not yet."
Maria stared at him.
"You are telling me my lawyer may be involved in hiding something from me, and you think I should wait?"
"I think if Thomas is involved, you cannot walk into that conversation and let him know what you have."
Maria considered that.
She hated that it made sense.
"How do you know him?"
Anthony's expression changed slightly.
"What?"
"You have information about Thomas."
A pause.
"I met him before."
"When?"
"Before I left."
"Doing what?"
Anthony looked down.
"Trying to find out who was moving the money."
Maria watched him carefully.
"Did you threaten him?"
"No."
"Did Luca?"
Anthony looked at her.
"Maria."
"What?"
"That is the question you should be asking."
She disliked the answer because it was not an answer.
"Where were you all these years?"
Anthony looked toward the photograph of Luca.
"Trying to figure out if leaving was the worst thing I ever did."
Maria softened slightly despite herself.
Then she hated that too.
Compassion was dangerous when someone had hurt you.
It made everything harder.
A knock came from the hallway.
Daniel appeared.
"Lily wants to know if she can go home."
Maria looked at him.
"Did she say why?"
Daniel shrugged.
"She said she doesn't want people fighting because of her."
Maria closed her eyes briefly.
Of all the things the child could have been worried about, she was worried about being the reason adults behaved badly.
"Bring her here."
A minute later, Lily walked into the room.
She looked at Anthony immediately.
Children noticed unfamiliar tension faster than adults.
"Are you mad at Maria?" Lily asked.
Anthony seemed surprised.
"No."
"Are you mad at my dad?"
Anthony looked confused.
"Your dad?"
Lily pointed toward the kitchen.
"Daniel."
Anthony glanced at Maria.
Then back at Lily.
"No."
The girl studied him.
"Everyone says no when they are."
Maria almost smiled.
It was such a simple observation.
And painfully accurate.
"What do you think?" Maria asked.
Lily shrugged.
"I think adults don't like saying when they are scared."
The room went quiet.
Anthony looked at Maria.
Maria looked at Lily.
The child had accidentally named the thing everyone was avoiding.
Fear.
Not anger.
Not betrayal.
Fear.
"I think you are right," Maria said.
Lily looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"That happens a lot?"
Maria looked toward the floor.
"More than it should."
Lily accepted that answer.
Children sometimes accepted uncomfortable truths better than adults because they had not yet learned how to decorate them.
Daniel walked Lily back toward the kitchen.
Anthony waited until they were gone.
"She reminds me of you."
Maria looked at him.
"What?"
"Before."
She frowned.
"Before what?"
"Before you learned how to hide everything."
The comment should have offended her.
Instead, it made her tired.
"I was never good at hiding things."
Anthony gave a small smile.
"You are the best person I know at pretending you are fine."
Maria looked away.
She did not like how easily he said it.
She did not like that he was right.
Her phone rang.
Thomas.
She and Anthony both looked at the screen.
Neither moved.
The name sat there between them.
A person.
A history.
A question.
Maria answered.
"Thomas."
"Maria."
His voice sounded normal.
That was almost worse.
"I need to speak with you."
"I know."
There was a pause.
"You know?"
"Yes."
Another pause.
"Where are you?"
Maria looked at Anthony.
Then at the photograph on the table.
"At home."
"Are you alone?"
She noticed the question.
Not the words.
The reason behind them.
"No."
Silence.
Only for a moment.
But enough.
"Who is there?"
Maria walked toward the window.
"Someone you thought was gone."
Thomas did not answer.
That was the third answer.
"Anthony," he said finally.
Maria felt her grip tighten around the phone.
"You sound surprised."
"I am."
"Why?"
Thomas took a breath.
"Because if Anthony is there, then you already know more than I wanted you to know."
The sentence changed everything.
Maria looked at Anthony.
He saw her expression.
He did not need an explanation.
"Thomas," Maria said.
"What happened between you and Luca?"
The line went quiet.
For several seconds, there was only static.
Then Thomas spoke.
"I was trying to save him."
Maria's voice lowered.
"From who?"
Another pause.
Then the answer came.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Almost like he was exhausted from carrying it.
"From your family."
Maria felt the room disappear around her.
"Which part of my family?"
May you like
Thomas did not respond.
And that silence told her the truth was closer than she wanted.
