Chapter 2 - What His Mother Saw
Chloe walked into the kitchen and forgot the risotto ticket.
"Move!" Chef Romano barked.
She stood beside the printer, hearing only Beatrice's last sign in her head.
Danger.
Marco snapped his fingers in front of her. "What happened?"
"Seafood risotto. Barolo."
"That is not what I asked."
Chloe punched in the order. "Nothing happened."
The private-room door opened.
Vincent stepped into the kitchen.
Conversations stopped again.
He was younger than Gabriel, maybe thirty-five, with expensive hair, a soft smile, and eyes that never matched it.
"Which one is Chloe?"
Nobody answered.
She turned. "I am."
Vincent leaned against the stainless-steel counter. "My aunt likes you."
"She has good taste."
Marco looked like he might faint.
Vincent smiled wider. "You are brave."
"No. Just tired."
"Sometimes those look the same."
He placed a folded hundred-dollar bill beside her hand.
Chloe did not touch it.
"She gets confused," Vincent said softly. "My aunt. Since my uncle died. She signs things that are not always... accurate."
Chloe stared at him. "She seemed pretty clear about the risotto."
His smile vanished for half a second.
Then Gabriel called from the dining room.
"Vincent."
Vincent straightened. "Coming."
Before leaving, he pushed the money closer.
"Be careful what you translate."
Chloe watched him go.
Marco whispered, "What did you do?"
"Apparently I learned ASL at an inconvenient time."
The risotto came up.
Chloe carried it in.
Beatrice immediately started eating, but her eyes kept flicking toward Vincent.
Gabriel noticed.
"Ma?"
Beatrice signed.
Chloe hesitated.
Gabriel looked at her. "What?"
"She wants to know if you still keep your father's blue ledger in the study safe."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Gabriel put down his fork. "Why?"
Beatrice signed again.
Chloe translated. "Because somebody opened the safe last Tuesday."
Vincent's glass stopped halfway to his mouth.
Gabriel looked at him, then back at his mother. "How would she know that?"
Beatrice's hands moved faster.
"She was in the hallway. She saw the study door open. She saw someone come out."
Gabriel leaned forward. "Who?"
Beatrice looked at Vincent.
Nobody breathed.
Then she pointed at him.
Vincent laughed.
"Aunt Bea, come on."
Beatrice slammed her palm on the table.
Her hands moved sharply.
Chloe translated every word.
"She says she saw you leave the study with the blue ledger under your coat."
Vincent's face went still.
Gabriel did not move.
"Is that true?"
Vincent slowly set down his wine. "No."
Beatrice signed again.
"She says you are lying."
Vincent looked at Chloe now, not Beatrice.
"Maybe the waitress is lying."
Gabriel's gaze shifted to Chloe.
For the first time, real fear climbed into her throat.
She reached into her apron and pulled out her order pad.
"Write something," she said to Beatrice.
Vincent's jaw tightened.
Beatrice took the pen.
Her hand shook with age, but the words were clear.
VINCENT TOOK LEDGER. TUESDAY. 11:20 PM.
Gabriel read the note.
His face became unreadable.
"Everyone out," he said.
No one moved.
Gabriel's voice lowered.
"Now."
Chairs scraped back.
Vincent stood last.
As he passed Chloe, he whispered, "You should have taken the hundred."
The door closed behind him.
Only Gabriel, Beatrice, and Chloe remained.
Gabriel looked at his mother.
"What else have you been trying to tell me?"
Beatrice's eyes filled.
She raised her hands.
For three months.
Chloe translated.
"She says she has been trying to warn you for three months."
Gabriel went pale.
May you like
Beatrice signed again.
The night your father died, Vincent was there.
