“No.”
“My brother is Luca Errichiello.”
Nikki understood now.
“I need you to talk to Valerio’s partner, Maurizio,” she said. “He’s trying to get a search warrant—the police need to get into Silvestri’s place and get Valerio out.”
Federico shook his head. “It’s too late. He won’t be there anymore. Silvestri’s not the one to handle it. If Valerio’s still alive, they’ve taken him to Luca.”
“Then tell the police!” Nikki exclaimed.
“I’m out,” he said. “I promised myself I’d never go back…never get involved again.”
“At least tell Maurizio.”
He looked thoughtful.
“How much do you trust Maurizio?” he asked.
“I trust him…fine,” Nikki said. “He’s a good man.”
Federico sighed. “The police will do nothing. Even if this Maurizio is a good man, as you say, there will be problems. This person says to wait…that person says there is not enough evidence…and so it goes. Believe me, the police will never come to Luca Errichiello’s door. They say that my brother is a human trafficker, but this is not the point of what he does.”
“Then what’s the point?”
“The secrets, of course. Luca deals in secrets. If you own a man’s secret, you own the man.”
Nikki considered. “Then what do we do?”
“There’s nothing to be done,” he said. “Valerio knew the risk. I warned him. He understands the wolves he’s hunting, and he did it anyway.”
Nikki thought about Valerio, the relaxed kindness of his company. She’d become so accustomed to having him close, to easy conversations, to lazy, sun-drenched days together onCalypso, and the backbreaking work they did to keep their boat running. This new thought, the idea that Valerio might not be in the world, was like coming suddenly to the edge of a chasm. She simply couldn’t tolerate it.
“I need to call Maurizio,” she said. “Can you wait?”
He nodded.
—
Federico was right. She knew it before she even dialed Maurizio’s number.
She stood on the steps of the church, phone pressed to her ear as she explained what Federico had told her.
“I’m trying, but I keep hitting walls,” said Maurizio. “I can’t get anyone interested in doing their fucking job.”
“But Federico confirms that Valerio was going to Silvestri’s house this morning,” Nikki pressed. “We know that’s where he was.”
“I understand,” said Maurizio. “But it doesn’t do us any good if I can’t get someone to sign a warrant to search the property.”
“What if Federico’s right and they’ve moved him to Errichiello’s place?” Nikki said.
“Fuck,” said Maurizio. “If he’s alive, I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
—
Nikki’s mind churned as she walked back into the church. She couldn’t give up. Valerio would never give up on her. If he hadn’t come looking for her that night…well, things would have been different.
Federico was sitting where she’d left him, posture rigid, staring ahead towards the altar.
