“I’m in love,” he replies with no hesitation.
His directness catches me off guard. “Dominic…”
“You don’t have to say it back,” he cuts me off. “But I need you to know. I love you and I meant it when I told Bruno that I love you.”
“I love you too.” I kiss him again.
When we part, he rests his hand on my thigh. “I’m not letting you stay here alone tonight after everything that’s happened.”
“Okay, that’s fine. I don’t want to be alone anyway. I want you to stay.”
He smiles. Then his expression changes. “I almost forgot.” He plunges his hand into his jacket pocket.
“What’s wrong?” I move closer to him.
“While the cops were examining the car, I found something. I hid it from them. I think when the killer put the bomb under your car he left this.”
He pulls a six-inch stone from his pocket and hands it to me.
Taking it, I brush off the ash that covers it. There is an engraving on the stone along with splatters of red paint that remind me of blood. Turning the stone slightly, I read the script.
Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.”
Chapter thirty-nine
Another dig from The Marconi Family.
The killer is mocking me.
“What’s it mean, Cipi?” Dominic looks at me.
“It’s a quote from the poemThe Raven,”I brush my thumb over the words. “The speaker claims the raven tells him that there is no escape from the eternal agony he feels over losing Lenore. His pain will never go away, and he will never move on from the loss.”
Dominic raises his eyebrows. “Do you think this is more about revenge for Francesca’s death as opposed to avenging the Marconi name?”
“I don’t know, but I’m feeling like whoever this killer is, has a connection to Francesca which is why he is sending this verse. He hasn’t been able to get over her death and is now seeking revenge.”
“But it’s been around forty-eight, almost fifty years since she died. Why wait this long to get revenge?” Dominic muses.
“Revenge has no expiration date, Dom.” I place the rock on the table. Reaching into the drawer I take out the paper thatcontains Francesca’s obituary. “I think we need to look into who else Francesca knew. She might have had an ex-boyfriend or another lover before she met my father.”
Dominic nods. “I’ll do some digging.” He stands up. “I’ll cook dinner tonight. I’m thinking of baked ziti. Comfort food.”
I’m grateful for his change of subject. “Comfort food would be nice after all this hell I’ve been through.”
Dominic kisses my forehead.
At that moment the doorbell rings.
Dominic pauses mid-step toward the kitchen. I check the camera feed and Salvatore’s face fills the screen.
“It’s Sal,” I stand up. “I’ll get it.”
Dominic waits in the hall as I open the door, then walks into the kitchen.
“Hi Sal.” I step back and let him in.
He places his hands on my shoulders. His eyes scan my face, then drop to my hands. “Jesus Christ Cipriani.” Pulling me into a hug he adds, “When I heard what happened I came straight over. Are you alright?”
