Page 93

He taps the screen and places the tablet on the desk. “After the court’s approval of my motion to seal the case, I filed for a notice of activity pursuant to some procedures that alerts–”
“Howard,” I cut in, sitting forward, “in plain English, please.”
He clears his throat. “Someone used the DA’s system to search for Antonio Bellini’s file. They accessed the sealed case file of one of our bodies from five years ago.”
The air in the room shifts, a cold unease gripping my chest. The memory is vague, and I don’t quite remember, but if a sealed file was accessed from years ago, then that spells trouble. “So this Bellini’s file was accessed?” I repeat, my tone dropping significantly now.
“Yes. I believe the access was deliberate.”
The glass touches my lips without thinking as I try to process what’s going on. Bellini’s file. Why now?
Howard watches me closely. “Do you think the DA would suddenly open the file? he asks. He hasn’t done that since he assumed office. I don’t think he has any business with that case file right now,” he says carefully.
“You’re right.” My eyes reach up to meet his. “He’s strict and incorruptible but he doesn’t have a reason to mess with seemingly random files like that of Antonio Bellini’s.”
Howard leans forward, his voice dropping a notch. “Actually, it was Mario Abruzzi’s file that he opened. There’s no file under Antonio Bellini’s name.”
My brows crease with confusion. “What are you talking about? Mario Abruzzi?”
“Mr. Donatelli, you read the documents on the victims that died that day, right?”
I shake my head slowly from side to side, completely oblivious to what he’s getting at. “Spill it already. What’s with this fuss about Antonio?”
“I…I thought you read through the documents I handed over to you after the entire case was cleaned up. Antonio Bellini was only a fake identity Mario assumed. I found out while doing my due diligence on the body.”
“I cleaned up a lot of cases for Ezra. I don’t fucking remember dead bodies from five years ago,” I grit.
He reaches into his briefcase to rummage through some files. His actions make me cock my head to an angle but I say nothing, waiting for him to continue.
“It says here that this guy right here is Mario Abruzzi,” he lowers his voice. “Your wife’s older brother.” He glances toward the door and then back at me as if half expecting Aria to be eavesdropping on us.
My face tightens into a deep frown. “I know who Mario Abruzzi is!” I snatch the files from his hands, rummaging through them, then settling on the familiar face of Antonio’s.
Howard doesn’t flinch. “Right,” he says firmly, not giving me a chance to question him further. “Those documents will explain.”
My eyes begin to scan the documents. If these documents hold nothing substantial, he may as well be getting ready to lose some teeth. My jaw tightens as I reach to open a folder among the rest of the documents. The first words hit me like a punch to the gut. Antonio Bellini’s actual name was, indeed, Mario Abruzzi.
What the fuck?
I know Mario Abruzzi is Aria’s brother. The son of Deputy Chief Abruzzi.
“What’s this?” His eyes don’t flinch even when my glare alone should make him piss his pants.
“It’s the truth, Mr. Donatelli.”
“Why the hell am I just getting to know about this!” The documents scatter all over his face as I fling the folder on him. “What sort of madness is this?”
When he doesn’t respond, I slam myself back into the chair. I was busy wondering about the coldness in her demeanor and the distant look in her eyes. It all makes sense now. She was the one who accessed the case file. She knows!
Howard is saying something about having given me the documents to go through right after the case was sealed, but I’m barely listening to him.
My hands move on their own, grabbing the glass of whiskey I poured earlier. I gulp it down in one swift motion, the burn barely registering. Then I pour another and down that, too, like I’m trying to drown the truth he’s just handed me.
“Get out,” I say flatly, setting the glass down after my fourth gulp.
“Mr. Donatelli…”
My reddened eyes make it clear that I’m not in the mood for debate.