Page 74 of A Treasure To Keep (Leone Legacy #2)
Andrea
A nother busy workday is done, and I’m impatiently hoping El will pick me up.
I told El I’ll take the bus home since I don’t know how long she will be with her friends.
Knowing her, though, she will surprise me any second.
I’m sure she has enough to tell me that I’ll barely get in an I love you in between her babbling.
I’m disappointed when the door opens, and instead of El, it’s Mr. Hansley. His body language is stiff, and there’s sorrow in his eyes that he’s trying to mask. Instantly, he notices my body matching his when he avoids eye contact with me.
“Andrea, come into my office for a second.”
“What’s wrong?” I’ve never heard this tone from him. It’s flat, and I have no clue what my fate might be.
He exhales, a shake in his voice as he speaks. “We will discuss it in my office.”
My heart slams loudly in my ears as I fall in line with Mr. Hansley. Did I do something wrong? Am I going to get fired? Did El and I finally make love one too many times in the shop?
His closed office door comes into view, and I’m convinced it will contain a live alligator when his hand turns the nob. Unfortunately, what hides behind the door is worse than I could have imagined.
Two police officers turn around at the sound of the door opening. Mr. Hansley stands to the side as I walk in. I politely and steadily introduce myself, asking how I can help the two officers.
“I think it’s best if you sit down, Mr. Beaumont.” That can’t be good. Once I sit, I stare at the two men, terrified of what they may say.
The officer who didn’t ask me to sit down speaks in a calm, neutral tone, giving me no indication of what he could say.
“There’s been a car accident. A vehicle merged too early, hitting another car.
That caused it to spin out, rolling over several times, before landing on the side of the road.
A young woman that we understand is your fiancée, Eleanora Gallo, was taken to the hospital.
” I instantly hyperventilate, unable to process anything else the officers are saying until they speak again.
They’re in the middle of whatever they’re saying when I burst out, yelling in French.
“J'ai besoin d'être avec mon trésor et mon bébé!” I jump up from the chair I’m sitting in, racing to the lockers, and grab all my belongings with shaky hands. It’s not until one of the officers places his hand on my shoulder that I stop, whipping around to see the first officer who spoke with his empathetic eyes. At least one of them has emotion.
“I know this is difficult, but we need to ask you some questions. After that, if you need a ride, we can provide that for you.” I have my wallet and phone in hand when I grasp the chair, lowering myself cautiously, preventing my knees from giving out.
Once my focus is back on the officer, the empathetic one continues speaking.
“The accident was with one of those self-driving cars, meaning no one was driving. Normally, self-driving vehicles do a decent job of following the rules of the road. In this instance, we believe it may have been programmed somehow to speed and merge too early. What we’re trying to say is that the signs show someone intentionally hit Ms. Gallo’s car.
Do you know anyone who would want to hurt her? ”
“That’s ridiculous. El is kind and amazing. No one could hate her enough to intentionally harm her or the baby. Who did the car even belong to?”
The unsympathetic one speaks next. “The plates were taken off the vehicle, but the VIN led us to a Giovanni DeAngelo. Does that name mean anything to you?”
Giovanni. Could he honestly have enough hate in his bones to do this? “Yes. He’s a family friend of the Gallos and her ex-fiancé. Even with his fragile ego, I don’t see him being this vengeful.”
Both of them nod simultaneously. I can assume they have been partners for some time, balancing themselves out in the good cop-bad cop dynamic with similar mannerisms. “I see. Regardless of your opinion, he’s our only suspect as of now. We plan on tracking him down once we’ve given you a ride.”
They asked me if I needed a ride after they finished with their line of questioning, which, of course, I accept. Even if I owned a vehicle, I’m not sure if I would have the mental strength to drive right now.
The walk is quiet when we approach their car. There’s only one question on my mind, one question I’m not sure if I’m ready for the answer, but one I need to know.
The driver’s side door closes, and I hear the sound of the engine. The second the car is shifted in reverse, I ask the question I should dread. “El is pregnant. Is the baby okay?”
Unfortunately, the unsympathetic one answers. His neutral tone doing nothing to settle my nerves. “Any medical-related questions need to be answered between you and her doctor.”
Sont-ils sérieux? Mon trésor and my baby are in the hospital, and they tell me nothing. I bite my tongue to keep from cursing at them.
The twenty-minute car ride is painfully long until I see the sign for our exit is three miles away, confirming we’re getting close to the hospital.
A cleanup crew is on the other side of the highway, and I can’t help but think that it could be from the accident.
I know that’s the path she would have taken from the Leone estate to the shop.
A choking noise catches in my throat, and the officer in the passenger seat catches my eyes through the rearview mirror.
His sympathetic eyes convey that he understands what it means.
I break our eye contact, focusing on my hands as I twiddle my thumbs.
Something has been biting at me since I asked about my baby. The last thing El would want is for him to be there, but I’d want to know if I were him. I pull my phone out of my pocket, calling the man who created the baby I’ve fallen in love with.