Chapter 1 - THE BLACK ENVELOPE NOBODY WAS SUPPOSED TO SEE
The black envelope beneath my hands contained a photograph of my younger brother.
And it had been taken less than two hours earlier.
I stopped breathing.
Danny was standing outside the community college where he attended evening classes. His blue backpack hung from one shoulder, and his hands were raised in the middle of a conversation.
He was signing.
But what frightened me wasn't the photograph.
It was the man standing behind him.
My manager.
Brett Collins.
The same man who had sent me into Salvatore Marquette's private dining room hoping I'd humiliate myself.
I looked up.
Why do you have a photograph of my brother?
Salvatore's expression tightened.
Because someone sent it to me.
My fingers shook as I turned the picture over.
Written on the back were six words.
THE BOY KNOWS WHAT HIS FATHER DID.
My stomach dropped.
Our father had disappeared nine years earlier.
His name was Michael Bennett.
He'd worked as an electrician near Chicago's industrial district before walking out of our apartment one rainy November evening.
He never returned.
For years, Danny and I had wondered whether he was dead.
Whether he'd abandoned us.
Whether he'd simply decided raising two children was more trouble than he wanted.
Now a stranger was suggesting he'd done something worth hiding.
What does this mean? I signed.
Salvatore studied me.
That's what I'm trying to find out.
I shook my head.
Then why bring me into this?
He paused.
Because the person who delivered the photograph knew your name.
My heart hammered.
He continued.
And he knew you could communicate with me without anyone hearing us.
I stared toward the closed service door.
Brett had been smiling when he assigned me to Salvatore's table.
He'd told the bartender to watch.
They expected the deaf Mafia boss to become furious when I couldn't take his order.
But what if that humiliation had never been the real point?
What if Brett had wanted Salvatore to notice me?
Salvatore reached for a pen.
He wrote one sentence on a small card.
Is your brother safe?
I looked at my phone.
Danny had texted twenty minutes earlier.
Going home. Don't forget to eat.
I showed Salvatore.
His face remained serious.
He signed, Call him.
I did.
No answer.
I tried again.
Straight to voicemail.
My breathing quickened.
Danny always answered my calls.
Especially at night.
Salvatore noticed my panic.
He signed, We need to contact the police.
I nodded immediately.
Whatever his reputation, I wasn't going to let anyone turn Danny into another missing person.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message from Danny's number.
Don't come home.
My blood turned cold.
Another message appeared.
Someone is waiting inside.
May you like
And then a third.
They keep asking about the night Dad disappeared.
