Chapter 3: The Dead Man's Call
Dante stared at the phone.
Anthony.
The name glowed against the black screen.
The ringing stopped.
Nobody breathed.
Then the phone began vibrating again.
Dante picked it up.
Victoria whispered, “Dante, don't.””
He answered.
“Who is this?””
Static.
Then breathing.
Slow.
Heavy.
Dante's eyes narrowed.
“Identify yourself.””
Nothing.
He looked at Marcus and motioned for him to trace the call.
Marcus pulled out his own phone.
Dante put the call on speaker.
A man's voice finally came through.
“Still wearing the ring?””
Dante froze.
He knew that voice.
Every scar in his memory seemed to open at once.
“Anthony?””
Victoria covered her mouth.
Elena stared at the floor.
The voice laughed softly.
“You sound surprised.””
Dante's grip tightened around the phone.
“You died three years ago.””
“I know.””
Dante's eyes hardened.
“Where are you?””
“That's not the first question you should be asking.””
“What question should I ask?””
A pause.
“Ask your fiancée.””
Dante slowly turned toward Victoria.
She shook her head.
“No.””
Anthony's voice returned.
“She knows why I disappeared.””
Dante stepped toward Victoria.
“What is he talking about?””
“I don't know.””
Anthony laughed again.
“You always were a terrible liar, Victoria.””
Victoria's face crumpled.
“Anthony, please.””
Dante's expression changed.
“You know him.””
Victoria looked at him.
“Dante—”
“You know him.””
“I can explain.””
“You told me he was dead.””
“He was supposed to be.””
The words escaped before she could stop them.
Dante went completely still.
Marcus looked up from his phone.
“Boss…”
Dante raised a hand.
Nobody moved.
Anthony spoke again.
“Now you understand why I called.””
Dante stared at the phone.
“Where are you?””
“Close.””
“Give me an address.””
“No.””
“Then give me a reason not to find you myself.””
“You won't have to.””
The line went silent.
Dante looked at the screen.
“Anthony?””
Nothing.
“Anthony!””
The call ended.
Dante lowered the phone.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he looked at Victoria.
“Start talking.””
She wiped tears from her cheek.
“I never wanted this to happen.””
Dante laughed once.
There was no humor in it.
“You tried to poison me.””
“I didn't.””
“You knew about the drink.””
“I knew something was wrong.””
“You knew Anthony was alive.””
Victoria's silence answered him.
Dante turned away.
Marcus approached cautiously.
“We traced the call.””
Dante looked at him.
“Where?””
Marcus hesitated.
“Inside the building.””
Dante's eyes hardened.
“What?””
“The signal bounced through the ballroom security system.””
Marcus looked toward the closed doors.
“Whoever called you was here.””
Elena gasped.
Victoria stepped backward.
Dante immediately noticed.
“Why are you afraid?””
Victoria shook her head.
“I'm not.””
“You're lying again.””
Dante walked toward her.
“Did Anthony come here tonight?””
“No.””
“Did you see him?””
“No.””
“Did you meet him before tonight?””
Victoria said nothing.
Dante stopped inches from her.
“Victoria.””
Her voice broke.
“Yes.””
“When?””
“Two weeks ago.””
Marcus swore under his breath.
Dante stared at her.
“Where?””
“A hotel.””
“Why?””
“He contacted me.””
“For what?””
“To make a deal.””
Dante's face became unreadable.
“What deal?””
Victoria looked down.
“He wanted access to your accounts.””
Dante's eyes sharpened.
“And you agreed?””
“I was scared.””
“You agreed.””
“I didn't give him anything!””
“You were going to.””
“No.””
“Then why meet him?””
Victoria looked at him through tears.
“Because he had something I needed.””
“What?””
She hesitated.
Then Elena suddenly spoke.
“The photograph.””
Everyone turned.
Victoria's face went pale.
Dante looked at Elena.
“What photograph?””
Elena pressed her hands together.
“The one I found in the kitchen.””
Dante's voice became quiet.
“What photograph?””
Elena looked toward the engagement table.
“There was a picture underneath the note.””
Marcus moved quickly to the table.
He searched beneath the white flowers, then under the tablecloth.
Nothing.
Dante looked at Victoria.
“What was in the photograph?””
Victoria whispered, “I don't know.””
Dante took another step.
“You're running out of chances.””
Victoria's eyes filled.
“It was you.””
Dante frowned.
“What?””
“The photograph.””
She swallowed.
“It was you.””
Dante stared at her.
“Doing what?””
Victoria looked at Elena.
Elena looked terrified.
Victoria finally whispered:
“You were standing beside Anthony.””
Dante's face went cold.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
“Where?””
“I don't know.””
“When?””
“I don't know.””
Dante grabbed the back of a chair and pushed it aside.
“Find the photograph.””
Marcus nodded.
“Immediately.””
Elena suddenly pointed toward the ballroom entrance.
“Wait.””
Everyone turned.
The door was still locked.
Elena's face drained of color.
“There's someone outside.””
Dante looked at Marcus.
Marcus drew his weapon but kept it lowered.
The handle of the ballroom door slowly moved.
Once.
Twice.
Dante stepped in front of Elena.
Victoria whispered his name.
The lock clicked.
The door opened three inches.
A man's voice came from the darkness beyond it.
“Dante.””
Dante stared at the gap.
The voice continued.
“You really should have asked who ordered the champagne.””
Dante's eyes widened.
Then the door began opening.
May you like
And Elena whispered:
“That's him.””
