Chapter 4 – The Last Thing She Had

“Why would Vanessa throw it away?”

Sophie was still looking at her father.

Luca didn’t invent an answer.

“I don’t know, sweetheart.”

She wiped her cheeks.

“But you’re going to find it?”

“I’m going to do everything I can.”

Then he held out his hand.

“Come here.”

Sophie climbed into his arms.

He carried her toward the piano and sat with her on the bench.

I stayed near the dining table.

For several minutes, neither of them spoke.

Then Sophie lifted the piano’s wooden cover.

She pressed three notes.

Softly.

Luca looked down.

“That’s the beginning of your mother’s song.”

Sophie nodded.

“The music box plays it too.”

He swallowed.

“I remember.”

“She used to wind it when I couldn’t sleep.”

Luca looked toward the fireplace.

“I remember that too.”

Sophie’s fingers rested on the keys.

“Sometimes I play it when I miss her.”

He kissed her hair.

“Then we’ll keep playing it.”

The next morning, I arrived at the restaurant before eight.

I hadn’t slept much.

Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured Sophie reading that terrible disposal instruction.

Mrs. Russo had already prepared coffee.

Daniel stood near the entrance with a woman carrying a leather folder.

She introduced herself as Miriam Vale, the manager of Lakefront Estate Exchange.

She looked uncomfortable.

“Mr. Moretti, I apologize for the situation.”

Luca shook her hand.

“I need to know where my wife’s belongings are.”

Miriam opened the folder.

“Most of the items collected Wednesday are still in our possession.”

I felt immediate relief.

“Her clothes too?” Sophie asked.

Miriam looked down at her.

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“The blue coat?”

“I believe so.”

Sophie smiled.

Luca rested a hand on her shoulder.

“What about the jewelry box?”

“In our secure inventory.”

“And the music box?”

Miriam stopped turning pages.

“That item was processed separately.”

My relief disappeared.

“Why?” Luca asked.

“Miss Bellini identified it as damaged and unsuitable for sale.”

“It wasn’t damaged,” Sophie said.

Miriam looked at her.

“The removal form says the mechanism was broken.”

Sophie shook her head.

“It worked Wednesday morning.”

Luca immediately looked at Miriam.

“Where did it go?”

She hesitated.

“We use a local donation and repair center for items that don’t qualify for resale.”

“Which center?”

“St. Bridget’s Secondhand Center.”

Daniel wrote down the name.

“Can they confirm they received it?”

“They should have a transfer record.”

Sophie caught Luca’s sleeve.

“So it might not be in the garbage?”

He crouched.

“That’s right, baby. We have somewhere to look.”

She nodded.

But I could see she was afraid to feel hopeful.

Miriam continued reviewing the inventory.

There were photographs of the belongings taken from the house.

Anna’s blue wool coat.

A cream dress.

A small jewelry box with worn velvet lining.

Several framed family photographs.

Sophie leaned closer when she saw the jewelry box.

“Mommy kept her bracelet in there.”

Luca looked at her.

“Which bracelet?”

“The one with the little silver moon.”

His expression softened.

“I gave her that for our first anniversary.”

Sophie smiled faintly.

“She let me wear it once.”

Miriam checked the description.

“The jewelry box was collected closed. Our staff haven’t inventoried the individual contents yet.”

Luca nodded.

“Please don’t open it until we’re there.”

“Of course.”

I watched him carefully.

He was trying not to let Sophie see how frightened he was.

But his hands betrayed him.

He kept rubbing his thumb against his wedding-ring finger.

The ring itself had been removed years ago.

The habit remained.

When Sophie went with Mrs. Russo to eat breakfast, I approached him.

“Mr. Moretti?”

He looked up.

“Yes, Emily?”

“I saw the movers at the house on Wednesday.”

He waited.

“Mrs. Bellini told me everything was being packed away for safekeeping.”

My throat tightened.

“I believed her.”

Luca looked toward the piano.

“So did I, when she told me the concert had been postponed.”

“You couldn’t have known.”

He gave a sad smile.

“Neither could you.”

I lowered my eyes.

“But I should’ve asked questions.”

He paused.

“Emily, I put Vanessa in charge of too many things because I didn’t want to deal with them.”

That surprised me.

“She didn’t just take advantage of your trust,” he continued. “She took advantage of my silence.”

I didn’t answer.

He looked toward the dining room.

“After Anna died, I convinced myself that keeping busy was the best thing I could do for Sophie.”

He swallowed.

“I was wrong about that.”

Before I could respond, Miriam approached again.

“Mr. Moretti, there’s another issue.”

Luca turned.

“What issue?”

She glanced toward the piano.

“Our staff were scheduled to collect that instrument this morning.”

“I canceled the pickup.”

“Yes, Daniel informed us.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Miriam hesitated.

“The piano was included in a sale arranged before the collection date.”

Luca stared at her.

“What?”

“A buyer selected it from the inventory photographs.”

I looked toward the fireplace.

The old upright piano stood exactly where Anna had left it.

A small scratch marked the lower panel.

Sophie had made it years earlier while moving her music stool.

“How could you sell something you hadn’t even collected?” Luca asked.

“Miss Bellini represented herself as authorized to dispose of the furnishings.”

“Did you verify that she owned it?”

Miriam looked embarrassed.

“We relied on her written authorization. We shouldn’t have.”

Luca folded his arms.

“Then cancel the sale.”

“We’re contacting the buyer. The deposit has already been accepted.”

“Return it.”

“We intend to resolve the matter, but the buyer is expecting delivery.”

Daniel stepped closer.

“The piano won’t leave this restaurant.”

Miriam nodded.

“I understand.”

Then she looked at Luca.

“There’s something else you should know.”

He waited.

“The buyer wasn’t told this was an ordinary restaurant piano.”

Luca frowned.

“What was the buyer told?”

Miriam opened the listing.

And read the description Vanessa had approved.

“Historic upright piano, formerly owned by the late Anna Moretti. Family wishes to release it permanently as part of a new beginning.”

Sophie had returned just in time to hear the last sentence.

She stopped beside her father.

Then whispered, “Daddy, did Mommy become something you wanted to get rid of?”