Chapter 3 – THE MONSTER IN THE DRAWING

The dining room erupted into chaos.

Guests gasped. Someone dropped a wine glass, the crystal shattering loudly against the marble floor.

Luca stared at the crayon drawing. His breathing stopped.

Vanessa rushed toward the stairs, her face twisted in panic.

“Mia, darling, what a vivid imagination you have! You’ve been having those nightmares again, haven’t you?”

Mia hid behind my legs, gripping my apron so hard her small fingers turned white.

“Don’t let her touch me, Hannah,” the little girl cried.

I stepped in front of Mia, blocking Vanessa’s path.

“Stay back, Mrs. Bellini.”

Vanessa glared at me, her eyes burning with pure hatred. “Get out of my way, you pathetic little maid.”

“Enough!” Luca roared.

His voice shook the walls. The forty guests instantly went silent.

Luca slowly walked up the steps until he was at eye level with his daughter. He knelt down on the hard wood, ignoring Vanessa entirely.

“Mia,” Luca said, his voice breaking with unspeakable pain. “Sweetheart. Why did you draw this?”

Mia peeked out from behind me. Tears were streaming down her chubby cheeks.

“Because my teacher said we should draw a secret we were too scared to tell anyone,” she whispered.

Luca closed his eyes for a second. When he opened them, a tear slipped down his own face.

“Were you awake that night, Mia? The night Mommy went to heaven?”

Mia nodded, rubbing her eyes.

“I wanted a glass of water. I walked to Mommy’s room. The door was locked, but I looked through the keyhole.”

Vanessa let out a loud, mocking laugh.

“A keyhole? Luca, please! She was four years old when Catherine died. She’s remembering a bad dream! You cannot possibly take the word of a child over your future wife!”

Sofia, who had been standing silently by the door, finally stepped forward.

“Actually, Vanessa, child psychologists say trauma locks memories in perfectly. Especially when it involves a mother.”

Luca kept his eyes on his daughter.

“What did you see through the keyhole, sweetheart?”

Mia sniffled.

“Aunt Vanessa was pushing a pillow on Mommy’s face. Mommy was trying to push her away, but she couldn’t breathe.”

Vanessa grabbed her own hair in frustration.

“This is absurd! I wasn’t there! I have an alibi!”

Teresa spoke up from the bottom of the stairs.

“Your alibi was that you were alone in your apartment, asleep,” the old woman said sharply. “That isn’t an alibi. That’s a convenience.”

Vanessa turned her wrath on the old woman.

“You senile old bat! You’ve poisoned this whole family against me! You hated me from the moment I stepped into this house!”

Luca stood up. He walked down the stairs until he was inches from Vanessa’s face.

“Do not speak to my mother that way.”

Vanessa shrank back, suddenly realizing she had pushed too far.

“Luca, darling, I’m sorry. I’m just stressed. They are trying to ruin our lives.”

Mia tugged on my hand. I looked down.

The little girl reached into the pocket of her pink pajama pants.

“I didn’t just see her, Daddy,” Mia whispered.

Luca turned around.

“What do you mean, baby?”

Mia pulled out a heavy, men’s gold pocket watch.

It was badly scratched, and the glass face was cracked in the center.

“I was scared, so I ran back to my room,” Mia said. “But I heard Aunt Vanessa run down the back stairs. She tripped. When I came out later, I found this on the stairs.”

Luca stared at the watch.

Every drop of color drained from his face.

“That’s… that’s my grandfather’s watch,” Luca stammered. “I thought I lost it five years ago.”

Mia shook her head.

“Aunt Vanessa didn’t drop it, Daddy.”

Vanessa’s breath hitched. She took another step backward, hitting the wall.

Luca looked from the watch to Vanessa.

“Then who dropped it, Mia?”

The little girl pointed a shaking finger into the crowd of dinner guests.

“He did.”

Forty heads turned in unison.

Standing in the back of the room, looking pale and terrified, was Marcus.

Luca’s head of security. His best friend since college. The man who was supposed to be his best man at the wedding.

Marcus swallowed hard, backing away toward the kitchen doors.

“Marcus?” Luca whispered, pure betrayal lacing his voice. “You were supposed to be guarding the gate that night.”

Mia looked at Marcus.

“He let Aunt Vanessa inside,” the little girl said clearly. “And they were kissing by the back door.”

Share