Chapter 1 - At 6:12 Thursday morning, Adrienne Moretti returned to his Long Island estate one day early.Chicago had ended faster than expected.
A meeting scheduled to last four days had collapsed in less than thirty-six hours, leaving Adrienne with nothing to do except get on the first flight home.
He had not told anyone.
Not his staff.
Not security.
Not even Vivien Romano.
He wanted to walk through the front door without warning, drink coffee in his own kitchen, and surprise his little niece Mia before she left for preschool.
Instead, the moment he stepped into the marble foyer, he knew something was wrong.
The house was too quiet.
Adrienne stopped.
His driver, Carlo, carried the leather travel bag behind him.
“Welcome home, boss.”
Adrienne did not answer.
His eyes swept across the foyer.
No movement.
No barking.
No heavy claws striking the marble floor.
Bruno was not there.
Adrienne looked toward the dining room.
Nothing.
The library.
Nothing.
The staircase.
Nothing.
His jaw tightened.
“Where’s Bruno?”
Carlo froze.
One of the housekeepers suddenly found the floor fascinating.
Nobody answered.
Adrienne repeated himself.
“Where is my dog?”
Finally, a voice came from the staircase.
“He wandered off Tuesday night.”
Vivien Romano descended slowly.
She wore a silk robe, her dark hair pinned neatly behind her head.
Her expression was almost bored.
Almost.
Adrienne stared at her.
“Bruno wandered off?”
Vivien gave a small shrug.
“The service gate may have been left open.”
Adrienne took one step toward her.
“My dog doesn't wander.”
“He was agitated.”
“Bruno has never left this property alone.”
Vivien crossed her arms.
“Animals behave strangely.”
Adrienne turned his head.
“Tony.”
Security chief Tony Varela stepped forward from the corridor.
“Yes, boss.”
“Was any gate reported open Tuesday night?”
Tony hesitated.
“No.”
Adrienne's eyes narrowed.
“No?”
“No, boss. Every exterior gate was logged and secured.”
Silence spread through the foyer.
Adrienne looked back at Vivien.
She didn't move.
Then a tiny voice came from the hallway.
“Bruno didn't go.”
Everyone turned.
Three-year-old Mia stood barefoot against the wall, clutching a stuffed rabbit.
Her pajamas were wrinkled from sleep.
Adrienne's expression immediately softened.
He crouched.
“Mia.”
She ran toward him.
Adrienne caught her and lifted her into his arms.
She buried her face against his shoulder.
“Uncle Addy.”
“Hey, little bird.”
He kissed her forehead.
Then his eyes returned to the adults.
“What do you mean Bruno didn't go?”
Mia pulled away.
“The bad lady made him sleepy.”
The room froze.
Vivien's face changed.
Only for a second.
But Adrienne saw it.
“That’s ridiculous,” Vivien said quickly.
Mia pointed at her.
Her tiny finger trembled.
“Her.”
Vivien laughed nervously.
“Mia, you’ve been watching too many cartoons.”
Adrienne stood.
“What happened to Bruno?”
Mia looked at the floor.
“She gave him something.”
“What?”
“Medicine.”
Tony stepped closer.
“Boss…”
Adrienne raised one hand.
Mia continued.
“Bruno fell down.”
Adrienne's stomach tightened.
“And then?”
“Two men came.”
“What men?”
“I don't know.”
“What did they do?”
Mia squeezed her stuffed rabbit.
“They carried him.”
Adrienne crouched again.
“Where?”
“Outside.”
“To where?”
Mia pointed toward the service corridor.
“That way.”
Tony swallowed.
“Boss, there's something else.”
Adrienne stood slowly.
“What?”
“The service-drive camera was offline Tuesday night.”
Adrienne's gaze sharpened.
“When?”
“10:43 to 11:36.”
Adrienne stared at him.
“That’s fifty-three minutes.”
“Yes.”
“Exactly when Bruno disappeared?”
Tony nodded.
Adrienne turned to Vivien.
“You knew about the camera?”
“No.”
“Why wasn't I told?”
Vivien lifted her chin.
“You weren't here.”
“That wasn't my question.”
Her lips parted.
No answer.
Mia tugged Adrienne's sleeve.
“Bruno was scared.”
Adrienne looked down.
“How do you know?”
“He looked at me.”
“And?”
“He blinked.”
Mia's voice dropped.
“Then the bad men put him in the car.”
Adrienne's eyes hardened.
“Did Bruno make a sound?”
Mia shook her head.
“He couldn't.”
Adrienne's chest tightened.
Drugged.
Someone had drugged Bruno.
And done it inside his own home.
Vivien stepped forward.
“This is becoming absurd.”
Adrienne looked at her.
“All this for a dog?”
His voice was quiet.
That made it worse.
“Bruno stayed beside my mother's coffin until the cemetery closed.”
Vivien stopped.
Adrienne continued.
“He slept outside my bedroom every night when I was seventeen because I was too proud to admit I was afraid.”
His eyes never left hers.
“He has been loyal to me longer than most people in this house.”
Mia whispered, “Bruno is my friend.”
Adrienne looked at the child.
Then toward Tony.
“Lock every gate.”
Tony nodded.
“Nobody leaves this property.”
“Boss…”
“Now.”
Tony immediately pulled out his phone.
Adrienne turned.
“Bring me everyone who had access to the cameras.”
“Yes.”
“Check every traffic camera, toll booth, gas station, shelter, veterinary clinic, emergency clinic, and police report from here to Queens.”
Tony nodded again.
Adrienne looked at Carlo.
“Bring the car around.”
Carlo hesitated.
“Why?”
Adrienne stared at him.
“Because we're going to find the car.”
Vivien's voice suddenly rose.
“You can't hold everyone here over a missing animal.”
Adrienne slowly turned.
“Watch me.”
He walked toward the service corridor.
But before he reached it, Tony's phone rang.
Tony listened.
His face changed.
Adrienne stopped.
“What?”
Tony looked at him.
“We found the first piece of footage.”
Adrienne waited.
Tony's voice dropped.
“But boss…”
“What?”
“The car wasn't taking Bruno away from the estate.”
A beat.
“It was bringing someone in.”
Adrienne stared at him.
“Who?”
Tony looked toward Vivien.
“We don't know yet.”
Then he added:
“But the vehicle was registered to Moretti Holdings.”
And somewhere beneath the estate, behind a locked door nobody had mentioned in years, something heavy slammed against metal.
May you like
Mia lifted her head.
“Bruno.”
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