She watched as Russo dropped his chin towards his driver and spoke to him in Italian—a Calabrian dialect. As the man’s hand went inside his coat, Sin gripped her revolver a bit tighter. “I said, slowly.”
Russo looked back at his man, telling him to remove his guns and lay them on top of the car. Once the semiautomatics were placed on the hood, Sin told them both to move away from the vehicle. Once they did, she whistled.
From the other side of the driveway, Troy emerged from behind a group of Palmetto bushes. With his gun pointed at the duo, he made his way to the car and removed the guns from the hood.
“Check his right flank for a knife,” she yelled, nodding toward the driver.
Troy patted him down and pulled a knife from his belt.
She eyed Russo. “One more dumbass move like that Mr. Russo and this meeting is over, and you can go back to Calabria.”
She watched as Russo nodded, never breaking a sweat. “You have made yourself clear, Agent O’Malley.”
Sin wind-milled her revolver around her finger before setting it back in its holster. “Good to know.” She opened the front door and said, “Welcome to my home.”
They settled in the kitchen where she poured everyone a cup of espresso. “Mr. Russo,” she said, “you wanted to speak to me. What was so important that you had to get my cell number from Lancaster?”
“That’s rather presumptuous, is it not, Agent? I could have gotten your number from many sources.”
“Cut the bullshit, you and I both know who gave you my number. The longer I stay here with you, the less hope I have in recovering your daughter, so why don’t you cut to the chase.” She leaned forward and stared at Russo.
She watched as his expression changed. With the mention of Pia, he dropped his cocky shell. “Very well,” he said, his voice hesitant. “I wasn’t happy with the information President Lancaster gave me, so I took things into my own hands. Pia is my only daughter—my only child—and I’ll do whatever is necessary to get her back safely.”
“Mr. Russo, I have a feeling you and I have differing opinions on lots of things, but on this one we can agree. But in order for me to do my job and get Pia back, I need you to come clean. I need you to answer all my questions and answer them truthfully.”
Russo shrugged. “But of course.”
Sin smirked as she stood. “Please follow me.”
Russo and Arturo, his driver, stood and began to follow. Sin stopped and turned back. In a heavy Napolitano dialect, she whispered, “I wouldn’t bring him with us unless you trust him with your dirtiest of laundry.”
The lines in Russo’s forehead deepened and his brows rose. He put his hand out and stopped Arturo. “Why don’t you go have a smoke and watch the car. I’ll be fine.”
Arturo tried to argue, but with one snap of Russo’s fingers, Arturo stopped talking, turned, and walked outside.
Sin walked into the next room. “It must be nice to have a trained monkey.”
“Trained he is,” Russo answered, in a Calabrian dialect, “a monkey he isn’t.”
“Good to know,” Sin answered in the same tongue.
“How is it you speak many Italian dialects?”
“It’s a gift.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“Let’s just say, I get around.”
“Is this the truth you were speaking of, Agent? I will be upfront on anything you want to know, but only if it goes both ways.”
She took a seat in the den. “If you’re as open as you say you are, I’ll be the same.”
Russo stopped as soon as he entered and pointed. “I thought we were going to be alone.”
Sin looked at Troy who entered the den from the back porch. “Dominic Russo, Troy Stubbs. Troy is a captain in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department. He is vital in getting your daughter back. He’s also my closest friend. I keep no secrets from him.”
“Very well,” Russo answered.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Russo,” Troy said, holding out his hand.
Russo shook it and took a seat.
“First of all,” she said, taking a seat behind her laptop, “I need to know if the kidnappers contacted you.”
“They did,” he answered, taking out his phone. “They contacted me the night Pia was taken and again the next day.” He handed the phone to her. “That was the last time I heard from them until last night and again this morning.”
She scrolled through the original texts and video. They were the same the kidnappers sent Lancaster except the video was of Pia. When she scrolled to the next video, she froze. She attached a USB cord from his phone to her computer and downloaded the video. Finished, she tapped a key and brought up the video. “This is the video you received last night?”
“Yes.” The word caught in his throat.
Everyone watched a video on Pia tied to a chair. Her eyes were vacant as she stared off into an abyss.
“What did those animals do to my daughter?”
“I’m not sure,” Sin mumbled, letting the last syllable hand in the air.
“The kidnappers sent me another video this morning. Play that one,” Russo said, his voice barely audible. Sin brought up the next video. “I received this one while I was driving down here.”
Sin watched the video and then watched it again. Pia was lying on a dirty cot mumbling incoherently. Her eyes were so bloodshot, the circles around them so dark, she didn’t look real.
The tension in the room was broken when Troy spoke. “There is background noise,” he said.
“I’m going to separate the sound from the video,” Sin said, tapping the keys. Moments later, the screen went black, just a recording could be heard.
Russo stood. “I hear a plane engine. They’re at an airport.”
“You’re half right,” Troy said.
“What are you talking about?” Russo said.
“Listen again,” she said, replaying the audio. “What else do you hear?”
She glanced at Russo who had his eyes closed as he listened. “Nothing. Maybe some birds.”
“That’s why Captain Stubbs
