Chapter 9 - The Last Man Through the Door
Darkness swallowed the shop.
"Nobody move," Lorenzo said.
Meline heard Caroline inhale sharply.
Antonio reached for Samuel.
Marco moved toward the security panel.
Then emergency lights flickered on.
Red illumination filled the atelier.
The front door remained locked.
The back door remained closed.
"How did Victor escape?" Lorenzo asked.
Marco checked his phone.
"Transport ambush."
"Casualties?"
"Two officers injured. No deaths."
Meline exhaled.
Then she noticed her cutting table.
Something rested on it.
It hadn't been there before.
A black envelope.
"Lorenzo."
He followed her gaze.
"Don't touch it."
"That instruction has an extremely poor success rate with me."
"I've noticed."
Marco examined the envelope.
No wires.
No device.
Just paper.
He opened it.
Inside was a note.
COME TO WHERE GABRIEL DIED.
ALONE, MELINE.
Caroline went white.
"No."
Meline looked at her.
"Where?"
"Pier Nine."
Antonio cursed.
Lorenzo tore the note in half.
"You're not going."
Meline folded her arms.
"We've discussed this."
"No discussion."
"He wants me."
"Exactly."
"He'll keep coming."
"Then I'll stop him."
"How?"
Lorenzo didn't answer.
Meline stepped closer.
"By killing him?"
His silence answered.
"No."
"Meline."
"I don't want that."
"He murdered your father."
"And if you murder him, then what?"
"He stops."
"And you become exactly what everyone expects Lorenzo Moretti to be."
That struck him.
She softened.
"I don't need another man dying to protect me."
His eyes held hers.
"What do you need?"
"You beside me."
The answer surprised both of them.
Meline took his hand.
"Not in front of me. Not making decisions for me. Beside me."
Lorenzo slowly nodded.
"Beside you."
They created a plan.
This time Meline participated in every detail.
No secrets.
No hidden contingencies.
No heroic sacrifices.
Pier Nine was abandoned.
Meline entered first.
Lorenzo remained close enough to reach her but hidden.
Federal tactical officers surrounded the area.
Antonio monitored another entrance.
Victor waited near the water.
He looked older than he had days earlier.
Defeated.
But still dangerous.
"You came."
Meline stopped ten feet away.
"You wanted me."
"I wanted Gabriel's daughter."
"You killed Gabriel's daughter the day you killed him."
Victor smiled.
"Drama."
"No. Truth."
She looked around.
"This is where he died?"
"Right there."
Victor pointed toward the edge.
"He begged."
Meline's heart tightened.
She remembered Caroline's story.
"No, he didn't."
Victor's smile faltered.
"He knew you had me."
Silence.
"You wanted him afraid. But he wasn't afraid for himself."
Victor raised his gun.
"You sound like him."
"Thank you."
Victor's hand trembled.
"You destroyed everything."
"You did that."
"Your father betrayed us."
"My father chose me."
Victor stepped closer.
"And Moretti?"
Meline glanced toward the darkness.
"He chose me too."
Victor laughed.
"Men like Lorenzo don't choose women like you."
There it was.
The familiar cruelty.
The implication she'd heard in different forms her entire life.
Meline smiled.
"Funny."
"What?"
"You thought that would hurt."
Victor frowned.
"It used to."
She looked toward the darkness.
"But then somebody kept coming into my shop four afternoons a week because he couldn't figure out how to ask me for coffee."
Lorenzo's voice came from behind Victor.
"In my defense, she is difficult."
Victor spun.
Lorenzo stood there.
Gun lowered.
Not aimed.
Victor raised his weapon.
Federal lights exploded around them.
"Drop it!"
Victor froze.
Dozens of officers surrounded the pier.
He looked at Meline.
Then Lorenzo.
Then the water.
For a moment, Meline thought he might jump.
Instead, his shoulders fell.
The gun dropped.
Victor Salvi was arrested.
No dramatic death.
No revenge.
No final bloodshed.
Just handcuffs.
For Meline, that felt better.
As officers led Victor away, he looked back.
"Gabriel would hate what you've become."
Meline answered calmly.
"You never knew him."
Victor disappeared into the vehicle.
Lorenzo approached.
"You okay?"
"No."
"Good."
She frowned.
"Good?"
"You're allowed not to be okay."
She smiled weakly.
"You're getting disturbingly emotionally intelligent."
"I've been reading."
"That might be the most frightening thing you've said."
He laughed.
Then Meline hugged him.
He held her tightly.
Behind them, dawn began touching Boston Harbor.
Weeks passed.
Victor remained in custody.
Grant accepted a plea agreement.
Daniel Voss was indicted.
Nora's brother recovered.
Beth returned to Hayes Bespoke.
Caroline rented an apartment three blocks from Meline rather than disappearing again.
Samuel began the difficult process of becoming a father who was alive instead of a memory.
Antonio and Lorenzo started speaking.
Slowly.
Awkwardly.
But speaking.
And Lorenzo?
He came for coffee.
Every afternoon.
At three-thirty.
No suits.
No excuses.
One Thursday, Meline finally agreed to dinner.
Then another.
Then another.
He didn't mention marriage.
Not once.
That almost annoyed her.
Three months later, Meline stood inside Hayes Bespoke after closing.
Lorenzo arrived carrying takeout.
"Romantic," she said.
"I brought napkins."
"Marriage material."
He stopped.
Meline realized what she'd said.
He stared.
She stared.
"Don't."
"I'm not doing anything."
"Your face is doing something."
"I can't control my face."
"You absolutely can. I've watched you negotiate."
He placed dinner down.
Then Meline reached into her pocket.
She removed the black velvet box.
Lorenzo stopped breathing.
"You left this with me."
"I remember."
She opened it.
The diamond caught the chandelier light.
"Ask me again."
He didn't move.
"Lorenzo."
"Are you serious?"
"Unfortunately."
He approached slowly.
Then, exactly where everything had begun, Lorenzo Moretti lowered himself onto one knee.
Meline's eyes filled.
He opened his mouth.
The front door suddenly opened.
Both of them turned.
Antonio stood there.
He wasn't alone.
Caroline.
Samuel.
Marco.
Tomas.
Nora.
Beth.
Everyone.
Meline stared.
"You told them?"
Lorenzo looked genuinely offended.
"I did not."
Caroline smiled.
"Mothers know things."
Meline laughed.
Then Antonio's phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His smile vanished.
"Lorenzo."
Lorenzo stood.
"What happened?"
Antonio slowly raised the phone.
"The prosecutor handling Victor's case just called."
"And?"
Antonio looked directly at Meline.
"Victor wants to confess to Gabriel's murder."
Meline swallowed.
Antonio continued.
"But he'll only give the full statement to one person."
"Who?"
Antonio's eyes stayed on hers.
"You."
May you like
And then he added the part nobody expected.
"He says Gabriel left one final message for you the night he died."
