Page 107 of Mafioso's Muse
‘It didn’t just fall down for no reason,’ Vaughn replied bluntly. ‘Cops will keep digging until theycanpin it on us.’ He wanted another cigarette. ‘Can’t say I blame them.’
Salvatore glanced in his direction. ‘It almost sounds like you want the blame.’
Vaughn looked out the window. He neededsomeoneto blame. Willow was still in hospital, and the question of where to point the finger was like a splinter underfoot.
‘The contractor Tony used for the flooring might not have the cleanest record, but he takes pride in his work, no?’ Salvatore asked. ‘You used him yourself.’
‘I did.’
‘I don’t always trust Tony’s judgement,’ his father continued, ‘but he’s managed DeLuca well since you stepped away.’
Vaughn nodded. ‘I know.’
‘Ever since we took care of that nasty Chinatown business, he’s been really trying.’
‘As he should. He received a get-out-of-jail-free card and had his debt paid for him.’ He paused. ‘But the bottom line is that people got hurt because of a stagewerefurbished.’ His mind hadn’t stopped searching for plausible explanations. ‘We can’t just wipe our hands of it and walk away.’
The car stopped at a red light as heavy sheets of rain began to fall, coming in sideways. Vaughn watched it hit the window.
‘Sometimes things happen that are just beyond our control,’ Salvatore said, eyes ahead. ‘No one could have predicted what happened. Everyone is sorry that the dancers were hurt. The important thing is, we did the best we could with the information we had.’
Vaughn shook his head. ‘There’s something we’re missing. Something the cops are overlooking.’
‘Maybe, maybe not. But I suggest you let them miss it,’ Salvatore warned. ‘When our name is cleared, we put it behind us. If you start digging around, you might end up making things worse for everyone.’
The light changed, and the car accelerated. Vaughn stared out the window, knowing he would have a lot of difficulty moving on when Willow had suffered so much because of what had happened. His resolve to uncover the truth was only growing stronger by the second.
‘I know you want me to let this go,’ Vaughn said, looking at his father, ‘but I can’t.’
Salvatore released a heavy sigh. ‘Because of the girl?’
‘At the very least, I owe her some answers.’
His father took in his resolute expression. ‘All right, all right.’ He shook his head, like he couldn’t believe he was going along with it. ‘We’ll look into it—quietly. Carefully. Discreetly. We don’t want to stir up any trouble.’
It was exactly what Vaughn needed in the moment. ‘You have my word.’ With his father’s help, he was confident of getting what they needed.
By the time the car pulled onto their street, a plan of attack was taking shape. Soon Vaughn would have answers. Even if they weren’t the ones he was hoping for.
34
July 2024
Willow performed the role of good patient for the two weeks her mother was in Melbourne. She napped, ate the food prepared for her, tolerated Harrison’s visits, and sat on the balcony in the freezing cold to get her daily dose of vitamin D. Then once her mother returned to Sydney, Willow had the freedom to skip meals, tell Harrison she was too tired for visitors, and attempt stretches she wasn’t ready for.
Lili came to visit her in the evenings. They would eat dinner, watch TV, and talk about everything except Vaughn Gallo. Each night after Lili left, Willow would lie in bed reading old text messages from the mafioso and googling his name, relieved every time she found nothing new. She tried to convince herself that no news equalled innocence, but the fact remained that DeLuca had worked on the stage prior to its collapse.
Four weeks through her recovery, when the bruises had faded and new hair was starting to cover the scar on her head, Willow decided to go to the Star. She was due to return to the studio in two weeks, albeit on a very reduced Pilates-only schedule, and wanted to get any feelings and reactions out of the way so she could focus on work when it was time.
When she arrived, she wandered to the entrance of the theatre and took a deep breath before stepping inside. The familiar scent of aged wood and lingering perfume filled her senses. She looked around the dimly lit space, her gaze narrowing on the yellow tape fixed around the area where the stage once stood. A range of emotions swirled inside her, and she couldn’t process them quick enough. Vaughn’s face flashed in her mind, eyes filled with concern. It was the closest to afraid she had ever seen him.
‘Willow, can you hear me?’
She blinked away the vision of him and made her way down the aisle towards the… construction site or crime scene? Willow didn’t know which one to call it. She came to a stop a foot from the yellow tape and stared into the empty space, which had been full of debris last time she was here. Her mind replayed the events of that night—the deafening crack, the blinding dust, the shrill screams that continued to wake her at night. Her heart raced at the memories.
‘Don’t leave,’she had pleaded with him.
And he didn’t. Not until she was safely inside that ambulance.