by Karen Moore
Hanna sprang to her feet. “Honour? Don’t make me laugh! What’s honour got to do with anything? Honour among thieves? Honour be damned. I’ve had enough of this. Tell me what you want and hand over Eva. Now.”
“I can’t do that. Hand over Eva, I mean. Not until I have your assurance that you won’t release any information you have on me. Ever. I know you must have a copy of the computer files. I need them back. “
“And what happens if I don’t agree? What then?”
He shrugged, and looked at her coldly. “Then I can’t guarantee Eva’s safety in the future.”
Hanna sat down heavily as the words sank in. Was he really threatening his own daughter? How low could he get? Her thoughts turned to the two men shot in the quarry and Luciano’s part in the misery of the many hundreds of people being trafficked into the country. She shuddered, taking time to prepare her response.
Eventually, she said, “I can hand over my copy of the files to you and guarantee that I won’t reveal their contents to the authorities or the media. But they may already have their own information on you. We can go and get the memory stick straight away. But I need you to hand over Eva immediately afterwards. And I need you to promise that you’ll leave Eva and me alone in the future.”
Luciano stared at her intently, as if weighing up her words.
Chapter Fifty-One
Sicily, Friday 8th December, 2017
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” said Luciano, after what seemed to Hanna like an age.
“So, how do you want to play it?” Hanna asked, conscious that for the first time she felt she was gaining control of the situation and even had the upper hand. As long as she remained cool and didn’t allow her emotions to get the better of her.
All she had to do was surrender the memory stick and promise Luciano that she wouldn’t grass on him. She’d get Eva back and they’d live happily ever after. Or would they? It sounded too good to be true. And it didn’t resolve her moral dilemma. She didn’t know if she could live with herself, knowing that Luciano was free to profit from the plight of many more migrants trying to flee their native lands. And could he be trusted to keep his word? She couldn’t be sure until she got Eva back, so the sooner this happened, the better.
“We can do it today and I’ll arrange for Sergio to meet us somewhere with the memory stick, but you’ll have to collect Eva and hand her over at the same time. Or we can meet on our own tomorrow.”
Luciano gave her a strange look and said almost wistfully, “You’ve changed so much, Hanna, since we first met. You’re like a different person, no longer my little Hanna of old. So much stronger.”
Hanna looked at him coldly, realising for the first time how little remained of their former mad, passionate love for each other. “I’ve had to be. Not much choice really when you find out that your husband’s involved in people trafficking, you get a death threat, and then your daughter’s kidnapped. Those things tend to change your perspective on life.”
“Infatti. I’m so sorry that things have come to this,” he said with a faint smile. “I’d give anything for—”
“Basta! Enough!” Hanna interrupted him. “It’s neither the time nor the place for wallowing in false sentimentality. What’s it to be, today or tomorrow?”
Her tone seemed to jolt Luciano back to his previous mode. “Tomorrow would be better. I have to collect Eva and I don’t want Sergio involved more than necessary. Although no doubt he and Ceri have been helping you all the way along. I just hope that he’s not been sharing the information with his father. Although I expect they’ve got other things on their mind at the minute.”
This callous reference to Pino’s death and imminent funeral horrified Hanna. Was this the real Luciano, a man so totally lacking in compassion for his adversaries? And how could he switch from man to monster so easily? Truly terrifying. Hanna realised that she and Eva weren’t yet out of danger and she needed to conclude this as quickly as possible. She couldn’t rule out the possibility that he would have both her and Eva killed if need be. The very thought made her feel nauseous, sending her head into a spin and her stomach churning. But she needed to maintain her show of strength. She was so near now, so close to getting Eva back.
“You do realise that there’s a police investigation underway into all the trafficking on the island. It’s been going on for some time and has nothing to do with me or Sergio.” She maintained eye contact with Luciano, looking at him coolly.
“I’m well aware of that but I’d know if they had anything on me,” Luciano replied arrogantly. “We’ve got people on the inside. I’d get the heads-up first if they did.”
“So, back to tomorrow. We need to arrange a time and a venue.”
“How about the entrance to La Rocca at 2pm?”
“That’s fine. I’ll see you there with the memory stick. No tricks, Luciano. All I want is to get Eva back safely and get the hell away from here. What you do is your own concern.”
A pained expression flashed across Luciano’s face before he regained his composure. Hanna hoped that he’d got the message that she wanted him to play no part in their lives.
“I’ll get my men to drive you home.”
“Was it really necessary to grab me off the street and knock me out?”
Luciano shrugged. “I needed to get you alone, unprepared, and on my own terms and territory, no wires. Here, you’d better have your mobile back. We took it off you on the way over here.”
Hanna snatched the phone off him angrily and checked the screen. A string of missed messages from Ceri and Sergio, as expected, desperate to know where she was and if she was okay.
“See you tomorrow then, with Eva,” she said.
“A domani,” Luciano agreed. “And no games, Hanna. Don’t take me for a fool.”
The steely glint in his eyes made it clear that there would be serious consequences and no allowances made.
Not even for his wife and daughter.
The man instructed to accompany Hanna back to Cefalu drove confidently down the winding country lanes, making no attempt at conversation. She sank into the plush back seat of the car, feeling drained. Her show of strength had surprised even herself. Perhaps Luciano was right; perhaps she was a different person now. A wave of relief, quickly followed by one of fear, washed over her as she replayed the encounter in her mind. She had, for the first time, had a glimpse of the true Luciano – the complete opposite of the man she had known and loved. She couldn’t wait for this ordeal to end, and for her and Eva to be able to leave this situation behind them for good.
She sent a quick text to Ceri and Sergio to confirm she was okay and on her way home, telling them she would explain everything later.
Back in the apartment, Sergio bombarded Hanna with questions about what had happened, while she struggled to summon up the energy to give coherent answers.
Ceri looked at her sympathetically. “Go easy on her, will you?” she told Sergio. “She’s been through a lot.”
“Yeah, we’ve been pretty traumatised, too, wondering where the hell you’d disappeared to,” he replied, running his fingers through his hair. “We thought you’d been kidnapped as well.”
“Why don’t you save the questions and let her tell us in her own words?” suggested Ceri.
“Thanks, that’d be much better,” said Hanna gratefully. “It was turning into an interrogation.”
Sergio opened his mouth to speak, but must have thought better of it and quickly closed it again. He nodded and they both proceeded to listen to Hanna’s account of her encounter with Luciano without interrupting.
“So, there you have it,” said Hanna, when she’d finished.
“Luciano really is a piece of work,” said Ceri, wide-eyed. “Do you think he can be trusted to keep his word?”
“I guess he needs me to keep mine, too. He made it pretty clear that the consequences to not doing so would be dire.”
“That man’s bloody dangerous!” Sergio exploded. “He needs l
ocking up. He’s already responsible for murdering my brother. Now he’s threatening his own wife and daughter.”
“That’s as may be, Sergio, but you have to promise me not to intercept tomorrow’s meeting. I have to get Eva back at all costs. What you and your father do afterwards is your own affair but I can’t get involved. And you can’t use any of the information on the memory stick as evidence. If you do, he’ll come after me and Eva. “
“But you’re his—” Ceri tried to interrupt.
Hanna shook her head sadly. “It won’t make any difference, I’m afraid. Promise me, Sergio.”
Sergio exhaled loudly, punching his fist into the palm of his other hand in frustration, clearly unhappy. Ceri looked at him pleadingly.
“Okay, okay, you win,” he said, throwing his hamds up in the air in a gesture of defeat. “I wouldn’t want to jeopardise your safety in any way. But the investigations into his business dealings will continue independently. Va bene?”
“Just make sure that Eva and I are well out of the way first before any action is taken against him,” said Hanna firmly.
“We will, don’t worry,” said Sergio. “But rest assured that we’re going to nail him as soon as we can. He’s not going to get away with profiteering from human misery any longer than necessary.”
But he will get away with it, thought Hanna. Even if the authorities managed to gather enough evidence against him without the memory stick, he’d no doubt have some clever lawyer to manipulate the system and get him off or negotiate some lesser charge. But she and Eva would be far away by then, away from his clutches. If all went to plan.
Chapter Fifty-Two
Sicily, Saturday 9th December, 2017
The next morning, they gathered in the kitchen as usual to finalise the arrangements for what Hanna hoped would be the conclusion of this whole trauma. She had mulled over the previous day’s events before going to sleep, trying to decide whether she could trust Luciano to keep his side of the deal and return Eva to her safe and sound. She was still his daughter, after all. Surely he must have feelings for his child and want the best for her? Hanna wasn’t so sure but she had to remain optimistic. What she couldn’t understand was how he could contemplate giving up his own daughter so easily. Was his business more important than Eva? But then, maybe the choice wasn’t his to make.
She chose not to share any of these thoughts with Sergio. He had been so wound up the day before. Maybe he was intent on seeking revenge for the death of his estranged brother. He hadn’t spoken much or revealed his feelings about it, except for the bare details of the funeral arrangements. She remembered what Luciano had said about not wanting Sergio involved more than necessary.
“Strange place for the the handover,” said Ceri. “There’ll be people around even at this time of the year.”
“That should make it safer,” said Sergio. “We’ll be able to park on the bottom road to the entrance so you won’t have far to make it back to the car with Eva. I’ll get my father to arrange back-up. Covertly. Just in case.”
“As long as they stay out of sight and let the handover go ahead as planned. Absolutely no intervention, no arrests, and no shooting,” Hannah told him. “I can’t risk Luciano getting wind of a set-up and escaping before he gets the chance to hand Eva over, or of her getting caught up in any crossfire. They’re to stay undercover and are there purely in case something goes wrong. Understood?”
Sergio nodded. “Chiaro. Are you happy for me to drive you up there?”
Hanna considered this in light of Luciano’s words. What harm could there be if he acted merely as the driver? If anything did go wrong, Sergio’d be able to get them out of there much faster than if she were driving or Ceri. Then there was also the police presence. Hanna felt her stomach lurch at the thought, the palms of her hands clammy. She glanced at the clock on the wall. Nearly 11am. At least this time they didn’t have far to go.
“That should be fine but stay in the car. I’ll go up there on my own as instructed,” she answered. “What time do we need to leave?”
“I reckon about 1.15pm. That’ll give plenty of time to park up and for you to get to the park entrance. You don’t want to be late.”
“Where’s the memory stick?” she asked.
Sergio got up and opened a ceramic pot on the window ledge. “Here,” he said, putting it in front of her on the kitchen table. “It’s the only copy.”
She frowned. “And your friend at the paper who decrypted it? Will he have made any copies?”
“Don’t worry about Pietro, he knows better than to get involved more than he needs to. He’s seen what happens to people who do,” Sergio assured her. “I’ve asked him to delete all trace of it.”
“Okay. If all goes to plan and I get Eva back, I’ll want us to get away from Sicily as soon as we can. Ceri, can you see if you can get us on the next flight to the UK? It can be direct to Manchester this time.”
“I’m on it,” said Ceri, reaching for her laptop. “You go and get your stuff ready.”
Hanna picked up the memory stick and made her way back to her room, feeling light-headed and unsteady on her feet. For all her bravado in front of Luciano, inside she felt like a shadow of her former self, an empy husk, as if her life here had been a lie. It had been a lie. She must have even lied to herself, only seeing what she’d wanted to see.
Throwing the windows open, she took in a few deep breaths of the crisp wintry air and leant against the wooden frame, gazing down at the street below, full of hustle and bustle. People going about their daily lives. Normal lives. Would she and Eva ever get back to some sort of normality, to peace and calm, far away from threats and violence? She sighed, opened the wardrobe door and began to pack her bag.
“I’ve managed to get you seats on a lunchtime flight to Manchester tomorrow from Catania,” said Ceri when Hanna returned to the kitchen. “You’re lucky – the flights only run twice a week at this time of year.”
“Great. Let’s just hope we’ll need them.” Hanna gave a tight smile.
“How are you feeling?” asked Ceri, rubbing her arm gently. “It’s been a hell of an ordeal for you.”
“More so for Eva. She didn’t deserve this, poor little thing. But it’s not over yet. It all feels a bit surreal, as if it’s not really happening. I feel a bit spaced-out, truth be told.”
“You probably haven’t had much sleep over the last few days. Is there anything that would help, a couple of aspirin maybe?”
“No, I’m fine. Maybe a coffee and a quick bite to eat before we go, that might help.” The kitchen clock showed it was now 12.30pm.
“Okay,” said Ceri. “I’ll make us a quick sandwich.”
Sergio appeared from the balcony, clutching his mobile phone. “Just checked things with my dad. The same team as before will be in place in good time. They’re under orders not to intervene unless there’s trouble. If all goes to plan, you hand over the memory stick and come back to the car with Eva. Don’t run, just be quick about it.”
“No problem,” said Hanna, her body tensing in preparation for what she hoped would be the final confrontation with Luciano. “What happens if Luciano doesn’t show up, or he hasn’t got Eva with him?”
“Then he hasn’t kept his side of the deal and we get the police involved,” Sergio replied firmly.
Hanna desperately hoped that it wouldn’t come to that.
Hanna left Sergio in the car parked in Via Pitrè and walked back to the entrance of the La Rocca park. A few people were waiting to go in while others trickled out. No sign of Luciano and Eva as yet, but it was still early: 1.50pm. There was still time for them to arrive. She looked cautiously around to see if she could spot any sign of the police presence, but they were keeping well hidden.
She moved a short way away from the ticket machines and the tourist information board to a position that offered a good vantage point of the whole area. After a few minutes, she noticed Luciano approaching on foot, clutching Eva tightly by the hand.
Hanna’s heart skipped a beat. Her precious little daughter, at last! She resisted the urge to run towards her, not wanting to jeopardise the situation. It would all happen soon enough. The toddler was dragging her feet and wailing, clearly unhappy. It was only when they got nearer that Eva spotted Hanna and wriggled from Luciano’s grasp, yelling: “Mamma, Mamma! Where have you been? Why did you leave me?”
Hanna scooped the little girl up in her arms, tears of joy flowing down her cheeks. “Sorry, sweetheart. I’m here now and everything’s going to be okay.”
Eva tried to throw her chubby little arms round Hanna’s neck but they wouldn’t quite reach. “Don’t cry, Mammina. I’ve been a very good girl, haven’t I, Babbo?”
Luciano nodded. “And now you get to go home with Mummy, just like I told you,” he said, a weak smile playing on his lips. But Hanna could see from his stony eyes how detached he really was.
Turning to Hanna, he asked, “You have the memory stick?”
She balanced Eva on her hip while she reached into the pocket of her jacket and handed it over. Luciano whipped out a tablet from a small leather bag he was carrying and rested it on a nearby wooden fence. He proceeded to switch it on, waited for it to power up, then inserted the memory stick to make sure that everything was as expected.
Eva started to wriggle in Hanna’s arms. “Can we go now?” she asked, tugging impatiently at Hanna’s sleeve.
“In a few minutes, pumpkin. Shall we go and get an ice cream? Would you like that?” The process was taking some time and her arms were aching. She put Eva down but held firmly to her hand.
Eva’s eyes lit up. Ice cream was one of her favourite treats. “Oooh, yes, please!
It was then that Hanna noticed Eva’s unkempt appearance: her hair hung in greasy plugs, her clothes were stained, and her face smeared with dirt. “Just as soon as Daddy’s finished,” she said, eager for this to be over and done with.