Page 33 of Vows of Silence

Luca:What is it you’re looking for?

I shut the chat head down without reading his message.

Luca:Stop shutting me out, little ember.

The chat head was bigger this time, taking up more than half my screen.

I clicked off it.

I flicked from one article to the next, not quite knowing what I was looking for, but knowing in my gut I was on the right track.

Instinct told me Silas was the link. I just hadn’t connected the dots. If I failed in this, it wouldn’t be for lack of trying!

And then, just when I was giving up hope, I came across an article regarding Silas’s mother, and my curiosity was piqued.

Luca:Don’t do it, little ember.

SUSPICION CLOUDS THE DEATH OF MARIA FALCONE

By Elena Moretti | European Crime & Financial Review

Questions continue to surround the death of Maria Falcone, wife of the late Antonio Falcone and mother of current Falcone underboss Silas Falcone, despite the case officially being closed over twenty years ago.

Maria Falcone was killed during what authorities described at the time as a “targeted attack” on a Falcone safehouse in Palermo. Reports state that multiple armed men entered the property shortly after midnight, opening fire on occupants before setting sections of the residence ablaze.

Mrs Falcone was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her husband, Antonio Falcone, was absent during the attack but later died from injuries sustained during a chemical assault only months later. Their son, Silas Falcone, then aged seven, was reportedly caught in the attack and suffered permanent facial disfigurement.

Although the Falcone organisation publicly blamed rival syndicates for the violence, rumours within organised crime circles have long suggested the attack may have originated much closer to home.

Several anonymous sources connected to the Italian underworld have alleged that Maria Falcone had been attempting to leave the organisation in the months leading up to her death. Unverified reports claim she had sought protection for herself and her son shortly before the attack occurred.

Others insist her death was linked to internal disputes over money laundering routes and offshore holdings following Antonio Falcone’s growing instability in the years before his death.

More disturbing theories suggest Maria Falcone may have possessed information capable of damaging the Falcone empire itself.

No evidence supporting these claims has ever surfaced publicly.

The Falcone family has repeatedly denied any involvement in Maria Falcone’s death, and no arrests were ever made in connection to the attack.

The case resurfaced briefly last year following Silas Falcone’s arrest in connection with the deaths of three men tied to the Moretti trafficking investigation. Though Falcone was later released without charge, renewed public attention has led amateur investigators online to revisit old rumours surrounding the family.

Interest intensified further after archived photographs emerged, allegedly showing Maria Falcone attending multiple charity galas alongside prominent British businessman Vittorio Carbone during the late nineties.

The nature of their relationship remains unclear.

Neither the Carbone Group nor representatives for the Falcone organisation responded to requests for comment.

More recently, investigators revisiting the case have drawn attention to sealed financial records connected to Maria Falcone’s father, Mr Biancheri.

My laptop went black, and I slapped it in frustration.

Biancheri…

Should I know that name?

My knowledge on Silas was pretty limited, and I’d never felt the need to look into his mother that much. But my mind had latched on to that name, Biancheri, and refused to let go.