Page 32 of Corso DeLuca

Wrinkles crease her forehead. Head tilted, eyes upper and right. I know she’s reliving the event that took Gregorio from us.

Instead of looking at me, she answers, her pencil adding more notes to a half-filled page.

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

She doesn’t elaborate more, and I decide not to push her. I know she’s mine, but Greg will always be with us, not a wedge between us.

I return my attention to the final pieces of my puzzle. Only one word left to figure out and then onto decoding the puzzle’s title.

I’m stumped on the final entry, Mastardy. Substituting a ‘b’ at the onset, but the term bastardy is more an outdated legal reference than medical. An uncivilized reference to children born outside of the marriage. Jessie and Josie are twins with six minutes of separation.

“Jessie, were your parents married? Are there other siblings?”

“Yes, to the first. Nope, to the second. Our father was a Navy Seal killed in the line of duty.”

“Gregorio added a message referring to bastardy.”

She frowns. “Cruel term, but it’s not us.”

So, who’s the illegitimate child? How does he or she connect to Mattia’s plan?

“A family history of service.” He should’ve guessed.

She smiles. “Yeah. I’d like to think our folks would be proud.”

My woman takes great pride in the good her family has done for others. I gaze at the puzzle, realizing how the truth will unhinge her self-view. Anxiety grips me. With this latest reveal, there’s a hidden player in the game. I’m not sure how much time I have to discover the identity before Mattia’s next strike. Counting every second as precious, I focus on the final clue.

“Te-llherblu,” I read the puzzle title aloud, enunciating each alphabet, “T-E- blank space-L-L.” It’s a non-medical, non-traditional mix of characters and differs in its pattern. Jessie abruptly stops what she’s doing to stare at me. She pulls a chair back, struggling with the heavy wood in one hand and then collapses in the cushion. Head hung low, I hear her staggered breaths. Before I can comprehend my actions, I’m on my knees at her feet, raising her chin until our eyes meet. A glimpse of her crumbled expression and I know the title is a message for her.

“Princess, start talking.”

She pulls free of my touch. Immediately, I want her warmth back, but I sense the need to give her space.

“About a month before everything went down with Greg, he was at the kitchen table working on one of his puzzles. I thought he might like to split a beer with me, so I walked over behind him. I didn’t mean to spy, but he was typing that title into the menu bar.” Her voice sounds hollow, almost haunted.

Sliding a piece of paper, she snags a pen, and then rewrites the title twice.

“Teall Her Blu. Tell Her Teal.”

“Who’s Teal?” I growl.

She swallows, her face twisted as if glass is cutting her insides.

“The team leader who got shot in the lobby. He’s been on organized crime task forces for decades,” she scoffs, one ladened with self-loathing and guilt. “I should have suspected.”

Hmm, the color is a subtle reference to the culprit’s name. I get it now, appreciating my brother’s ingenuity.

“Rats are on both sides of the law. Don’t blame yourself.”

She drops her forehead to the table. “Greg is dead.”

I’m inclined to scoop her up in my arms, comfort her from the pain the truth will cause. Instead, I stand, coming up behind my Jessie to rub her shoulder.

“Corso, what else was in that puzzle?” There’s a telltale tremor in her voice. “Who is Vince Teal working with? You know who Greg is talking about. And don’t you dare try to hide it. Somehow, my past is directly connected to his death. Tell me if I’m lying.”

I find myself at an impasse between truth and protection. Jessie needs both from me, but is the price one I’m willing to pay? When I don’t answer, she pushes away from the table, forcing me to step back. Is this symbolic of what’s to come. Hopefully, it’s not. But, I’ve never had much reason to put my faith in wishful thinking. Her legs are unsteady, but her thinned lips and ridged spine says she’s not open to my support.

“You know I would never mislead you, princess.”