The Midnight Dance by Nikki Katz

Author:Nikki Katz
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

CHAPTER

22

1867

Cirillo tossed the latest letter from l’ispettore onto a pile of mail intended for Beppe. It was the exact same missive he’d received every week for two months. He could recite it by heart.

Dear Sir, I regret to inform you there has been no word of your sister. We will continue our search. —Signor Bruno

Cirillo didn’t care. He was only placating Beppe and his obsessive need to find Sofia. Cirillo himself rather hoped she rotted in whatever hole she’d fallen into.

Beppe had not been happy when Cirillo approached him to rewire his sister’s thoughts. But Cirillo had already concocted his argument, intent on coercing Beppe to help him. “We’ll be careful,” he’d said. “I promise. And think of all the good we can do. If we perfect this procedure, there are so many uses. We can help someone forget a traumatic memory, or even correct a criminal’s behavior.”

“But why Sofia?” Beppe’s eyebrows, already prematurely white like the rest of his hair, knit together.

This was the question Cirillo had been waiting for. “Because we know her and can gauge the results. If we performed the alteration on a stranger, we wouldn’t be able to detect any subtle differences.”

Beppe reluctantly agreed to a small manipulation, and they’d moved forward with the experiment. Unfortunately, it hadn’t gone quite as planned.

It was a science, this concept of mind modification. And, Sofia being the first subject, they may have suffered a few glitches. Instead of being more subdued, kind, and compassionate, Cirillo’s sister became depressed. Her husband left. Beppe kept a constant watch on her and her seven-year-old son, to make sure she didn’t harm him. And then she disappeared.

Cirillo had paid the inspector a hefty sum to find his sister and keep her quiet. The last thing he needed was Sofia out telling the world what happened behind their closed doors. But she hadn’t left even a shred of a trace. And after a few weeks of searching, Cirillo stopped worrying. If she began to spread rumors, he’d say she was insane. If her behavior alone wasn’t enough to justify his claim, he had enough money to purchase a physician’s confirmation.

A knock on the door brought him back to the present. Primo stepped through. “Sir, l’ispettore is here to see you.”

Signor Bruno entered with Beppe right behind.

“I’ve just had news.” Signor cut right to the chase. “She was found in a river two towns over. Facedown and dressed all in black.”

Cirillo shrugged. “Thank you. I’ll see to burial arrangements.”

Signor nodded. “And the boy?”

“I don’t care.”

“You’re his only living family.” Signor paused, as if waiting for Cirillo to grasp his intent.

“No.” The word was definitive, spoken through clenched teeth. No way was Cirillo raising a child.

Beppe glared at him and stepped over, stopping when their noses were mere millimeters apart. “We have no choice. We killed her.”

Cirillo sighed. “All right. He can stay at the estate. It’s not like I won’t find some use for him.”

Beppe directed the inspector to the door and bid him good day.

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