ARMANDO
The drive to the scene felt endless. Matteo sat in the front passenger seat-his jaw tight and his eyes scanning the streets as though he might catch a glimpse of the people responsible for what had happened to Enzo-while I sat in the back, silent as my hands clenched into fists. And although the chauffeur had given us every detail he knew, none of it was enough. I needed to see it for myself.
When the limo finally slowed, Matteo cursed under his breath. “Police,” he muttered.
I leaned forward slightly, catching sight of the flashing lights. Yellow tape surrounded the area with officers pacing back and forth.
The scene looked like it was a mess.
“Damn it,” Matteo hissed.
The chauffeur’s face seemed tense as he glanced back at me through the rearview mirror. “What do you want me to do boss?” He asked.
“Park,” I said.
My voice was calm, but there was steel underneath it. “Find a spot where you won’t be seen and stay in the car. Lock it and don’t move until we get back.”
The chauffeur nodded and did as I instructed, pulling into a shadowed corner a short distance from the scene. Matteo jumped out first, then-swiftly but calmly-he opened the door for me. I stepped out, straightened my jacket, and without a word, we started toward the scene.
The closer we got, the more the chaos of the scene came into focus. Officers were talking in groups-their radios crackling-and a few bystanders lingered just beyond the tape, craning their necks to see what was happening.
A female officer spotted us first and began heading in our direction. “Stop right there!” she called out, holding up a hand.
Matteo hesitated, but I kept walking. She stepped forward, more forceful this time. “I said stop! You can’t come any closer. This is a crime scene.”
I didn’t even glance at her, and then Matteo continued following my lead-though I could feel his unease.
“Sir, stop now!” she yelled.
Her raised voice caught the attention of another officer-a younger man-who then turned around and also started approaching us.
“What’s going on here?” he asked her before shifting his attention to us. He stepped into my path, holding his hands out in a non-threatening but firm gesture. “Gentlemen, this is an active investigation. If you’re not with law enforcement, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Only then did I stop to meet his gaze. His tone was professional, but I could see the unease in his eyes as he took me in.
“My cousin was just killed. I have a right to be here.” I said plainly.
The officer didn’t back down, but I could see him thinking carefully about his response. “I understand this may be difficult for you, but we can’t let anyone unauthorized into the crime scene. If you’re related to the victim, we’ll need you to come to the station later to clarify details. But for now, this area is restricted.”
“And if I refuse?” I asked, my voice calm but cold.
The officer glanced at his colleague, then back at me. “Sir, I don’t want this to escalate. I’m asking you to cooperate.”
“You’re asking me,” I said slowly, taking a small step closer, “to walk away from my cousin. To leave him here, surrounded by strangers, like he’s nothing more than a case file.”
The officer straightened his posture, his professionalism holding firm. “I’m asking you to let us do our job. We’ll ensure your cousin is treated with respect, but this is a crime scene sir. Our job is to collect evidence, find out what happened, and bring justice to your family. Interfering won’t help anyone.”
Matteo shifted beside me as his fists clenched, but I held up a hand to stop him. My eyes never left the officer’s. “Do you have any idea who I am?”
“No one is above the law sir.” The he answered as his jaw tightened.
I smirked, though there was no humor in it. “And the law is going to bring justice for my cousin?”
“Sir-” he started, but I cut him off.
“We all know that ‘justice’ doesn’t happen in courtrooms or even on police reports. It happens when the people responsible for this-” I gestured to the chaos around us, “-pay for what they’ve done.”
The tension between us became palpable all of a sudden and then the female officer stepped forward-clearly ready to intervene, but the younger man held up a hand to stop her.
“I’m going to ask you one last time,” he said, his tone still calm but with a harder edge now. “Please leave this area. If you want to identify the victim or provide information, you can come to the station. But if you don’t leave now, I’ll have no choice but to escalate this.”
As I stood there facing the two officers, I made an effort to keep my tone steady with false politeness. I could play their game if I had to.
“Look,” I said-with my hands at my sides, calm but firm. “I understand you’re doing your job, and I don’t want any trouble. But the man you’re talking about, he’s my cousin. The least you could do is let me see him before you take his body away.”
The officer’s expression didn’t shift. Rather he shook his head before repeating himself. “I’m sorry, sir. We can’t do that. You need to back off and let us handle this investigation.”
I bit back my frustration, holding his gaze. “I’m not asking for much,” I said, leaning slightly closer. “Just let me see him. One moment. That’s all I’m asking.”
Before the man could respond, the female officer cut in, her tone sharp and condescending. “And what do you even want to see the body for?” she asked, crossing her arms.
We went back and forth, her voice dripping with sarcasm and impatience while I held my ground. Matteo still remained silent behind me-his tension obvious.
I made sure she knew that I couldn’t be intimidated each time I answered her, but still my patience was wearing thin.
The male officer tried stepping in again, but before he could say much, another figure approached. He looked like someone in charge, which meant he might be worth my time.
“What’s going on here?” he asked, his voice steady.
Before I could answer, that bratty female officer jumped in. “This man”-she spat, “just walked in out of nowhere, claiming to be related to the victim. He keeps pushing to see the body before we take it in as evidence.”
I kept my expression neutral although she had irritated me even more.
“You two can go now,” he said, looking at both her and the other one. “I’ll take it from here.”
He then turned to me, his eyes cautious but not hostile. “What’s your name?”
“Armando,” I replied simply.
“Alright, Armando,” he said. “We can’t just let anyone walk into a crime scene.”
I took a slow breath, not breaking eye contact. “I understand your procedures,” I said, my tone clipped. “But this is my family. You’re asking me to stand here, meters away from him, and do nothing? To not even confirm with my own eyes that it’s him?”
“Do you have any proof that you’re a relative of the deceased? Because I can’t just take your word for it.” he said as he narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms.
I held his gaze, calm but firm. “My name is Armando Luca,” I said. “If you’ve picked up any form of identification from the body, you’ll see that his name is Enzo Luca. I’m sure our last names should be proof enough.”
He then turned around and gave a slight nod to one of the paramedics nearby, signalling him to come before he said something under his breath.
A minute later, the paramedic came back and whispered something to the officer, then he nodded before turning back to me. “Alright,” he said. “We’ve confirmed the name. Enzo Luca.”
“Detective Nolan,” he said, his tone neutral as he extended his arm for a handshake.
I hesitated for a moment before taking his hand.
The detective’s eyes flicked behind me to where Matteo stood, then he offered him a brief handshake as well-which Matteo accepted without a word.
“Okay,” he said, stepping back. “You may come with me now. Follow me closely and do not touch anything.”
He bent under the yellow tape, lifting it slightly as he passed through. Matteo moved to hold the tape up for me as I ducked under it as well-careful, then he followed close behind.
As we approached the scene, I saw paramedics zipping up a body bag, seemingly preparing to load Enzo into an ambulance. My chest tightened, but I kept my face impassive.
“This man here is a relative of the victim. Can he see the body before you take it?” The detective asked as he stopped them.
One of the paramedics turned, his expression tight. “Sir we’ve already placed him inside the bag.” he said. “We can only unzip the top to show his face for a few seconds.”
“That’ll do.” The detective said as he gave a single nod.
The paramedics unzipped the upper part of the bag, revealing Enzo’s face. His skin was pale-his features stiff and cold-and the sight hit me like a punch to the gut, but I didn’t flinch. I just stared, taking it in.
That was it. That was Enzo. He was really dead.
In that moment, I made a vow that Don Salvatore would pay for this with his own blood and not that any of his men or some lackey this time.
I clenched my fists at my sides, keeping my expression steady. No one here needed to see anything more from me.
After a few seconds, one of the paramedics spoke. “If that’s all Detective, we’ll need to be on our way now.”
The detective then nodded in affirmation before they zipped the bag back up and carried it toward the ambulance.
“Mr Armando Luca. You’ve got quite a reputation in this city.” The detective said after studying me for a while.
I didn’t respond, waiting for him to continue.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said, his tone shifting slightly. “I know losing someone this way is certainly not easy. But I’ll also tell you this. Do not try to take the law into your own hands.”
“Meaning what exactly?” I asked, my eyes narrowing slightly.
“Meaning that if you make any moves, funny or otherwise, we’ll find you out sooner or later.” He answered. “This city doesn’t need more violence Mr Luca. It needs justice.” he continued.
I held his gaze, unmoving. “Justice,” I repeated, my voice flat. “Detective what exactly does that look like to you?”
“It looks like us doing our job,” he said firmly. “You let us handle this. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.”
I didn’t answer right away, letting the silence stretch. The detective shifted slightly, glancing at Matteo behind me before turning back.
“One more thing,” he added. “We suspect this might be tied to some kind of underground activity. Cartels, gangs, something along those lines. And if that’s the case, you’re now on our radar as well.”
I tilted my head slightly, letting his words hang in the air. “Good to know,” I replied, sacarsm evident in my tone as I finally ended the conversation.
The chauffeur didn’t hesitate to start the limo immediately Matteo and I got back in. After the subtle grinding of the engine had died down, Matteo’s voice cut through. “What now boss?” he asked, suspense and anticipation clear in his low tone.
I turned towards the window by my side, my expression hard. “Now, we wait.”