Shades of Sins (New York Sinner Series Book 2)

30| Secrets

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Secrets

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Chapter 30: Secrets (Dante's POV)

That night, after looking at the barbaric painting that was revealed to the audience, I didn't have the courage to take Anastasia down there. Her mind had been all over the place these past few days, I didn't want to add more to it, so after busying her with a police officer, I followed the second officer down into the basement. 

Neither one of us could take more than one step into the room. I couldn't help but grimace in disgust as I scanned the room from the doorway. "Jesus fuck," I muttered under my breath, running a hand across my mouth. 

The walls were covered in blood with pools of it spilled on the floor while the chair Adeline's body was strapped into was placed right in the middle, facing the door for anyone who walked in to see. There was so much blood, more than I'd ever seen at any crime scene. Her body was left in a state that was so inhumane it was indescribable. 

"Forensics are on their way," the officer said, keeping his back to the room while I took a look, hoping to find something, perhaps a clue left behind for Anastasia and me. 

As I leaned past the doorway to look at the corner wall, my eyes went straight to the camera set up in the corner. A tripod held the old VHS camera with its red light still blinking red. 

Mere moments later, forensic officers arrived and began investigating the room while we stood in the doorway. "Get me that note," I told one of the investigators as I nodded toward the post-it note stuck onto the tripod. 

The note read: 

'Seems like you're having a hard time tracking me down, Mr Rossi. I thought I'd help you out.' 

A frustrated breath left me as I cursed under my breath. "I want that camera and all the footage it holds. Untouched, do you understand?" I told the officer. 

He nodded sharply once. "We'll have it sent to the FBI headquarters tomorrow morning after checking for prints. You and Ms Vitalio can leave if you'd like, sir. Tonight's murder is rather... I don't think it's a place for a lady to be." 

My lady was more than capable of handling a crime scene, even as gruesome as this, but I couldn't disagree simply because she had too much going on within her mind. As her partner in this case, I wanted to do whatever I could to help her out, even if it meant keeping her away from the crime scene. 

Heading back upstairs, I found her waiting in the corner, leaning her shoulder against a pillar. 

Spotting me, she stood upright, her arms falling to her sides from where they were crossed against her chest. "How bad is it?" she asked knowingly. 

"Bad," I exhaled. "You're not going down there, Anastasia." 

An argument was sitting at the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it down with a sigh. "Find anything?" 

"A note and a VHS camera." 

Her eyes widened. "The killer filmed it?" she asked in shock.