Bertelli Investigations Volume 1: Noteworthy Mysteries

Chapter 34

Friday, May 5th,2024 | 2:05 am

If there was one thing that Tony learned the past few hours, it was that it's very important to keep the people you love close to you. It might seem like a major lesson to learn in such a short period, but life had shown Tony once again just how quickly someone could be taken away. And he sure wasn't going to let the most important person in his life go.

Vanessa was fast asleep in her warm, comfortable bed when she heard a knock at the door, followed by her cell phone ringing. She looked at her phone first to see that it said, ' Teddy Tony', a pet name she had for Tony.'So the jerk calls me at 2 am?! After I haven't heard from him for nearly 2 days?! Fine, I'll answer it. And I'll give him a piece of my mind.'

"Antonio-", Vanessa said answering the phone. She was about ready to tear into him when he interrupted her.

"Go ahead, Nessa. Chew me out. I deserve it", Tony said as his voice cracked.

Vanessa suddenly got worried, her tone changing from anger to concern. "Tony, are you okay?"

"I'm at your door. Please answer." Tony's voice cracked more, followed by a couple of small gasps. "I need you."

Vanessa hung up the phone and hurried downstairs to her door. She opened it and found Tony standing outside of it, tears filled in his eyes. She didn't say a word. He stepped inside and threw his arms around her, crying.

"What's wrong my love?", she asked him tenderly. It was often at all that she seen him cry. In fact it was very rare. He always tried to be so strong around hee. But now he was crumbling like a cracker being ran over by a train.

"I'm so sorry", he said as he sobbed. Emotional and exhausted, Tony felt that he was at his breaking point.

"What are you sorry about?", Vanessa asked as she felt tears welling up in her own eyes at the sight of the man she loved crying.

Tony caught his breath and pulled his teary face away from Vanessa, looking her in the eyes. "I told you that I wouldn't ignore you again...but I have. And I've been pushing away everyone that I love. My father he..." Tony shed a few tears before continuing. " He tried to kill himself last night Nessa."

Vanessa was shocked at what she heard, putting her right hand over her mouth as her eyes widened. "Oh my goodness! Is he okay?"

Tony shook his head yes. "But he tried to do it because...he felt like he had been losing everything important to him. Including his sons." Tony's eyes welled up with more tears and they ran onto his face. "It's my fault."

Vanessa pulled Tony back into her arms, rubbing his back consolingly. "No it's not - It's not your fault at all. You're busy honey. You can't always be there when people want you to be. Not even when I want you to be. I'll agree that you could become more attentive to the people you care about.  But you can only do so much."

"I'll never ignore you again sweetie", Tony sobbed. "For now on I'll call or text you every day,twice a day,if I can't be with you."

"That sounds good to me", Vanessa agreed with an appreciative smile.

"My dad's in the hospital because of me", Tony said pulling away from her and wiping his eyes.

"No, it's not because of you. He must be dealing with something. It sounds like he has some problems he's not been able to cope with."

Tony sighed. "Vanessa I've been holding back. I don't talk about Tia because this is what it does to me;it makes me weak. But I need to tell you something. I've not told you everything."

Vanessa reached up and wiped some of Tony's tears away from his cheeks. "Now don't talk like that. Being emotional does not make you weak. And I understand if you're not ready to talk about something."

"Thank you. You're the best girlfriend ever ", Tony said giving Vanessa a big hug."But I really should tell you what's going on. So when our secretary,Jade,was killed there was a note left. It basically said that she was killed as a warning for us not to be investigators. And if we don't listen they'll kill Tia." The last few words choked Tony up. It was a hard thing to think of - to think his sister could be killed,and because of him and his brother at that.

Vanessa looked at Tony with sympathetic eyes. "Oh honey I'm so sorry. So,what are you going to do?"

Tony sniffed. "Our commissioner told us he thinks that it's just a scare tactic. He thinks that the person that has Tia is getting nervous."

"I think so too", Vanessa said with a reassuring smile. "I don't think you have anything to worry about." She put one hand on Tony's face,directing him to look her in the eyes. "You are going to find your sister - alive and well."

"But you don't know that for sure", Tony said sullenly

"Yes, I do. And I know it because I know anyone that knows you is very well aware that you and Tino are going to make amazing detectives."

Tony smiled, feeling prideful. "I hope you're right. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Its just that I've been trying to be arrive for so many people."

"You never have to be... "strong"... for me", Vanessa said carefully choosing her words. She wanted to be sure not to make him feel like he wasn't a strong person. "You can be any which way around me. And no matter what, you are the absolute strongest man I know. But please, for now on, be more open with me."

"I will, I promise", Tony replied, giving Vanessa a deep kiss on the lips. She was the most important thing to him, and he would never change his mind about that.