Oblivion

35| Wrecked IV

THIRD PERSON

Domenico looked down at the blissfully sleeping Valentino. His brother's features were peaceful, his breathing relaxed, and the only sound was a light snore. Outside, the snow glittered under the bright sun. If it hadn't been the middle of winter, one might have even heard the birds chirping. Domenico raised the air horn and pressed the trigger.

Valentino jumped in shock, pressing his hands to his ears to muffle the noise. "What the hell was that?" he snapped at Domenico. "Are you trying to wake up the whole house?" He blinked sleepily at his brother, who seemed angry. "What's going on? Is something—" Then the realization hit him, and he frantically turned to look for Josephine. Apart from the two of them, the room was empty. "Fuck! Fuck, I'm sorry, Dom, fuck! Did you find her?"

"She's here, not thanks to you." Domenico answered so calmly that it worried Valentino even more. "Get ready; Vito wants to talk to you."

Valentino swallowed and hurried to get up, but Domenico grabbed his arm. "One more thing." He held out his real watch. "Maybe make it easier for her next time." With that, he left his brother behind to make his way to the living room. Their people would secure the rest of the property today and install alarm systems on the windows and glass door. Vito had found that a bit drastic at first, but once he saw the footprints in the snow that led to the other side of the fence, he had to admit it made sense. Domenico wasn't just trying to stop Josephine from running away; it also showed how easily other people could get in, and the risk was too great, period. God, he could use a cigarette.

Josephine was still lying on the floor, the blanket covering most of her small body. The dogs raised their heads briefly when he entered the room, but they were all lying exactly as he had left them. To most people, it must have looked like she was still sleeping peacefully, but he knew her and therefore knew better. 'Isn't it nice how everyone has such a peaceful morning?' he thought. "I know you're awake, Josephine. Get up; we have a few things to discuss."

She reluctantly followed his instructions. He called her Josephine, not Tiny. If only she hadn't fallen asleep. How long had she slept? It was already light outside again, but the house was still quiet except for the loud honking earlier, so it couldn't be that late. Oh dear, this would mean trouble, that was for sure.

"We have given the staff the day off, although Maria will be coming by briefly today. The others are busy right now, which brings me to the first point: if you want to avoid them, you should go upstairs right away. Second: people will be coming today who will increase the security measures here a bit. After that, feel free to test them. Third: you don't have to talk about it, but as far as Vito and I are concerned, you will hear us out whether you want to or not. Fourth: until Dr. Bradford and we have the impression that you are stable enough not to come up with such brilliant ideas as last night, you will be under permanent surveillance. Matteo, Riccardo, or I will keep you company in approximately twenty minutes. This is non-negotiable; Valentino will be busy with other things for the time being. Fifth: he is certainly partly to blame. He should have known better. So you don't need to feel guilty about him. Do you understand everything so far?" Josephine nodded silently. "Good, then go."

She quickly stood up and ran off. "Oh, one more thing: the situation with the dogs is just an exception today, am I clear?" Domenico pointed to the three dogs, who had also stood up to follow her. She nodded again and continued walking, closely followed by them. 'Good,' he thought as he watched them running off. 'Two done, two to go.'

He was not surprised to find his two youngest brothers together. Their sudden silence upon seeing him was expected. This reaction was precisely why Vito didn't want to tell them, but Domenico believed it would only postpone the problem rather than solve it. They would have to face it eventually, but there were certainly better times than this, and he had to agree with his brother.