The Don's Trust

Chapter 18

"I watched this super scary horror movie and I'm totally freaking out. I mean, it's night and I'm alone at home," Lilly switched the phone to her other ear.

"It's a movie, Lilly. Nothing is going to happen," Valentina laughed at her overdramatic friend.

"I know but still! I even turned all the lights in the house on!''

"Why did you even watch that movie if you get easily scared?''

Lilly smiled sheepishly, "My dad told me to watch it. He said it was a masterpiece or something like that. Also, I thought the whole experience would be more exciting if I watched it at night."

"And look how that turned out," Valentina's cheeky comment was followed up by a short giggle.

"Oh, shush!''

"But do you live alone?''

Lilly shook her head even though Valentina couldn't see her, "No, I live with my father, but he works a lot during the night."

Valentina hummed in response and turned her face into the direction of the foyer when she heard the front door being unlocked. She quickly wrapped her conversation with Lilly up and hung up.

The moment Vito stepped into the living room, she could see the exhaustion in his posture. The dark circles under his eyes were also a dead giveaway of his sleep deprivation. It made her frown.

"Are you okay?''

At first, she was hesitant to ask him due to his previous reactions of her asking something personal. Valentina hoped he would at least answer. A simple yes or no was enough for her.

"Why do you ask?''

Valentina looked at him in disbelief, "Why do you think?''

You better not act like I didn't kiss you last night, she thought.

Vito was the first one to break eye contact. Before he went to his bedroom he told Valentina he was going to sleep and requested her to keep the volume down if she planned on watching tv.

Valentina released a quiet but harsh huff, "Unbelievable."

He didn't even answer my question. I'm sure he never even planned on doing so.

Valentina took a deep breath before she got herself worked up.

I'm overreacting. This is just how he is and it's probably not going to change, she thought as she patted to her room to take a long night rest.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Valentina was mindlessly zapping through the tv channels. She was ahead of her schoolwork and decided on taking a break. It was only natural since she barely had any distractions in the house and didn't leave the space a lot either.

"I forgot to tell you yesterday but you can go to school again,''

Valentina snapped her head to Vito who was standing behind the sofa. He walked around it and sat next to her. A puzzled look formed on Valentina as he took the remote control from her hand and muted the television. He wanted her full attention.

"Philip isn't around your school area anymore, so will not have any encounters with him.'' Vito paused for a second, "Unless you contact him, of course.''

Vito didn't miss seeing Valentina grab the white card from the restaurant table. Valentina tried to be discreet about taking Philip's card with her but she failed.

"I only took it so I could ask about the case and my biological parents,"

Valentina felt the need to explain herself. She didn't want any unnecessary misunderstandings between them, especially if they could have been avoided by simply talking to one another.

Vito nodded in understanding, "Do not give away any kind of information. I don't trust him. Coleman might use you and turn you against me.''

His warning made Valentina wonder if he would feel betrayed if she did give any information away. It would give her a vague idea on how he felt about her and what effect she had on him.

"I won't let him use me against you," She said with determination in her voice.

"That is good to know because it would be a shame if you did,'' His voice had a cold and dangerous edge to it.

Vito swung his arm around her shoulder and placed a light kiss on her temple.

The affection he gave and the words coming out of his mouth didn't match up. While the kiss was sweet, his words were anything but that. His touch made Valentina blush but she had mixed feelings about it. She wanted him to believe and trust her.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Philip sat behind his desk, listening to the conversations his colleagues were having about Jack Brown.

"I'm glad we got justice for Jack,"

"Jack didn't deserve this,''

"I knew it was that bloody Grimaldi,''

Some were still mourning for the loss of their late friend and colleague. Others rejoiced the fact they had a higher-up of the Grimaldi family behind bars. One thing they all shared, except for Philip Coleman, was the feeling of contentment. They were content with the confession of Christopher Grimaldi. They didn't dig any deeper and accepted his words as the truth.

On the day the task force barged in Enzo's safe house things were looking grim for him. Christopher, who was also at the safe house, stepped forward and acted before thinking. In the spur of the moment, the older brother confessed to being responsible for the murder of Jack Brown.

When Christopher was brought into the interrogation room, he repeated every word of his confession. The man who interrogated Christopher asked him several questions. It went on for hours. One of the questions read why Enzo Grimaldi and Camila were also in the safe house. To answer the man his question, Christopher said they owed him money and wouldn't let them go until they paid him back.

With no psychical evidence against Enzo and Camila for being involved in Jack's death, no charges were placed on the engaged couple.

Christopher fed the man with lies. He did it to protect his little brother. He didn't want Enzo going to prison. Christopher would always go to extremes to protect his family from any kind of threat.

"Why the long face?'' Miguel Costa, an ex-partner of Philip, said as he raised his eyebrows.

"I think he is covering up for Enzo," Philip said with a pencil in between his teeth.

"Instinct?''

"Instinct,''

"I hate to break it to you, but the case is already closed. Not much you can do anymore,''

Philip sighed, "I know, I know. You don't have to tell me."

All I can do now is put my energy into finding evidence against Vito Grimaldi, the detective thought.