Chapter 5 - The Heist at Belladonna
At 1:30 p.m., a light snow continued to fall over the Loop district.
Belladonna was closed to the public, surrounded by yellow police tape. Two uniformed officers loyal to Joseph Moretti sat inside a marked squad car near the front entrance, sipping coffee and watching the street.
In the alley behind the restaurant, a heavy commercial laundry truck backed into the loading bay.
The rear doors opened, and Dante stepped out, followed by Emma. Both were dressed in grey maintenance uniforms.
"You're sure the back elevator keycard still works?" Dante whispered, standing close behind her near the heavy metal service door.
"Servers carry a master key for emergency kitchen access," Emma whispered back, pulling her black plastic card from her pocket. She tapped it against the digital scanner.
A soft green light blinked. The heavy door unlatched with a quiet click.
They slipped inside the dark, quiet restaurant. The smell of roasted garlic and expensive wine still lingered in the air, mixed with the sterile scent of cleaning chemicals.
Emma led Dante through the dark kitchen, past the stainless steel prep tables, and up the rear spiral staircase leading to the sixth-floor private dining room.
The dining room was silent and freezing. The table had been cleared by the police, but the vintage grandfather clock sat untouched in the corner, its brass pendulum swinging rhythmically behind a dark glass panel.
Emma walked quickly to the clock. She reached behind the mahogany casing, her fingers searching for the small, hidden latch near the top hinge.
"Here," she whispered.
She pressed the latch. A tiny side panel opened, revealing a black digital recorder with a red blinking light.
Emma pressed the eject button. A micro SD card popped out into her hand.
"Got it," she breathed, a relief washing over her.
"Hand it over, sweetheart."
A voice echoed from the doorway.
Emma and Dante spun around instantly.
Standing in the doorway was Joseph Moretti—a heavyset man in his sixties with thin grey hair, wearing an expensive camel-hair coat. Behind him stood three heavy-set men in dark suits, their hands resting inside their leather jackets.
And beside Joseph stood Vanessa.
She was no longer crying. Her beautiful face was cold, her green eyes fixed on Emma with a chilling, murderous hatred.
"I knew you were smart, server girl," Vanessa said, her voice dripping with venomous condescension. "I told my father you looked too clever for a girl who carries dirty plates for a living."
Dante stepped smoothly in front of Emma, his broad body acting as a human shield between her and the armed men.
"Joseph," Dante said calmly, his hand resting casually inside his jacket pocket. "You're trespassing on Romano property."
"This property is a crime scene, Dante," Joseph Moretti sneered, taking a step forward. "And your little server friend here is currently the prime suspect in the poisoning of my son-in-law. Hand over the card, and maybe we let you walk out of here alive."
Dante let out a low, dangerous laugh that made the armed men behind Moretti visibly tense up.
May you like
"You brought three men to a fight in my city, Joseph?" Dante asked softly.
Dante raised his hand and snapped his fingers once.
