The Dead Do Not Return
The following morning, Scipio walked into the police station, holding a cup of coffee in his hand.
"Morning, Fortunato." A slender, blonde woman sat down at her desk.
"Morning, Gerta." Scipio sat down into a shiny, leather chair. "How are you today?"
"Let's not put the spotlight on me, Scipio. I heard that you popped the question last night. Did you?" She smiled.
"Yes, I did. Happy?" Scipio sighed.
"Williams, did you hear? Our little boy is getting married!" Gerta nudged a built man with a black buzz cut.
"Let's see, who had February?" Williams pulled out a sheet of paper. "You've got to be kidding."
"What?" Gerta asked.
"The captain won ."
"You guys had a pool to see when I got engaged?" Scipio yanked the paper out of Williams' hand. "The captain? Really?" He gazed at the paper.
"Fortunato!" Captain Kraft walked in.
"Sir." Scipio stepped forward.
"Is it true?"
"About my engagement? Yes, sir. It's true."
"Congratulations, my boy!" Kraft patted his shoulder. "That Gretchen is a true beauty, I wish you many joys! Now, where's my money, Williams?"
"Fortunato! Call for you, line two!" A cop hollered.
"Danke." Scipio picked up the phone, "Hello?"
"Hi, darling." Gretchen spoke.
"Hey, how are you?"
"Great. I'm at the Ewigkeit Prison."
"Ewigkeit Prison? Why?"
"Scip, I'm not in trouble. There some idiot who trying to make bail on a life sentence." She groaned. "I won't be able to make it home early, but I'll be there around 6, maybe 7. I'm so sorry, Scipio."
"Don't be, Gretchen. How about we bring the guys over for drinks. Maybe they could help us with the wedding plans."
"Scip, that would be great! I see you later. Love you."
"I love you, too." He hung up.
-
Gretchen closed her cell phone and walked back into the interrogation room. "Sorry." She sat back down and faced a serious, aging man in a orange jumpsuit. "Now we can get back to business."
"Of course, Signora Frieden." The man chuckled.
"I don't have the time for fun and games, Dottore Massimo." She sneered at him.
"Whatever you wish for." He drummed his fingers against the cold, steel table. His sad, grey eyes glanced down on Gretchen's hand as she wrote in her file, "That wasn't there the last time we met."
"What?"
"That ring."
"It's none of your business, Dottore Massimo. What matters is why do you want to post bail? There is no point since you're serving a life sentence."
"My company, of course."
"MassCorp? That place has been shut down for years. The government has even frozen your assets."
"But not his."
"Who?" Gretchen raised an eyebrow.
"My son, signora."
"Son?"
"Yes, he would get everything in case something had happened to me."
"Dottore, my apologies, but we have no record of your son. He may have been killed in the blast. He probably didn't get out of Venice in time."
"All I want to do is talk to him."
"I'm sorry."
"I have a picture in my cell. Just let me see my son."
"As much as I would like to help," Which would be never to Gretchen, "Our time is up. Goodbye, Dottore." She spoke as she left the room.
"You dragged us here to your house just to help with your wedding?" Riccio groaned.
"It was going to be Gretchen and I, but she's coming home late and I can't do this all by myself." Scipio explained.
"Scip, when did you leave your front door open?" Mosca pointed towards the door, halfway open.
"I didn't." He pulled a gun from his holster and quickly went over the threshold.
The only light was the sun streaming through the windows as the house was enveloped in darkness.
"The kitchen." Bo whispered as he saw a shadow of a human.
Scipio cocked the gun, "This is the police! Come out with your hands up!" He yelled.
A pale hand fell on the wall's coarse surface, "Is it…really?"
Scipio's eyes grew as her gentle voice rested on his ears, "No. It can't be." He lowered his gun.
The hand was followed by a slender body covered in a sweater in jeans, followed by long brown hair, and eyes amber as the fossil itself, "Daddy?"
"She supposed to be dead." Prosper gazed at her.
"Oh, my God." Hornet gasped.
"She never changed." Bo examined her.
"Gala…Galatea?" Scipio brought himself to say those words that hurt to speak.
The girl smiled and giggled, "What's wrong? It looks like you guys just saw a ghost."