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"What do I do?"
"You stay," Bruno says. "Right there. That house. Nobody leaves. Nobody makes a call we didn't approve. Lights off on the road side. Nothing tied to our networks. No deliveries. No unnecessary movement."
"How long?"
"Until I tell you."
"Bruno."
"Until I tell you, Valentino. I know you want a timeline. I don't have one. We need to know where that phone is. We need to know what Enzo does next. We need Vittoria to finish what she's doing."
A pause.
"You stay put. You keep Amanda safe. That's your job today."
"Understood."
He's quiet for a second.
"How is she?"
I look at the bathroom door.
"She's in the bath."
"That's not what I asked."
I don't answer.
"Valentino."
"She's crying," I say. "She probably thinks I can't hear her."
Bruno is quiet for a long moment.
"Vittoria says she does that," he says finally. "Makes herself smaller when she's hurting. So nobody has to carry any of it."
"Yeah."
"Don't let her do that."
"She locked the door."
"I don't mean break the door. I mean when she comes out. Don't leave her alone with it."
I look at the door again.
"Understood."
"Good. Sit by the door. Don't go in. Don't knock. Just be where she can find you if she needs to."
"I know."
"I know you know. I'm telling you anyway because I have a wife, and I've learned. The line goes dead.
I keep the phone in my hand for another second, looking at the bathroom door.
She turned the water off.
