Chapter 8: Family Affair

It's a family affair

Ooh it's a family affair

Westchester Falls, an hour away from northern Bridgeport

Carlotta Accardi sat quietly on the bench of her stoop, her eyes watchfully staring down the perfectly paved roads of her quiet meticulous street. Valentino had another thing coming if he didn't show up today. Especially after early this morning when the detectives came looking for him. They said they wanted to ask him a few questions and to their dismay he was no longer living with her. Even now she sat elegantly waiting, her face a simply smile. The quiet before the storm. That's what her mother had always taught her to be. And to this day that's what she was.

Staring down the quiet pristine streets with lavish expansive homes, manicured lawns, and shiny expensive cars you would never guess what kind of corruption went on in this town. Behind all the neighbors with their smiling clear faces with gleaming white teeth, and well groomed ways there are dark secrets that you would never want to know and would possibly never think of. Carlotta knew this when she married Valentino but she married for love not fear or status.

Carlotta quickly lost her train of thought as a high-end vehicle stopped in her driveway. From the car two bodies emerged. One was Valentino, her soon to be ex-husband and the other Eugenia, her only daughter. The fresh faced twenty one year old ran to the front porch steps, her bright tan face gleaming." Mom!"

Carlotta engulfed the girl in a giant embrace. Though she didn't let it show secret curses ran in circles around her head. So this was his plan bringing Eugenia along hoping that the sentimental value of not seeing her child in a long time would put this conversion on hold, He was sadly mistaken.

Valentino stood off to the side careful not to look into Carlotta's eyes. His plan had not worked and now he would have to face her wrath.

********************************************************************************

The kitchen was dead silent as the boys gathered around the table, wild thoughts running through their minds. None of them could describe the fear they had endured early that morning when the cops barging through the door. They had never seen anything like what they had witnesses except for TV and movies.

Little Jioni was the first to break the silence. "Is daddy going to jail?" The two older brothers gave the eight year old a puzzled look. "Is he. Is he?" Jioni looked nervous.

 

"Nonsense!" fifthteen year old Vincent said, the bass in his voice scaring Jioni. "Our father is a good man. He would never go to prison. Right Andreas?" Out of all the children Vince was most like his father. His was highly intelligent, cunning, business savvy. The son most likely to be the heir of his father's company and even he was a little worried.

Andreas hardly uttered a word. Even at nineteen, the oldest out of the boys he still could not find the words to speak. He who had the worst relationship with their father. The father who told him he would never be good enough. How was he going to able to comfort Jioni, the baby of the family who would easy break at the thought of something bad happening. And Vince the one who adored their father and considered him to be his role model. Andreas just sat back in his seat and uttered everything will be all right.

*********************************************************************************

Carlotta and Valentino sat in the living room, their eyes tense, hands placed tightly against their laps. The animosity in the room was sickening as they both kept their mouths clenched not wanting to say anything too horrible to the other. Carlotta was the first to speak.

 "What is going on Valentino?" Carlotta looked of to the side to avoid staring him in his eyes." Why were the police here? What did they want with you?" A small tear rolled out of one eye.

Valentino kept his face hard like he would if it was a police interrogation. "I don't understand what your talking about my sweet. I know nothing about the police. May I ask why you are asking me?"

Carlotta almost broke down. "Please don't lie Valentino please." She squeezed her eyes to keep the tears from pouring out.  With that Valentino got up saying he would be in the garden with Eugenia if the boys needed him before kissing Carlotta on the cheek and leaving her to weep in silence.

*********************************************************************************

Eugenia followed her father outside to the garden of the place she had called home for nineteen years of her life. A lot had changed in the past two years. She had gone to University, moved out of her home into her father's, and started to pursue a career in fashion. Still she couldn't help but fill the tension between  her parents.

Valentino and Eugenia sat on the bench. Valentino then turned to her and said "I have to tell you something."