Mind Games

Chapter Eighteen: Tidy Packaging

Martina Gianelli's death made the news too quickly. And not simply because she was a wealthy Italian who died on American soil, but because her true nature had been brought to light and she was being accused of her crimes. Both committed by her and because of her.

The top of the list being the death of the FBI deputy director. Whitley's murder taking a close second. Which tidied up the package for Garrison nicely, having the feds swoop in to save the day, not that the detective would have appreciated someone else doing his job.

As far as the public was concerned, the deputy and Whitley had both died because of unpaid gambling debts through one of many of Gianelli's backroom rings.

Lucca knew differently. Her father knew differently. And she couldn't help but wondering if Garrison knew differently.

It'd been two days since the gala. Since Gianelli's death. Two days of news coverage. Of Lucca calling her friend to tell her that she was alive and the war with the Pazzi's was over. Two days of dodging alone time with Victor and any of his children because of the bruising she sported on her cheek and arms. Two days of ignoring Kanas's phone calls and the break in his professionalism as he inquired about her next appointment, and asked if she had been at the gala during the shooting. Two days of waiting for an unknown number to cross the screen of her phone and her father's voice to be on the other line.

There'd been nothing but radio silence since the gala. Since Julian had pushed her out the door with the promise that all would be explained soon enough.

And it had been soon enough. She wanted to know what was happening, and why it was happening. She wanted to know what the FBI had done after discovering him in a room full of bodies. She wanted to know how he'd managed to convince them to help him get to the Pazzi's in the first place.

Though perhaps she already knew of his answer. It's all about knowing what to say. Knowing what somebody wants, and giving it to them. So long as there was something that you could get as well.

It would have been manipulation at its finest.

After all, Lucca did learn from the best.

It was how the Hayden's had stayed out of the light for so long.

Which perhaps gave valid reason behind Kanas's questioning. Behind Ezra's delusion. 

And maybe that was why Lucca's stomach felt as though it was in knots. Because there was a truth behind Ezra's blame. Behind Kanas's questions.

But she wouldn't ever tell him that. Couldn't afford to tell him that. And if he didn't already know who she was, forcing that topic would certainly point him in her direction.

There were some questions that simply didn't need asking, or the subsequent answers.

No looking of gift horses in the mouth.

Lucca could go back to her life the way it was, return to the relative safety it had been before.

Victor could rest easy with the safety of his children, knowing the death of Whitley wasn't the work of a serial killer that was targeting the school. Her cousins could return to the school halls to gossip of who kissed who at the Halloween dance rather than question which of the teachers was more likely to have killed their colleague. Jake would step out freely with dating Penelope. Ezra would get the help he needed and hopefully have learnt his lesson when it came to dealing with Lucca.

And Kanas...

Kanas seemed like an open-ended question Lucca had no intention of asking.

Perhaps he was another question that didn't need asking for answers.