Forgiving Him is a Sin

51

"I got a code, I'm sure you have it too, you say the first half, I'll finish it. Don't waste any time wondering how I know that. You'll get all the answers after I confirm this."

"White 5742" he says.

"6BT54." I finish.

I let out a long sigh before explaining.

"Right after Massimo left my apartment, I received a message. Four trucks filled with home furniture went into Milena's vacation home in Hawaii. It's under my name but it belongs to her. One of those drivers recruited a verse of the Bible, one that shows he's there on behalf of Milena. The housekeeper welcomes them, they stay for a couple of hours, leave the furniture there, and then move out."

"And you suspect they were our men?" Massimo asks.

"I just confirmed they were yours. They told the housekeeper to let me know they were there along with the code. It's Milena's way of saying that I need to contact you guys. So here I am..."

Massimo looks at Stefano, waiting for him to say something but he's in deep thought.

"I need to check Milena's bedroom in Miami." I speak after a long pause.

Stefano looks at me with stern eyes before speaking.

"Why?"

"She can leave signs if she notices something wrong. For example, if someone bothers her, or someone acts suspicious, she'll use an object to describe that person and give me hints."

I look at them and look at me confused they won't get it.

"Ugh! Just let me see the goddamn room! Call someone you trust there."

Stefano slowly pulls out his phone from the inner pocket of his jacket and starts calling someone.

"Nana, I need you to go to my bedroom."

"What the fuck?!" I say with surprise and disgust.

"It's not what you think!" Massimo tries to reassure me. But I'm just too shocked to say anything.

"Unbelievable!" I lean back with a disgusted look on my face.

He puts the phone on the table and puts it on speaker. Then he motions for me to talk.

"Hi, nana!" I immediately change my expression and tone to a happy one, I know for a fact I'll need some patience to get this done.

"Ah, hello." An older Latin American-sounding woman answers.

"Nana, I need you to check Milena's side of the bed. See if there's anything in her pillow, or inside the bedside table."

"There's nothing." She answers in less than 30 seconds. I face-palm myself then sit on the floor with crossed legs and my hands resting on the table, talking to the phone.

"NO NANA! TAKE OFF THE PILLOW SHEETS! THE PILLOWS SHEETS!"

"EY I AM TELLING YOU THERES NOTHING!" She yells back annoyed.

I take one glance at the two men on the couch looking at me like I'm some kind of a freak. 

"Can't we video call her?" I whisper to them, and they shake their heads. I take a deep breath before I start speaking again.

"NANA GO TO THE CLOSET THE CLOSET!"

"WHY ARE YOU YELLING? I'M NOT DEAF"

"Okay sorry... just go to the closet and head for her white shirts, okay?" I change my tone to the one I use for kids.

"White shirt?" She asks.

"Yes, yes, white shirts. There should be a shelf with only white folded shirts on it. See if any of the shirts are in a different color. Even if it's just a little different, like a different shade of white that just pops out."

I'm about to lose my shit!

"Aquí es. There's eh... there's a milky color shirt among the white ones."

"A milky one? Okay! Take it out carefully. Unfold it, and see if there's anything there, like a paper or any kind of object. Tell me what you see Nana."

We all wait patiently for her to speak again.

"It says Mohammed Ali on a piece of paper"

"Mohammed Ali?" I try to think for a moment. "Okay thank you, Nana!"

"You welcome."

She hangs up the phone and I start thinking. What could it possibly mean?

"Alright, so our hint is Mohammed Ali. What keyword connects with Mohammed Ali? He's a professional boxer, the greatest heavyweight champion. Y'all got any boxers in here? Or anyone who likes boxing, is a fan of Muhammad Ali? Should I check his nicknames online?"

I ask the two men with hope, but they look at me with wide eyes. After a few moments, Massimo speaks as he exchanges looks between me and Stefano.

"We... don't have a boxer but... we have a champion..."

"That has to be him! There's something suspicious about that person you better keep a close eye on him!" 

Before anyone gets to say anything else, Massimo's phone rings and he moves away to answer it. In less than one minute he comes back with a serious look on his face. 

"The same cargo that went missing was attacked on the way. They stole everything." 

"It's Milena!" I stand up and pace around the room, trying to think. Then I continue. "Milena needs time to figure out how to save that pregnant girl, her biggest problem right now is that girl. She will make a deal with Popov, by selling out your businesses and secret deals in order to survive. This is just the first one, you better be ready for many more losses to come." 

I look at the man sitting on the couch, he looks extremely sad, not angry, but sad. Maybe my theory isn't too off. They might've actually fallen in love with each other.