The Mafia's Babies by Kaycee Romano (little readers TXT) 📕

"Anyway, do we have a suspect?"

"Linda."

"Why?"

"Don't know. She keeps denying it. But she served you the soup so.."

"The soup?"

.

.

"Yeah, it wasn't the bread. We all ate it and it was wrapped. And the soup was made only for you."

"Yeah, but anyone could have done it."

"But only she and Janet knew it was meant for you." Mateo said. "I gave all the other house helps the month off because I thought we would leave for Italy today."

"Then wouldn't she know she will be the prime suspect if something happened to me?" She asked. She continued before he could argue. "And wouldn't she try to escape? Also, how can you be sure it was for me in the first place?"

Mateo wasn't going to answer the last question. He wasn't ready to tell her that it was her life that was in danger due to Mona. Not until he had taken that wench down.

"Maybe that was her plan River, to pretend she didn't do it." Mateo had seen it happen way too many times. He was not taking a chance when it came to River and their children.

"And do you have any proof?" River was getting too worked up. Mateo didn't think that was good for her. "The girl got the soup and served it right in front of me. I should have seen it happen Mateo."

"She could have put in before you got there." He tried to explain. He frowned at how River was trying to defend Linda but then realized why. "I know Linda and you have grown pretty close but you still can't trust her so blindly, love."

He bit his tongue as the word of endearment slipped out but River didn't seem to notice it because she was too focused on getting Linda off the suspect list.

"No, that is not the reason. I just know she couldn't have done it. The drug was found in my body in its original form. It denatures above 104 degrees. So, it was not put in the hot soup. And the bread still had its wrapping so she can't be the one who messed with the bread."

"But we tested the bread you ate. It had no such drug in it."

River bit her lip as she looked at him, exasperation and helplessness evident on her face. He knew what she was thinking, which was exactly what he was thinking; if they could get to her, they could get to the kids.

She rubbed her face hard and took deep breaths as if thinking hard at what could have happened. And all of a sudden, she looked up, her eyes wide. "The cookie jar wasn't properly closed."

Mateo raised a brow as he tried to interpret what that had to do with the situation.

"You ate the cookies?" He asked, finally catching on.

"And it tasted weird, bitter. I thought it was because you people didn't close it properly." She said. The couple stared at each other as they tried to figure out what had happened.

"The kids and Adam didn't eat the cookies because the kids had decided yesterday that the rest of the cookies would be for you and Adam had promised he wouldn't touch it." Mateo said. "And he is not the kind to break any promises."

"And the cookies weren't completely spoilt so it happened today." She added.

All the pieces of the puzzles fell into place.

Mateo pulled out his phone and checked the today's videos from the CCTV installed in the kitchen, something he should have done way earlier but he hadn't because his brain wasn't working with the condition River was in. Nobody knew about the cameras that had been installed, except himself and Adam. They had installed it around the house themselves when they had initially moved in.

And there it was.

"Alfredo." Mateo whispered out, feeling hurt and betrayed as he watched the footage of him adding something to the jar of cookies, hastily closing it as the twins approached him and picking them up and walking away.

"What?" River's voice was almost manic. "WHERE ARE THE KIDS, MATEO?"

"With him and Janet, outside."

Mateo was already on his feet as he said it, making his way out. He could feel River behind him.

He shoved the door open and turned to see Janet sitting alone, Alfredo and the kids nowhere in sight.

"Where are they?" River spoke up before he could.

"Alfredo took them down to the cafeteria." Janet replied, getting up on her feet. "He said he will get them something to take their mind off things."

A sob broke out from River and Mateo turned to look at her, her hand bleeding from where she ripped the IV drip off, barefoot, pale as a ghost and eyes red and swollen.

"River-"

"Let's go find them." She said, cutting him off.

Mateo stared at her for a moment, watching her breathe heavily to calm herself down.

He too took a deep breath and nodded, "Go put on your slippers at least."

"Capo?" Janet looked at them alarmed.

"Stay here just in case they come back." He said as River joined him and they walked ahead, towards the elevator.

"Let's take the stairways." River said as he pushed the button.

"No, I need to think of you too right now." He said, turning to her and then glanced at the elevator screen. "It's at the floor below."

River sighed and looked back ahead, tapping her foot impatiently.

The elevator dinged as the door opened.

The two stopped in their tracks.

Adam stood there with both the twins on each of his hip while Alfredo stood behind, holding two muffins.

Mateo didn't think twice before he lunged forward at him, slamming him against the steel box.

"HEY!" Adam protested and he was holding his best friend back. Mateo turned around for a second to see River walking away with the children, looking over her shoulder and giving him a nod which he returned. Janet too followed her, an expression of realization and shock on her face.

Adam caught on too, because he closed the elevator door and pressed the basement floor button and turned to the older man. "You were going to kidnap the kids, weren't you? You would have if I hadn't gotten there."