Buried Alive, I Left the Don My Blood-Written Truth Chapter 06
A guard rushed in.
“Don Moretti, we found something in Margaret’s room.”
He handed over a rattle. The drum surface was dry and cracked. Adrian recognized it. It had been Lily’s
favorite toy when she was learning to walk. The guard said quietly, “Half a fingernail was hidden inside the drum skin. It looks like Miss Lily’s.” Adrian took it. The rattle clicked softly. The silver bell from the coffin
rang with it.
Ding.
I heard my own voice come from some faraway darkness.
“Adrian, Lily’s afraid of the dark. So am I.”
“Who’s speaking?”
Adrian turned sharply. Everyone in the hall lowered their heads and shook. No one else heard it. Only he did. I
heard it too. It was the voice I had left inside the silver bell before I died. Adrian clutched the rattle so hard
his knuckles turned white.
“Elena?”
The silver bell rang again. My voice came through in broken fragments.
“Adrian, are you back?”
“Just ask me. Just once.”
“I didn’t kill Connor.”
Adrian could not stay on his feet. His back hit the altar, and the wooden plaques scattered across the floor. He seemed not to feel any pain. He only stared at the silver bell. Margaret snapped, “Parlor tricks. Smash it.” Adrian drew his gun. The bullet grazed past her cheek and buried itself in the wall.
“Try.”
Margaret finally shut her mouth. The silver bell broke into tiny, trembling notes. I heard my own voice from the first day I woke. There had been no light in the coffin. I did not know where I was. I only knew my chest
hurt and my throat felt packed with ash.
“Is anyone there?”
“Adrian, is that you?”
“I think I slept for a long time.”
“Don’t scare me like this.”
Adrian knelt in front of the coffin. Color drained from his face. Ava said quietly, “Don Moretti, this is what
Elena left behind.” Adrian’s voice was hoarse.
“Let it finish.”
The voice from the second day was rougher.
“Adrian, I pounded for so long, but no one came.”
“Are you still at the Mexican border outpost?”
“Lily is gone. She’s in the well.”
“Your mother killed her.”
“Don’t believe the confession.”
“I didn’t brew Connor’s medicine.”
Adrian covered his ears. But the voice still drilled into him.
“It hurts.”
“My nails have torn off.”
“But I have to finish writing.”
“If you see this, go save Lily.”
“She’s only three. She’s afraid of water.”
I floated in front of him and watched his mouth open. He could not say a word. The voice from the third day
barely sounded human.
“Adrian, I can’t call anymore.”
“If you really hate me, then leave me.”
“But Lily called you Daddy.”
“You held her.”
“She used to grab your collar.”
“She said when Daddy came home, she would show Daddy the little tiger she stitched.”
Adrian slammed his fist into the coffin board. Once. Then again. Blood split across his knuckles. Ava caught his hand.
“Don Moretti, Elena is dead.”
“Who are you bleeding for now?”
Adrian looked at his own blood, as if he finally understood something. He sank to his knees.
“I came home too late.”
Ava gave a cold laugh.
“You didn’t come home too late.”
“You trusted the wrong people.”
At those words, Adrian’s shoulders trembled. Vivian crawled toward him, crying.
“Adrian, don’t do this.”
“Elena is gone. You still have to live.”
“Mrs. Moretti was wrong, but you can’t let a dead woman’s voice drag you under.”
Adrian looked at her.
“A dead woman?”
Vivian stiffened. Adrian stood.
“Before Elena was sealed in that coffin, did she send me any letters?”
The butler didn’t dare speak. Adrian kicked him to the floor.
“Speak.”
