Omorphi (55 page)

“Then don’t keep it. Tell him you know who he is.”

“He would never trust me again, Jake.”

“Why not?”

“Because the one and only fight we ever had was when he thought Rob told me things he didn’t want me to know. Because Rob didn’t tell me anything, or at least not anything specific, we worked it out. Now, I know what he doesn’t want me to know because I looked it up on the net.”

“Michael, you can’t tell me that Christy thought he could hide his identity from you forever.”

“Not forever, but I think he thought he could long enough to give him some time to heal and be strong enough to tell me who he is and what happened. Now I’ve gone and screwed it all up.”

“What possessed you to check the net?”

“I think he was really close to telling me about his past this afternoon, and he said a few things that were weird. He wanted me to promise that if something happened to him that I would move on with my life. Then he said, ‘You don’t know who I am.’ He was close to crying, and I’ve only seen him cry two times. Right before our fight and when he thought I would punish him for what happened with Stephen in the bathroom.”

“Punish him?”

“Yeah, Jake, punish him. He was waiting for me to beat him. Actually whip him and beat him. I didn’t understand it then, but now I know why he thought that.”

“Jesus, Michael.”

“I know. Anyway, I thought it sounded weird, so I got on the net thinking that if I could find maybe one news report or article about what happened to him, I might be able to help him tell me. To sort of clear his conscience so he didn’t have to worry about it. Then I found all the articles… and….”

Jake just shook his head. “And you’re not the same person anymore. Poor Christy.”

“I’m not, and he doesn’t want to be pitied, Jake.”

“I know, but how can you not pity someone who’s been through that kind of shit?”

“I think he wants empathy and understanding, not sympathy and pity.”

Jake shook his head. “You can only empathize with what you know, bro, and we can hardly imagine what he went through, let alone know what it feels like.”

“Do you know what he said to me when I asked him what scared him about Stephen? He said it wasn’t any one thing or the person, but the
possibilities
, that I couldn’t imagine what could be done to the human body.”

Jake grimaced and took a drink of iced tea. “Guess that says it all, doesn’t it?”

“Sophia’s comments now make sense. His parents aren’t around because they’re dead and in one way, it’s good—she was talking about Vasilis. What doesn’t make sense is, when I asked her why no one did anything about the abuse, she said they tried. If no one knew he was alive until he was found in that, that… torture chamber prison, how could they have tried?”

“Maybe she’s talking about before, when he was small.”

Michael winced. “Doesn’t work for me.”

“Until Christy tells you or Sophia tells me, we won’t know.”

Michael sighed. “Yeah.”

“Okay, let’s think logically for a sec and recap. You’re going to talk to Rob. I’m going to call my dad. We’re going to keep this on the down low. My dad will talk to security and tell them you know who Christy is. I’ll find out whether my dad represents Sanna or just the shipping business. We’ll keep watch for Jason and run like hell when we run into Yosef.”

“Why run?”

“Because Petros Sanna is a sick bastard and will let Yosef do whatever he wants and protect him while he’s doing it.”

Michael swore softly, probably the worst string of curse words that ever left his lips.

“Take it easy, bro. We gotta stay cool.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay. What about Sophia?”

Jake blew a long breath. “Shit, this is fucked up. I can’t not tell her. It’ll screw us up from the start.”

“Now you know how I feel.”

The server set their pizzas before them, and they took a thoughtful moment to put napkins in their laps. Michael lifted a piece of pizza to his lips and paused before taking a bite. “Think I should tell my parents?”

Jake swallowed his first bite. “You may not have to. My dad may have already told them.”

“I never should have gotten him up on that stage, Jake.”

“Why is that?”

“Because now Yosef Sanna and the media know where he is.”

“Oh come on, man, don’t start guilting. Christy chose to get on that stage.”

“He wouldn’t have done it without my coaxing.”

“You don’t know that. You didn’t push him.
And
he could have stayed where he was.”

Michael shrugged and set his pizza slice down. He’d lost his appetite.

“Sophia will be here tomorrow, and we’re going to visit Christy after school.”

“What time?”

“Don’t know. The drive up from the city takes about four hours.”

“Why doesn’t she fly?”

“By the time she checks in an hour ahead of the flight, flies, and has to pick up her bags, it’s been five hours. Besides, she says she likes the ride because she can work and make calls in the car on the way up. I’ll let you know what time she plans to be here.”

“Okay.” He caught the server’s attention. “Can I get this to go?”

“You haven’t eaten anything.”

“I can’t eat.”

J
AKE
yelled at his dad as he paced the sidewalk. Michael leaned back against the brick wall of the restaurant as he tried to piece together their argument. He couldn’t figure it out because more than half of it was in Italian, and he quickly became fed up. “Let me talk to him.”

Jake spewed a few more Italian words before he handed the phone to Michael. “He says he was under orders from Christy not to tell anyone who he was, and your parents don’t know who he is.”

“Why are you so pissed off?”

“He won’t let me talk to Sophia about it. Like you said, I hate secrets.”

Michael reserved comment and put the phone to his ear. “Hi, Mr. Santini.”

“Michael, you have to understand the position I’m in. I’ve represented Castlios International for more than twenty years, and now Christy tells me what to do. He is young. He is very much… he has been terribly harmed, Michael. I do my best to protect him and help him run the companies.”

“Yeah, I get that. Just tell me one thing.”

“What?”

“Did you know what kind of vile sadist Vasilis was?”

“God, no, Michael. I swear on my life that I didn’t know he had his son and did these things. I’ve dealt with Petros Sanna’s things, but never Vasilis. Never. I swear it on my life.” The big man sighed over the phone. “I shouldn’t say this but, after what I know now, I’m glad the man is dead.”

“I need to know the best way to handle this.”

“Okay. Listen to me carefully. There is a brigadier general in the
Ellinikí Astynomía
, the Hellenic police. His name is Nicos Sotíras….”

After twenty minutes of listening to Nero recite the events since the discovery of Christy, he only had a few questions.

“Can I speak to the general?”

“I’ll ask if he’ll speak with you. If so, you will need me to translate.”

“Okay. I asked Sophia why no one did anything about Christy’s abuse, and she said they tried. Who is they, and what did she mean by that?”

Nero was quiet for a long time. “I honestly don’t know, Michael.”

“Christy said he saw Sophia at a party when he was twelve. So some people knew he was alive. Like his aunt.”

“No one, rather, no one I know knew of Christy’s existence.”

“Do you think it started before his mother died? The abuse, I mean?”

“I have no way of knowing.”

“Okay. Next question. Why haven’t you told Detective Davis about Yosef Sanna?”

“I can’t, Michael. I would have to tell Christy that Sanna is here.”

“Why?”

“Because I’d have to give the detective the background on Christy.”

“You don’t think they already have it? Trust me, they have it. They already know all about Christy.”

“They know what the redacted reports say, which is very little. I have said nothing because I can’t. You must understand what Christy has ordered me not to do.”

“Fine. I’m going to talk to Detective Davis.”

“Michael, don’t. Please. I have no idea what the police would do to try to capture Yosef, and it could cause an international incident.”

Anger boiled in Michael. “So what?”

“Michael, listen to me. There is a good chance Yosef has diplomatic immunity. If he were to kidnap Christy, he would be able to take him out of the country, and we could do nothing about it. If we tried to stop him, it would cause an international incident.”

“How the hell would Yosef have diplomatic immunity? You know what? Never mind. Make Christy a US citizen.”

“What?”

“Get Christy US citizenship. That makes this a domestic problem, and the FBI can handle it.”

“That wouldn’t override diplomatic immunity.”

“No, but you can’t take a US citizen out of the country against his will! Done! Solved! It’s an FBI thing and not an international incident!”

Nero chuckled. “I don’t think that you are correct, Michael, but you are creative. I’ll tell you what I will do. I will ask the State Department to issue dual citizenship for Christy pending review, and we will see if this helps us.”

“Okay. What do you want me to tell my parents?”

“Nothing. Your mother is already very upset over Jason.”

Michael mulled this over and decided Nero was right. “Okay. What about Rob?”

Nero sighed long and loud again. “Tell him you know and that we have agreed to keep it quiet for now.”

“Okay, last question. Why can’t Jake talk to Sophia about it?”

“
Spacco tutto
, Michael, you try my patience.”

“Why can’t he?” Michael pressed.

“I don’t know what the relationship was between them, meaning Sophia, her mother, and Christy. I don’t want my son upset, Sophia upset, her mother upset, or you and Christy upset. There are too many unknowns here.”

“I still don’t know why Jake can’t talk to Sophia.”

Nero swore softly in Italian again. “Put my son on.”

“Come back to me.” Michael handed the phone to Jake.

“Yeah, Papa… yeah, okay… okay….” Rage filled Jake’s face, and he glanced at Michael. “Tell him that…. No, Papa! Tell him!” Jake handed the phone back to Michael and shook his head in disbelief.

Michael took the phone and put it to his ear. “Tell me what?”

“There is a possibility that Sophia and Christy are twins. General Sotíras has the birth certificates of the twins. No one knows what happened to the girl. I think the mother, Christy’s mother, tried to protect the children long ago and sent Sophia to live with her sister. Setting aside that Christy may not know that Sophia is his sister, Sophia may not know that Christy is her brother.”

Michael’s jaw might as well have hit the sidewalk as he looked at Jake, who threw his hands up in disgust. “How could they not know?”

“General Sotíras believes they were separated very young. Two or three years or so, he’s still investigating. Swear to me that you say nothing, Michael.”

“For now, I swear. If I change my mind, I’ll let you know. But, you know, Mr. Santini, all this secret shit has to stop. When are we going to come clean?”

“I would be foolish if I didn’t believe it would be soon. Did you still want to speak with the general?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, Michael. Promise me that you say nothing to Christy.”

Michael thought for a long moment. “If I do, I’ll blame it on my Internet research.”

“Michael, think of Christy.”

“I have to play it by ear, Mr. Santini. Christy… Christy almost told me today about his background. If he wants to talk, I’m going to let him talk. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Okay, Michael. Fair enough. Put Jacob on again.”

“Thanks, Mr. Santini.” Michael handed the phone over to Jake again.

Nothing but Italian was exchanged between them as Michael sat on the curb with his head in his hands.
Un-freakin’-believable!

“U
NBELIEVABLE
,”
Rob said as he scrubbed his face with both hands.

Michael squashed a big yellow pillow to his chest and leaned back in the overstuffed chair. “You had no idea who Christy is?”

“No, I know who Christy is. I also know there were multiple assailants but… twenty initials on his thigh?”

Jake kicked a red pillow across the highly polished floor, still angry with his dad. “You have the police reports.”

“I have police reports translated and redacted by the Greek police. They’re incomplete, to say the least.”

Michael tossed the pillow away to land near the pillow Jake had kicked. “You didn’t check out the news articles?”

Rob shook his head. “No. Most media about child abuse is highly sensationalized, and I try to avoid it for the patient’s sake. I need to remain objective, but a sister? My not having that kind of information could jeopardize Christy’s therapy.”

“Why?”

“If Christy were to tell me that he had a sister, I would be left with no alternative but to believe he was delusional.”

“According to my dad, the general is still investigating, and he may not have proof that they’re anything more than cousins,” Jake said.

Rob shook his head. “Unless they were separated very young, they’ll remember.”

“How young?”

“As infants.”

Michael rubbed his eyes. “Christy might not remember, but Sophia knows.”

Jake looked at Michael. “Are you saying she knows Christy’s her brother and hasn’t said anything?”

Michael nodded. “If what Rob says is right, then she knows.”

Jake turned to Rob for confirmation.

“I’m hard-pressed to believe that she wouldn’t remember a brother, particularly a twin brother, and as Christy remembers more, he’ll remember that he has a sister.”

Michael reached down to the floor and picked up an orange pillow and squeezed it. “I got Christy to agree to work with you.”

Rob’s brows shot up. “How?”

“I told him that I needed his help to take care of him because I wouldn’t always know what to do, and if he didn’t have you, he wouldn’t have anyone to turn to when I didn’t know what to do. I put all the control in his hands.”