Chapter 3 - THE SILVER POCKET WATCH
“Loan sharks?” I stood up, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Paul, what is he talking about?”
Paul ran a hand through his graying hair. “I was trying to win it back, okay? The business went under two years ago. I borrowed money to keep up appearances, and the interest just kept growing.”
Lauren covered her face, a sob escaping her throat. “You lied to both of us. You’re bankrupt.”
“I’m not just bankrupt, Lauren!” Paul snapped, the polite mask finally slipping. “If I don’t pay them by midnight, they’re going to kill me!”
Mr. Falcone leaned back in his chair. “The Morettis don’t kill for a hundred and sixty thousand. They take collateral.”
He snapped his fingers. One of his guards stepped forward, grabbing Paul by the arms.
“Search him,” Mr. Falcone ordered.
I watched, numb, as the guard reached into Paul’s jacket—the jacket I had meticulously ironed that morning. The guard pulled out a heavy object and placed it on the table.
It was a silver pocket watch.
My breath caught in my throat. “That’s my father’s watch,” I whispered. “You told me it was stolen from our house five years ago.”
“I had to pawn it, Marianne,” Paul pleaded, struggling against the guard. “I bought it back today. I swear.”
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Lauren reached across the table, picking up the watch. She flipped it over, reading the engraving on the back. Her face went completely white.
“This isn’t pawned,” she said, her voice trembling. “Paul… why is my sister’s name engraved on the inside of this casing?”
