Lei picked up the sticker. “He knew I loved her.”
More sirens blared outside.
“We need to get out of here.” I walked over to Lei and held my hand out to him. “Come with us so we can make a plan on how to handle Leo.”
The scent of smoke rose in the air.
Lei rose, still holding the sticker. “He knew how much I loved Chanel.”
“Leo did this for bigger reasons.”
“What reason?” Hurt and sadness covered Lei’s face. “You have to be wrong this time, Dima. My father could never do this.”
“The serial killer was killing people with the theme of the seven deadly sins. Johnny cupcakes represented gluttony. Romeo symbolized lust. Chanel was for greed.”
“Why?” Lei shook his head. “That doesn’t make sense.”
“They were sacrifices to God. I don’t truly get why.”
Marcelo went to the attic window and looked out. “They’re watering down some of the church. Let’s go.”
“He blamed the Diamond Syndicate for my mother’s death.” Lei looked devastated. “I thought he was going crazy but I figured. . .”
Putting my gun up, I went over to Lei. “We’ll get through this together.”
“We won’t.” Lei put the sticker in his pocket. “I kill him by myself. No one else touches him but me.”
Marcelo left the window.
We exchanged looks.
I sighed. “I can’t let you do that. You suffered enough. Marcelo and I will handle this.”
Lei shook his head. “We leave here and go somewhere else. Then, you’ll show me step-by-step why you believe my father did this. I want to see all of the evidence.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
“And if I agree with this accusation, then I kill him.”
“You can’t do this by yourself, Lei. We don’t even know where he is.”
“I do.”
I tilted my head to the side. “How?”
Lei took out his phone, pressed the screen a few times, and then showed me an electronic map that glowed black and white.
I squinted my eyes. Marcelo got to my side to see closer. The map glowed in front of us. A blue dot moved on it.
“That’s him,” Lei said.
The dot moved fast as if the person was in a car. The dot entered onto Caviar Lime Highway, heading Northeast.
Lei’s voice cracked. “He’s leaving Paradise.”
Marcelo raised his brows. “How long have you been tracking your father?”
“Since my mother’s death. I gave him a silver cross. In the back is a tracker. I worried that he might be suicidal afterwards and wanted to keep up with him.”
“All of his moves are recorded?” I asked.
“For a year now.”
“Then, this will be your proof. We can check the approximate times of death for Romeo and Chanel.”
Lei looked at me. “And if he was there each time, then I kill him all by myself.”
I gritted my teeth.
Rage covered his face. “Dima.”
“Okay.” I swallowed. “You’ll kill him by yourself. I won’t touch your father.”
Marcelo frowned.
Lei walked off.
This is going to be fucked up.
We headed away, leaving the regular attic’s exit instead of taking the secret passageway. While heading down the stairs, I pulled out my mini book and pen.
What is the Diamond Syndicate anymore? Who am I?
18
The Secret Garden
Dimitri
A
hectic week passed.
At my order, Marcelo’s men continued to protect Rose. I planned to get her own detail once I put out Syndicate fires.
On the first day, Lei continued to demand that he would be the only person killing Leo. He refused to allow Marcelo or me to go with him.
Fortunately, Lei gave my security access to the tracking information. My people monitored Leo in Glory—a town two hours away. I had the area surrounded. No one was to make a move unless I signaled or Lei was in danger.
For now, I would let Lei handle his father.
However, if Lei lost sight of him or if I realized Leo was heading back to Paradise, then he would be shot by my people.
The second day, we realized that Leo always went to his wife’s old friend, Fen right before he killed. Marcelo and I talked to her. She told us that Leo loved to visit her for tea. However, she did recently notice that when he came some of her gowns and wigs would be missing. We followed Fen down to her basement. The whole time she explained that she used to be an artistic director for an old Paradise museum that focused on historic royal legends. From there, I confirmed that the appropriate costumes and wigs were missing from her basement.
Even more, Fen had nothing to do with it. She was just as horrified that Leo used them to dress up dead bodies.
More bad news arrived by that evening. Lei’s older sister, Yan landed in Paradise in her private plane. After Leo and Lei, Yan was a definite threat to the city’s peace. For many years, she believed that the East brought in more money monthly due to their weapon sales. It wasn’t true all the time. Usually, the North’s pussy beat everyone. However, weapon money was so close that she had a valid argument.