Chapter 1
Luciano’s anger lasted exactly three seconds before Theo mattered more.
He crouched beside his son and checked the red mark spreading across the boy’s cheek.
“You okay?”
Theo nodded, although tears still hung on his lashes.
The wooden locomotive remained locked between both hands.
Felix stood several feet away looking embarrassed rather than angry.
“I didn’t know it was his,” the seven-year-old whispered.
Bernadette immediately turned.
“Felix, don’t.”
Luciano looked at the boy.
“Where did you get it?”
Felix glanced at his mother.
“She gave it to me.”
Bernadette stepped between them.
“He’s a child.”
“So is Theo.”
Marcus pushed himself upright among the destroyed model-railway scenery.
“This whole thing is over a toy?”
Luciano slowly looked toward him.
“No.”
He pointed at the locomotive.
“That was in Theo’s bedroom.”
The holiday gala was being held at the Venturi Rail Heritage Museum in Yonkers, forty minutes north of Manhattan.
Theo’s bedroom was twenty miles away inside Luciano’s private estate.
The train had never belonged to the museum.
Luciano had carved it when Theo was born, sitting through sleepless nights beside a hospital bassinet after doctors kept the premature baby for observation.
Only a handful of people knew what it meant to him.
Bernadette knew.
Marcus knew.
Luciano stood.
“How did it get here?”
Bernadette folded her arms.
“It was mixed in with family things.”
“What family things?”
“The collection.”
Luciano glanced toward the gallery.
For the past year Bernadette had been helping catalog Venturi family memorabilia for a new permanent exhibit.
Old station clocks.
Photographs.
Railroad signs.
Luggage.
Personal objects from several generations.
But nobody had permission to empty Theo’s room.
Luciano looked at Marcus.
Marcus avoided his eyes.
That was more interesting than another insult.
Luciano handed Theo to one of the household staff he trusted.
“Take him upstairs. Felix too.”
Bernadette objected.
“My son stays with me.”
Felix spoke before she could stop him.
“Mom, I wanna go.”
Bernadette stared at him.
Luciano noticed how quickly the boy moved away from her.
Once both children were gone, Luciano picked up one miniature train car from the ruined exhibit.
“Start explaining.”
Marcus wiped blood from his mouth.
“You want to destroy the family Christmas because Bernadette grabbed the wrong toy?”
Luciano set the miniature car down.
“My son’s name is carved underneath it.”
May you like
Then he looked around the museum his grandfather had founded fifty years earlier.
“If one thing that belongs in my house ended up in your collection, I want to know what else did.”
