The Sicilian Pursuit

“I was just indoors, putting things in order while trying to believe that my husband was safe. Minutes into it, a phone suddenly rang. Believe me, I was extremely frightened at first,” Mrs. MacQuoid said, her voice trembling slightly as she recounted the experience.

They all stood around her, listening intently.

“That must have been when Dad was trying to stop one of them from searching Mom’s closets. She had expensive jewelry that he bought for her when he was still working,” Willia speculated, her fingers nervously covering her mouth.

“Maybe Mr. MacQuoid took the phone. I think he did that so he could be found, or so they could be found,” Ranya added, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

“Did you answer it, Mama?” Calista asked.

“No,” her mother replied. “I knew right away that it wasn’t your father’s or Willia’s.”

Calista nodded, noting that her mother hadn’t touched the phone with her bare hands. It was wrapped in a white handkerchief. A small smile played on Calista’s lips, wondering if