Page 48 of Vicious Sentiments

Madison Johnson

But then there are names I don’t recognize.

Luca Rossi

John Matthews

Macala Esparedo

The folder is manuscript-thick and chock full of information. Death certificates, previous employers, names of banks and phone records. I pause at Luca Rossi’s death certificate, assuming that is Julian’s father. It’s issued from Italy and states two gunshots to the chest and one to the head, dated nine years ago. I flinch when I turn the page and there is a full photograph of a dead man, sprawled out in a bed with gunshot wounds and blood.

I clasp a hand over my mouth.

I quickly turn the page to what looks like a police report, but it isn’t in English. There’s a call log, known alias, and what seems to be coordinates lined up next to times.

I fan through and land on Dillon’s section. There’s a comprehensiveevaluation from a psychiatrist.

Anger. Displays acts of heroism for his injustice.

Prozac, max dosage.

Dozic, max dosage.

There’s numbers next to the word ‘tape’ and documents session one, two, and so one until it stops at twenty three.

Aren’t medical records supposed to be confidential? Or does the FBI always have access?

Marney’s section is small but lists the schools she attended, and every hobby she’s engaged in. There is one psychiatrist report and all it says is:

Coping well, medication not needed.

I’m fascinated and I flip to Margo’s—Margret’s—section and I find a marriage certificate with Luca’s name on it. There are at least ten pages of phone records and copies of flight tickets.

Shaking my head, I go back to the first page and skim the content. This is a comprehensive file on what is called the Mimic Operation, resulting for the movement of illegal weapons, murder, falsifying documents, forgery, tax evasion, and a few legal codes that I’m not sure what they mean.

I dig back in and find a page on Cape. My heart starts to thump when I read that he’s suspected of being responsible for the deaths of thirty people. Thirty? And he has his arm around my throat?

I flick past the call logs and locations to Julian’s section. I hold my breath, a bead of sweat forming under my jacket. He can’t possibly be suspected of the same, right?

Julian Rossi has a criminal profile done by someone named Erica Janseson statingcontrol issues, extreme intellect, charming, deadly.

My stomach twists.

I flip and find a summary of suspected involvements, dated only six months ago. The FBI apparently sees him as the head of the business.He’s suspected to be responsible for four deaths. One of which is a woman’s name.

My hand starts to shake and I have to smooth the folder on the desk to keep reading.

Body disposal methods, dismemberment? Incineration? Framing?

What?

My mind is spinning as I fly through the folder. Back and forth, to and from, becoming increasingly horrified until I suddenly can’t breath.

I land on Macala Esperedo, who I am assuming is Marney’s mother. Suspected involvement in death is Margeret Baker. I flip to the death certificate but it says Macala died in a car accident with John.

Huh? How could Margo be suspected of murder if it was a car accident?

I’m flipping to John’s section to cross reference when I hear Marney call my name. In a flurry, I try to tuck the pages neatly back together when one gets caught on my sleeve and tears.

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