Chapter 4 - THE MISSING PLACE CARD
The place cards were printed by a local stationer.
Bethany Cole, our event manager, received the seating list from my office.
My seat:
Matteo Rinaldi.
Beside it:
Sophie Rinaldi.
No ambiguity.
On dinner afternoon, Celeste asked Bethany to remove Sophie’s card.
Bethany refused.
“Mr. Rinaldi approved seating.”
Celeste answered:
“Vittorio changed it.”
Bethany said:
“Matteo is current host.”
That sentence apparently offended Celeste enough that she went to my father.
Ten minutes later Vittorio himself told Bethany:
“Remove the child.”
Bethany still did not.
Good.
She called my assistant.
My assistant could not reach me because I was driving back from a meeting.
So the card remained.
Then sometime before dinner, it disappeared anyway.
Who removed it?
Celeste.
Security camera showed her.
Not crime.
Not important by itself.
Symbol.
When Sophie came upstairs with Laura, she found no card.
She asked:
“Where mine?”
Celeste said:
“Downstairs.”
Sophie said:
“Daddy said here.”
Correct.
Celeste:
“Grandpa says downstairs.”
Sophie apparently responded:
“Daddy boss house.”
I almost laughed when Bethany reported it.
Four-year-old diplomacy.
Celeste did not.
She told Sophie:
“Your father has forgotten how family works.”
Then Laura arrived and took Sophie to find me.
But I was downstairs speaking with security.
Sophie wandered back toward the dining room five minutes later.
That was when my father spoke to her directly.
Witnesses heard.
Vittorio:
“Young lady, tonight you stay downstairs until called.”
Sophie:
“Why?”
“Because that is the rule.”
“Daddy changed.”
My father:
“Some rules are older than your father.”
A four-year-old apparently thought about this.
Then said:
“Daddy taller.”
That became family legend later.
At the time, Vittorio did not laugh.
He told Celeste:
“Take her downstairs.”
Celeste did.
By the hand.
No force.
Sophie came back up twenty minutes later.
Why?
She wanted me.
May you like
I had moved upstairs.
That second return became the crisis.
