How Lilies turn Black

The breeze carried the crisp smell of fall. It was a time of year when Liliana Boyd was feeling melancholy.

 

The cycle of the earth’s rotation was a cruel thing. November 4 returned every year with a gust of cold wind, scattering memories of the past across her neatly organized life.

 

Angelico Moretti, the only son of the Moretti family, lovingly referred to as ‘Angelo,’ her beloved brother.

 

The proud and foolhardy boy who, with youthful vigor and enthusiasm, had led the union strike before anyone else.

 

On November 4, 1962, his life was cut short.

 

The Demercy Police Department remained stonewalling throughout the investigation, and three months later, they closed the case, ruling his death a suicide.

 

It made no sense. 

 

All the circumstantial evidence pointed to stabbings, so why the hell not?

 

Besides, it couldn’t have been Angelo, the fierce, tenacious man with a strong will to survive.

 

As we later learned, Angelo’s death was tied to the Corella family, the mafia that managed the trucking union.

 

A

.357

magnum bullet had completely blown his skull open, and his face was unrecognizable. His body was scarred from the beating, but the tattoo of a crow on his chest was unmistakable. 

 

A corpse that could not be denied as belonging to his brother by that tattoo.

 

It was the last sight of Angelo, the only flesh and blood Lilia had left.

 

It was a quagmire of despair from which she had not emerged in seven years.

 

And so 8 years passed.

 

Regardless of the lingering feelings and unfulfilled voids, time marches on, and it’s 1970.

 November 3, 1970. 

The City of Demercy, Gilligan’s Island, Victoria.

 “Lilia.” 

The man, whose black hair was combed back with a slick of wax, and dressed in a sharp gray suit and red tie, looked unkempt. His razor-sharp, clear features may have had something to do with it.

 

But there was a certain depth and goodness in his wheat-colored eyes. And the warmth in his voice was the essence of Wayne Boyd, hidden by his raggedy clothes.

 

Lilia slowly turned her head as his footsteps drew nearer. Lush platinum hair cascaded over her slender shoulders.

 

Before she could look back, Wayne wrapped his warm arms around her.

 “You’re going to catch a cold in this wind.” 

Her lashes fluttered slowly, but there was no sign of surprise on Lilia’s calm face, and she smiled softly, asking sweetly.

 “When did you get here?” “I just got here, and you didn’t even hear the knock at the door? What were you thinking?” 

Lilia shook her head in response. The faintest hint of a smile tugged at her lips, but it failed to erase the bitterness.

 

Wayne couldn’t help but realize it was because of the impending memorial date, and he pulled the frail body into his arms.

 “Lilia.” 

Wayne called her name out loud once more.

 

Somehow, his voice didn’t sound the same. Whether it was from anticipation or anxiety, the long tail of his words trembled. He swallowed nervously and pursed his dry lips several times.

 “You know, I… I have some news that I think you’ll be pleased to hear.” “…” “There will be an initiation ceremony tomorrow.” “…!” 

Lilia’s pupils, which had been calm the entire time, dilated. It was a brief moment, less than a second, but a myriad of emotions was clearly visible in them.

 “What?”  

She wasn’t alone in her confusion. Wayne’s fists curled into trembling fists as he tried to control his rising emotions.

 “I’m going to be a part of it, tomorrow.” “Oh, my goodness.” 

Lilia let out a short gasp and hugged him tightly.

 

The initiation ceremony.

 

The initiation would make him a full member of the Benedetti family of the Mafia. It had been a long time coming.

 “Wayne. Finally—” “Yeah… finally.” Thump— Thump— 

The pounding of Wayne’s heart echoed from his chest pecs.

 「To eradicate criminal organizations that undermine the law and order of the Victorian State.」 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s stated goal, 1965. Demercy’s five mafia families were targeted.

 

It’s been five years since Wayne infiltrated the Benedetti family as an FBI Agent, and the suspicious and futile clan has finally accepted him as a true member.

 

And becoming a full member of the Mafia means… Wayne’s network of connections deepens and widens. It also means greater involvement with the Corella family, the family responsible for Angelico’s death.

 “…I knew you could do it.” “I couldn’t have done it without you, Lilia. There were days I couldn’t have survived.” 

Lilia’s eyelids fell, neither in denial nor affirmation.

 

No, it hadn’t been a wasted time. She hadn’t been a part of the FBI in any significant way, but she had assisted her husband Wayne where she could.

 

‘I’ve been playing the innocent wife in front of all these people you’re introducing me to. With a stupid smile on my face.’

 

When I got home, I listened to the wiretaps and read the books Wayne had taken. He was looking for corruption in the businesses and unions under the organization’s jurisdiction.

 

And that was it.

 

She helped Wayne to his feet, feeling guilty for being so close to the organization… Lilia herself rose to her feet many times when she felt like she was about to fall.

 

‘The fruits of our labor are in our hands.’

 

All the heartache of the past was nothing now.

 

Tears like glass beads formed in Lilia’s round eyes. Her red lips descended to press a kiss to the corners of her eyes.

 “Thank you, Lilia.” 

Wayne whispered, staring back at her.

 

Lilia’s pale blue eyes reflected his, but her tears blurred her vision. All she could make out was a shadowy figure in the glow of the setting sun.

 

Well, she thought. She had made it through the long darkness, and the next day would be just as bright.

 

So the next day, Lilia woke up. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined that everything she had built would crumble in an instant.

  

The next day, November 4th. The day passed peacefully for the most part. At least until the sun had completely set.

 

Lilia arose, more spirited than ever, and spent the early morning cleaning the house. 

 

Afterward, she visited St. Paul’s Cemetery on Angelo’s anniversary and delivered the news of Wayne that he would have been happy to hear.

 

By then it was a lazy afternoon. Lilia returned from grocery shopping and quickly began preparing for the dinner party. 

 

They’d planned a small party for just the two of them when Wayne returned from his initiation.

 

Everything was going well until she finished cooking the beautiful meal.

 

It was around 8:00 in the evening when she was ready and waiting for Wayne to return home that she realized something was not quite right.

 

He was supposed to be back from the initiation ceremony, but he hadn’t been back for a while. The food was getting cold.

 

Lilia peeked out the front door, but she didn’t see his car pulling into the residential neighborhood.

 

She went back into the house and called the home of a gang member who often hung out with Wayne, only to be told he didn’t know anything about him.

 

From then on, Lilia paced the living room frantically, biting her lip.

 

She waited, shaking with anxiety.

 

At 10:30. Someone rang the doorbell.

 

She jumped up and opened the door to find a box sitting on the floor.

 

Could it be an initiation gift from someone? Or was it one of Wayne’s pranks? 

 

She looked around, but there was no sign of whoever had left the box. Lilia closed the door behind her, stepped inside, and opened the box.

 “Huh…!” 

She gasped, horrified to see what was inside. The box she had unconsciously thrown down fell to the floor.

 Rustle— 

A hand emerged from the overturned box and flopped to the floor. Lilia clamped her mouth shut and took a step back.

 

The hand was familiar. It was the hand that had stroked her hair, caressed her cheek, patted her back, and carried her everywhere for years.

 “No, no, no….” 

As much as she wanted to think it was just a resemblance to Wayne’s, the ring on his fourth finger was unmistakably his and Lilia’s wedding ring, and the truth was impossible to ignore.

 “Ah… Ahh….” 

Nothing came to mind, as if something had snapped out of her thinking circuitry. Legs gave out without warning.

 Thud! 

Lilia’s body slammed into the living room table, but she groped the floor with distraught eyes, unable to feel the pain.

 

Wayne’s hand grabbed hers. It was cold, not warm, and the touch was creepy and unfamiliar enough to send chills down her spine.

 

She sobbed an unintelligible sound, like an animal, and stroked his hand. Red stains began to stain her immaculate white dress.

 

It was then that she heard footsteps in the house that were not hers.

 “Did you enjoy your present?” 

Lilia’s head turned slowly. But before she could see the face of her unwelcome visitor, a gunshot rang out.

 Bang! 

Lilia clutched her chest and fell flat on her face.

 “Ugh…!” 

It was hot, as if her back, chest, or some other place was on fire.

 

Footsteps grew closer as she sucked in a sharp breath.

 “Oh, crap, I missed.” “…get back.” 

Another voice, more than one, interjected. Lilia shivered and moved her head. The green eyes of the approaching figure froze as if nailed to the spot.

 “Ah…” 

A sigh escaped her parted lips. It was a man she’d only seen once or twice, but he had such haunting eyes.

 

Those eyes, beneath closed eyelids, tinted with boredom and weariness. Looking into those eyes, everything in the world became meaningless, and it felt like the world was getting worse.

 

Knowing that they were the eyes of a man who had taken countless lives, I couldn’t forget their heartless, unfeeling gaze.

 “The– Theo…doro…” 

The younger brother of the organization’s boss, who allegedly oversees all the cruelty and violence in the group. An undisputed underboss.

 

His name was Theodoro Domenico Benedetti.