Somebody picks up the phone to my relief, and I manage to force the words out of my mouth. "Mr. Iero, I'm Gerard Way. I apologize for this sudden call."

"...Mr. Way? What's the matter?" I hear the slightly groggy voice that makes me shiver, for some reason. I never thought I would hear it again, even though a phone.

"I'd like to...ask for your help. It's a delicate situation and to be fair, I don't know who else to ask. You are the only person I can think of..."

"I remember that I have already offered my help to you. Tell me everything."

"It's complicated. I might need to explain it to you in person," I confess, hoping I wasn't already asking for too much.

"Will you do me the honor of joining me for diner tomorrow evening, then?"

"Thank you, Mr. Iero..." I can finally breathe properly.

"It is too soon to thank me. I will send someone to pick you up tomorrow."

"Alright. Sorry for the bother."

"It is only curtesy. See you tomorrow, Mr. Way."

Mr. Iero hangs up. I can't believe that he accepted to see me so easily. I hope that my request will not put him in a delicate situation, tomorrow.

______

I am meeting with Mr. Iero, tonight. It was about time. I am worried to death about Dad. I want to make an impression on Mr. Iero, so I decide to put on the black velvet suit that Urie bought me.

Pete Wentz is the one who came to drive me. After helping me settle on the back seat, he starts the engine and drives to our destination. It's an Italian restaurant, the Vesuvio. Mr. Iero is already there. He isn't wearing his usual trench coat and leather gloves, but a black, striped suit.

He gives me a confident smile. "Mr. Way, we meet again. Please take a seat." He politely drags the chair back for me before he took a seat too.

"Let me thank you again for seeing me, Mr. Iero."

"Think no more about it. I gave you my word, after all. So, Mr. Way, why do you need my help?"

"Well..." I chew on my bottom lip as I organize my thoughts. "Honestly, this case has become way too complicated. I have no one else to turn to."

"Tell me. I am all ears," Mr. Iero says calmly, giving me a brief, indulgent smile before focusing. His expression went back to its usual severity.

"Here is what happened..."

I tell Mr. Iero everything, I know, everything that happened. I must make him understand the dangers of helping me in this situation. Besides, I really need a listening ear. I also sort out my ideas as I speak.

"When I was an intern at the Sunday News, I played detectives at the Metropolitan Hospital. I had heard about interesting information about it, and I also met a woman named Emily. She was a patient. I decided to write an article about her story because I empathized with her tragic life. However, I was fired the day that my article was published."

Mr. Iero grabs his chin thoughtfully. A deep frown disturbs his face like ripples on a calm lake.

"That night, my boss invited me to the gala organized by the Press Association, and before I was fired, he would make compliments about my article. It had a lot of success, too," I continue my story. "But in the middle of the evening, he suddenly informed me that I was fired. I still don't know why. I left the party completely befuddled and... that's when I met you. Do you remember what happened, that night? You told me that I was being followed."

"Of course. I remember it clearly." Mr. Iero looks at me in the eye, focused.

"A while after, someone pointed out that it may be connected to Emily. However, when I went back to the hospital, I was announced her death."

"What explanations were you given at the Metropolitan Hospital?" Mr. Iero asks, quickly connecting the dots.

"They said she had died from pneumonia and was cremated. As to her belongings, they were taken by a man who claimed to be her father. Emily's father, George Taylor, was a police officer who died in the line of duty, so that man was not her father. I sneaked into the factory where the man's car was parked and witnessed a...transaction. Dante D'Avanzo, the president of the Weller Medical factory, was one of the people there."

"Dante D'Avanzo?"

"Do you know him?"

Mr. Iero looks at me dead in the eye, gravely. I suddenly remember seeing Pete at the factory, too. Don't tell me that...

"Not really. Please, carry on." A small smile comes back on Mr. Iero's face.

I hum. "D'Avanzo is also the one who took Emily's belongings. And from his involvement in such an exchange, he must... He must have some ties with the mafia."

Ow, why did I say this? Isn't this saying that I suspect him to be part of the mafia? I can't help but to eye Mr. Iero, discreetly. He doesn't seem willing to confront me about it. Didn't Pete tell him? Is it possible?

"Please keep going, Gerard," Mr. Iero encourages.

"Uh, the steal of Emily's stuff becomes even more suspicious. I was discovered by Dante D'Avanzo. Luckily, I made it. He sent someone to watch me, though."

Mr. Iero smiled slyly and one of his eyebrows rose. "Mr. Way... I suppose that the help you are asking for involves D'Avanzo as well?"

"That's correct." I nod. "He found out that I was investigating him in secret. But instead of attacking me directly, he went after my family. He deceived my father by making him taking on a big gambling debt, and he threatened to kill him if I pursued my investigation. I was hoping that you could help me about this specific issue."

Mr. Iero started giving it a thought, and I asked him if...well, if I was asking for too much.

He smiled amusedly. "You are thinking too much, Mr. Way. I will send someone to settle this."

"Really? Thank you so much!" I place a hand on my heart and thank him a thousand times, fearing that he changes his mind. "Mr. Iero, if you ever need help, I will be there!"

"That will not be necessary. That is a promise I am making you. A promise that you deserve."

"Uh..."

After his last words, an awkward silence falls. I am grateful to the waiter who brings the antipasti – the starters. We start eating, and the awkwardness is gone. The food here is delicious. It was the first time I was having Italian food in my life, except for pasta.

"Mr. Way, do you like the food?" Mr. Iero asks me.

"Absolutely! Thank you for being so welcoming."

Mr. Iero smiles at me. We only have dessert left. I feel like he has something to tell me.

"Mr. Way..." He speaks up before wiping his mouth. "If I may, will you continue your investigation on D'Avanzo?"

"Huh.... Yes, I think."

"But if you keep going this way, you will be the target of many threats. Have you thought about it? If D'Avanzo is willing to kill your father, he may do worse."

"Well, in all honesty, it did occur to me... But I am not going to give up on my quest for truth for that. Sometimes there is a price to pay. I'm not afraid. " I shake my head, determined.

"D'Avanzo alone might not scare you, but what will happen if more people are involved?

"I..."

"You are a clever boy; I am sure you already figured out what D'Avanzo is capable of. All I can say is that... D'Avanzo has close ties with the Solazzo family. I don't think that is a situation you can handle on your own."

Mr. Iero seems determined. How does he know all this? If what he says is true, things might be even worse than I thought...

"If it is so, then that gives me another reason to keep investigating."

Mr. Iero sighs. "Mr. Way, wise people wouldn't endanger themselves," he scolds though he can't repress a little smile. "Besides, even if you do find something, the Solazzo family is beyond any suspicion. It collaborates with the authorities for money-related matters. You understand what I'm saying, don't you?"

"Mr. Iero, thank you for your advice. I don't intend to ignore it, but I have my own values that I must stick to. As dangerous as it can be, I wish to all the criminals a rightful punishment, no matter how it is done, as long as it's fair. And everything begins with discovering the truth."

Mr. Iero adjusts his tie. "Since you have made up your mind, I have no objection to make."

Mr. Iero becomes quiet. I can't tell if he is lost in his thoughts or if he simply gave up on trying to convince me. Our dinner ends in silence. For some reason, Mr. Iero doesn't order Pete to drive me home.

He sits behind the wheel himself.

I notice the smirk Pete throws at me just before I get in the car. What can he be thinking about?

A familiar silence oppresses us for the whole ride. Even as we arrive before my place, Mr. Iero stays quiet. He opens the door for me.

"Mr. Iero, thank you for this dinner. Good evening."

I turn away but I hear his voice behind me.

"Wait, please."

"Yes?"

He smiles at me genuinely, his face lightened in the dark by the warm light of a streetlamp. "Mr. Way, we have crossed paths a few times, already. Do you have any idea of who I am?"

I tilt my head. "Why this question, all of a sudden?"

"No need to weigh your words. I only want to hear what you really think."

My gaze wanders around before setting back on him. His eyes didn't detach from me. "After Sarah's premiere at the theater, I thought that you might have something to do with the mafia."

"If this is what you suppose, why ask for my help?" His smile slowly drops as he peers more intensely.

I only had rare encounters with Mr. Iero, but they were always right on time to get me out of trouble. His enigmatic aura, and the determination in his eyes when he made me that promise...urged me to seek his help.

"You seem respectable and trustworthy. Whoever you really are doesn't matter to me."

"Mr. Way, will you really be pursuing your investigation on D'Avanzo?"

I nod. "Of course. I will never change my mind on this."

Mr. Iero readjusts his leather gloves. "If your decision is made, recontact me in three days."

"Why three days?"

"You will find out then." Mr. Iero states gravely before a caring smile lightens his face. "Sweet dreams, Mr. Way."

Mr. Iero's car drives off and I stay before my front door, dazed, my eyes following the black car until it disappears out of my sight.

______