Chapter 8 - The Retired Agent Had Kept One Final Recording

Daniel Reese lived alone.

Small house.

Quiet street.

Seventy-two.

Former federal financial investigator.

He opened the door before Luca knocked.

“I wondered when a Bellini would come.”

Luca stared.

“You know who I am.”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“You look like Antonio.”

Elena stood behind him.

Reese saw her.

His face softened.

“Elena.”

She stopped.

“You knew I was alive.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?”

“Ten years.”

Luca almost laughed.

“Of course.”

Reese stepped aside.

“Come in.”

His dining table was covered with old case files.

One box had Luca’s name.

He stared.

“You kept it.”

“I was told to destroy it.”

“By who?”

“My supervisor.”

“Why?”

“Political pressure.”

Luca nodded.

“Victor.”

“Partly.”

“Who else?”

Reese looked at Elena.

“Antonio.”

Silence.

Luca stared.

“My father asked you to bury his own case?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Six years before he died.”

“Why?”

“Because exposing Victor would also expose you as the legal owner of several shell companies.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“I was a child.”

“I know.”

“But publicly?”

“It would have been ugly.”

Elena whispered:

“So Antonio chose silence again.”

“Yes.”

Luca looked down.

Reese continued.

“Then five years ago, he changed his mind.”

“The letter.”

“Yes.”

“He came back.”

“Yes.”

“With everything?”

“Almost.”

“What was missing?”

Reese opened a drawer.

“The original microfilm.”

Luca looked at Elena.

She still had a copy.

Reese smiled faintly.

“I assume you found it.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Luca asked:

“What happened after Dad met you?”

Reese’s expression changed.

“He was frightened.”

“Of Victor?”

“Of what he had finally decided to do.”

Reese took out a small recorder.

“He asked me to record our meeting.”

Luca froze.

“Why?”

“In case he lost his nerve later.”

Reese pressed play.

Antonio’s voice.

“I used my son’s name.”

Luca closed his eyes.

Reese’s younger voice:

“Was Luca involved?”

“No.”

“Did he know?”

“No.”

“Did Elena?”

“Not about the first account.”

Elena looked down.

Antonio continued.

“Victor expanded the structure.”

“But I began it.”

Luca listened.

No excuses.

No manipulation.

Antonio said:

“I want immunity for Luca.”

Reese answered:

“I can protect him if the evidence supports what you’re saying.”

“It does.”

“And Elena?”

“She should never have been dragged into this.”

Silence.

Then Antonio said:

“If I die, investigate Kessler.”

Luca looked up.

Reese stopped the recording.

“You knew.”

“Yes.”

“Why wasn’t he investigated?”

“He was.”

“And?”

“Kessler disappeared.”

Silence.

Elena stared.

“When?”

“Three days after Antonio died.”

Luca frowned.

“Victor said he still knew him.”

Reese shook his head.

“Victor may know where he went.”

Julian, who had joined us with Serena, spoke.

“He does.”

Everyone turned.

Julian had brought one Voss file.

KESSLER.

Last known payments.

Portugal.

Then Spain.

Then one transfer two months ago.

New York.

Luca stared.

“He’s back.”

Julian nodded.

“Apparently.”

Serena whispered:

“Why?”

Reese looked at Antonio’s old file.

“Maybe because Victor needed something done.”

Luca’s face hardened.

“What?”

Julian looked at his sister.

Then Elena.

Then Luca.

“A payment from Voss Family Holdings.”

“Two months ago.”

“To Kessler.”

“For what?”

Julian hesitated.

Serena understood first.

“My father knew Elena was coming back.”

Silence.

Elena went still.

Luca stared at Julian.

“Was the payment before or after Mom contacted Ruth?”

“After.”

Luca’s expression changed completely.

Victor had not just tried to keep Elena away.

He may have called back the doctor connected to Antonio’s death.

Luca stood.

“Where is Kessler?”

Julian showed him the file.

A hotel.

Midtown.

Reese grabbed his phone.

“I’m calling federal contacts.”

Luca nodded.

“No heroics.”

Elena looked at him.

He almost smiled.

“I am learning.”

Serena stood too.

Luca looked at her.

“You stay with my mother.”

She opened her mouth.

Then stopped.

For once, she did not decide for him.

“Okay.”

That mattered.

Luca left with Reese and Julian.

At the hotel, federal agents were already in the lobby.

Room 1106.

Empty.

Suitcase gone.

Bathroom clean.

No Kessler.

But one envelope sat on the desk.

LUCA BELLINI.

Luca stared.

Inside was a single page.

I DID NOT KILL YOUR FATHER.

Victor paid me to frighten him.

Someone else changed the dose.

Luca looked at Reese.

“Again.”

Reese frowned.

“What?”

“Everyone only frightens people.”

Julian looked at the page.

“There’s more.”

At the bottom:

ASK SERENA WHO HER FATHER MET THE NIGHT ANTONIO DIED.

Luca stopped.

He turned slowly.

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Julian went pale.

“My sister?”