Chapter 3 - The Account Opened After a Dead Man Signed It

Gabriel returned to the ballroom with Maria beside him.

Conversation died immediately.

Silvio Moretti stood near the exit.

Security blocked the door.

Gabriel walked toward him.

Silvio smiled.

“Your mother finally came home.”

Maria stared at him.

“Do not speak to me.”

Silvio’s smile disappeared.

Gabriel stopped several feet away.

“Florence.”

Silvio’s eyes moved once.

Barely.

But Gabriel saw it.

He held up the bank card.

“Recognize this?”

Silvio shrugged.

“No.”

Maria laughed softly.

“You always blinked when you lied.”

Silvio looked at her.

“You disappeared.”

“You threatened my son.”

Silvio’s face hardened.

Gabriel looked around the room.

“My engagement dinner is over.”

Nobody moved.

He continued.

“Anyone who is not family, legal counsel, or security leaves now.”

Guests began filing out.

Sarah remained near Father Martin.

Isabella stood beside her father.

Gabriel looked at her.

“You stay.”

Isabella swallowed.

“So does your father.”

Mr. Crane nodded slowly.

The doors closed.

Gabriel placed the bank card on the table.

“An account in my father’s name was opened eighteen years ago.”

Silvio said nothing.

“My father had already been dead for six months.”

Maria watched him.

Gabriel continued.

“Someone used Luca Moretti’s identity.”

Silvio smiled faintly.

“You have a bank card and a story.”

Father Martin stepped forward.

“And a witness statement.”

Silvio looked at him.

The priest placed Luca’s signed statement beside the card.

Silvio’s expression changed.

Only for a second.

Gabriel saw that too.

“You knew Jonathan kept this?”

Silvio asked Maria.

“No.”

“Then Jonathan was smarter than I gave him credit for.”

Gabriel went still.

Silence.

Silvio realized what he had said.

Gabriel smiled without warmth.

“So you knew Jonathan was looking.”

Silvio leaned back.

“I knew he was obsessed.”

“With my father’s death?”

“With your family.”

Gabriel walked closer.

“My family.”

He pointed toward Maria.

“My father.”

Then himself.

“You mean us.”

Silvio’s jaw tightened.

Gabriel looked at Mr. Crane.

“You helped my mother disappear.”

“Yes.”

“You knew Silvio was dangerous.”

“Yes.”

“You knew he threatened me.”

Mr. Crane hesitated.

“Yes.”

Gabriel nodded.

“And you let your daughter become engaged to me without telling me.”

Isabella closed her eyes.

Her father answered.

“I thought Silvio’s power was gone.”

Silvio laughed.

Everyone turned.

He looked at Mr. Crane.

“You thought wrong.”

Gabriel’s security moved closer.

Silvio raised both hands.

“Relax.”

Gabriel said:

“No one is relaxed.”

Then he looked at Isabella.

“You knew my mother was alive for two years.”

“Yes.”

“Did you know about the Florence account?”

“No.”

“Jonathan’s investigation?”

“Only pieces.”

“What pieces?”

Isabella looked at her father.

Gabriel noticed.

“Do not look at him.”

She looked back at Gabriel.

“My father had a storage box.”

Mr. Crane’s face changed.

“Isabella.”

Gabriel turned.

“What storage box?”

Isabella kept speaking.

“Jonathan gave it to Dad last year.”

“Where?”

“Baltimore.”

Mr. Crane stepped forward.

“That box is protected evidence.”

Gabriel stared.

“Protected from whom?”

Mr. Crane said nothing.

Gabriel smiled bitterly.

“Apparently from me.”

Isabella whispered:

“I found the receipt in his study.”

Gabriel looked at her.

“When?”

“Three months ago.”

“Before my proposal?”

“Yes.”

“You knew there was evidence about my father.”

“Yes.”

“And you said nothing.”

She started crying.

“My father said telling you would put you in danger.”

Gabriel looked toward Mr. Crane.

“You people make many decisions for me.”

No one answered.

Maria stepped closer to Gabriel.

“Go to the box.”

Mr. Crane shook his head.

“Not tonight.”

Gabriel looked at him.

“That was not a request.”

Silvio laughed again.

Gabriel turned.

His uncle’s amusement bothered him.

Too much.

“You know what is in the box.”

Silvio smiled.

“I know Jonathan liked insurance.”

Maria went pale.

Gabriel stared.

“What did you do to him?”

Silvio’s expression remained calm.

“Nothing.”

Maria’s voice broke.

“He died in a car crash.”

Silvio looked at her.

“Then perhaps roads are dangerous.”

Gabriel crossed the distance between them.

Security moved.

Maria shouted:

“Gabriel.”

He stopped inches from Silvio.

Silvio smiled.

“There he is.”

Gabriel’s voice was quiet.

“You spent years trying to make me like you.”

“No.”

Silvio looked at him.

“I spent years making sure you survived long enough to become useful.”

Gabriel stared.

Silvio continued.

“Luca wanted to testify.”

“He wanted to destroy the family.”

“He wanted to destroy you.”

Silvio shook his head.

“He wanted to hand everything to the government.”

Gabriel said:

“So you killed him.”

Silvio’s smile disappeared.

“I did what your father was too weak to do.”

Silence.

Maria covered her mouth.

Isabella stopped breathing.

Mr. Crane stared.

Gabriel did not move.

He asked:

“Say it again.”

Silvio looked around.

Realization came too late.

Gabriel pointed toward the ceiling.

A small red light blinked above the security camera.

Silvio went pale.

Gabriel smiled once.

“You taught me something else.”

“What?”

“Never ask a question unless you already know the room is recording.”

Silvio’s eyes changed.

He lunged toward the table.

Security grabbed him.

A glass shattered.

Gabriel stepped back.

His uncle struggled.

“You think that recording saves you?”

Gabriel looked at him.

“No.”

He picked up the bank card.

“But this might.”

Then looked at Mr. Crane.

“Take me to Jonathan’s box.”

Mr. Crane hesitated.

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Gabriel’s voice hardened.

“Now.”