Chapter 7 - The Restaurant Where Lucia First Met Marco

The restaurant had been closed for two decades.

Dust.

Old booths.

Broken bar mirror.

Faded MORETTI'S sign.

Luca entered with security.

Anthony came too.

Vanessa refused to stay behind.

Teresa stayed at the mansion.

Victor Shaw sat at a table in the back.

Seventy-one.

Gray hair.

Heavy coat.

A leather case beside him.

Luca stopped.

"You sent a man to Emma's father."

Victor nodded.

"I sent myself."

"That makes it better?"

"No."

"Did you threaten him?"

"No."

"You threatened her."

"Yes."

Luca stared.

"Why?"

"Because she was easy to reach."

Vanessa looked disgusted.

Victor shrugged.

"I didn't say I was proud."

Anthony stepped forward.

"You kept the records."

Victor smiled.

"Of course."

"Why?"

"Because your father taught me something."

He looked at Luca.

"Men with money forget loyalty the moment evidence disappears."

Luca sat across from him.

"What is in the case?"

"Everything."

"Payments to Anthony?"

"Yes."

"Marco's instructions?"

"Some."

"Surveillance on Lucia?"

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

Victor looked at Vanessa.

"Her father's first business."

Anthony's face changed.

Luca noticed.

"What about it?"

Victor answered:

"Marco funded it."

Vanessa stared at her father.

Anthony closed his eyes.

"You said you built it yourself."

"I did."

"With whose money?"

Anthony whispered:

"Marco's."

Luca laughed softly.

The Bellini fortune.

Built partly by the man tied to Lucia's death.

Vanessa sat down.

Victor continued:

"Marco paid Anthony after the crash."

Anthony snapped:

"No."

Victor smiled.

"Not for the crash."

Anthony stopped.

"For silence."

Victor nodded.

Luca asked:

"How much?"

"Two hundred thousand."

Twenty-six years ago.

A fortune.

Anthony looked sick.

"I took it."

Vanessa cried.

"Why?"

"I was scared."

Victor laughed.

"You also bought your first building."

Anthony turned.

"Shut up."

Luca held up a hand.

"No."

"Let him finish."

Victor opened the case.

Bank receipts.

Cash ledgers.

One cassette.

One photograph.

The photo showed Lucia.

Young.

Standing outside this restaurant.

Beside Marco.

And Victor.

Luca picked it up.

"My mother."

Victor nodded.

"This is where they met."

"How?"

"She was a waitress."

"Marco came every Friday."

Vanessa looked at Luca.

The expensive Moretti world had begun with a waitress and a restaurant.

The chipped plate made more sense now.

Luca asked:

"Did my father love her?"

Victor thought.

"Yes."

"Then why hit her?"

Victor looked away.

"Because love doesn't cure what power teaches."

Silence.

Luca stared.

Victor continued:

"Marco thought providing for her gave him ownership."

"He thought jealousy was protection."

"He thought fear was respect."

"By the time he understood the difference, Lucia was dead."

Luca asked:

"Did he regret it?"

"Every day."

"Did he change?"

"Too late."

Luca nodded.

Then pointed at the cassette.

"What is that?"

Victor's expression changed.

"Lucia."

Anthony froze.

Luca looked at him.

"You've heard it."

Anthony nodded.

"When?"

"The night after the crash."

Victor inserted the tape into an old recorder.

Lucia's voice.

Recorded two weeks before she died.

"If anything happens to me, Marco did not order anyone to kill me."

Luca froze.

Vanessa stared.

Lucia continued:

"He has hurt me."

"He has threatened me."

"But he does not know I am leaving Thursday."

Teresa had told Victor.

Victor told Marco.

But when Lucia recorded this, Marco did not know.

Lucia continued:

"Arthur is helping me."

"Anthony knows nothing."

Anthony began crying.

He had not known then.

Then Lucia said:

"Victor knows."

Silence.

Luca slowly looked at the old driver.

Victor's face changed.

The tape continued:

"I told Victor because he promised to help me get out."

Anthony stood.

"You knew before Teresa."

Victor said nothing.

Luca stared.

"You knew."

Lucia's voice continued:

"If Marco finds out before Thursday, ask Victor why."

The tape clicked off.

The room went silent.

Luca looked at Victor.

"You told him."

Victor nodded.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Victor's eyes filled.

"Because Marco offered me money."

Silence.

Anthony whispered:

"You sold her."

Victor looked at him.

"And you cut the line."

Neither man could hide behind the other.

Luca asked:

"How much did Marco pay you?"

"Fifty thousand."

Vanessa's face changed.

The same amount she had offered Teresa.

The echo made her sick.

Victor continued:

"I told Marco Lucia was leaving."

"Marco told Anthony to stop the car."

"Anthony cut the line."

"And Lucia died."

Luca stared.

"Did Marco ever know you had promised to help her?"

"No."

"Did Teresa?"

"No."

"Did Arthur?"

"No."

"So this is the first time."

Victor nodded.

"Yes."

Luca looked at the leather case.

"Why confess now?"

Victor smiled sadly.

"Because I'm dying."

Of course.

Luca did not react.

Victor continued:

"Pancreatic cancer."

"Three months."

Vanessa whispered:

"So you threatened Emma because—"

"Because I panicked."

He looked ashamed.

"The same disease as everyone else."

Luca looked at him.

"Fear."

Victor nodded.

Then pushed the case forward.

"Take it."

Luca did.

"No deal."

"I didn't ask."

"You still answer for the threat."

"I know."

"And the old crimes if they can charge them."

"I know."

Luca stood.

Then Victor said:

"One more thing."

Luca stopped.

Victor looked at Vanessa.

"Your mother knew."

She froze.

"My mother?"

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Victor nodded.

"She knew what Anthony had done before she married him."