Chapter 8 - Arthur’s Confession

Arthur Pendleton arrived at 12:18 a.m.

Seventy-four.

Gray hair.

Perfect overcoat.

A man who had served the Morettis for thirty-six years.

He entered the cellar.

Saw Vanessa.

Saw Emma.

Saw Luca holding the note.

And stopped.

Luca noticed.

“You recognize it.”

Arthur said nothing.

Luca placed the microfilm on the table.

“Matteo brought this to you.”

Arthur closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

Vanessa inhaled sharply.

Luca’s voice remained calm.

“What did you do?”

Arthur looked at him.

“I made a mistake.”

“What mistake?”

“I called Robert Bellini.”

Silence.

Vanessa turned away.

Luca stared.

“Why?”

“Your father was dead.”

“Yes.”

“You were twenty-three.”

“So?”

“I thought exposing Bellini would start a war.”

“So you warned him.”

“I told him to move the money.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“And Matteo?”

Arthur’s face crumpled.

“I told Robert he had the evidence.”

Vanessa whispered:

“Oh God.”

Luca did not move.

“What happened next?”

Arthur swallowed.

“Robert told me he would handle it.”

“Meaning?”

“I didn’t know.”

“Did you know DeLuca was involved?”

“Not then.”

Luca stepped closer.

“Did you know after Matteo died?”

Arthur’s eyes filled.

“Yes.”

Silence.

“Then why did you stay quiet?”

“Because Robert had records implicating your father too.”

Luca stopped.

“What records?”

Arthur looked at the shelves.

“Your father discovered the pension scheme late.”

“He did not create it.”

“But?”

“He used some of the same accounts for off-book union payments.”

Luca closed his eyes.

Nothing was clean.

Again.

Arthur continued.

“If everything surfaced, the Moretti companies could have collapsed.”

“So you protected the business.”

“Yes.”

“And let me bury my brother without knowing why.”

Arthur cried.

“Yes.”

Vanessa looked at him with disgust.

Emma stood near the doorway.

Her bruise dark beneath the cellar light.

Luca looked at Arthur for a long time.

Then asked:

“Where is the original ledger?”

Arthur froze.

Luca saw it.

“You know.”

Arthur looked at the Burgundy rack.

“No.”

“That’s a lie.”

Arthur’s shoulders fell.

“Matteo hid it after meeting me.”

“Where?”

“He told me once.”

“Where?”

Arthur whispered:

“In the old bottling room beneath the carriage house.”

Luca turned to Daniel.

“Seal it.”

Daniel left.

Vanessa stared at Arthur.

“My father had Matteo killed.”

Arthur said nothing.

She stepped closer.

“Say it.”

Arthur’s eyes filled.

“Yes.”

Her face collapsed.

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Luca caught her before she fell.

This time, despite everything, he held her.