Chapter 6 - Dominic Vale

Dominic Vale arrived at Luca's safe house before sunrise with six men and the calm expression of a priest entering church.

He was sixty-three, broad-shouldered, silver at the temples, and dressed in a charcoal suit despite the hour.

“Elena.”

He kissed her cheek.

She did not move.

“I heard about the causeway.”

“Did you?”

Dominic looked at Luca. “What is that supposed to mean?”

Luca closed the study door.

“Owen Price tried to kill us.”

Dominic's face hardened.

“Owen?”

“He worked under your security division.”

“He worked for the organization.”

“He reported to you.”

Dominic stared at him.

“Careful.”

Rafael's accusation had followed them home like smoke.

Elena watched both men.

Luca said, “Where were you tonight?”

Dominic gave a humorless laugh.

“Sleeping.”

“Who can verify that?”

“My wife, unless you plan to interrogate her too.”

“You're not married.”

Dominic's expression changed by a fraction.

“Then perhaps nobody.”

Elena spoke.

“Do you know what happened to Carlo?”

Dominic looked at her slowly.

“He died in a car bombing.”

“Who ordered it?”

“Bellini.”

“That is what everyone says.”

“That is what happened.”

Luca stepped closer.

“Rafael says you killed him.”

Dominic's eyes flashed.

“And you brought that filth into a conversation about your father?”

“He named you.”

“Rafael would name the Pope if it bought him ten minutes.”

Elena asked, “Did you know about Port Meridian?”

Dominic hesitated.

“Yes.”

“How much?”

“That Arturo owned a piece of the old terminal. Carlo wanted out. They argued.”

“Did you know Arturo left it to me?”

“No.”

“Did you know Vanessa was working both sides?”

Dominic's face settled into genuine surprise.

“Both sides?”

Luca watched him.

“She worked for Rafael and for me.”

“I knew she was your source.”

“Did you know she had found Evelyn Reed's red file?”

Dominic went silent.

Elena felt her heartbeat sharpen.

“You do know it.”

“No.”

“You reacted.”

“I reacted because I knew Evelyn.”

“How?”

“She audited Carlo's books.”

“That is all?”

Dominic looked at Luca.

“Tell your wife to stop asking questions she doesn't understand.”

Luca's voice dropped.

“Answer her.”

Something shifted between the two men.

Dominic smiled.

“You're choosing this moment to become a husband?”

Elena saw Luca flinch.

Then the study alarm chirped.

One of Luca's men entered.

“Boss, Detective Warren is outside.”

Camille came in carrying a tablet.

“I have the cleaned audio from Vanessa's recorder.”

Dominic looked at the device.

“What recorder?”

Camille ignored him.

“We isolated the name.”

She pressed play.

Vanessa's voice crackled.

“The fourth person is someone Luca still trusts.”

Static.

Then, clearly:

“Dominic.”

Nobody moved.

Dominic's gaze stayed on the tablet.

Camille stopped the recording.

“Want to tell us why Evelyn photographed you at Port Meridian the night Carlo died?”

Dominic laughed once.

“Because I was there.”

Luca's face changed.

“You told me you were in Tampa.”

“I lied.”

“Why?”

“Because your father asked me to.”

“Before or after he died?”

Dominic looked at him.

“Before.”

Elena said, “Then tell us what happened.”

Dominic walked to the window.

“Carlo discovered Bellini was using Moretti routes to move weapons without his knowledge. Arturo had documents. Evelyn had copied payment records. They planned to go federal.”

Camille narrowed her eyes.

“And you?”

“I was supposed to drive Carlo to the meeting.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

“Why?”

“Because Carlo changed the plan.”

Luca's hands curled.

“What plan?”

Dominic turned.

“He said someone inside the federal task force had been compromised. He told me to take you out of Miami.”

Luca stared.

“You took me to Tampa.”

“Yes.”

“You said it was because my father wanted me away from business.”

“He wanted you alive.”

“Then who stayed with him?”

“Arturo. Evelyn. And a federal agent.”

Camille asked, “Name?”

Dominic's jaw tightened.

“Samuel Warren.”

Camille went white.

Elena looked at her.

“Your father?”

Camille lowered the tablet.

“My father died when I was fourteen.”

Dominic nodded.

“Three days after Carlo.”

Camille stepped toward him.

“He died in a boating accident.”

“No.”

The room became silent.

Dominic continued.

“Samuel was the agent Carlo trusted. After Carlo's bomb, Samuel tried to move Evelyn and Arturo into protection. Someone intercepted him.”

Camille whispered, “Who?”

“I never knew.”

Luca said, “And you spent twenty years saying nothing?”

“I spent twenty years keeping you from asking the wrong people.”

“You raised me on a lie.”

“I raised you alive.”

Luca lunged.

Elena grabbed his arm before he reached Dominic.

“Stop.”

“He lied about my father.”

“So did half this city.”

Dominic's eyes moved to Elena.

“You sound like Arturo.”

“Then answer one more question.”

“What?”

“Where is Carlo's key?”

Dominic's face closed.

Luca saw it.

“You have it.”

Dominic said nothing.

Camille reached for her cuffs.

Dominic lifted one hand.

“Before you do something stupid, understand this: the key is not on me.”

“Where?” Elena asked.

“Where Carlo told me to put it.”

“Which is?”

Dominic looked at Luca.

“In the only place he believed nobody in the organization would search.”

Luca's voice was barely audible.

“My mother's grave.”

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Dominic nodded.

“And if Rafael has guessed that, you have less time than you think.”