Chapter 8 - The Blue Ledger

They returned that night.

Arthur was alive.

Barely injured.

The blood came from a cut above his ribs.

He had been struck.

Tied to a chair.

The attacker was gone.

So was the blue ledger.

Celeste knelt beside him.

“Who did this?”

Arthur looked at Luca.

“Not Marco.”

“Who?”

Arthur closed his eyes.

“Dante’s accountant.”

Luca frowned.

“My father’s accountant died.”

Arthur shook his head.

“No.”

“Name.”

“Peter Hale.”

Luca remembered him.

Old family photographs.

Thin man.

Glasses.

Always behind Dante.

“Why would Hale care now?”

Arthur looked ashamed.

“Because the blue ledger proves he controlled the accounts after Dante died.”

Luca’s expression hardened.

“So the money never stopped moving.”

“No.”

“Who was receiving it?”

Arthur looked at Celeste.

She stared.

“Dad.”

He whispered:

“Politicians.”

Silence.

“Judges.”

Another pause.

“Union officials.”

Luca looked at him.

“And Moretti executives?”

“Yes.”

“How many?”

“Eleven.”

Luca’s face went cold.

“Still working for me?”

Arthur nodded.

“Yes.”

Sofia stood near the doorway.

“This is why Dante never dismantled everything.”

Arthur nodded.

“He could not.”

“Or would not.”

Arthur looked at her.

“Both.”

Celeste stood.

“Where would Hale go?”

Arthur shook his head.

“He has money.”

“Does he have family?”

“One daughter.”

Luca looked at him.

“Name.”

“Rachel Hale.”

I froze.

Everyone noticed.

Luca looked at me.

“Emma?”

I swallowed.

“I know that name.”

“From where?”

I thought of the service schedule.

The temporary staff list.

“She was working the engagement ball.”

Celeste stared.

“As what?”

“Catering supervisor.”

Luca turned toward security.

“Pull the footage.”

They did.

Rachel Hale had left the estate twenty minutes after Arthur.

Carrying a blue catering case.

Luca stared.

“The ledger.”

Arthur nodded.

“She had it.”

Sofia looked at him.

“Why would Peter send his daughter?”

Arthur whispered:

“Because no one knows what she looks like.”

Luca called the staffing company.

False address.

False references.

Temporary number disconnected.

Then Elias spoke.

“What if she was not stealing it for Peter?”

Everyone looked at him.

He continued.

“She could have taken it from him.”

Arthur frowned.

“Why?”

“Because children do not always inherit their parents’ loyalty.”

Luca almost smiled.

“Someone finally learned that.”

An hour later, I received a text.

Unknown number.

EMMA REED?

I showed Luca.

He nodded.

“Answer.”

I typed:

YES.

The reply came.

I HAVE SOMETHING LUCA MORETTI NEEDS.

Luca looked at the screen.

WHERE?

Another message.

NOT WITH ARTHUR VANE.

Celeste frowned.

“She knows we are here.”

Luca typed himself.

THIS IS LUCA.

Three dots.

Then:

I KNOW.

A photograph arrived.

The blue ledger.

Open.

One page.

Names.

Dates.

Payments.

Luca recognized three executives.

Then one judge.

Then one name that changed everything.

CELESTE VANE.

Celeste went white.

“No.”

Luca looked at her.

Payment:

$2,000,000.

Date:

Three months ago.

Celeste stared.

“I never received that.”

Arthur stood.

“That account.”

“What?”

He pointed at the number.

“It belongs to the Vane family trust.”

Celeste looked at him.

“Under my name?”

Arthur’s face crumpled.

“Yes.”

She stepped backward.

“You put money in my name.”

“To protect it.”

“No.”

Her voice shook.

“To hide it.”

Arthur said nothing.

The next message arrived.

ASK ARTHUR WHO AUTHORIZED THE TRANSFER.

Luca looked at him.

Arthur closed his eyes.

“Peter Hale.”

“Why?”

“Because he wanted Celeste compromised.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“Why her?”

Arthur looked at Sofia.

“To force the marriage.”

Celeste stared.

“You mean if I refused?”

“He would expose the account.”

“And make me look like part of it.”

“Yes.”

Silence.

Luca looked at the ledger photograph.

“So Hale continued the same plan after Dante died.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

Arthur whispered:

“Because he owns twenty percent of the Vane side.”

Luca frowned.

“That was never in the documents.”

“No.”

“It was hidden.”

“Yes.”

Sofia understood.

“Hale is the missing partner.”

Arthur nodded.

Luca looked at Celeste.

Then the screen.

Another message.

MEET ME AT ST. AGNES STATION.

ALONE.

Celeste said immediately:

“No.”

Luca looked at me.

I shook my head.

I did not want to go.

But the message came to me.

Luca saw that.

“You are not going alone.”

The next message arrived.

IF I SEE LUCA, I LEAVE.

Sofia looked at me.

“Emma does not owe this family anything.”

Luca nodded.

“She is not going.”

I looked at the phone.

Then at them.

“What if Rachel only trusts staff?”

Celeste frowned.

“Why would she?”

“Because nobody notices us.”

Silence.

That was exactly how Rachel had taken the ledger.

Nobody noticed the catering supervisor.

Luca looked at me.

“You do not have to.”

“I know.”

“Emma.”

I took a breath.

“But if she has the original ledger, this may be the only chance.”

Luca stared.

Then nodded once.

“I’ll stay out of sight.”

At St. Agnes Station, Rachel Hale was waiting beside a closed ticket booth.

Thirty.

Blonde hair under a hood.

Blue ledger under her arm.

She looked at me.

“You came.”

“Yes.”

“Is Luca here?”

I lied.

“No.”

She smiled sadly.

“Good.”

Then handed me the ledger.

Just like that.

I stared.

“Why?”

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Her eyes filled.

“Because my father killed Luca’s father.”