Chapter 2 - The Woman in the Black Car

The ballroom doors stayed open.

No one moved.

Marco looked through the glass toward the black car beneath the estate lights.

Then at Father Ellis.

“Bring her in.”

Alessandra caught his sleeve.

“Marco.”

He looked down at her hand.

She released him.

I had worked in that house for almost four years.

I had seen Marco Santoro angry.

I had seen him cold.

I had never seen him afraid.

Father Ellis nodded to me.

“Grace.”

I understood.

I crossed the terrace.

The night air felt colder than it should have.

The rear door of the car opened before I reached it.

A woman stepped out.

Early sixties.

Dark hair streaked with silver.

A black coat over a simple gray dress.

No jewelry except a thin gold chain.

She looked toward the ballroom.

Her eyes were Marco’s eyes.

Not similar.

Not close.

The same.

She whispered:

“Is he alone?”

“No.”

Her mouth tightened.

“Of course he isn’t.”

I led her inside.

Every conversation in the ballroom died.

Marco stood ten feet from the entrance.

The engagement ring still rested on the table behind him.

The woman stopped.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Then she said:

“You still touch your left thumb when you’re trying not to show fear.”

Marco looked down.

His right hand was wrapped around his left thumb.

He let go.

“Who are you?”

The woman’s face broke.

“Anna Maria Moretti Santoro.”

Marco swallowed.

“My mother?”

“Yes.”

Alessandra’s father, Victor Vane, finally moved.

He turned toward the side exit.

Marco saw him.

“Stay.”

Victor stopped.

Anna looked across the room at him.

“Hello, Victor.”

The older man went pale.

Father Ellis closed the ballroom doors.

Marco’s voice was low.

“You knew she was alive.”

Victor said nothing.

Marco stepped closer.

“You knew for twenty-four years?”

Victor finally answered.

“For most of them.”

Alessandra whispered:

“Dad.”

Anna looked at her.

“You asked me to disappear again.”

Alessandra’s eyes filled.

“I thought it would keep everyone safe.”

“No.”

Anna’s voice remained calm.

“You thought it would keep this wedding alive.”

Marco looked at Anna.

“Why didn’t you come back?”

She reached inside her coat.

Marco’s security men shifted.

She slowly removed a small photograph.

A nine-year-old boy on the steps of this estate.

Marco.

The photograph had been taken after his mother disappeared.

On the back was handwriting.

Anna handed it to him.

Marco read the sentence.

IF YOU RETURN, THE BOY LOSES HIS FATHER NEXT.

Marco stared at it.

“My father was still alive when this was sent?”

Anna nodded.

“For eleven days.”

Marco’s face changed.

“You left because someone threatened me.”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

Anna turned toward Victor.

Victor shook his head immediately.

“That wasn’t me.”

Marco looked at him.

“You expect me to believe you?”

“No.”

Victor’s voice cracked.

“But that note came from your own family.”

Silence.

Marco’s jaw tightened.

“What does that mean?”

Anna answered.

“Your father had a brother.”

“I know.”

“Dominic.”

Marco nodded once.

Dominic Santoro.

Sixty-one.

Marco’s uncle.

His father’s younger brother.

His most trusted adviser.

The man who had helped raise him.

Marco stared at Anna.

“Uncle Dominic protected me after they died.”

Anna closed her eyes.

“No, Marco.”

She opened them again.

“He protected what your father was trying to take away from him.”

Victor sat down slowly.

Alessandra whispered:

“Dad, tell him.”

Victor looked at his daughter.

She repeated it.

“Tell him.”

He rubbed one hand across his mouth.

“Luca wanted out.”

Marco’s eyes moved to him.

Luca Santoro.

His father.

Victor continued.

“He wanted to sell the legitimate companies, shut down the rest, and leave the country with Anna and you.”

Marco said nothing.

“Dominic would have lost everything.”

Anna stepped closer.

“Your father helped me disappear first because I had testified against the Vane family.”

Marco looked at Victor.

“And you found him.”

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Victor’s hands began shaking.

“My father ordered me to bring Luca to the warehouse.”

Alessandra covered her mouth.

Victor continued.

“I was twenty-four. I thought they were going to scare him. Force him to give up the location where Anna was hiding.”

Marco’s voice was almost a whisper.

“But?”

Victor looked at Anna.

“But Dominic was already there.”

Marco stopped breathing for a second.

Anna said:

“Your uncle killed your father.”

Marco looked at her.

“No.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No.”

“He killed Luca.”

Marco shook his head.

“Dominic identified the body.”

Anna’s expression hardened.

“Because Dominic created the body you were meant to believe was your father.”

Father Ellis removed another envelope from the metal box.

“Dental records.”

Marco looked at him.

“Whose?”

“Not Luca’s.”

The entire ballroom seemed to shrink.

Marco turned back to Anna.

“You just said he was killed.”

“Yes.”

“Then where was his body?”

Anna looked toward the USB drive in Marco’s hand.

“That is what your father’s brother spent twenty-four years making sure you never discovered.”

Marco looked at the drive.

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Anna’s next words were barely audible.

“Because Luca Santoro did not die inside that warehouse.”