Chapter 3 - The Man Vanessa Said Was in New York

Luca said nothing for several seconds.

Then:

"Gabriel."

I nodded.

Vanessa's older brother.

Thirty-six.

Former boxer.

Security contractor.

A man Luca had banned from the mansion six months earlier after a fight with one of the guards.

Luca looked at Dominic.

"Where is Gabriel?"

Dominic answered:

"New York."

I shook my head.

"No."

Both men looked at me.

"He was here yesterday."

Luca's face hardened.

"Inside the house?"

"Yes."

"Who let him in?"

I hesitated.

"Vanessa."

Silence.

Luca looked at the microphone.

Then back at me.

"What happened?"

I gripped the chair.

"I was stocking wine glasses."

"In the pantry?"

"Yes."

"Gabriel came in."

"Why?"

"He asked where the private office key was."

Luca's expression changed.

"My office."

I nodded.

"He said Vanessa needed it."

"Did you give it to him?"

"No."

"What happened next?"

"He got angry."

Luca's jaw tightened.

I continued.

"He grabbed my wrist."

"Then?"

"I pulled away."

My voice started shaking.

"He shoved me."

I looked down.

"I hit the edge of the shelving."

Luca's eyes moved to my cheek.

The cut.

The bruising.

The swollen eye.

"Did he hit you?"

"No."

That mattered.

"He pushed me."

"Then what?"

"I fell."

"Did Vanessa see?"

I nodded.

"She came in after."

"What did she do?"

I laughed once.

It sounded terrible.

"She told me not to make it bigger than it was."

Luca's face went still.

"Those exact words?"

"Yes."

"Then?"

"She gave me cash."

His eyes sharpened.

"How much?"

"Two thousand."

"Where is it?"

"I didn't take it."

That surprised him.

"Why?"

"Because then it would look like I agreed."

Luca looked away.

Then back.

"Did she threaten you?"

I hesitated.

He saw.

"What did she say?"

"If I told anyone, Gabriel would say I stole from the wine room."

Dominic swore under his breath.

Luca asked:

"Did you?"

"No."

"Any missing inventory?"

"I don't know."

Dominic was already on his phone.

"Checking."

Luca looked at me.

"Why did Gabriel want the office key?"

"I don't know."

"Did he say anything?"

I thought.

One sentence.

At the time, I had not understood it.

I looked at Luca.

"He said, 'If Luca signs tomorrow, we lose everything.'"

Luca frowned.

"Signs what?"

I shook my head.

"I don't know."

Dominic looked up from his phone.

"Wine inventory is clean."

Luca nodded.

Then asked:

"Any cameras near the pantry?"

Dominic's face changed.

"One."

My heart jumped.

"But?"

"Offline yesterday between two-ten and three-oh-five."

Luca looked at me.

"When did this happen?"

"About two-thirty."

Silence.

Not an accident.

Not random.

Someone had disabled the camera.

Luca looked toward the dining-room doors.

"Bring Vanessa back."

Dominic left.

I said:

"Please don't make me stand here when you ask her."

Luca looked at me.

Then nodded.

"You don't have to."

He pointed toward the side sitting room.

"Wait there."

I walked two steps.

Then stopped.

"Mr. Moretti."

"Yes?"

"She knew the camera was off."

His face hardened.

"How do you know?"

"Because when she came into the pantry, she looked at it first."

That was all Luca needed.

Vanessa entered one minute later.

Richard followed.

Luca looked at her.

"Where is Gabriel?"

"New York."

"No."

Her face changed.

Luca continued:

"He was here yesterday."

Richard stepped forward.

"Who told you that?"

Luca looked toward the sitting-room door.

Then back.

"Does it matter?"

Vanessa knew.

"Olivia."

Luca said nothing.

Vanessa started crying.

"He wasn't supposed to touch her."

The room went silent.

Richard closed his eyes.

Luca stared.

"You knew he was here."

"Yes."

"You knew he went into the pantry."

"Yes."

"You knew he wanted my office key."

She nodded.

Luca stepped closer.

"Why?"

Vanessa looked at her father.

Richard said:

"Don't."

That was the wrong word.

Luca turned toward him.

"Now I know you know too."

Richard's face tightened.

Vanessa whispered:

"Gabriel was trying to get something from your office."

"What?"

She cried harder.

"A contract."

"What contract?"

Richard spoke.

"The Crane acquisition."

Luca frowned.

"I haven't signed that."

"Exactly."

Richard continued:

"If you sign tomorrow, Moretti Logistics takes control of Crane Maritime."

Luca stared.

"And?"

Richard looked at his daughter.

Vanessa closed her eyes.

Then answered:

"My family secretly owns part of Crane."

Silence.

Luca's face changed.

"How much?"

"Twenty-eight percent."

"Through what?"

"A holding company."

"Whose name?"

Vanessa looked at the floor.

Luca waited.

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Finally:

"Mine."