Chapter 4 - The Place Maria Was Hidden
Gabriel stared at his mother.
“You said you left.”
Maria looked down.
“I did.”
“No.”
His voice changed.
“You said you ran.”
“I did run.”
“To a clinic?”
“No.”
She began crying.
“Dominic found me.”
Silence.
Elena covered her mouth.
Arthur stood still.
Gabriel’s voice became quiet.
“When?”
“Two days after your father died.”
“What happened?”
Maria sat down.
“I went to a motel.”
“Why?”
“I planned to meet an investigator.”
“The one who photographed the car?”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Maria looked at him.
“Victor came first.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“Of course.”
Maria shook her head.
“He came to help me.”
Elena looked up.
Gabriel stared.
“Then what?”
“He said Dominic knew where I was.”
“Was he right?”
“Yes.”
Maria closed her eyes.
“Men arrived ten minutes later.”
“Dominic’s?”
“Yes.”
“Victor fought them?”
“No.”
Maria looked ashamed.
“He negotiated.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly.
“With my mother.”
Maria continued.
“Dominic said if I disappeared voluntarily, you would live.”
Gabriel whispered:
“And Victor agreed.”
“Yes.”
“To send you to Saint Vincent.”
Maria nodded.
“For how long?”
“Six months.”
Gabriel stared.
“You were institutionalized.”
“Yes.”
“Against your will.”
Maria’s eyes filled.
“Yes.”
Elena whispered:
“Dad paid.”
Maria nodded.
“He arranged the admission under another name.”
Gabriel looked at the payment record.
“Why behavioral?”
“So anything I said about murder would sound unstable.”
Arthur cursed quietly.
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“Six months.”
Maria looked away.
“Fourteen.”
Silence.
Gabriel froze.
“What?”
“I stayed fourteen months.”
“Why?”
“Because Victor could not get me released without Dominic noticing.”
Gabriel laughed once.
It was empty.
Maria continued.
“When I finally left, Victor created the first alias.”
Gabriel looked at Elena.
Her father had not simply known where Maria was.
He had built the hiding place.
Maria said:
“He told me it was temporary.”
Gabriel stared.
“Everything is temporary until thirteen years pass.”
Maria cried.
“I know.”
Arthur looked at the clinic payment.
“There are more.”
He sorted papers.
Monthly payments.
Fourteen months.
Then nothing.
Then a different series.
Cash withdrawals.
Maria recognized them.
“Living expenses.”
Gabriel looked at Victor’s name.
“He funded you.”
“Yes.”
“With money from?”
Maria hesitated.
Gabriel saw.
“Where?”
“Marino Holdings.”
His face changed.
“My company.”
“Yes.”
“He used company money to hide you.”
“Yes.”
Elena whispered:
“Without Dominic noticing?”
Maria shook her head.
“Dominic noticed.”
Gabriel stared.
“What?”
Maria looked at him.
“That is why I knew Victor was not the only one keeping me away.”
Silence.
“Dominic knew where you were?”
“Not exactly.”
“How much did he know?”
“That I was alive.”
Gabriel closed his eyes.
Maria continued.
“He allowed the payments.”
“Why?”
Maria’s voice became quieter.
“Because he wanted me afraid.”
Arthur frowned.
“Then why not kill her?”
Maria answered:
“Because I had copies.”
Gabriel looked at the metal box.
“The original records.”
“Yes.”
“Where are they?”
Maria shook her head.
“Not here.”
“Where?”
She looked at Elena.
“At her father’s house.”
Elena went still.
“My house?”
Maria nodded.
Gabriel stared.
“How?”
Maria looked at Arthur.
Then at Gabriel.
“Victor hid them there.”
“When?”
“Thirteen years ago.”
“The same time he stopped your letter.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel laughed.
“So he kept the evidence close.”
Maria nodded.
“And kept me away.”
“Yes.”
Elena’s phone rang.
Victor.
She stared at it.
Gabriel said:
“Answer.”
She did.
“Dad.”
Victor’s voice came through.
“Where are you?”
“At Arthur’s pharmacy.”
Silence.
Then:
“Is Maria there?”
Elena looked at her.
“Yes.”
Victor breathed out.
“Good.”
Gabriel took the phone.
“Good?”
Victor went silent.
Gabriel continued.
“You paid to hide my mother in a behavioral clinic.”
Victor whispered:
“Yes.”
“You forged a diagnosis.”
“Yes.”
“You used my company’s money.”
“Yes.”
“And you kept evidence in your house.”
Victor stopped.
Gabriel heard it.
“So she is right.”
Victor said:
“Gabriel, do not go there.”
His face hardened.
“Why?”
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