Chapter 8 - The Investigator Who Sold Two Lies
Gabriel looked at the recent photograph.
His father.
Alive.
Three weeks ago.
“Why was he here?”
Cross answered:
“Looking for Charles Reed.”
Victor frowned.
“Why here?”
“Reed used an office in the basement.”
Gabriel laughed bitterly.
“Of course he did.”
Cross led them downstairs.
Small office.
Empty.
Desk cleared.
One filing cabinet.
Locked.
Gabriel’s security opened it.
Inside were folders.
Maria Marino.
Marco Marino.
Victor Voss.
Dominic Marino.
Gabriel Marino.
Elena Voss.
Elena froze.
“My name?”
Gabriel opened her file.
Photographs.
Her meeting Maria six months earlier.
Her visits to Victor.
Her engagement announcement.
Maria stared.
“Reed was watching all of us.”
Victor whispered:
“For who?”
Arthur found a ledger.
Payments.
Different clients.
Dominic.
Victor.
Unknown initials.
Gabriel looked at one.
V.V.
Victor closed his eyes.
“That is me.”
“You paid him.”
“Yes.”
“To find Marco.”
“Yes.”
Another payment.
D.M.
Dominic.
Another.
C.R.
Arthur frowned.
“Reed paid himself?”
Victor looked closer.
“No.”
Gabriel asked:
“Then?”
Victor whispered:
“Catherine Reed.”
Cross went pale.
Maria noticed.
“Who is that?”
Cross sat down.
“Charles’s wife.”
Gabriel frowned.
“Why would his wife pay him?”
Cross whispered:
“She was Marco’s nurse in Switzerland.”
Silence.
Gabriel stared.
Victor whispered:
“Oh God.”
Cross continued.
“Catherine helped Marco escape.”
Maria covered her mouth.
Gabriel asked:
“Then why did Charles lie to both my parents?”
Cross looked at the ledger.
“Because Catherine disappeared after Marco escaped.”
Victor frowned.
“Charles blamed Marco.”
Cross nodded.
“He thought Marco took her.”
Gabriel stared.
“Did he?”
Cross shook her head.
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Catherine came here.”
“When?”
“Thirteen years ago.”
Maria stopped.
The same year again.
Cross continued.
“She was injured.”
“What happened?”
“She said Dominic’s men found her.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
“Did she survive?”
“Yes.”
“Where is she?”
Cross looked down.
“I helped her enter a women’s shelter under another name.”
Victor whispered:
“Does Charles know?”
“No.”
Gabriel laughed softly.
“So Reed spent thirteen years punishing my parents because he thought Dad stole his wife.”
“Yes.”
Maria whispered:
“Where is Catherine now?”
Cross shook her head.
“I lost contact.”
Gabriel looked at the recent photograph of Marco.
“Dad came here three weeks ago looking for Reed.”
“Yes.”
“Did they meet?”
Cross nodded.
“Briefly.”
“What happened?”
“They argued.”
“About Catherine?”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
“Marco told Reed Catherine was alive.”
Victor frowned.
“How did Marco know?”
Cross looked toward another folder.
“Because Catherine found him first.”
Silence.
Gabriel stopped breathing.
“When?”
“Four months ago.”
Maria looked at Gabriel.
That was before her return.
Cross continued.
“Catherine told Marco the truth.”
“About Dominic?”
“Yes.”
“About Reed?”
“Yes.”
“And about Mom?”
Cross nodded.
“She told him Maria was alive.”
Maria began crying.
Gabriel asked:
“Then why did he not come directly?”
Cross answered:
“Because he wanted Reed to confess first.”
Gabriel’s face hardened.
“Why?”
“To prove who had kept them apart.”
Victor whispered:
“Where is Marco now?”
Cross looked at the empty office.
“I do not know.”
Gabriel looked at the prescription.
Then understood.
“Someone used Mom’s name last week to bring Arthur into this.”
Arthur stared.
Gabriel continued.
“Someone wanted the old pharmacy records found.”
Maria whispered:
“Marco.”
Victor nodded slowly.
“He knew Arthur would recognize the name.”
Gabriel looked at the bottle.
“He brought Mom back.”
Cross said:
“Maybe.”
Gabriel’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
An older man’s voice.
Not Dominic.
Not Victor.
“Gabriel?”
Gabriel stopped.
Maria stared at him.
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