Chapter 8 - The Last Person Alessandro Trusted

The man Alessandro called was not a killer.

That surprised everyone.

He was an accountant.

Seventy-six years old.

Arthur Venn had served the Valenti family for forty-two years.

He had signed tax returns, foundation disclosures, private trust documents, and enough confidentiality agreements to bury a city.

Dante found him entering the Valenti archive annex at 2:14 a.m.

He carried no weapon.

Only a leather briefcase.

Security stopped him before he reached the storage floor.

Arthur did not resist.

He asked one question.

“Does Emma Carter know?”

When Luca told Emma, she went still.

“Bring him here.”

Luca studied her.

“You don’t have to do this tonight.”

“Yes, I do.”

Arthur arrived at dawn.

He looked at Emma for a long moment.

“Catherine’s eyes.”

Emma was already tired of hearing that.

“You knew my mother.”

“Yes.”

“You helped Alessandro hide what happened.”

Arthur removed his glasses.

“Yes.”

No denial.

No performance.

That made Emma angrier.

“Why?”

“Cowardice.”

Belini, standing near the window, looked at him sharply.

Arthur noticed.

“Yours was younger than mine.”

She said nothing.

Luca remained beside Emma, not in front of her.

It mattered.

Arthur opened his briefcase.

Dante immediately reached for it.

Arthur stopped.

“I came to destroy records because Alessandro ordered me to.”

Emma’s face hardened.

“Then why bring them?”

“Because I am seventy-six years old, and I am tired of being afraid of a man who should have been afraid of the truth.”

He handed Dante a sealed packet.

Inside were copies of the Orion ownership structure.

Forged authorizations.

Internal Valenti correspondence.

And a document Emma did not understand at first.

A life insurance policy on Catherine Carter.

She stared.

“Why would the Valenti Foundation have this?”

Arthur looked sick.

“It didn’t.”

“Then who did?”

“Orion Advisory.”

Luca’s expression darkened.

Emma looked at the amount.

One million dollars.

Beneficiary:

Orion Advisory LLC.

Her hands began trembling.

“They insured my mother?”

Arthur nodded.

“Without her knowledge. The application used forged employment benefits paperwork.”

Belini whispered, “Dad.”

Emma could barely hear her.

“What happened to the money?”

Arthur looked at Dante.

“Three days after Catherine died, it was paid into Orion.”

Dante turned pages.

“Then moved.”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

Arthur’s answer was almost a whisper.

“To cover losses from an investment Alessandro could not allow the foundation board to discover.”

Emma stood so quickly the chair scraped backward.

“My mother died so he could fix a balance sheet?”

Arthur closed his eyes.

“No.”

“Don’t tell me no.”

“Alessandro ordered Rourke to frighten her and recover evidence. He did not order him to cause the crash.”

Emma stared.

Arthur continued.

“But after she died, Alessandro used her death exactly the way he used everything else.”

That was somehow worse.

Luca asked, “Where is Alessandro now?”

Arthur opened his eyes.

“He has a private aircraft account under another company.”

Dante was already typing.

“Destination?”

“Usually Montreal.”

Belini shook her head.

“He won’t go there.”

Everyone looked at her.

“Why?” Emma asked.

“Because he knows we know about Orion. He’ll go somewhere he believes the original evidence cannot follow him.”

Luca watched her.

“Where?”

Belini thought for several seconds.

Then her face changed.

“The Grand Atoria.”

Emma frowned.

“The gala?”

“Not the gala.”

Belini looked at Luca.

“Your private foundation vault beneath the hotel.”

Luca’s expression became unreadable.

Sofia whispered, “Why would he go there?”

Belini pointed toward the engagement memorandum.

“Because six months ago my father placed a sealed package in Moretti charitable custody as part of the merger review.”

Luca turned toward Dante.

“What package?”

Dante was already checking.

Then he stopped.

“Boss.”

“What?”

“There is one Valenti deposit in the vault.”

Emma’s pulse pounded.

Dante looked at her.

“It was registered eight years ago.”

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Under the depositor name:

CATHERINE CARTER.