Chapter 2 - The Envelope Vanessa Was Afraid to Hand Over

Luca held out his hand.

"The envelope."

Vanessa did not move.

Twenty-nine guests were still silent.

Margaret stood beside me.

The ivory veil lay across the table.

Vanessa looked at Luca.

"If I give it to you, this wedding is over."

Luca's voice stayed calm.

"Then the envelope is already doing more work than our engagement."

Her face broke.

"Luca."

"Give it to me."

Vanessa looked toward the ballroom doors.

Then toward her father.

Antonio Bellini.

Sixty-two.

Silver hair.

Black tuxedo.

He had not spoken once.

Until now.

"Vanessa."

She froze.

Antonio shook his head.

Very slightly.

Luca saw.

His expression changed.

"You know too."

Antonio said:

"This is not the place."

Luca almost smiled.

"My mother's warning was sewn into her wedding veil."

He looked around the room.

"This is exactly the place."

Vanessa reached into the hidden pocket of her gown.

A white envelope.

Old.

Yellowed at the edges.

Luca took it.

His name was written across the front.

LUCIANO.

His mother's handwriting.

He opened it.

Inside were three things.

A letter.

A photograph.

And a hospital medication sheet.

Luca looked at the photograph first.

Elena Moretti.

Margaret Bennett.

Antonio Bellini.

And a fourth person.

A doctor.

Vanessa went pale.

Luca noticed.

"Who is he?"

Margaret whispered:

"Dr. Samuel Crane."

Luca frowned.

"My mother's oncologist."

"Yes."

Luca looked at the medication sheet.

One drug had been circled in red.

DIGOXIN.

Margaret's hands started shaking.

Luca looked at her.

"What is it?"

"A heart medication."

"My mother had cancer."

"Yes."

"Why was she taking heart medication?"

Margaret swallowed.

"She wasn't supposed to be."

Silence.

Luca slowly looked at Vanessa.

Her eyes filled.

"I didn't know that part."

Antonio closed his eyes.

Luca looked at him.

"You did."

Antonio answered:

"Yes."

The room went cold.

Luca unfolded Elena's letter.

He read silently at first.

Then aloud.

LUCIANO,

IF YOU ARE READING THIS, I AM PROBABLY DEAD.

Vanessa started crying.

Luca continued.

DO NOT TRUST THE MEDICATION RECORDS THEY GIVE YOU.

MARGARET KNOWS WHAT I WAS PRESCRIBED.

THE SECOND LIST WAS CHANGED AFTER I REFUSED TO SIGN THE BELLINI AGREEMENT.

Luca stopped.

He looked at Antonio.

"What Bellini agreement?"

Antonio said nothing.

Luca kept reading.

ANTONIO BELLINI WANTS CONTROL OF THE SOUTH HARBOR CONTRACTS.

YOUR FATHER REFUSED HIM.

I REFUSED HIM.

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO ME, FIND THE ORIGINAL LEDGER IN THE CHAPEL SAFE.

DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING CONNECTING MORETTI HOLDINGS TO BELLINI CAPITAL UNTIL YOU SEE IT.

Luca lowered the letter.

Then looked at Vanessa.

"Tomorrow's documents."

Her face collapsed.

Their engagement dinner was not only a celebration.

After dessert, Luca had planned to sign a partnership agreement with Bellini Capital.

A deal Vanessa had helped arrange.

He looked at Antonio.

"South Harbor."

Antonio whispered:

"Seventeen years ago."

"The same project."

"Yes."

Luca stared.

"My mother died seventeen years ago."

Nobody moved.

Margaret whispered:

"Six days after she gave me the veil."

Luca turned.

"Did she die from cancer?"

Margaret began crying.

"Not exactly."

Silence.

Luca's face emptied.

"What does that mean?"

Margaret looked at Antonio.

Then at the medication sheet.

"Her cancer was serious."

"But stable."

"That week, she developed an abnormal heart rhythm."

Luca's jaw tightened.

"From digoxin."

Margaret nodded.

"Possibly."

Antonio stepped forward.

"Possibly is not proof."

Margaret looked at him.

"You paid Dr. Crane."

Vanessa gasped.

Luca turned.

Antonio's face changed.

Just enough.

Luca saw it.

"How much?"

No answer.

"How much did you pay him?"

Antonio whispered:

"Fifty thousand."

Vanessa covered her mouth.

"Why?"

Antonio said:

"For records."

Luca laughed once.

"What records?"

"To correct an error."

Margaret shook her head.

"No."

Luca looked at her.

Margaret continued:

"The error was the truth."

Antonio snapped:

"You were a nurse."

"I was the nurse who counted every pill."

Silence.

Margaret looked at Luca.

"Your mother received medication she was never prescribed."

Vanessa stepped backward.

Luca stared at Antonio.

"Did you poison my mother?"

Antonio answered immediately.

"No."

Luca waited.

Antonio continued:

"I covered up what happened."

That was not better.

Vanessa began crying harder.

Luca asked:

"Who gave her the medication?"

Antonio looked at the photograph.

Dr. Samuel Crane.

Then said:

"I never knew."

Margaret whispered:

"Elena did."

Everyone looked at her.

She reached for the veil again.

"There is another seam."

Luca froze.

Vanessa stared.

Margaret turned the embroidered lilies.

Near the corner was one tiny black stitch.

Different from the rest.

She opened it.

Inside was a small brass key.

Luca looked at the key.

"The chapel safe."

Margaret nodded.

Then Luca looked at Vanessa.

"Did you know about this?"

"No."

For the first time, her answer came without hesitation.

Luca believed her.

Then Antonio said quietly:

"The safe is empty."

Luca turned.

"What?"

Antonio looked ashamed.

"I opened it ten years ago."

Silence.

Luca stared.

"With what key?"

Antonio said:

"I had another."

Margaret went pale.

Luca asked:

"What was inside?"

Antonio looked at Vanessa.

Then back at Luca.

"A ledger."

"Where is it now?"

Antonio said nothing.

Luca stepped closer.

"Where?"

Antonio whispered:

"With your father."

The ballroom became completely silent.

Luca stared.

"My father died twelve years ago."

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Antonio shook his head.

"No."