Chapter 6 - The Doctor Who Finally Named the Person Who Paid Him

They returned before dawn.

Dr. Samuel Crane was eighty-four.

Thin.

Wheelchair.

Clear mind.

Luca met him in a private interview room.

Margaret came.

So did Vanessa.

I stayed near the door.

Crane recognized Margaret first.

"Nurse Bennett."

She looked at him.

"You remember."

"I remember everything."

Luca sat across from him.

"My mother."

Crane closed his eyes.

"Elena."

"Did you poison her?"

Crane's hands trembled.

"I changed the medication."

Vanessa began crying.

Luca's voice stayed calm.

"Why?"

"Money."

No excuse.

"Who paid you?"

"Vittorio Moretti."

Margaret asked:

"How much?"

"One hundred thousand."

Luca stared.

"To kill her?"

Crane shook his head.

"No."

"What then?"

"To make her too sick to attend a board meeting."

Silence.

Luca frowned.

"Explain."

"Elena had enough voting authority through Marco to block the South Harbor agreement."

"Vittorio wanted her hospitalized."

"So you gave her digoxin."

"A small dose."

Margaret's face hardened.

"You knew she had chemotherapy-related dehydration."

Crane looked down.

"Yes."

"You knew the risk."

"Yes."

Luca leaned forward.

"Did you expect her to die?"

Crane whispered:

"No."

"Did you know she might?"

"Yes."

That was enough.

Vanessa covered her mouth.

Luca asked:

"Who gave her the bottle?"

"Francesca Bellini."

"Did she know?"

"No."

Crane looked at Vanessa.

"Your mother believed it was medication for nausea."

Vanessa started crying harder.

Crane continued:

"Antonio found out after."

"What did he do?"

"He threatened me."

Luca frowned.

"Threatened you?"

"He wanted me to confess."

Antonio had tried.

That was new.

Crane continued:

"Vittorio threatened Vanessa."

She went still.

"Me?"

Crane nodded.

"You were twenty."

"What did he say?"

"That if Antonio went to police, evidence would make it appear Francesca acted alone."

Vanessa closed her eyes.

So Antonio paid.

Covered records.

Protected his wife.

Protected his daughter.

And protected Vittorio by doing it.

Luca asked:

"Why tell us now?"

Crane laughed softly.

"Because I am eighty-four."

"That is not an answer."

"No."

Crane looked at Margaret.

"Because she came back."

Margaret stared.

Crane continued:

"I spent seventeen years hoping everyone who remembered would die before I had to speak."

Margaret said:

"You almost got your wish."

He nodded.

"Yes."

Luca placed Elena's medication sheet on the table.

"My father visited you yesterday."

Crane looked surprised.

"He did."

"What did he want?"

"The same thing you do."

"Truth?"

"No."

Crane shook his head.

"Vittorio."

Luca's eyes narrowed.

"Where is Vittorio?"

Crane looked toward the window.

"Old Moretti clinic."

Margaret went pale.

"Closed building?"

"Yes."

"Why there?"

Crane answered:

"Because that is where Elena was treated during her last week."

Luca stood.

Then Crane said:

"Wait."

Luca turned.

"Marco asked me to give you this."

An envelope.

Again.

Luca almost laughed.

"Does my family communicate any other way?"

Crane did not smile.

Inside:

One keycard.

One handwritten note.

LUCA,

IF VITTORIO COMES FOR ME, DO NOT COME ALONE.

DO NOT TRUST THE OLD CLINIC SECURITY SYSTEM.

AND DO NOT LET ANTONIO DESTROY THE LEDGER TO SAVE FRANCESCA'S NAME.

Vanessa stared.

Luca looked at her.

"Your father wants the ledger gone."

She nodded slowly.

"To protect Mom."

Luca looked at Crane.

"Where is it?"

Crane whispered:

"In Elena's sealed treatment room."

Margaret gasped.

Luca turned to her.

"You know it."

"Room 407."

"Why sealed?"

Margaret answered:

"Marco ordered it after she died."

Crane looked down.

"Because the bottle was still there."

Silence.

Evidence.

Seventeen years old.

Maybe preserved.

Maybe not.

Luca looked at Dominic.

"Clinic."

Vanessa stood.

"I'm coming."

Luca looked at her.

She wiped her tears.

"My mother carried that bottle."

He said nothing.

She continued:

"I need to see what she did."

Luca nodded.

Then Margaret stood too.

"So do I."

At the door, Crane called after Luca.

"Mr. Moretti."

Luca turned.

Crane whispered:

"I am sorry."

Luca stared.

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Then answered:

"Tell it to a prosecutor."