Chapter 7 - The Room Beneath the Courthouse

The old courthouse annex had been closed for renovation.

June still knew the building manager.

By midnight, we were inside.

Basement level.

Concrete hall.

Old records room.

At the end:

A steel door.

Faded label.

A. ROMANO - PRIVATE CONSULTING.

Luca stared.

"My father had an office here."

June nodded.

"Before he became powerful."

"What did he do?"

"Investigations."

Richard whispered:

"For lawyers."

Luca looked at him.

"Yours?"

"Sometimes."

Vanessa held the brass key.

She gave it to Luca.

He opened the door.

Dust.

Desk.

Filing cabinets.

One broken lamp.

Dark stain on the floor.

Luca looked at it.

June said:

"A clerk died here."

I froze.

"Who?"

She looked at me.

"Eleanor Shaw."

My grandmother.

Silence.

I stepped inside.

I had been told she died after a fall at work.

June's face softened.

"Emma."

I could barely speak.

"She died here?"

"Yes."

"How?"

June looked at Richard.

He closed his eyes.

Luca's voice hardened.

"Tell her."

Richard sat in the old chair.

"She confronted me."

My chest tightened.

"About Maria's restraining order."

"Yes."

"What happened?"

"She had copies."

"Of what?"

"Calls."

"Payments."

"David's false death certificate."

June whispered:

"Eleanor knew too much."

Richard looked at me.

"I came here to convince her to destroy it."

I stared.

"Did you kill her?"

"No."

"Then what happened?"

"David came."

Silence.

Vanessa covered her mouth.

Richard continued:

"He followed me."

Luca stepped closer.

"And?"

"Eleanor threatened to call police."

"What did David do?"

Richard looked at the dark stain.

"He pushed her."

My hands went cold.

"She hit the desk."

Richard nodded.

"She died before the ambulance came."

I stared at him.

"And you covered it up."

His eyes filled.

"Yes."

June whispered:

"The fall report."

Richard nodded.

"I changed the scene."

I wanted to hate him.

I did.

But there was more.

Luca asked:

"Where was Antonio?"

"Outside."

Richard looked at him.

"He saw David leave."

Luca froze.

"My father knew."

"Yes."

"Did he know Eleanor died?"

"Yes."

"Did he help cover it up?"

Richard swallowed.

"Yes."

Luca stepped backward.

Vanessa whispered:

"Luca."

His face was empty.

Another person.

Another secret.

Another compromise.

June walked to the filing cabinet.

Locked.

Luca used the brass key again.

It opened.

Inside:

Files.

Photographs.

Receipts.

One black ledger.

Richard stood.

"There."

Vanessa looked at him.

"The ledger."

He nodded.

Luca picked it up.

Page after page.

Payments to judges.

Doctors.

Private investigators.

Boat captains.

False identity services.

Richard Hale's signatures.

David Hale's notes.

Antonio Romano's annotations.

Luca stared.

"My father kept this."

June said:

"Evidence."

Richard replied:

"And insurance."

Luca looked at him.

"Against you."

"Against David."

Then I saw one page.

ELEANOR SHAW.

Payment.

Funeral expenses.

Anonymous.

Signed:

A.R.

I looked at Luca.

His father.

June whispered:

"Antonio paid for her funeral."

I laughed bitterly.

"After helping hide why she died."

No one answered.

I turned pages.

Then found a sealed envelope.

EMMA SHAW.

My name.

My hands shook.

"How?"

June stared.

Richard looked shocked.

Luca handed it to me.

Inside was a letter.

Antonio's handwriting.

Emma,

If you ever find this room, then I failed to tell your family the truth.

Your grandmother died because I was a coward.

I saw David leave.

I knew what Richard had done.

I chose silence because Maria and Luca were already being threatened.

That choice protected my family and betrayed yours.

There is no clean way to say that.

I am sorry.

I stared at the page.

Luca said nothing.

I folded it.

"Keep going."

He looked at me.

"Emma—"

"Keep going."

So he did.

Near the back of the ledger was a page marked:

DAVID - FINAL LOCATION.

Savannah Private Vault.

Box 214.

Vanessa held up the bank card.

Same institution.

Luca looked at Richard.

"What is in Box 214?"

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Richard whispered:

"Whatever David was willing to kill for."