Chapter 4 - Alessandra Had Met the Dead Man Before
Alessandra read the letter twice.
Then handed it to Nico.
He did not take it.
“Read it.”
She swallowed.
“Out loud?”
“Yes.”
She looked at her father.
Vincent could not meet her eyes.
Alessandra began.
DEAR ALESSANDRA,
YOU WILL NOT REMEMBER ME AS NICO’S FATHER.
YOU KNEW ME AS MR. ANDREW.
Nico frowned.
“Andrew?”
Vincent whispered:
“His middle name.”
Alessandra continued.
YOUR MOTHER BROUGHT YOU TO THE HOUSE THREE TIMES.
SHE SAID A CHILD SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A REASON TO KEEP ADULTS LYING.
Vincent closed his eyes.
Alessandra stopped.
“My mother disagreed with you.”
“Yes.”
“You told me she knew nothing.”
“I lied.”
She looked back at the letter.
THE FIRST TIME YOU CAME, YOU ASKED WHY I HAD SO MANY PHOTOGRAPHS OF A BOY.
I TOLD YOU HE WAS MY SON.
YOU ASKED WHY I DID NOT GO HOME.
I TOLD YOU I WAS WAITING UNTIL HOME WAS SAFE.
Alessandra started crying.
“I remember that.”
Nico stared.
“You remember him?”
“Not his face.”
She covered her mouth.
“I remember the books.”
The room.
The shelves.
The man who lived among photographs.
Nico looked at Vincent.
“You let an eight-year-old see my father.”
Vincent whispered:
“My wife did.”
“And you allowed it afterward.”
“Yes.”
Alessandra continued reading.
YOUR MOTHER BELIEVES VINCENT AND SIMON ARE MAKING FEAR INTO A HABIT.
SHE MAY BE RIGHT.
IF YOU EVER LOVE MY SON, DO NOT LET OUR FAMILIES TURN THAT LOVE INTO A CONTRACT.
Nico looked away.
Alessandra read the last lines.
IF YOU DO NOT LOVE HIM, WALK AWAY.
IF YOU DO, MAKE HIM CHOOSE YOU WITHOUT DEBT, MERGER, OR GRATITUDE.
THAT WILL BE THE ONLY WAY I CAN KNOW THIS ENDED WITH ME.
Silence.
Alessandra lowered the letter.
Nico finally looked at her.
“When did you remember?”
“Just now.”
“Nothing before?”
“I remembered the house.”
“Not him?”
“No.”
Vincent whispered:
“You were eight.”
Nico turned on him.
“Stop helping.”
Vincent went quiet.
Simon picked up the USB drive.
“There is still this.”
Nico took it.
The old laptop on the desk still worked.
Barely.
The drive contained four folders.
ACCOUNTS.
LETTERS.
AUDIO.
IF I DIE.
Nico opened the last folder.
One video.
Date:
April 6, 2021.
Two days before his father died.
The screen showed Nico’s father.
Older.
Gray beard.
Thin face.
Alive.
Nico stopped breathing.
His father looked into the camera.
“If Nico is seeing this, Simon finally stopped being a coward.”
Simon closed his eyes.
The video continued.
“Sorry, Simon.”
For one second, nobody moved.
Then even Nico almost smiled.
His father continued.
“My brother believes I am still afraid of him.”
Nico’s face hardened.
“He is wrong.”
The video showed papers.
Names.
Routes.
Transfers.
Then:
“I have arranged to meet him tomorrow.”
Vincent whispered:
“No.”
Simon looked at him.
“You knew?”
“No.”
The video continued.
“If he comes, I will record him.”
Nico looked at the folder list.
AUDIO.
He clicked.
One file.
April 7, 2021.
The night before the death.
His father’s voice.
Then another.
His uncle.
Marcello Romano.
Marcello:
“You were supposed to die in 2014.”
Nico froze.
His father:
“You were supposed to become a better man.”
Marcello laughed.
“I became chairman.”
His father:
“You used my death to steal my son.”
Marcello:
“I raised your son.”
His father:
“You trained him to trust the man who tried to kill me.”
Then silence.
Marcello:
“Give me the ledger.”
His father:
“No.”
Marcello:
“Then I tell Nico you were alive.”
His father laughed softly.
“Please do.”
Marcello:
“You think he will forgive you?”
His father:
“No.”
Another pause.
“I think he deserves the chance not to.”
Nico lowered his head.
The recording continued.
Marcello:
“The Bells kept you hidden because they profited from it.”
His father:
“Vincent did.”
Vincent flinched.
Marcello:
“And Simon.”
Simon stared at the floor.
His father:
“Simon failed me. Vincent used me. Neither put explosives on my plane.”
Silence.
Marcello:
“You cannot prove that.”
His father:
“I can now.”
The recording stopped.
Abruptly.
Alessandra whispered:
“That is it?”
Nico checked.
The file was thirteen minutes.
But only eleven played.
The final two minutes were corrupted.
Simon looked at the notebook.
“Maybe the proof is in there.”
Nico opened the ledger again.
At the final page was one line.
M.R. — HANGAR 3 — ORIGINAL WORK ORDER.
Nico looked at Vincent.
“What is Hangar Three?”
Vincent answered.
“Your family’s old private airfield.”
Nico closed the laptop.
“My uncle left the dinner because he knew Simon brought the will.”
Simon nodded.
“He may know about the house.”
Nico looked at the window.
Outside, one of the guards flashed his light twice.
Warning.
A car had stopped at the gate.
Then another.
Nico’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
“Hello?”
His uncle’s voice.
“You found Room Eight.”
Nico looked at everyone.
Marcello continued.
“Your father always did like leaving homework.”
Nico’s jaw tightened.
“What do you want?”
“The ledger.”
“No.”
“Then ask Vincent what happened to your father’s body before the ambulance arrived.”
Nico turned slowly.
Vincent went white.
Marcello hung up.
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Nico looked at Alessandra’s father.
“What happened to the body?”
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