Chapter 6 - Hangar Three Still Had the Plane Part

The old Romano airfield had been closed for nine years.

Hangar Three was not.

A light burned inside.

Nico arrived with security.

Police had been called.

Quietly.

He did not trust the local station.

His father had warned about that too.

We entered through the side.

Dust.

Oil.

Old aircraft parts.

No Marcello.

No Daniel.

Only a metal table.

On it:

A file.

A small aluminum box.

And a photograph.

Nico picked up the photograph.

His father.

2014.

Standing beside the wreckage of his plane.

Alive.

Bandaged.

Nico stared.

Simon whispered:

“I have never seen that.”

Vincent looked at the back.

A date.

Three days after the crash.

Alessandra opened the file.

Maintenance records.

One work order had been replaced.

The original was underneath.

It showed a fuel-line inspection ordered the morning before the crash.

Technician:

Daniel Hayes.

Vincent’s assistant.

Alessandra looked at her father.

“Daniel worked here?”

Vincent went pale.

“I did not know.”

Nico read further.

The inspection had been canceled.

Authorization signature:

Marcello Romano.

Simon whispered:

“There.”

Nico shook his head.

“Not enough.”

Alessandra looked at him.

“It connects him.”

“It proves he canceled an inspection.”

“Before a sabotaged plane crashed.”

“It still needs the rest.”

He opened the aluminum box.

Inside was a fuel valve.

Tagged with the plane registration.

A handwritten note:

REMOVED AFTER CRASH.

DO NOT DESTROY.

Nico stared.

“Who kept this?”

A voice came from behind the aircraft frame.

“I did.”

An old man stepped out.

Seventy.

Coveralls.

Walking cane.

Simon frowned.

“Who are you?”

“Peter Hayes.”

Nico looked at the work order.

“Daniel Hayes.”

“My son.”

Silence.

Peter looked at Nico.

“I worked maintenance for your father.”

“You removed this valve?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because it had been cut.”

Vincent inhaled.

Peter continued.

“Not broken.”

“Cut?”

“With a tool.”

Nico’s face hardened.

“Did you report it?”

“Yes.”

“To whom?”

“Marcello Romano.”

Silence.

Peter laughed bitterly.

“I was stupid.”

“What happened?”

“He told me the crash investigators already knew.”

“And?”

“Then Daniel came home with fifty thousand dollars.”

Alessandra stared.

“From Marcello?”

Peter nodded.

“My son said it was a bonus.”

Nico looked at the work order.

“Daniel helped sabotage the plane.”

Peter closed his eyes.

“Yes.”

“Why are you giving me this now?”

“Because your father came here in 2020.”

Nico froze.

“He found you?”

“Yes.”

“What did he say?”

“That he knew Daniel had been involved.”

“And?”

“He asked whether I still had the valve.”

“You did.”

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t he take it?”

Peter looked toward the hangar door.

“He said if he carried it, Marcello would find it.”

Simon whispered:

“So he left it here.”

Peter nodded.

“He said someone would come after he died.”

Nico looked at him.

“Why wait five years?”

Peter’s face tightened.

“Because Daniel watched me.”

Silence.

“Your own son?”

“Yes.”

Peter continued.

“He worked for Vincent.”

Vincent lowered his head.

“And for Marcello.”

Peter nodded.

“Both.”

Nico looked at Vincent.

“You kept one of my uncle’s men beside you for eleven years.”

Vincent whispered:

“I thought he was mine.”

Nico almost laughed.

“No one in this story belongs to the person who thinks they do.”

Then a sound came from outside.

A car door.

Peter went pale.

“He’s here.”

Nico’s guards moved.

The hangar doors opened.

Daniel Hayes walked in.

Forty-three.

Dark coat.

Hands visible.

No weapon.

He looked at his father.

“Dad.”

Peter did not answer.

Daniel looked at Nico.

“You found the valve.”

“Yes.”

“And the work order.”

“Yes.”

Daniel nodded.

“Then you know.”

“Know what?”

“That I was nineteen.”

Nico stared.

“You cut the fuel line at nineteen?”

Daniel’s voice broke.

“Yes.”

Alessandra covered her mouth.

“Why?”

“Marcello said the plane would never take off.”

Nico’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”

“He said the cut was meant to force a maintenance delay.”

Peter shouted:

“You knew better!”

Daniel flinched.

“I didn’t know he had canceled the inspection.”

Nico stared.

“So you damaged the valve expecting someone to catch it.”

“Yes.”

“And Marcello canceled the check.”

“Yes.”

“The plane flew.”

“Yes.”

Daniel began crying.

“I thought they were dead.”

“But my father survived.”

“I learned later.”

“And then you spent eleven years inside Vincent Bell’s house.”

Daniel looked at Vincent.

“To watch him.”

“For Marcello.”

“Yes.”

Nico looked at the watch in the evidence bag.

“You planted my father’s watch.”

Daniel froze.

That was enough.

“Why?”

“Marcello told me to.”

“To frame Vincent?”

“Yes.”

“Why now?”

“To make you turn on the Bells before you found the rest.”

Alessandra stared.

“The syringe?”

Daniel shook his head.

“No.”

Nico stepped closer.

“Who put the syringe beside my father?”

Daniel looked away.

Nico’s voice dropped.

“Who?”

Daniel whispered:

“Marcello.”

Silence.

Peter closed his eyes.

Nico stared.

“You were there when my father died.”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes.”

“What happened?”

Daniel swallowed.

“Marcello came to the Belluno house.”

“And?”

“They argued.”

“Then?”

“Your father said he had copied the ledger.”

Nico waited.

Daniel’s face crumpled.

“Marcello injected him.”

Alessandra gasped.

“With what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Then my father fell down the stairs?”

Daniel nodded.

“He was still alive after the fall.”

Nico did not move.

“What did Marcello do?”

Daniel looked at him.

“Nothing.”

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Silence.

“He watched him die.”