Chapter 3 - The Partner Who Stole From the Dead
The old business partner’s name was Victor Sanz.
Seventy-four.
He had worked beside Alessandro’s father for thirty-two years.
He had attended every birthday.
Every funeral.
Every board meeting.
Alessandro had called him Uncle Victor since childhood.
He looked at Elena.
“Victor set the fire?”
Elena nodded.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Your father discovered missing money.”
“How much?”
“Enough to destroy the company.”
Howard spoke.
“Victor had been moving funds into offshore accounts.”
Alessandro stared.
“My father confronted him.”
Elena nodded.
“Three days before the fire.”
“And Richard knew.”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He was the company attorney.”
Alessandro’s face hardened.
“So Richard knew Victor had threatened my father.”
“Yes.”
“And still protected him.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Elena looked toward the folder.
“Because Victor knew what Richard had done years earlier.”
Alessandro stared.
“What?”
Elena hesitated.
Howard answered.
“He had forged estate documents.”
“Whose estate?”
Howard looked at Alessandro.
“Your grandfather’s.”
Silence.
Alessandro frowned.
“My grandfather died before I was born.”
“Yes.”
“And Richard forged what?”
“A second will.”
Alessandro’s expression changed.
“Why?”
Howard continued.
“The original will left controlling shares to your father.”
“The forged version split them.”
“With whom?”
Elena answered.
“Victor.”
Alessandro stopped moving.
“So Richard gave Victor part of the company.”
“Yes.”
“And Victor used that leverage for years.”
“Yes.”
Alessandro laughed once.
Cold.
Then looked at Elena.
“So my father discovers Victor is stealing.”
“Victor threatens him.”
“You switch rooms.”
“The fire happens.”
“Yes.”
“And you survive.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
“Barely.”
“What happened after?”
“Richard found me in the hospital.”
Alessandro frowned.
“Before my father?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“He had people checking every hospital.”
“Why?”
Elena swallowed.
“Because he knew if I lived, I could expose him too.”
Silence.
Alessandro stared.
“He did not rescue you.”
“No.”
“He hid you.”
“Yes.”
“For himself.”
“Yes.”
Howard looked down.
Elena continued.
“He told me your father had died in the fire.”
Alessandro froze.
“He lied to you too.”
“Yes.”
“So you thought he was dead.”
“For four months.”
“What happened then?”
“I saw a newspaper.”
Her eyes filled.
“Your father was alive.”
Alessandro’s face changed.
“And you still didn’t return.”
Elena nodded slowly.
“Because Richard told me Victor believed I had the original financial records.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
She looked at the brass key.
“Room 614.”
Alessandro stared.
“The key still opens something?”
“No.”
“The hotel was rebuilt.”
She shook her head.
“But the key was never important because of the lock.”
He looked at the evidence bag.
“Fingerprint.”
“Yes.”
“Victor’s.”
Elena nodded.
“And one other person’s.”
Alessandro frowned.
“Who?”
She looked toward the door.
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