Chapter 5 - The Third Man at the Pier

Matteo leaned forward.

“Who were you afraid of?”

Alessandro looked at Walter.

“Do you remember the other man at Blackwater Pier?”

Walter nodded.

“Tall. Dark coat.”

“Did you see his face?”

“No.”

Alessandro looked at Matteo.

“You did.”

Matteo frowned.

“When?”

“Every Sunday growing up.”

His expression changed.

“No.”

Alessandro’s eyes filled.

“My brother.”

Matteo went completely still.

Uncle Renato.

The man who had helped raise him after Alessandro disappeared.

The man who had signed school checks.

Sat beside him at his mother’s funeral.

Taught him how to negotiate.

How to keep his voice low when everyone else raised theirs.

Renato Vescari.

Matteo stood.

“No.”

Alessandro nodded.

“I wish I were wrong.”

Walter sat down slowly.

“Renato was at the pier?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I discovered he knew I was cooperating.”

Matteo stared.

“How?”

Alessandro’s breathing became heavier.

“The federal contact I used was compromised.”

“By Renato?”

“Yes.”

“He knew you were informing?”

“For six months.”

“Why didn’t he expose you?”

Alessandro looked at his son.

“Because he used me.”

Matteo frowned.

“How?”

“I was feeding investigators information about businesses your grandfather controlled.”

Alessandro’s voice weakened.

“Renato used that pressure to force your grandfather out of companies he wanted.”

Walter swore under his breath.

I had never heard him do that before.

Matteo said:

“So you were helping the government.”

“Yes.”

“And Renato was using the investigation to take power.”

“Yes.”

“What did Victor have to do with it?”

Alessandro looked at the door.

“He moved money.”

“His own?”

“Ours.”

Matteo’s jaw tightened.

“Did he know what Renato was doing?”

“At first?”

Alessandro shook his head.

“No.”

“And later?”

“Yes.”

That explained the fear.

Victor had not created everything.

But he had chosen a side.

Matteo sat back down.

“What happened at the pier?”

Alessandro closed his eyes.

“Renato wanted the list.”

“What list?”

“Names of every person I had given to the government.”

“Did you have it?”

“No.”

“Did he believe you?”

“No.”

Walter leaned forward.

“I heard shouting.”

Alessandro nodded.

“Renato hit me.”

Matteo’s hands tightened.

“Victor?”

“Stopped him.”

That surprised everyone.

Alessandro opened his eyes.

“Victor told Renato I was more useful alive.”

Walter looked at Matteo.

“So Victor saved him.”

Alessandro shook his head.

“Not exactly.”

“What happened next?”

“Renato left.”

“With the list?”

“There was no list.”

“And Victor?”

“He stayed.”

Alessandro stared at the silver watch.

“He gave me a choice.”

Matteo’s voice dropped.

“What choice?”

“Disappear.”

“Or?”

“Renato would know where to find you.”

Silence.

Alessandro continued.

“Victor arranged Saint Vincent under another name years later after the stroke. Before that, I moved every few months.”

Matteo stared at him.

“You could have contacted me.”

“I did.”

“When?”

“Three times.”

His face changed.

“I never got anything.”

Alessandro looked at the watch.

“I know.”

“How?”

“Because Victor came back.”

Matteo’s eyes hardened.

“He intercepted them.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“He said Renato was still watching you.”

Matteo stood again.

“So Victor kept you away for eleven years.”

“Yes.”

“To protect me.”

“At first.”

Matteo looked at him.

“At first?”

Alessandro nodded.

“Later, he was protecting himself.”

Walter exhaled.

That sounded right.

People can begin by protecting someone else and end by protecting the lie.

Matteo asked:

“What did Victor do?”

Alessandro looked toward the door.

“He helped Renato move money after your grandfather died.”

“How much?”

“Enough to make the Ardano family legitimate.”

Matteo’s expression changed.

“And Celeste?”

“Was a child.”

“Did she know?”

“No.”

Matteo looked down.

That mattered.

Then Alessandro whispered:

“She knows more now.”

“How much?”

“Ask her why she brought Renato here.”

Matteo froze.

“What?”

Walter stood.

“Celeste brought Renato to Saint Vincent?”

Alessandro nodded.

“Three weeks ago.”

The same day she had taken the watch.

Matteo’s voice became almost calm.

“Why?”

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Alessandro looked at his son.

“Because Renato wanted to know whether I still remembered Blackwater Pier.”