Chapter 4 - The Man Who Raised Marco

Marco sat across from Maria.

No one spoke for almost a minute.

Then:

“Dominic framed you.”

“Yes.”

“For my father’s murder.”

“Yes.”

“Then raised me.”

Maria’s eyes filled.

“Yes.”

Marco laughed once.

No humor.

“That is efficient.”

Ward put a file on the table.

Antonio Bellini.

Death investigation.

Photographs.

Witness statements.

Altered reports.

One page had been signed by Commissioner Hale.

Cause:

Industrial fall.

Accidental.

Ward placed another page beside it.

The original.

Cause:

Blunt force trauma before fall.

Marco stared.

“My father was attacked.”

“Yes.”

“By Dominic?”

Maria shook her head.

“I never saw the attacker.”

“Then why do you believe he framed you?”

Ward answered.

“Because the evidence against Maria came from Dominic.”

“What evidence?”

“A bloodstained scarf.”

Maria’s scarf.

Found near Antonio’s body.

A witness.

Paid.

A forged letter claiming Maria planned to leave Antonio.

Marco looked at his mother.

“Why arrest you secretly?”

Ward said:

“Commissioner Hale said organized crime was involved and witness protection procedures were required.”

“Was that legal?”

“No.”

“You went along with it.”

Ward looked ashamed.

“For three days.”

Maria corrected him.

“Four.”

Ward nodded.

“Then I realized there was no federal case number.”

Marco stared.

“A fake detention.”

“Yes.”

“Where?”

“A private security facility outside the city.”

Elena whispered:

“My father owned one.”

Everyone looked at her.

She went pale.

“Cross Protective Services.”

Maria’s expression changed.

“That was the place.”

Elena sat down.

“My father held you?”

Maria looked at her.

“His company did.”

“Did he know?”

“I don’t know.”

Marco said:

“You met Victor last winter.”

Maria nodded.

“He said he did not know.”

“Did you believe him?”

“No.”

Elena looked hurt.

Maria continued.

“But I believed he was afraid.”

“Of Dominic?”

“Of what they did together.”

Marco looked at Ward.

“What did they do?”

Ward opened another file.

Shell charities.

Construction grants.

Police contracts.

Dominic used the Bellini Foundation to move illegal money.

Victor provided corporate structures.

Commissioner Hale provided police cover.

Antonio discovered it.

Marco whispered:

“My father tried to expose them.”

“Yes.”

Maria said:

“He asked me to photograph the meetings because he did not trust documents alone.”

Arthur looked down at his hands.

“My camera.”

Maria nodded.

“The night Antonio died, I had the original film.”

Marco looked at her.

“Where?”

“I hid it.”

“Where?”

“Inside something Dominic would never destroy.”

Marco waited.

Maria looked at Arthur.

“Your wedding album.”

Arthur froze.

“My archive.”

“Yes.”

“You gave it to me?”

“I switched the negatives.”

Arthur understood.

“The Bellini wedding album.”

Maria nodded.

“The originals are in the spine.”

Marco stood.

“Then whoever broke into the studio was looking for the wrong envelope.”

Arthur smiled faintly.

“Yes.”

Elena’s phone rang.

Her father.

She answered.

“Dad?”

Victor sounded terrified.

“Where are you?”

“With Marco.”

“Leave.”

Elena frowned.

“What?”

“Get out of wherever you are.”

“Why?”

“Dominic knows Maria is back.”

Marco heard.

He took the phone.

“Victor.”

Silence.

Then:

“Marco.”

“Did you imprison my mother?”

“No.”

“Did your company?”

“Yes.”

“Did you know?”

A pause.

“Not until months later.”

Maria closed her eyes.

Marco said:

“And then?”

“I helped Ward move her.”

Elena stared.

“You helped her?”

Victor answered:

“Yes.”

“Why did you never tell me?”

“Because Dominic had evidence against me.”

“What evidence?”

Victor’s breathing changed.

“Enough to put me in prison.”

Marco said:

“You should have gone anyway.”

“Yes.”

Victor did not argue.

Then:

“Listen to me. Dominic is not alone.”

“Commissioner Hale?”

“Hale is dead.”

“Then who?”

Victor hesitated.

“His son.”

Ward went still.

“Evan Hale?”

Victor said:

“Yes.”

Ward whispered:

“He is deputy commissioner.”

Marco’s expression hardened.

Victor continued.

“Dominic kept the old network alive through him.”

Maria looked at Ward.

Marco asked:

“Where is Dominic now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Find him.”

“I tried.”

“Then tell me what he wants.”

Victor’s voice dropped.

“The wedding album.”

Arthur looked at Marco.

They both knew.

Victor continued.

“He knows Maria hid something in it.”

Marco said:

“He already searched the studio.”

“No.”

Victor sounded confused.

“What?”

Marco realized.

“The break-in happened before Dominic knew exactly where the evidence was.”

Ward stood.

“Then whoever broke in was not Dominic.”

Everyone went silent.

Elena looked at her father through the phone.

“Dad.”

Victor did not answer.

“Were you at the studio tonight?”

Silence.

Her face changed.

“You were.”

Victor whispered:

“Yes.”

Marco closed his eyes.

Elena said:

“You broke in.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“To get the photographs before Dominic did.”

“You still wanted to destroy them.”

“No.”

“Then what?”

Victor started crying.

“I wanted to trade them.”

Marco looked at Maria.

“For what?”

Victor answered:

“For Elena’s life.”

Silence.

Elena whispered:

“What are you talking about?”

Victor said:

“Dominic sent me a photograph this afternoon.”

A photograph arrived on Elena’s phone.

Elena sleeping in her apartment.

Taken from inside the room.

Under it:

SIGN THE FOUNDATION AGREEMENT OR SHE JOINS MARIA.

Marco looked at Elena.

Then at Victor.

The engagement party had not been about a proposal.

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