Chapter 5 - The Album Nobody Was Allowed to Open

Arthur’s wedding archive was not at the studio.

He had moved it years earlier.

A climate-controlled storage unit beneath an old theater.

Marco drove.

Maria sat beside him.

Elena sat with me in the back.

No one talked.

At the theater, Arthur unlocked Unit 19.

Rows of albums.

Brown.

Black.

White leather.

He found one labeled:

ANTONIO + MARIA BELLINI.

Marco touched the cover.

His parents.

Young.

Smiling.

Before lies.

Before graves.

Arthur opened the back panel.

Nothing.

His face fell.

Maria looked confused.

“No.”

She took the album.

Ran her fingers along the spine.

Then found a seam.

Inside:

A narrow metal canister.

Arthur exhaled.

“Film.”

Marco held it.

Eighteen years.

The original negatives.

Maria whispered:

“Do not open them here.”

“Why?”

“Because Dominic never worked alone.”

The lights turned off.

Darkness.

Elena grabbed my arm.

Arthur said:

“Stay still.”

A door opened somewhere behind us.

Footsteps.

Marco moved toward the sound.

Maria whispered:

“No.”

A flashlight beam cut across the room.

Then a man’s voice.

“Marco.”

Marco stopped.

He knew it.

Dominic.

His uncle.

The man who had raised him.

The man who taught him to drive.

The man who stood beside him at his father’s funeral.

Dominic stepped into the light.

Fifty-eight.

Gray suit.

No weapon visible.

Marco held the film canister.

“You framed my mother.”

Dominic looked at Maria.

“You always did know how to return dramatically.”

Maria’s face hardened.

“You killed Antonio.”

“No.”

Marco stepped closer.

“Then who did?”

Dominic looked at him.

“Your father killed himself.”

Maria laughed.

“You hit him.”

“I hit him once.”

Silence.

Marco’s jaw tightened.

Dominic continued.

“He attacked me first.”

“Why?”

“Because he found the accounts.”

“You were stealing.”

“Yes.”

No denial.

Marco almost looked surprised.

Dominic said:

“Antonio wanted to expose all of us.”

“Victor.”

“Yes.”

“Hale.”

“Yes.”

“You.”

“Yes.”

Marco held up the canister.

“And these photographs prove it.”

“They prove meetings.”

“Enough to reopen everything.”

Dominic smiled.

“Not murder.”

Maria stepped forward.

“The last roll does.”

Dominic’s face changed.

Marco noticed.

“What is on the last roll?”

Maria looked at him.

“The night Antonio died.”

Silence.

Dominic said:

“You were not there.”

“I arrived before Ward.”

His expression changed again.

Maria continued.

“I photographed you leaving.”

Arthur whispered:

“Maria.”

She nodded.

“I photographed blood on his sleeve.”

Marco stared at Dominic.

Dominic’s calm finally cracked.

“Antonio was alive when I left.”

Marco stopped.

“What?”

Maria looked at him.

“I found your father breathing.”

Marco’s face emptied.

“You never told me that.”

“I was taken before I could.”

Dominic said:

“I did not kill him.”

Marco looked at Maria.

“Was he alive when Ward arrived?”

Maria nodded.

Ward had stayed outside the storage unit.

Now his voice came from the entrance.

“Yes.”

Everyone turned.

Ward stepped in.

Dominic looked annoyed.

“You.”

Ward ignored him.

Marco said:

“You saw my father alive.”

“Yes.”

“Then what happened?”

Ward looked at Dominic.

Then Maria.

“Commissioner Hale arrived.”

Marco understood slowly.

“He took over the scene.”

“Yes.”

“And?”

Ward’s face tightened.

“He ordered me outside.”

“For how long?”

“Seven minutes.”

Maria whispered:

“That is when Antonio died.”

Dominic looked at Ward.

“You cannot prove that.”

Marco held up the film.

“Maybe this can.”

Dominic moved.

Fast.

Toward Marco.

Elena shouted.

Arthur grabbed a metal tripod.

Dominic stopped.

Then smiled.

“Open it.”

Marco frowned.

Dominic pointed at the film canister.

“Open it.”

Maria said:

“No.”

Dominic laughed.

“You all think that roll survived eighteen years?”

Marco stared.

“What did you do?”

“Nothing.”

Dominic looked at Victor’s daughter.

“Ask her father.”

Elena went pale.

“My father?”

Dominic continued.

“Victor found the album six months ago.”

Maria stared.

“No.”

“He took the last roll.”

Marco looked at Elena.

She shook her head.

“I didn’t know.”

Dominic said:

“He developed it.”

Arthur whispered:

“Where?”

Dominic smiled.

“At a private lab.”

Marco’s phone rang.

Victor.

Marco answered.

“Tell me you still have the last roll.”

Victor was breathing hard.

“I have the prints.”

“Where?”

“At my house.”

“Are you there?”

“Yes.”

“Leave.”

A crash came through the phone.

Victor whispered:

“Too late.”

Then someone else took the phone.

A younger man.

Calm voice.

“Marco Bellini?”

Ward’s face went white.

Evan Hale.

Deputy commissioner.

He said:

May you like

[COMPLETED] “GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY DRESS! YOU’RE NOTHING BUT AN OLD SEAM...

[COMPLETED] At the Mafia Boss's Engagement Party, I Served His Hungry So...

[COMPLETED] The Mafia Boss’s Fiancée Tried to Dismiss His Father’s Loyal...

“If you want Victor Cross alive, bring me the album.”

========================================================================