Chapter 8 - The Deal at St. Agnes

Elliot chose St. Agnes Monastery.

Of course he did.

He wanted symbols.

The place where Carlo had hidden the money.

The place where the first lie had become permanent.

By dawn, everyone knew.

Elena was there.

So was Elliot.

Matteo refused to let Isabella go alone.

Carlo refused to let Matteo go.

They argued for four minutes.

Then Isabella ended it.

“We all go.”

Anthony laughed.

“Family reunion.”

No one found it funny.

St. Agnes sat behind iron gates and bare trees.

The chapel was closed for renovation.

Elliot waited inside the old refectory.

Thirty-nine.

Clean haircut.

Navy coat.

No weapon visible.

Elena sat beside him.

Silver hair.

Tired face.

Alive.

Rebecca stopped when she saw her.

“Mom.”

Elena stood.

Rebecca crossed the room.

For twelve years she had believed her mother died in a car accident.

She hugged her without asking anything.

Elena cried.

So did Rebecca.

Elliot watched.

“Beautiful.”

Matteo looked at him.

“You threatened my mother.”

“I invited her.”

“You threatened me.”

“That got your attention.”

Carlo stepped forward.

“You wanted me.”

Elliot smiled.

“Yes.”

Anthony entered behind him.

Elliot’s smile changed.

“You brought everyone.”

Matteo said:

“You started with secrets.”

“I prefer witnesses.”

Mr. Lawson carried the original marriage file.

Elliot pointed at it.

“Put it on the table.”

He did.

Then Elliot looked at Rebecca.

“Now the ledger.”

Elena shook her head.

“No.”

Rebecca looked at her.

“You have it?”

Elena nodded.

“Where?”

“Safe.”

Elliot sighed.

“This is becoming repetitive.”

Matteo looked around.

Two exits.

Four men near the walls.

Elliot’s men.

Carlo noticed them too.

Anthony smiled faintly.

Old men and old habits.

Elliot said:

“I want three things.”

Matteo answered:

“You get none.”

“Then Elena goes to prison.”

Rebecca turned.

“For what?”

Elliot looked at her.

“For Anthony.”

Anthony laughed.

“I’m standing here.”

“Not for killing you.”

Elliot smiled.

“For helping conceal the assault, falsifying statements, and moving funds.”

Elena looked tired.

“I’ll confess.”

Rebecca stared.

“Mom.”

Elena touched her face.

“I’m tired of people buying silence for me.”

Elliot’s smile disappeared.

“That doesn’t help you.”

“It helps me.”

Carlo stepped forward.

“What are the three things?”

Elliot looked at him.

“Rebecca signs over her Vaughn voting shares.”

“No.”

Rebecca said it immediately.

Elliot ignored her.

“Matteo sells the Rinaldi logistics contracts connected to the old network.”

“No.”

Matteo said it just as fast.

“And Carlo gives me Thomas.”

Silence.

Carlo’s expression changed.

Matteo noticed.

“You don’t know where your father is.”

Elliot smiled.

“I know he’s alive.”

“Then find him yourself.”

“He won’t speak to me.”

“Why?”

For the first time, Elliot lost control.

“Because he abandoned me.”

Carlo looked at him.

“No.”

Elliot stared.

“He protected you.”

“You don’t know anything.”

“I drove him across the border.”

Elliot froze.

Carlo continued.

“Thomas wanted to take you.”

“What?”

“He wanted you with him.”

Elliot’s face changed.

“Then why didn’t he?”

“Your mother refused.”

Elliot stared.

Carlo said:

“She told him disappearing would destroy you.”

“It did anyway.”

“Yes.”

That answer hit harder than an argument.

Elliot looked away.

Then back.

“Where is he?”

A voice came from the doorway.

“Here.”

Everyone turned.

Thomas Vaughn stood beside the entrance.

Seventy-one.

Gray hair.

Cane.

Long scar along his temple.

Elliot stopped breathing.

“Dad?”

Thomas looked at him.

“I’m sorry.”

Elliot stared.

Then laughed.

A broken sound.

“You don’t get to say that.”

“I know.”

“You watched me bury you.”

“Yes.”

“Is that what all of you do?”

No one answered.

Thomas walked inside.

He looked at Anthony.

“Still alive.”

Anthony smiled.

“Disappointing, isn’t it?”

Then Thomas looked at Victor.

His brother.

Then Elena.

Then Rebecca.

Then Carlo.

Finally Elliot.

“I took the money.”

Elliot’s eyes filled.

“I know.”

“No.”

Thomas shook his head.

“You know part of it.”

He reached into his coat.

Removed a folder.

“Every dollar is accounted for.”

Mr. Lawson took it.

Statements.

Trust documents.

Investment records.

Thomas continued.

“I never spent it.”

Elliot stared.

“Then why keep it?”

“Because it wasn’t mine.”

“Whose was it?”

Thomas looked at Isabella.

“Hers.”

Isabella frowned.

“Mine?”

Thomas nodded.

“Anthony used your signature to open the first accounts.”

Anthony’s expression changed.

Isabella stared at him.

Thomas continued.

“When I found out, I took the cash before he could move it.”

Anthony looked at Isabella.

She whispered:

“You used my name.”

Anthony said nothing.

Matteo stepped toward him.

Carlo stopped his son with one hand.

Not to protect Anthony.

To protect Matteo.

Thomas said:

“I intended to return everything after Anthony disappeared.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Isabella asked.

“Because Victor told me you were dead.”

Victor lowered his head.

Thomas looked at him.

“And I believed my brother.”

Silence.

Elena reached into her coat.

She removed a black notebook.

Old.

Worn.

She placed it on the table.

“The ledger.”

Elliot looked at it.

No one moved.

Elena said:

“This is what all of you destroyed families to hide.”

Matteo opened it.

Names.

Dates.

Shipments.

Accounts.

Signatures.

Anthony.

Victor.

Thomas.

Carlo.

Then one name appeared repeatedly.

Matteo stopped.

Rebecca saw his face.

“What?”

He turned the book toward her.

ELENA VAUGHN.

Rebecca looked at her mother.

Elena nodded.

“I wasn’t just a witness.”

Victor whispered:

“Elena.”

She looked at him.

“No more.”

Then she looked at Rebecca.

“I ran the accounts.”

Rebecca stared.

“For Anthony?”

“For all of them.”

“Even Carlo?”

“Yes.”

Matteo looked at his father.

Carlo did not deny it.

Elena continued.

“And the night Anthony disappeared, I took the ledger because I finally understood what we had become.”

Elliot moved toward the table.

Matteo closed the book.

Elliot stopped.

Matteo said:

“No one takes this.”

Elliot smiled.

“You think you control this now?”

Matteo looked around the room.

“No.”

Then toward the windows.

Red and blue lights appeared outside the monastery gates.

Elliot’s face changed.

“You called police.”

Matteo said:

“No.”

Elena did.

Rebecca turned to her mother.

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Elena smiled sadly.

“I said I was tired.”