Chapter 8 - The Second Keeper

Rome gave them rain.

Again.

Emma was beginning to suspect Europe had agreed on weather before her arrival.

Father Tomas Reed lived in a monastery that officially housed retired clergy.

Unofficially, it housed men who wanted to become difficult to find.

He was eighty-two.

Thin.

Sharp-eyed.

Not surprised.

When Emma entered, he looked at her for a long time.

Then said, “You have Daniel’s temper.”

Emma stopped.

“You knew my father.”

“I trained him.”

Marianne’s face hardened.

“You let us believe you were dead.”

Tomas smiled faintly.

“You did the same.”

No one appreciated that.

Luca remained by the door.

Tomas noticed the black wolf ring.

“Antonio’s son.”

Luca nodded.

“You knew him too?”

“Yes.”

“Did you help Vittorio?”

Tomas looked amused.

“No.”

“Did you help Harper?”

“Yes.”

That changed the room.

Emma stepped forward.

“Why?”

“Because your family misunderstood the office of Keeper.”

Emma almost laughed.

“That sentence is becoming exhausting.”

Tomas gestured toward a table.

On it sat a wooden box.

The same design Emma had seen in the old monastery photograph.

“My brother was the public Keeper,” Tomas said.

“Your grandfather.”

Emma sat.

“And you?”

“The hidden one.”

Ferrante understood first.

“A redundancy.”

“Yes.”

Tomas opened the box.

Inside were duplicate records.

Not the full archive.

Only one file.

Bellini.

Vittorio.

His father.

His partners.

His payments.

Everything.

Luca read quickly.

Then stopped.

“What is this?”

Tomas watched him.

A payment from Vittorio Bellini to a private physician.

Twelve years ago.

The same month Antonio Moretti died.

Cause listed: cardiac arrest.

Drug purchased: potassium concentrate.

Marco’s expression became murderous.

Luca did not move.

“Proof?”

Tomas slid over a signed confession.

The doctor.

Dated seven years earlier.

Witnessed by Judge Harper.

Luca read every line.

His father had been poisoned.

Not suspected.

Not maybe.

Murdered.

Vittorio paid for it.

Emma watched Luca’s face go empty.

That emptiness scared her more than rage.

Tomas continued.

“Harper helped hide the confession.”

“Why?”

“Because Vittorio threatened her family.”

“And later she sent Emma to me.”

“Yes.”

“Why now?”

Tomas looked at Emma.

“Because I told her Marianne had resurfaced.”

Marianne frowned.

“You knew where I was?”

“I always knew.”

Her expression sharpened.

“You watched us?”

“Yes.”

“For twelve years?”

“Yes.”

Emma stood.

“You are all unbelievable.”

Tomas accepted that too calmly.

She hated him for it.

“You knew people were following me.”

“Yes.”

“You knew my mother faked her death.”

“Yes.”

“You knew Vittorio wanted the archive.”

“Yes.”

“And you did nothing?”

“I kept the second archive hidden.”

“That is not the same as keeping us safe.”

“No.”

For the first time, regret crossed his face.

“It is not.”

Luca placed Antonio’s confession on the table.

“Why didn’t you give this to me years ago?”

“Because your father made me promise.”

Luca looked at him.

“Why?”

“Because you were already becoming what he feared.”

Silence.

“What did he fear?”

“That if you learned Vittorio killed him while you were young enough to be angry, you would start a war before you knew who else was involved.”

Luca’s jaw tightened.

“And who else was involved?”

Tomas looked toward Belini, who stood near the window.

“Not her.”

Belini looked surprised.

Tomas continued.

“Her mother.”

Belini turned.

“My mother died when I was seventeen.”

“Yes.”

“Cancer.”

“No.”

The word hit her like a slap.

Tomas pushed another confession forward.

Lucia Vassaro Bellini.

Vittorio’s wife.

She had discovered the poison plot.

Tried to warn Antonio.

Failed.

Then stole evidence.

Vittorio had her committed under another name.

She died in a private clinic three years later.

Belini stared at the page.

“No.”

Emma saw her knees weaken.

This time she caught Belini’s arm.

Belini did not pull away.

Luca looked at Tomas.

“So Vittorio killed Daniel. Poisoned my father. Buried his wife in a false identity. Bought Harper. Hunted Marianne. And tried to reach Emma.”

“Yes.”

“Then what remains unresolved?”

Tomas looked at Emma.

“Why he wanted the archive now.”

Emma frowned.

“Control.”

“No.”

Tomas shook his head.

“He already had enough control.”

Then he opened the final compartment in the wooden box.

Inside was a photograph taken three months earlier.

Vittorio Bellini meeting a younger man.

Handsome.

Dark-haired.

Black wolf ring.

Luca went still.

Marco whispered, “That’s impossible.”

Emma looked at Luca.

“Who is he?”

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Luca’s voice became flat.

“My brother.”