Chapter 8 - THE GRAVE THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN OPENED
Margaret Reed was buried outside Hartford.
Emma had not visited in seven years.
The guilt arrived the moment she saw the cemetery gates.
Life had become too expensive.
Too busy.
Her father’s illness had consumed every extra dollar and every extra hour.
She had kept telling herself she would return.
Someday.
Now she entered with armed men looking for a criminal who wanted whatever had been buried with her mother.
Dominic parked near the old chapel.
Emma got out before he could open her door.
“Which section?”
“North hill.”
They climbed.
Thomas had remained with medical personnel.
Noah stayed under Peter’s protection.
Vanessa came anyway.
So did Elena.
Rachel had flown from Chicago separately after Lily was moved to a secure Moretti property.
Rachel reached the cemetery as Emma approached the grave.
Dominic saw her.
Their eyes met.
No greeting.
No reunion.
Too much remained between them.
Emma reached Margaret Reed’s headstone.
And stopped.
The earth had already been disturbed.
“No.”
She ran.
The grave was partially open.
Someone had arrived before them.
Dominic looked around.
“Claire.”
Elena shook her head.
“She couldn't have reached here that quickly.”
Vanessa stared.
“Then someone else knew.”
Rachel stepped beside Emma.
“I'm sorry.”
Emma looked at the open grave.
Her hands shook.
“My mother carried your family’s secrets into death.”
Rachel’s eyes filled.
“She chose to.”
“That doesn't make it better.”
“No.”
Rachel accepted the anger.
“She and Elena were friends.”
Emma turned toward Elena.
The older woman nodded.
“Margaret worked for one of Antonio’s charities. She discovered money was being diverted to Covenant accounts.”
“And you recruited her?”
“No.”
Elena smiled sadly.
“She recruited me.”
Emma almost laughed through tears.
“That sounds like Mom.”
“She was very difficult.”
“Yes.”
“And brave.”
Emma stared at the grave.
“What happened to her?”
Elena’s smile vanished.
“She died of cancer.”
Emma looked at her sharply.
“You're sure?”
“Yes.”
“Because nobody in this story seems to die the way I was told.”
Dominic almost smiled.
Elena did not.
“I sat with her during her final treatment.”
Emma’s throat tightened.
“You knew my mother while she was dying?”
“Yes.”
“And never came to us?”
“She asked me not to.”
“Why?”
“Because she wanted you out of this life.”
Emma looked away.
That sounded exactly like her mother.
A cemetery worker approached nervously.
“Excuse me.”
Dominic turned.
“What?”
“We found something by the service road.”
A shovel.
Fresh dirt.
And a leather pouch.
Empty.
Peter inspected the tracks.
“One vehicle.”
Vanessa pointed.
“SUV.”
Rachel crouched beside the tire impression.
“Not Claire’s people.”
Dominic looked at her.
“How do you know?”
“They use rental vehicles and change plates.”
“This plate?”
“Government.”
Peter frowned.
He examined a partial print in the mud.
“State vehicle.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“Police?”
Peter shook his head.
“Maybe.”
Emma looked at her mother’s grave.
“Who else knew?”
Elena answered quietly.
“Someone who was in the Covenant from the beginning.”
Dominic asked:
“Who is still alive?”
Elena listed them.
“Judge Malcolm Price. Senator Daniel Avery. Vincent Romano. Edward Hale.”
Dominic knew every name.
Powerful.
Old.
Respected.
Three had publicly denounced organized crime.
That almost made him laugh.
Rachel said:
“Judge Price signed the closed order on my crash.”
Peter looked at her.
“He also suppressed my investigation.”
Dominic called one of his men.
“Find Price.”
The answer came within minutes.
Judge Malcolm Price had died that morning.
Heart attack.
At home.
Age seventy-six.
Elena whispered:
“That's no coincidence.”
Dominic asked, “Avery?”
“In Washington.”
“Hale?”
“Florida.”
“Romano?”
Peter checked his phone.
“Chicago.”
Everyone looked at Dominic.
Vincent Romano was seventy-one.
Retired, officially.
A longtime friend of Antonio Moretti.
And Dominic’s godfather.
Dominic’s face changed.
“No.”
Elena touched his arm.
“Dominic.”
“He came to Rachel’s funeral.”
“So did half the people who wanted her dead.”
Dominic shook his head.
“Vincent held Lily during the burial.”
Elena’s eyes were sad.
“That doesn't prove he loved you less.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means people can love you and still betray you.”
Dominic looked toward Rachel.
The words landed differently than Elena intended.
Rachel lowered her eyes.
Emma understood.
Dominic walked away.
She followed after several seconds.
He stood beneath a maple tree.
“You okay?”
He looked at her.
“Do I appear okay?”
“No.”
“Good.”
She almost smiled.
“I don't know how you do this.”
“What?”
“Keep everything inside.”
“I don't.”
She looked at him.
He nodded toward his hands.
His right hand was shaking.
Barely.
Emma had never seen that before.
She reached out.
Stopped.
Then touched his hand.
Dominic stared at their fingers.
He did not pull away.
“I buried Rachel.”
“I know.”
“I stood beside a coffin believing the mother of my child was inside.”
Emma said nothing.
“And now she is ten feet away.”
He glanced toward Rachel.
“I thought if she ever came back, everything would be fixed.”
“But it isn't.”
“No.”
“Because the grief was real even if the death wasn't.”
Dominic looked at Emma.
That was exactly it.
Before he could answer, Rachel shouted:
“Dominic!”
They turned.
A black sedan was racing toward the cemetery road.
Vanessa pointed.
“That's him.”
The car stopped.
Vincent Romano stepped out.
Gray hair.
Expensive coat.
Cane.
He raised both hands.
“I came alone.”
Dominic walked toward him.
“Where is the ledger?”
Vincent smiled tiredly.
“So Elena told you.”
“No.”
“Then Thomas.”
“Where is it?”
Vincent looked toward Emma.
“Your mother was extraordinary.”
Emma’s face hardened.
“Don't talk about her.”
“I respected Margaret.”
“You opened her grave.”
“No.”
Everyone stopped.
Vincent looked genuinely offended.
“I may be many things, Miss Reed. A grave robber is not one.”
Dominic narrowed his eyes.
“Then why are you here?”
“Because Malcolm Price called me last night.”
Elena stepped closer.
“Price?”
“He said Claire had found the cemetery.”
Peter asked, “What else?”
Vincent looked at Dominic.
“He said Antonio’s last protocol had been activated.”
Dominic frowned.
“My father is dead.”
“Protocols don't die.”
“What protocol?”
Vincent leaned on his cane.
“If the Covenant originals were ever recovered, one member was instructed to destroy every surviving witness.”
Rachel went pale.
Emma whispered:
“Who?”
Vincent looked directly at Dominic.
“The Custodian.”
Elena’s face changed.
Dominic saw it.
“You know what that is.”
Elena didn't answer.
“Mother.”
She closed her eyes.
“The Custodian was Antonio’s private enforcer.”
“Name.”
“I never knew.”
Vincent said quietly:
“I did.”
Everyone looked at him.
Dominic stepped closer.
“Who?”
Vincent answered:
“Caleb Ross’s father.”
Rachel froze.
“But Caleb said—”
Vincent raised a hand.
“His father trained a replacement before he died.”
Dominic’s expression darkened.
“Caleb?”
“No.”
Vincent looked toward Peter.
“Peter Walsh.”
Emma stepped backward.
Peter went still.
Dominic slowly turned.
Peter lifted both hands.
“That's not true.”
Vincent smiled sadly.
“You always were a terrible liar, Peter.”
Peter’s face changed.
Not dramatically.
Just enough.
Dominic saw it.
His gun was out before Peter moved.
But Peter was faster than an old retired investigator should have been.
He seized Rachel.
Weapon against her ribs.
Everyone froze.
Peter whispered:
“I'm sorry.”
Dominic stared at him.
“Don't be.”
His voice became frighteningly soft.
“Just make your next choice very carefully.”
Peter looked toward Emma.
Then Rachel.
Then Dominic.
“I was supposed to kill her in Hartford.”
Rachel’s breathing stopped.
Peter continued:
“But I couldn't.”
“Why?”
“Because she was pregnant.”
Dominic went completely still.
Rachel closed her eyes.
Emma stared at her.
Dominic whispered:
“What?”
Peter looked at him.
“Rachel was eight weeks pregnant the night she disappeared.”
Dominic slowly turned toward his wife.
Rachel was crying.
May you like
He asked one question.
“Where is my child?”
