Chapter 6 - THE MAN WHO HAD GUARDED THE WRONG BROTHER
“Anthony is my brother?”
Damien stared at the photograph.
The man he'd trusted with his life for fifteen years had apparently been hiding the most important truth in the Russo family.
Rachel looked just as stunned.
“Anthony is Caleb's father?”
Evelyn nodded.
“His birth father.”
Damien's mind raced.
Anthony had joined the Russo organization at twenty-three, claiming he'd grown up in foster homes around Connecticut.
He'd never spoken about his family.
Whenever Damien asked, Anthony simply said there wasn't much to tell.
Damien had respected his privacy.
Now that silence felt different.
“Does Anthony know?” he asked.
Evelyn hesitated.
“I don't know.”
Detective Bennett leaned forward.
“Before anyone confronts him, we need to establish how much of this is documented.”
Evelyn pushed the notebook toward her.
“There are adoption records, hospital records, and payment records. Mercer has the originals.”
Damien let out a bitter laugh.
“Mercer seems to have everything.”
Evelyn's expression darkened.
“Because Mercer helped Michael hide the children.”
Rachel looked at her.
“You said Michael threatened you. What did he want?”
“The trust.”
Evelyn explained that Vincent had structured the fund so neither beneficiary could receive its full inheritance until certain conditions were met.
The children had to be identified.
They had to reach adulthood.
And they had to independently acknowledge their relationship to Vincent.
Until then, Michael controlled the assets as trustee.
“Millions of dollars,” Damien said.
“Much more than that,” Evelyn replied.
“How much?”
“Almost eighty million at the last accounting I saw.”
Damien sat back.
Michael hadn't simply hidden two children.
He'd made their disappearance profitable.
Detective Bennett studied the notebook.
“If Michael has been diverting funds, we can pursue financial records through a warrant.”
“Do it,” Damien said.
Then he remembered Caleb.
“Where would Michael take a boy connected to Anthony?”
Evelyn pointed toward the photograph.
“There's an old cabin near Bantam Lake. Vincent used to meet Laura there.”
Rachel looked confused.
“How do you know?”
“Because I followed him once.”
Evelyn's voice grew quiet.
“I thought he was seeing another woman. I was right. But I didn't know she had a baby.”
Detective Bennett immediately contacted officers in Litchfield County.
Damien checked his phone.
Anthony had sent three messages over the past hour.
He claimed to be coordinating the search.
Damien typed a reply.
Come to the historical society. We found something important.
A minute later, Anthony answered.
On my way.
Damien stared at the words.
For the first time, he wondered whether his security chief was working for Michael.
Rachel noticed.
“You think Anthony helped take Caleb?”
“I don't know.”
“He loves that boy.”
Damien looked at her.
“You knew they were close?”
Rachel nodded.
“Anthony paid for Caleb's first hearing aids. He said a foundation covered the cost.”
Damien frowned.
“He never told me.”
“He visited sometimes. Birthdays. Christmas.”
Rachel swallowed.
“I thought he was being kind.”
Evelyn looked at her sister.
“He was.”
Rachel stared at her.
“You know that?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Anthony may not know who his father was. But I think he knows Caleb is his son.”
Damien's expression hardened.
“Then why didn't he tell Rachel?”
Before Evelyn could answer, Detective Bennett received word from the officers searching the Bantam Lake property.
They found the cabin.
A child's shoe was on the porch.
Inside were Caleb's missing hearing aids.
But there was no sign of the boy.
Rachel pressed both hands over her mouth.
Damien immediately called the officer in charge.
“Was there blood? Signs of a struggle?”
“No, sir. A vehicle left recently. We found fresh tire marks.”
Damien gripped the phone.
“Find out where it went.”
Detective Bennett took the call.
“Mr. Russo, let me handle my officers.”
Damien handed it over.
He walked toward the window, furious with his own helplessness.
A few minutes later, Anthony arrived.
He entered the room carrying a black folder.
“Boss, I found something in Michael's financial records—”
Then he saw Evelyn.
The folder slipped from his hand.
Evelyn rose slowly.
“Jonathan?”
Anthony looked like he'd seen a ghost.
He stepped back.
“No.”
Evelyn approached.
“I've waited so long.”
“Stay away from me.”
Damien moved between them.
“Anthony.”
His security chief looked at him.
“What have you done?”
“Nothing.”
“Then tell me who you are.”
Anthony's face twisted.
“You already know.”
Damien held up the photograph.
“Apparently, I don't.”
Anthony stared at the picture.
For a moment, his expression softened.
Then he looked toward Rachel.
“Is Caleb safe?”
Rachel began crying.
“We don't know.”
Anthony turned away.
Damien grabbed his shoulder.
“You knew?”
Anthony pulled free.
“I knew about Caleb. I didn't know about Vincent until three years ago.”
“And you didn't tell me?”
“Would you have believed me?”
Damien said nothing.
Anthony laughed without humor.
“Your family destroys anyone who gets close to its money. I spent half my life trying not to become one of them.”
Rachel approached him.
“Why didn't you tell me you were Caleb's father?”
Anthony's eyes filled.
“Because I was afraid you'd take him away.”
Rachel looked stunned.
“Anthony, I would never—”
“You had custody. I had nothing. I was working for men who made enemies every day.”
He looked at Damien.
“I thought if Caleb knew I was his father, someone would use him against me.”
Damien felt the accusation.
“And they did anyway.”
Anthony lowered his head.
“Yes.”
Detective Bennett stepped forward.
“Mr. Russo, did you have any contact with Michael regarding Caleb?”
Anthony looked up.
“No.”
“Do you know why Michael took him?”
“Yes.”
Everyone stared.
Anthony reached into his coat.
Damien instinctively tensed.
But Anthony removed an old silver pocket watch.
Its chain was broken.
“My father gave me this three years ago through an intermediary,” Anthony said.
Damien recognized it immediately.
Vincent Russo had carried that watch throughout Damien's childhood.
Anthony turned it over.
The back was engraved with a date.
September 17, 1998.
Beneath the date were two initials.
J.W.
Anthony pressed a hidden latch.
The watch opened.
Inside was a tiny folded paper.
On it was a handwritten instruction.
WHEN THEY COME FOR YOUR SON, FIND THE ORIGINAL TRUST.
Damien looked up.
“Where is it?”
Anthony swallowed.
“In the one place Michael would never think to search.”
“Where?”
Anthony looked directly at Rachel.
“Inside Caleb's cochlear implant processor case.”
Rachel stared at him.
May you like
Then she whispered something that made every person in the room turn toward her.
“Caleb stopped using that case two weeks ago.”
