Chapter 5 - THE WATCH WITH THE WRONG TIME
“Amelia Voss never told Elena to distrust everyone.”
Michael Russo stood beside the fireplace, studying the flower ledger.
“She told her to distrust anyone who benefited from keeping the foundation's records secret.”
Luca looked toward Vanessa.
“And you knew Amelia was involved?”
Vanessa nodded reluctantly.
“Elena asked her to review the accounts. I found out when Amelia requested receipts from my father's office.”
Anthony pressed his fingers against his forehead.
“Amelia was always thorough.”
“Then why did she disappear?” Luca asked.
“She didn't disappear,” Michael replied. “She retired after Elena died.”
Robert gave a short laugh.
“And perhaps she'd like to remain retired.”
Luca's eyes narrowed.
“That's an odd thing to say.”
Robert crossed his arms.
“I'm simply suggesting that an elderly woman's peace shouldn't be disturbed over financial records from two years ago.”
Something about his careful wording bothered me.
Amelia wasn't the one who had lost her life.
Elena was.
And a little boy still slept with an old watch under his pillow.
“Mr. Moretti,” I said, “we should find out why the watches were switched.”
Luca nodded.
“Agreed.”
Daniel arranged for the two watches to be examined by a reputable specialist the following morning.
But Noah suddenly shook his head.
“No. The real one is in Mommy's coat.”
We all looked at the cream garment.
Its lining hung open where I'd removed the paper.
I checked the pockets again.
Nothing.
Then Noah pointed toward the belt.
“Inside the fat part.”
The coat had a wide fabric belt.
One end felt unusually stiff.
I picked up my sewing scissors.
Luca looked at me.
“Do it.”
I opened three small stitches.
A thin silver object slid onto the table.
A watch.
Small.
Old-fashioned.
With a scratched glass face.
And a red second hand.
Noah smiled for the first time all evening.
“That's Mommy's.”
Luca lifted it carefully.
On the back, engraved in tiny letters, were the words:
FOUR LIGHTS. ONE HOME.
He closed his eyes.
“She wore this on our wedding day.”
Nobody spoke.
When he opened them again, they were wet.
“She told me her father gave it to her mother when they married. It wasn't worth much money, but she said it reminded her that time only mattered when you spent it with people you loved.”
Noah reached for him.
Luca sat on the couch and pulled his son close.
For a few seconds, nothing else mattered.
Then Michael noticed something.
“The hands have stopped.”
The watch showed 10:18.
Luca stared.
“Elena's accident was reported at 10:42.”
“Exactly,” Michael said.
Robert looked impatient.
“Old watches stop.”
“Yes,” I said. “But Noah said his mother told him the little hand was stuck. Maybe she wanted him to remember the time.”
Michael examined the crown.
“It hasn't been damaged.”
Luca gently wound the watch.
Nothing happened.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Then Noah said, “Mommy said don't turn the big button.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Which button?” Luca asked.
“The one on the side.”
I felt a chill.
“Then how did she tell you to use it?”
Noah pointed to the back.
“Push the flower.”
I turned the watch over.
The engraving was surrounded by a faint floral border.
At the center sat a tiny raised rose.
I pressed it.
A soft click sounded.
The back opened.
Inside was a narrow compartment.
And tucked into it was a tiny brass key.
Luca stared at the key.
“Elena,” he whispered.
Michael carefully removed it with tweezers.
An identification number was stamped along its edge.
A locker key.
Below the number were the initials S.A.
“St. Agnes,” I said.
Michael nodded.
Luca looked at Daniel.
“Find out what this opens.”
Daniel made a call.
Within minutes, he had confirmation.
St. Agnes Children's Hospital had once operated a secure records room for charitable donations.
The room had been closed when the east wing lost funding.
Its contents had been moved into storage.
The locker number on the key matched an old storage cabinet.
Luca stood.
“We're going there.”
Robert stepped forward.
“You can't simply walk into a hospital's records department.”
“No,” Luca agreed. “We'll arrange permission.”
Robert blinked.
Luca's voice was cold.
“And you'll remain available to answer questions.”
For the first time, Robert looked genuinely unsettled.
Vanessa caught his sleeve.
“Why are you so afraid of what Elena left?”
He pulled away.
“Because you have no idea what you're stirring up.”
Anthony intervened.
“Robert, enough.”
But Robert turned on him.
“You think you're innocent because you only signed the papers? You knew that foundation was drowning.”
Anthony's face reddened.
“I was trying to save jobs.”
“By using children's treatment funds?” Luca demanded.
Anthony looked ashamed.
“I believed the money would be restored before anyone noticed.”
“Children noticed,” I said quietly.
They all looked at me.
“My mother receives treatment at St. Agnes. I've seen families waiting for appointments that kept getting canceled. I've seen parents bring children back three and four times because equipment wasn't available.”
Anthony lowered his eyes.
I wasn't finished.
“You moved numbers on a balance sheet. Those families lost time they couldn't afford.”
Vanessa began crying again.
But I didn't feel sorry for her.
Not then.
Noah slid off the couch.
He walked toward me and took my hand.
“Miss Emily?”
“Yes?”
“Is your mommy sick?”
“A little, sweetheart.”
He considered that.
“Mine can't get better.”
My heart broke.
I knelt and hugged him.
“I know.”
He touched my cheek.
“I hope yours does.”
Luca watched us.
Something changed in his expression.
Not pity.
Respect.
At midnight, Daniel returned with a small envelope recovered from the original storage transfer inventory.
The hospital had sent a photographed copy of its records.
The locker had been listed under Elena's name.
But someone had accessed it eleven days after her death.
Luca examined the entry.
“Who signed it out?”
Daniel hesitated.
“The signature belongs to someone with family authorization.”
“Who?”
Daniel turned the paper around.
The name was clearly printed.
LUCA MORETTI.
Luca stared at the signature.
Then looked at Daniel.
“I never went to that hospital.”
Michael's face drained of color.
“Mr. Moretti, someone used your name to open Elena's locker.”
Luca studied the date again.
Eleven days after the funeral.
A day he remembered perfectly.
He had spent it at home with Noah.
And Robert Vale had been there too.
Then Noah pointed at the paper.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“That man came to my room that day.”
Luca looked down.
“Which man?”
May you like
Noah's little finger moved toward Robert.
“HE SAID MOMMY LEFT HIM SOMETHING, AND HE NEEDED TO FIND IT BEFORE YOU DID.”
