Chapter 5 - THE MAN AT VITTORIO’S GRAVE
Gabriel Moretti arrived at his father’s grave at 5:42 in the morning.
He did not come alone.
He simply made certain anyone watching believed he had.
Marco positioned men across the cemetery perimeter.
Claire remained three hundred yards away in a black SUV with Arthur.
She hated every second of it.
“You should have stayed at the estate,” Arthur said.
Claire looked at him.
“And you should have told the truth eleven years ago.”
Arthur accepted the blow.
He had stopped defending himself.
Fog covered the cemetery.
Vittorio Moretti’s grave stood beneath an old oak tree beside a stone angel Teresa had chosen decades ago.
Gabriel approached without visible weapons.
A man stepped from behind the mausoleum.
Salvatore Bellini.
Seventy years old.
Silver hair.
Expensive coat.
He had attended Gabriel’s graduation.
Vittorio’s funeral.
Teresa’s memorial.
Every birthday dinner Gabriel remembered from childhood.
Gabriel stopped ten feet away.
“Where’s Lucy?”
Salvatore smiled sadly.
“You look like your father.”
“Where is she?”
“Still impatient.”
Gabriel moved closer.
“Don't make me ask again.”
Salvatore’s smile vanished.
“I didn't take her.”
“Your name was on the message.”
“That message brought you here.”
“Yes.”
“Then it worked.”
Gabriel studied him.
“Why?”
Salvatore looked toward Vittorio’s grave.
“To finish what your father failed to finish.”
Gabriel laughed once.
“You're the man who called him brother.”
“Yes.”
“And his letter says you betrayed him.”
Salvatore’s eyes changed.
“What letter?”
There.
Gabriel saw it.
Surprise.
Real surprise.
“My father left something you didn't know about.”
Salvatore stared at him.
“Where did you find it?”
Gabriel smiled without warmth.
“That answers one question.”
“What question?”
“You're afraid of whatever he left.”
Salvatore’s jaw tightened.
“Gabriel, listen carefully. The people who took Lucy want you angry.”
“They succeeded.”
“They want you looking at me.”
“Also successful.”
“Because while you look at me, someone you trust is standing behind you.”
Gabriel’s expression did not change.
“Everyone keeps telling me that.”
“Perhaps you should listen.”
“Tell me where Lucy is.”
“I don't know.”
Gabriel took another step.
“I can find out.”
“How?”
“Crown.”
Gabriel stopped.
Salvatore reached into his coat.
Several rifles clicked in the darkness.
He raised both hands.
“Relax.”
Slowly, he removed a small notebook.
He placed it on Vittorio’s grave.
“This contains three offshore transfers made over the last six months.”
Gabriel picked it up.
“From whom?”
“Richard Crowley.”
“To?”
“A private security company.”
Gabriel read.
Twenty million dollars.
Another twelve.
Another eight.
“What company?”
“Black Crown Protective Services.”
Gabriel looked up.
“Black Crown.”
Salvatore nodded.
“The same symbol left in Lucy’s room.”
Gabriel’s phone buzzed.
He ignored it.
Salvatore continued.
“I've been tracking Richard for years.”
“Why?”
“Because Vittorio died accusing me.”
Gabriel frowned.
“You knew?”
“He confronted me three days before his death.”
“What did he accuse you of?”
“Stealing from Crown.”
“Were you?”
“No.”
Salvatore’s eyes hardened.
“But someone wanted him to believe I was.”
Gabriel looked at the notebook.
“Richard.”
“I thought so.”
“Thought?”
“Until last year.”
Salvatore looked around the empty cemetery.
“Then Teresa contacted me.”
Gabriel’s head snapped up.
“My mother contacted you?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Fourteen months ago.”
Gabriel’s anger sharpened.
“You knew she was alive.”
“I knew someone claiming to be Teresa was alive.”
“You didn't tell me?”
“She made me prove myself first.”
“For fourteen months?”
“She had survived eleven years because she trusted no one.”
Gabriel could not argue with that.
“What did she want?”
“To find out who controlled Black Crown.”
“And?”
“I followed the money.”
Salvatore tapped the notebook.
“It leads through Richard.”
Gabriel looked at him.
“But not to Richard.”
Salvatore nodded.
“Exactly.”
Claire watched from the SUV through binoculars.
She could see Gabriel and Salvatore talking but hear nothing.
Arthur sat beside her.
“You hate waiting.”
“So does every mother whose child is missing.”
Arthur lowered his gaze.
Claire looked at him.
“You knew Salvatore would be here.”
“No.”
“Stop lying.”
Arthur sighed.
“I knew Vittorio suspected him.”
“Was Vittorio right?”
“I never believed so.”
“Then why didn't you defend him?”
“Because I was a coward.”
Claire turned.
Arthur’s face looked older than it had yesterday.
“Vittorio died. Teresa disappeared. Elaine begged me to stay away from you.”
Claire’s voice softened slightly.
“My mother spoke to you?”
“Twice a year.”
“For how long?”
“Until she died.”
Claire stared.
“She told me you were her cousin.”
Arthur nodded.
“She needed an explanation.”
Claire looked away, swallowing emotion.
“Was she afraid?”
“Every day.”
Arthur’s eyes filled.
“She loved you more than she hated what protecting you cost her.”
Claire gripped the binoculars.
Before she could respond, Gabriel suddenly turned toward the cemetery entrance.
A car was approaching.
Fast.
Too fast.
Marco spoke through Claire’s earpiece.
“Stay down.”
A sedan stopped.
The rear door opened.
Vanessa stepped out.
Claire sat upright.
Vanessa wore jeans, a black coat, and no makeup.
Nothing about her resembled the polished future Mrs. Moretti from the previous night.
Gabriel stared.
Salvatore looked genuinely shocked.
Vanessa walked toward them.
“You're both idiots.”
Gabriel’s hand remained near his coat.
“Where’s Lucy?”
Vanessa stopped.
“I don't know.”
Gabriel laughed.
“You threatened her mother.”
“Yes.”
“You sedated my mother.”
“No.”
“You escaped after Teresa’s recording.”
“Because someone tried to kill me.”
Gabriel’s face changed slightly.
Vanessa opened her coat.
Blood stained the side of her shirt.
“I've been running since midnight.”
Salvatore stepped closer.
“Who shot you?”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Your son.”
Salvatore went still.
“Daniel?”
“Yes.”
Salvatore shook his head.
“My son is in Montreal.”
Vanessa laughed bitterly.
“No. Daniel Bellini was in your fiancée’s house three hours ago trying to put two bullets in my chest.”
Gabriel studied her.
“Why?”
“Because I found Black Crown’s account records.”
She looked directly at Salvatore.
“Your son owns it.”
Salvatore’s face drained.
Claire saw his posture change from three hundred yards away.
Something was wrong.
Arthur grabbed the binoculars.
Then his phone rang.
Unknown number.
Claire and Arthur looked at each other.
Arthur answered.
“Hello?”
A child’s voice came through.
“Mom?”
Claire nearly dropped the phone.
“Lucy!”
“Mommy?”
Claire grabbed it.
“Lucy, baby, where are you?”
“I don't know.”
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
“Is Grandma Teresa with you?”
There was a pause.
“Yes.”
Claire started crying.
“Put her on.”
Lucy whispered, “She can't.”
“Why?”
“The bad man tied her hands.”
Claire’s blood turned cold.
“What bad man?”
“He said his name is Daniel.”
Arthur closed his eyes.
Claire pressed the phone against her ear.
“Lucy, listen to me. Look around. Tell Mommy anything you see.”
“Boxes.”
“What kind?”
“Wood boxes.”
“What else?”
“There's water outside.”
Claire looked toward Arthur.
“A river?”
“I don't know.”
Then Lucy whispered, “There’s a big red bird on the wall.”
Arthur’s head snapped up.
“What?”
Claire repeated it.
“A red bird.”
Arthur grabbed the phone.
“Lucy, does the bird have two heads?”
“Yes.”
Arthur looked at Claire.
“I know where they are.”
The call disconnected.
Arthur shouted toward the driver.
“Port Richmond.”
Claire turned.
“What’s there?”
“An old Bellini warehouse.”
Marco immediately relayed the location.
Back at the grave, Gabriel’s phone rang.
Arthur told him.
Everything changed.
Salvatore looked as if he might collapse.
“My son…”
Gabriel stared at him.
“If Daniel has my mother and Lucy—”
Salvatore interrupted.
“You won't touch him until we know why.”
Gabriel’s eyes became lethal.
“He kidnapped a child.”
“He’s my child.”
“So is Lucy.”
The words struck everyone.
Gabriel did not take them back.
Vanessa pressed one hand against her wound.
“There's something you need to know before you go.”
Gabriel turned.
“Daniel isn't doing this for money.”
“Then what?”
“He believes Lucy is illegitimate.”
Claire arrived in the SUV seconds later.
Vanessa looked toward her.
“He thinks Claire should never have been born.”
Claire stepped out.
Vanessa continued.
“And Daniel has been told his whole life that he is Vittorio’s rightful son.”
Gabriel froze.
Salvatore stared at Vanessa.
“What did you say?”
Vanessa looked at him.
“Your wife lied to you.”
She pulled a folded DNA report from inside her coat.
“Daniel Bellini isn't your biological son.”
Salvatore opened the page.
His hands began to shake.
Vanessa looked toward Gabriel.
“He’s Vittorio Moretti’s.”
Gabriel’s face went blank.
Claire stopped breathing.
Another sibling.
Another hidden child.
But Vanessa was not finished.
“And according to Crown’s original charter…”
She swallowed.
“If Daniel kills Lucy before her paternity claim is formally registered, he becomes the controlling heir.”
Gabriel reached for his gun.
Then Claire’s phone received another video.
Lucy appeared again.
This time Teresa sat beside her.
A man stood behind them.
Daniel Bellini removed his mask.
He looked straight into the camera.
May you like
Then smiled.
“Hello, brother.”
