Chapter 12 - THE PRICE OF A FAMILY|
Salvatore Bellini stood beside the lighthouse with his walking cane planted firmly in the gravel.
The wind pulled at his expensive black coat.
Behind him, four men stepped out of the vehicles.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then Luca opened the cottage door.
Daniel immediately reached for his arm.
"Boss, don't."
Luca looked at him.
"Stay with Anthony."
"You're not going out there alone."
"I'm not planning to."
He stepped onto the porch.
I followed him.
Daniel stood beside the doorway while Rebecca remained inside with Anthony.
Salvatore looked up.
A familiar smile spread across his face.
"There you are."
Luca stopped at the top of the steps.
"You're trespassing."
Salvatore laughed.
"Is that how you greet family?"
"You're not my family."
The old man's smile tightened.
"Careful, Luca."
Luca stared at him.
"You've had thirty-nine years to stop lying."
Salvatore leaned on his cane.
"And you've had three days to become an expert on history."
"I've heard enough."
"Then perhaps you should hear my side."
Luca folded his arms.
"Speak."
Salvatore glanced toward the cottage.
"Anthony Vale has always been a troublesome man."
Luca didn't respond.
"He stole information."
"About the money you stole from pension funds?"
Salvatore's eyes narrowed.
"Business is complicated."
"Stealing retirement money isn't complicated."
Salvatore sighed.
"You sound like him."
Luca took another step forward.
"Good."
For the first time, I saw genuine anger cross Salvatore's face.
Then he looked toward me.
"Olivia Bennett."
My stomach tightened.
He knew my full name.
Luca immediately moved slightly in front of me.
Salvatore smiled.
"Twenty-six years old."
I said nothing.
"Mother recovering from surgery."
My heart began pounding.
"Younger brother attending college."
Luca's expression changed.
"Stop."
Salvatore ignored him.
"A difficult financial situation."
He tapped his cane.
"An unfortunate amount of debt."
I felt sick.
My mother's medical bills.
My brother's tuition.
The things I had worked so hard to keep private.
Salvatore had discovered all of them.
He reached into his coat.
Then withdrew an envelope.
"One hundred thousand dollars."
I stared.
He held it toward me.
"Enough to make your life easier."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"What do you want?"
Salvatore looked directly at me.
"Olivia knows where Margaret Carter kept the evidence."
I swallowed.
He smiled.
"She can tell me what she saw."
Luca stepped forward.
"Leave her out of this."
Salvatore ignored him.
"Imagine what that money could do for your mother."
My hands began trembling.
He continued.
"She could recover without worrying about another hospital bill."
I looked toward the envelope.
For a brief, terrible moment, I imagined what it would mean.
No more overdue notices.
No more counting groceries at the checkout.
No more watching my mother pretend she wasn't frightened whenever the phone rang.
Then I remembered Mrs. Carter's wrists.
Eleanor's hospital bed.
The cassette tape.
And the way Luca had stood beside a woman everyone else treated as disposable.
I looked at Salvatore.
"No."
His smile disappeared.
"Excuse me?"
"I said no."
He studied me.
"Don't be foolish."
I swallowed.
"I'm not interested."
Salvatore gave a cold laugh.
"People who struggle financially should be careful about turning down opportunities."
I looked directly at him.
"Then perhaps people who steal from workers should be careful about offering them money."
Daniel made a small sound behind me.
Luca turned his head.
For a moment, I thought he might be angry.
Instead, the corner of his mouth lifted.
Salvatore's face darkened.
"She's insolent."
Luca looked back at him.
"She's honest."
The old man struck his cane against the ground.
"Enough."
His men shifted closer.
Daniel immediately spoke into his radio.
"Hold positions."
Salvatore noticed.
Then laughed.
"Are you planning to fight your own grandfather?"
Luca's expression changed.
"You've never been my grandfather."
Salvatore stared at him.
Luca continued.
"You were never a father to me."
"You were never a husband to Eleanor."
"And you were never a friend to the people you stole from."
Salvatore's jaw tightened.
"You think you're better than me?"
Luca looked toward the lighthouse.
"I think I've spent too many years becoming the kind of man who believed power meant never apologizing."
He turned back.
"But tonight, I learned something."
Salvatore sneered.
"What?"
"Power means nothing if the people who love you are afraid to tell you the truth."
For a moment, the old man looked genuinely surprised.
Then he reached into his pocket.
He removed a phone.
"Perhaps I should show you something."
Luca remained still.
Salvatore turned the screen toward him.
A photograph appeared.
Mrs. Carter.
She was sitting in the secure house.
Beside the fireplace.
Reading a book.
I stopped breathing.
The photograph had been taken recently.
Very recently.
Luca's face hardened.
"How did you get that?"
Salvatore smiled.
"You've surrounded yourself with people you believe are loyal."
Daniel immediately checked his radio.
Luca stared at the photograph.
"Who took it?"
Salvatore shrugged.
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
The old man's eyes narrowed.
"Hand over Anthony's records."
Luca remained silent.
"And Margaret Carter will remain safe."
I felt the blood drain from my face.
"She has nothing to do with this."
Salvatore looked at me.
"Then perhaps you shouldn't have involved her."
Luca slowly took out his phone.
He called the secure house.
No answer.
He tried again.
Still nothing.
Daniel's expression changed.
"Boss."
Luca turned.
"Contact our team."
Daniel began making calls.
Salvatore watched with satisfaction.
"Now we can negotiate."
Luca looked at him.
"No."
The old man's smile disappeared.
"No?"
Luca stepped closer.
"You don't get to threaten her and call it a negotiation."
Salvatore's expression hardened.
"Then perhaps you should consider the consequences."
Luca stared at him.
"I already have."
He looked toward Daniel.
"Call the police."
Salvatore laughed.
"You think law enforcement will solve this?"
Luca nodded.
"Yes."
"How naive."
"No."
His voice became cold.
"What's naive is believing you can frighten everyone forever."
Salvatore studied him.
Then he nodded toward his men.
One of them stepped forward.
Daniel immediately moved.
"Stop right there."
The man hesitated.
From the road behind the lighthouse, another vehicle appeared.
Then another.
Blue lights flashed through the rain.
Salvatore turned.
His smile vanished.
State police vehicles stopped near the property entrance.
Two officers stepped out.
A third vehicle followed.
A woman in a dark coat emerged.
She approached the porch.
"Mr. Moretti?"
Luca nodded.
"Yes."
"Special Agent Rachel Whitman."
She displayed her credentials.
"We received the evidence your attorney forwarded to our office."
Salvatore went completely still.
Whitman looked toward him.
"Mr. Bellini."
He straightened.
"Agent."
"We'd like to speak with you."
Salvatore gave a controlled smile.
"Of course."
Then he looked at Luca.
"You've made a very serious mistake."
Luca stared back.
"No."
His voice was steady.
"That was made thirty-nine years ago."
The agents began separating the visitors for questioning.
But before they could escort Salvatore away, Daniel's phone rang.
He answered immediately.
"Yes?"
His expression changed.
"Say that again."
I stepped closer.
"What happened?"
Daniel looked toward Luca.
"Boss, the secure house was breached."
My knees nearly gave way.
"Mrs. Carter?"
Daniel swallowed.
"She's gone."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
I stared at him.
"No."
Daniel looked devastated.
"One of our guards was found unconscious."
Luca went completely still.
"And Margaret?"
Daniel shook his head.
"Missing."
I covered my mouth.
Salvatore watched us.
Then smiled.
It was a small smile.
Almost invisible.
But Luca saw it.
He stepped toward the old man.
"You arranged this."
Salvatore lifted his hands.
"I've been standing here with you."
Luca stared at him.
Then looked toward Agent Whitman.
"Someone has taken an elderly woman who was assaulted in my home."
Whitman's expression sharpened.
"We'll coordinate with local authorities immediately."
Salvatore adjusted his coat.
"Perhaps Margaret simply decided to leave."
Luca turned toward him.
His voice was almost a whisper.
"She raised me."
The old man said nothing.
"She stayed when my mother died."
Still nothing.
"And she protected me from people like you."
Salvatore's smile disappeared.
Luca stepped back.
Then looked toward Daniel.
"Get the helicopter ready."
Daniel nodded.
But I was staring at Salvatore.
Something about his expression bothered me.
He looked pleased.
Not surprised.
Not frightened.
Pleased.
And suddenly, I understood something terrifying.
He had never expected Luca to hand over the records at the lighthouse.
The meeting had been a distraction.
A way to keep him away from Chicago.
A way to make sure Mrs. Carter was alone.
I looked toward Luca.
"Mr. Moretti."
He turned.
"What?"
I swallowed.
"Salvatore didn't come here for Anthony."
His expression changed.
"He came here to keep you away from Mrs. Carter."
Luca looked toward the old man.
May you like
Salvatore's face went completely still.
And in that instant, I knew I was right.
