Chapter 7 - THE MAN WHO DISAPPEARED|
Gabriel went completely still.
For a moment, even the air seemed to leave the room.
Luca stared at the man who had guarded his family for nearly fifteen years.
“What did Daniel mean?”
Gabriel swallowed.
“I don't know.”
“Don't lie to me.”
“I'm not lying, sir.”
Detective Shaw stepped between them.
“Then you won't mind answering a few questions.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Ask anything.”
She took out her notebook.
“Who controlled the mansion's security system the night Isabella died?”
“I did.”
“Who had access to the garage cameras?”
“Senior security staff.”
“Did Matteo have access?”
Gabriel hesitated.
“Yes.”
Luca's expression darkened.
“Why?”
“Because you authorized him as a family administrator.”
Shaw continued.
“Were any recordings deleted?”
Gabriel looked at the floor.
“Two hours of footage disappeared.”
Luca stepped closer.
“You told me the cameras malfunctioned.”
“That's what I was told.”
“By whom?”
Gabriel's voice fell to a whisper.
“Bruno Vescari.”
I recognized the name.
Bruno was the mansion's deputy security supervisor.
He had worked for the Moretti family for years, and Vivienne always insisted he accompany her whenever she went shopping.
Until that moment, I had assumed she simply liked having someone carry her bags.
Now the reason seemed much darker.
Detective Shaw made a call and requested that Bruno be located for questioning.
Then she arranged a meeting with Daniel Mercer at a police facility away from the Moretti estate.
Daniel arrived two hours later.
He looked nothing like the confident businessman I remembered seeing in Isabella's office.
His hair had turned almost completely gray.
His cheeks were hollow.
And his eyes moved nervously toward every doorway.
He stopped when he saw Luca.
“I told them I didn't want him here.”
Luca took a step forward.
Daniel flinched.
Detective Shaw raised a hand.
“Mr. Mercer, you're safe to speak.”
Daniel looked at me.
“Claire Bennett?”
I nodded.
“Isabella talked about you.”
My throat tightened.
“She told me you were the one person in that house who cared more about Oliver than the family name.”
Luca lowered his head.
Daniel sat down and began explaining.
Two years earlier, Matteo had created several companies that appeared to provide ordinary consulting services.
In reality, the companies were receiving large transfers from businesses connected to the Moretti organization.
Some payments were unauthorized.
Others were disguised as legitimate expenses.
Isabella discovered the irregularities while reviewing documents for the family's charitable foundation.
“She came to me because she thought it was an accounting mistake,” Daniel said.
“What did you find?” Detective Shaw asked.
“A deliberate system of theft.”
“Matteo was moving millions.”
Luca looked sick.
“Why didn't you tell me?”
Daniel gave a bitter laugh.
“Because everyone who questioned your brother disappeared from the company.”
He turned toward Luca.
“You didn't know what was happening in your own house.”
“And your people were too afraid of you to explain.”
Luca had no answer.
Daniel continued.
“Isabella wanted to go to the authorities.”
“She was willing to testify, even if it meant exposing the Moretti organization.”
“Matteo found out.”
“What happened next?” Shaw asked.
“He hired Arthur Voss.”
Daniel folded his shaking hands.
“Voss had a history of working with stolen vehicles and altered maintenance records.”
“He was paid through Sable Holdings.”
“And Vivienne controlled Sable Holdings?”
Daniel nodded.
“She handled the transfers.”
I felt sick.
Vivienne had spent three months sitting at Isabella's dining table, wearing Isabella's jewelry and ordering Isabella's child to forget his mother.
She hadn't merely replaced the woman she helped destroy.
She had been enjoying the life Isabella was supposed to have.
Daniel looked directly at Luca.
“Your brother planned everything.”
“Vivienne helped him.”
“And someone inside your security team made sure nobody interfered.”
Luca gripped the table.
“Why did you disappear?”
“Because Matteo sent two men to my apartment the day after the funeral.”
Daniel's voice broke.
“My wife was seven months pregnant.”
“I chose my family.”
Nobody judged him.
Not even Luca.
He reached into his briefcase and produced a sealed folder.
“I kept copies of the transfers, the consulting contracts, and the messages Isabella sent me.”
“I was too frightened to bring them forward until I heard that recording had been found.”
Detective Shaw took the folder for evidence processing.
Then she asked one final question.
“Where is Arthur Voss now?”
Daniel shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“But Matteo does.”
At that moment, my phone began ringing.
It was Rosa.
I answered immediately.
“Rosa, is Oliver okay?”
For several seconds, I heard only sobbing.
Then Rosa whispered something that made my blood turn cold.
“Claire, I'm sorry.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“Rosa, what happened?”
A man's voice came through the phone.
“Hello, Claire.”
I recognized it instantly.
Matteo Moretti.
“Tell my brother that if he wants to see his son alive again, he'll stop looking for Isabella's killers.”
I gripped the phone.
“Where is Oliver?”
Matteo laughed softly.
“He's right here.”
Then I heard a little boy crying in the background.
“CLAIRE!”
“PLEASE COME GET ME!”
May you like
The call ended.
And for the first time in my life, I saw Luca Moretti fall to his knees.
