Chapter 6 - The Doctor Who Had Lied About Maria's Death|
By sunrise, the mansion looked nothing like a wedding celebration.
The flowers remained on the tables.
The champagne glasses were still half full.
But the laughter had disappeared.
Luca had spent the night speaking with Ruth Alvarez, his attorney.
I had stayed with Margaret in the guest bedroom overlooking the rose garden.
She had finally fallen asleep shortly before dawn.
I sat beside the window, watching the first sunlight touch the grounds.
I kept thinking about Maria's recorded voice.
"Protect Margaret."
Those two words seemed to have become my responsibility.
At eight o'clock, Luca knocked softly.
"Claire?"
I opened the door.
He was wearing a charcoal sweater instead of his usual tailored suit.
He looked exhausted.
"How is she?"
"Sleeping."
He glanced past me.
"Good."
Then he lowered his voice.
"Ruth contacted Dr. Cole."
I felt my pulse quicken.
"What did he say?"
"He's willing to meet."
Margaret awoke when she heard the doctor's name.
Despite my objections, she insisted on accompanying us.
"Maria was my best friend," she said.
"I've spent fifteen years hiding from the truth."
She reached for her shoes.
"I'm not hiding another day."
Two hours later, we arrived at a modest brick house in Oak Park.
Dr. Martin Cole was seventy-six years old.
He had thinning white hair and wore thick glasses that slid down his nose.
When he opened the front door and saw Margaret, his expression changed immediately.
"Margaret."
"Hello, Martin."
He looked toward Luca.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he whispered, "You look like your mother."
Luca didn't smile.
"That's why I'm here."
Ruth stepped forward.
She explained that Luca had discovered evidence requiring an independent investigation into Maria's death.
She also made it clear that any information Dr. Cole provided would be preserved and shared with the appropriate authorities.
The doctor invited us inside.
His small living room was filled with medical books and photographs of his grandchildren.
He offered coffee.
Nobody accepted.
Finally, Luca placed his mother's letter on the table.
"Did you know Victor Bellini threatened her?"
Dr. Cole studied the paper.
His hands began trembling.
"Yes."
Luca leaned forward.
"Then why didn't you tell me?"
The doctor removed his glasses.
"Because I was a coward."
He explained that Maria had a serious cardiac condition.
Her medication was intended to help her manage sudden episodes of chest discomfort while emergency assistance was arranged when necessary.
On the afternoon of her death, Dr. Cole had personally reviewed her treatment instructions.
He had warned her not to ignore severe symptoms.
But when he was summoned to the mansion that night, he discovered something troubling.
"Her medicine container was missing."
Margaret covered her mouth.
"I saw Vanessa holding it."
Dr. Cole closed his eyes.
"That's what I was afraid of."
Luca's voice hardened.
"Keep talking."
The physician explained that Victor had been present when he arrived.
Victor insisted Maria had collapsed suddenly and that nobody had noticed warning signs beforehand.
Vanessa agreed with her father.
But the doctor's initial notes recorded a different account.
A housekeeper had mentioned hearing Maria call for assistance much earlier.
"Victor told me she was confused about the time."
"Did you believe him?" Ruth asked.
"No."
"Then why did you sign the report?"
Dr. Cole looked at the floor.
"Victor threatened my family."
He explained that his medical practice had been struggling financially.
Victor had secretly guaranteed several business loans.
If those arrangements collapsed, the doctor feared losing his home and practice.
"He told me there was no reason to create a scandal over a natural death."
Luca stood abruptly.
"You knew my mother might have been denied help."
"Yes."
"And you stayed silent."
The old physician began crying.
"Yes."
Luca walked toward the window.
His hands were clenched into fists.
I had seen that expression before.
Men who betrayed Luca Moretti rarely received a second opportunity to explain themselves.
But this time, he remained silent.
Finally, he turned back.
"Do you have proof?"
Dr. Cole nodded.
He walked to a cabinet and removed a sealed file.
Inside were photocopies of his original medical notes.
A section had been crossed out.
Beneath the ink, the original words remained partly visible.
Patient reportedly requested medication before collapse.
Another handwritten note referred to an unexplained delay in contacting emergency services.
Ruth carefully examined the documents.
"Why did you keep these?"
Dr. Cole looked ashamed.
"Because every time I tried to throw them away, I remembered Maria asking me to look after her son."
He sat down heavily.
"I knew I had failed her."
Luca stared at the file.
"Will you tell the police everything?"
The doctor nodded.
"Yes."
"And testify if necessary?"
"Yes."
Ruth began arranging for the documents to be formally transferred to investigators.
As she worked, Dr. Cole asked to speak privately with Luca.
Luca refused.
"Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Claire and Margaret."
The physician hesitated.
Then he reached into the file again.
He removed a small pharmacy receipt.
It was dated June 17, 2011.
Maria's name appeared at the top.
Beneath it was a signature acknowledging collection of a replacement medication container.
Luca leaned closer.
The signature didn't belong to Maria.
It belonged to Vanessa Bellini.
"She collected my mother's medication that morning?"
Dr. Cole nodded.
"At Victor's request."
Margaret looked horrified.
The doctor swallowed.
"And there is one more thing."
He pointed toward the bottom of the receipt.
A second signature appeared beside a handwritten authorization.
Luca read the name.
Victor Bellini.
The doctor lowered his head.
"Your mother's medicine was placed under their control hours before she died."
Luca looked at the two signatures.
Then he said something I would never forget.
"For fifteen years, I believed my mother died while I was away."
May you like
His voice cracked.
"Now I have to live with the possibility that she was begging for help while people I trusted stood beside her."
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