Chapter 10 - The Recording Victor Thought Nobody Would Ever Hear|
Vanessa spoke for nearly two hours.
Ruth listened carefully.
Luca barely moved.
I remained beside the doorway, watching the woman who had once ordered me to scrub the kitchen floor because she disliked the way I'd arranged the flowers.
Now she was admitting that she had helped conceal the circumstances surrounding Maria Moretti's death.
She confessed that her father had pressured her to withhold Maria's medication until she signed a financial statement.
She acknowledged that Maria had pleaded for assistance.
She admitted that she had lied to investigators who originally questioned the household.
But she insisted Victor had been the one who ordered the delay.
Luca listened with an expression I couldn't read.
Finally, he asked, "Did you love my mother?"
Vanessa looked stunned.
"What?"
"She treated you like family."
He swallowed.
"Did you ever care about her?"
Vanessa began crying again.
"Yes."
Luca looked away.
"That makes it worse."
Ruth interrupted gently.
She advised Vanessa to obtain independent legal counsel before making further formal statements.
Vanessa agreed.
She also agreed to provide information about Victor's office and the missing records to the authorities through the proper process.
The following morning, investigators began coordinating with prosecutors.
The evidence collected so far raised serious concerns about financial fraud, witness intimidation, and possible criminal responsibility for Maria's death.
But nobody promised us an immediate arrest.
Ruth warned Luca that legal procedures could not be skipped simply because he was powerful.
He accepted that.
For once, his influence would not decide what happened next.
The evidence would.
Two days later, investigators obtained authorization to search several locations connected to Victor's financial operations.
One was his South Loop office.
Denise Park had supplied a detailed analysis of suspicious foundation payments.
Dr. Cole had provided his original notes.
Margaret had given a formal account of what she witnessed.
Vanessa's attorney had arranged for her to cooperate.
And Luca had preserved the security footage showing the removal of Maria's old records.
I was in the mansion's kitchen when Ruth called.
Elena stood beside me, preparing soup for Margaret.
Ruth's voice was tense.
"They found the records room."
I nearly dropped the telephone.
"Did they find Maria's notebook?"
"Yes."
I covered my mouth.
Ruth continued.
"They also recovered several old recording devices."
I felt tears rush into my eyes.
"Is one of them hers?"
"The investigators are examining them."
That afternoon, Luca returned from a meeting with the authorities.
He looked pale.
Margaret rose when he entered the library.
"Sweetheart?"
He sat beside her.
"They found Mom's recorder."
Margaret began crying.
I sank into the chair opposite them.
Luca explained that the investigators had recovered a small digital recording device from Victor's archive.
Its contents required technical examination and authentication.
Several audio files remained intact.
One was dated the night Maria died.
I felt my heart pounding.
"What was on it?"
Luca stared at the floor.
"Mom."
His voice broke.
"She was asking for help."
Margaret covered her mouth.
He explained that the audio captured an argument about financial documents.
Maria could be heard refusing to sign a statement prepared by Victor.
Then her breathing became strained.
She asked Vanessa for her medication.
Vanessa could be heard telling her to wait.
Maria begged again.
Then Victor spoke.
"She can have it when she signs."
I began crying.
Luca continued, each word seeming to cost him enormous effort.
The recording also captured Margaret entering the bedroom.
Maria called her name.
Victor ordered Margaret downstairs.
The struggle continued.
For several minutes, Maria's breathing grew increasingly labored.
Then came a noise, followed by silence.
Nobody spoke.
Luca pressed his hands together.
"There was enough on that recording to confirm that my mother asked for help and was deliberately kept waiting."
He looked toward Margaret.
"You were telling the truth."
The elderly woman began sobbing.
"I've been telling the truth for fifteen years."
Luca moved beside her.
He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders.
"I'm sorry nobody believed you."
Margaret cried against his chest.
I had never seen two people look so heartbroken.
For fifteen years, they had carried different kinds of guilt.
Luca believed he had failed his mother by not being home.
Margaret believed she had failed her by remaining silent.
Now they finally understood that someone else had created the tragedy they had blamed themselves for.
But the investigation uncovered more than Maria's recording.
Denise identified original documents supporting substantial fraudulent transfers from the foundation.
Some dated back to Maria's lifetime.
Others were recent enough to demonstrate that the operation had continued for years.
Investigators also found evidence of attempts to manipulate the Moretti trust's administrative arrangements.
Vanessa's wedding-related paperwork formed part of that effort.
Luca stared at the financial records.
"He married his daughter into my family to finish what my mother tried to stop."
Ruth nodded cautiously.
"That is one interpretation the evidence strongly supports."
Luca removed his wedding ring.
This time, he didn't place it on the desk.
He handed it to Ruth.
"Please begin whatever legal process is necessary to end this marriage."
She nodded.
"I'll advise you on the next steps."
For the first time since the wedding dinner, I felt hope.
The truth was finally emerging.
Victor couldn't erase the recordings.
He couldn't silence the old medical records.
And he couldn't pretend Margaret was dead anymore.
But that evening, our hope collapsed.
Margaret had asked to visit the Saint Agnes community center, where she volunteered every Thursday.
She wanted to tell an old friend that the foundation might finally be restored.
Luca arranged for Daniel's trusted driver, Thomas, to accompany her.
They left shortly before five.
At six-fifteen, Thomas called from the hospital.
His voice was strained.
Someone had intercepted them in the parking garage near the community center.
Thomas had been struck from behind while helping Margaret into the car.
He remembered a dark SUV.
Then nothing.
Police had already been notified.
But Margaret Whitmore was missing.
I looked toward the empty chair beside the library fireplace.
Her blue cardigan remained folded over its arm.
Her cup of tea sat untouched.
And I suddenly remembered Victor's threat.
This little investigation might end with more than one old woman suffering.
Luca stood motionless.
Then he picked up his phone.
His voice was terrifyingly calm.
"Find out where she was taken."
May you like
He looked at Ruth.
"And this time, we do it with the police."
Related Stories
