Chapter 9 - THE MAN WHO TRIED TO ESCAPE HIS OWN GUILT|
The person helping Marcus Bell hide was a former business associate named Raymond Cole.
He owned several rental properties across Chicago and had once worked with Moretti Holdings on a commercial development.
Detective Brooks discovered that Marcus had been staying in one of Cole's vacant apartments.
By the time investigators obtained authorization to search the property, Marcus had already left.
But he had made one mistake.
He used a credit card linked to an account the police were monitoring.
The transaction came from a hotel near O'Hare International Airport.
Detective Brooks and her team found him preparing to leave the city.
When officers entered his room with an arrest warrant connected to the evidence-tampering investigation, Marcus didn't resist.
He simply sat on the edge of the bed and covered his face.
By then, Luca had spent several nights barely sleeping.
He waited for the detective's updates in his study, surrounded by documents showing how badly his trust had been exploited.
When Brooks called to confirm Marcus was in custody, Luca lowered himself into his chair.
"Is he talking?"
"He's requested an attorney."
"That's his right."
Luca nodded slowly.
"Then I'll wait for the investigation."
I was standing near the doorway when he ended the call.
For years, people had described Luca as a man who never forgave betrayal.
I expected anger.
Instead, he looked exhausted.
"Marcus knew my father," he said.
"He was there when Nico was born."
"He taught him how to ride a bicycle."
His voice cracked.
"And he stood beside me in the hospital while I thought my brother might die."
I couldn't find anything comforting to say.
Some betrayals were too terrible for easy words.
Luca looked toward Nico's bedroom.
"I trusted the wrong person."
I answered quietly.
"You trusted someone who worked very hard to appear trustworthy."
"That doesn't erase what he did."
"No," I said.
"But it doesn't mean you have to become like him to find justice."
Luca looked at me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
The following day, Marcus's attorney contacted the authorities about a possible cooperation agreement.
Marcus wanted to discuss Vanessa's role in the garage incident and the financial documents.
The prosecutors made no promises.
They required independent evidence to support anything he claimed.
But the prospect of his testimony gave investigators a new direction.
Meanwhile, Nico continued attending therapy.
His movements were still difficult, and some days left him completely exhausted.
There were mornings when his fingers refused to cooperate and afternoons when pain made him want to stop.
But he kept returning.
One evening, I found him sitting at his desk with a notebook.
"What are you writing?" I asked.
"A list."
He smiled shyly.
"Things I want to do when this is over."
I leaned against the doorway.
"Can I hear them?"
He nodded.
"I want to go back to college."
"I want to learn how to drive with whatever adaptations I need."
"And I want to have dinner at a restaurant without worrying that someone will be embarrassed by me."
My eyes stung.
"Those sound like wonderful plans."
He looked down at his notebook.
"There's one more."
"What is it?"
"I want to help people who can't afford therapy."
He paused.
"I know Luca can pay for whatever treatment I need."
"But what happens to people whose families can't?"
For a moment, I couldn't speak.
Nico had every reason to feel angry at the world.
Instead, he was thinking about strangers who might need help.
"You should tell Luca," I said.
He smiled.
"Maybe after the hearing."
The guardianship hearing was now only four days away.
Vanessa's attorneys had submitted statements portraying Nico as unable to manage his personal or financial decisions.
Some of those statements relied on the questionable medical report carrying Dr. Park's name.
Others described ordinary consequences of his physical injuries as evidence of mental incapacity.
Simon was preparing to challenge each claim.
That evening, an envelope arrived at the mansion by courier.
It contained copies of bank transfers from a company connected to Vanessa.
The recipient was Marcus Bell.
The transfers had begun before Nico's accident and continued after his therapy was canceled.
Together, they amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A note inside the envelope said the sender would provide authenticated records through the authorities.
There was no signature.
Luca immediately gave everything to Detective Brooks rather than treating the anonymous papers as proven facts.
The detective promised to identify their source and verify the transactions.
But when she examined the final page, her expression changed.
One payment had been labeled REHABILITATION MANAGEMENT.
The payment date was the same day Nico's first therapy appointment was canceled.
And the amount was exactly the figure listed on an invoice submitted to the Moretti family trust.
Someone had been taking money from the very fund intended to support Nico's recovery.
When Luca learned that detail, he sat in silence for nearly a minute.
Then he looked at me.
"Claire, I thought Vanessa wanted to keep Nico weak so she could control his money."
I waited.
May you like
His next words were barely audible.
"Now I'm wondering how much of his money she's already stolen."
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