Chapter 7 - THE FORTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLAR LIE|
I had never stolen a dollar from the Moretti family.
Not once in five years.
I'd cleaned their floors, washed their clothes, served their guests, and worked through holidays.
I'd stayed late when Rosa was sick.
I'd missed birthdays with my own family.
And now someone was accusing me of accepting forty-eight thousand dollars to help harm an eighty-two-year-old woman.
The amount matched the receipt hidden in Rosa's apron.
That frightened me more than anything.
"That's impossible."
I looked directly at Luca.
"I didn't take any money."
He studied my face.
"I know."
Those two words almost made me cry.
But Detective Torres wasn't interested in anyone's assumptions.
"Let's examine the records."
Within an hour, we were sitting in Evelyn Shaw's downtown office.
A storm had begun outside.
Rain streaked the windows overlooking the Chicago River.
Evelyn placed a printed financial summary on the table.
"According to this report, a company vendor paid Claire Bennett forty-eight thousand dollars."
I stared at the account number.
"That's not my bank account."
Evelyn looked up.
"Are you certain?"
"I've had the same checking account for years."
She pointed to the signature line.
"Is this yours?"
I shook my head.
"No."
The signature looked similar to mine.
But the letters were too neat.
Whoever had written it had carefully copied the way I formed my capital B.
"Someone used my identity."
Detective Torres examined the paperwork.
"That's a possibility."
Evelyn continued.
"The transfer went to an account opened using information from your employment records."
I felt sick.
"Dominic's office had access to those records."
"Yes."
Luca leaned back.
"And he's using them to make Claire look responsible."
Evelyn looked at him.
"We need independent bank records before making that conclusion."
I appreciated her caution.
But my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
If this accusation became public, I could lose everything.
My job.
My apartment.
My reputation.
And perhaps my freedom.
I turned toward Luca.
"I understand if you don't want me working at the mansion while this is investigated."
He looked at me sharply.
"Claire, stop."
I lowered my eyes.
"You have a business to protect."
He stood.
"My mother is lying in a hospital bed because people in my house chose silence over the truth."
His voice softened.
"I'm not going to punish you because someone made an accusation."
Evelyn nodded.
"The right approach is to document everything and let the evidence establish what happened."
For the first time that day, I could breathe.
Then Luca's phone rang.
Dominic Rinaldi.
His name appeared on the screen.
Luca looked at Detective Torres.
She advised him not to make threats or reveal details of the investigation.
He answered.
"Dominic."
"Thank God."
Dominic's familiar voice filled the room.
"I've been trying to reach you."
"What do you need?"
"There's something terrible happening, Luca."
I could hear concern in his voice.
It sounded completely genuine.
"We found irregular payments."
Luca watched me.
"What kind of payments?"
"Money sent to one of your household employees."
"Who?"
Dominic hesitated.
"Claire Bennett."
I felt my stomach turn.
"Are you certain?"
"Unfortunately."
Another pause.
"Luca, I know you care about that girl."
My cheeks burned with anger.
"But people do desperate things when money is involved."
Luca's expression didn't change.
"What are you suggesting?"
"That she may have been manipulating your mother."
I gripped the edge of the table.
Dominic continued.
"Vanessa is devastated by these accusations."
I almost laughed.
"She's been trying to protect Rosa."
Luca finally spoke.
"Then why did she tell my mother she didn't deserve dinner?"
Silence.
"Dominic?"
"Families are complicated."
Luca's eyes darkened.
"Starving an elderly woman isn't complicated."
Dominic cleared his throat.
"Listen, we can discuss this privately tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"At the board meeting."
Luca glanced at Evelyn.
"What's happening at the meeting?"
Dominic paused.
"Just routine financial decisions."
"Anything involving Lakefront Meridian Partners?"
The silence lasted several seconds.
Then Dominic's voice changed.
"Who told you about that?"
Luca didn't answer.
Dominic lowered his voice.
"You need to be careful."
"Why?"
"Because if you start examining certain transactions, you may discover things you don't want to know."
Luca remained calm.
"Are you threatening me?"
"I'm trying to protect you."
"From whom?"
Dominic disconnected.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then Evelyn said quietly, "That was revealing."
Detective Torres recorded the details of the conversation in her notes.
But what frightened me wasn't what Dominic had said.
It was how easily he had lied.
He had spoken about my supposed betrayal with the same gentle voice he used when asking whether I wanted a Christmas bonus.
I had trusted him.
Rosa had trusted him.
Luca had trusted him most of all.
My phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number had sent me a photograph.
It showed the outside of my apartment building.
The picture had been taken that evening.
Beneath it was a message.
Good maids know when to stop talking.
My blood ran cold.
I handed the phone to Detective Torres.
She immediately began arranging protective measures.
Luca looked at the photograph.
"You're not going home alone."
I shook my head.
"I won't let them scare me into silence."
He rested one hand on the table.
"You don't have to prove your courage by putting yourself in danger."
His words surprised me.
For years, Luca had ruled his world through fear.
But now he was asking me to trust someone other than him.
I looked at the photograph again.
Then I noticed something near the apartment entrance.
A black sedan was reflected in the glass doors.
On its windshield was a small white parking permit.
I had seen that permit before.
May you like
It belonged to the company that provided security for Moretti Hospitality.
And the person who approved those security contracts was Dominic Rinaldi.
