Chapter 9 - THE MAN WHO HELPED HER LIE|
Patrick Vale had worked for Luca Moretti for almost eight years.
He knew the restaurant's schedules, the household's routines, and nearly every person Luca trusted.
He also knew exactly how important Daniel Hayes had been to him.
That was what made his betrayal so difficult to understand.
The next morning, Elena arranged a formal meeting with Patrick at the restaurant's private office.
Luca wanted to be present.
Mara attended to explain the financial records.
I wasn't invited into the meeting itself, but Elena had asked me to remain nearby in case she needed to clarify my written account.
Patrick arrived wearing his usual navy suit.
He carried a leather briefcase and looked as though he'd come to discuss ordinary business.
But when he saw Elena waiting with several folders, his expression changed.
"What's this about?" he asked.
Luca pointed toward the chair.
"Sit down, Patrick."
The office door remained closed for nearly forty minutes.
I waited in the hallway with a pot of coffee that nobody wanted.
At one point, I heard Patrick raise his voice.
Then everything became quiet again.
When the door finally opened, Elena asked me to come inside.
Patrick was sitting with his elbows on the desk.
His face had gone pale.
Luca stood near the window with his back to the room.
Mara's folders were spread across the table.
Elena looked at me.
"Natalie, you previously stated that Vanessa asked you to deliver a cream-colored folder to Patrick during the wedding preparations."
"Yes."
"Do you remember whether Patrick opened it in your presence?"
I thought carefully.
"He took it from me and said Vanessa had already called him about it."
"Did he say anything else?"
"He asked whether she'd sent the rest of the documents."
Patrick closed his eyes.
I looked toward Elena.
"That's all I remember."
"Thank you."
Luca finally turned around.
"Patrick has told us something important."
Patrick looked down.
"Vanessa asked me to handle correspondence with the Hayes family."
His voice was strained.
"She said you wanted privacy before the wedding."
Luca stared at him.
"Did I ever tell you that?"
Patrick shook his head.
"No."
"Then why did you believe her?"
Patrick swallowed.
"At first, I thought she was speaking on your behalf."
"At first?"
Patrick's eyes filled.
"Then I realized she wasn't."
Nobody interrupted him.
He continued.
"She gave me a letter with your signature already printed on it."
"Did you send it to Grace?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell Grace not to contact me?"
"Yes."
Luca's voice became very quiet.
"And the education payments?"
Patrick covered his face.
"I marked them inactive."
"Why?"
"Vanessa said the arrangement was temporary and that she'd explain everything after the wedding."
Elena slid another document across the table.
"What about this invoice?"
Patrick glanced at the Bellini Event Design paperwork.
His shoulders dropped.
"I processed it."
"Knowing the work hadn't been performed?"
He hesitated.
"She told me it was an advance payment."
Mara spoke for the first time.
"The vendor's own schedule describes completed work."
Patrick didn't answer.
Luca approached the desk.
"Did Vanessa pay you?"
Patrick's face crumpled.
"She gave me six thousand dollars."
The words seemed to suck the air from the room.
He immediately continued.
"I was behind on bills."
"My father had been sick, and I was trying to keep everything together."
Luca held up a hand.
"Patrick, you could have come to me."
"I know."
"Instead, you frightened a widow and her son."
Patrick began crying.
"I'm sorry."
Luca shook his head.
"That apology belongs to Grace and Ethan, and they aren't obligated to accept it."
Elena then asked about the threatening messages.
Patrick stared at the floor for a long time.
Finally, he admitted that he'd used an online messaging service after Vanessa complained that Ethan was still asking questions.
He said she had instructed him to discourage any further contact.
He insisted that he'd never expected the boy to be truly frightened.
Elena looked at him coldly.
"You told a child his mother could lose her job."
Patrick couldn't meet her eyes.
"I know."
He agreed to give Elena a written account, along with the relevant messages, financial records, and access information.
She explained that the admission would not erase the misconduct and that he should obtain independent legal advice before making further statements.
Luca immediately restricted Patrick's remaining company access.
His employment was ending, but the documents had to be preserved properly.
As Patrick prepared to leave, Luca asked one final question.
"Why did Vanessa include Daniel's old business reference on the wedding invoice?"
Patrick hesitated at the doorway.
Then he turned back.
"She told me to use an old template."
"Why?"
"Because if anyone questioned the expense, she wanted the paperwork to look like it came from a business arrangement that existed before she joined the family."
Luca's expression hardened.
"She wanted someone else to take the blame."
Patrick looked away.
"She said people already believed Daniel had left his wife with financial problems."
After Patrick left, Luca sat down heavily.
I had never seen him look so tired.
The room was quiet until Elena opened another folder.
"There's something you should hear."
Luca looked up.
"What?"
"Patrick's office kept archived voicemail messages."
She connected her laptop to a small speaker.
"This one was received almost three months ago."
A child's voice filled the office.
"Hi, Uncle Luca."
It was Ethan.
His voice sounded smaller and more hopeful than it had at the engagement dinner.
"It's me."
"I just wanted to ask if I can come over Sunday."
He paused.
"Mom said you're probably busy."
Another pause followed.
"But I finished that baseball book you gave me."
"I wanted to tell you about it."
Then came the words that made tears spill down my cheeks.
"Anyway, I miss you."
"Please call when you can."
The message ended.
Luca stared at the speaker.
Then he reached up and wiped his eyes.
"I never heard that."
Elena nodded.
"It was filed as personal correspondence and never forwarded."
Luca covered his face with both hands.
May you like
For the first time, I realized the most painful discovery wasn't the forged signature, the stolen money, or Patrick's confession.
It was the sound of a lonely boy who'd still believed his uncle might call him back.
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