Chapter 5 - Norah's Secret Ally
Thirty minutes later, Arthur understood how little he had known about his wife's life in exile.
The man who arrived at the Vermont house was Sal Marino.
Arthur stared at him.
"You."
Sal removed his coat.
"Me."
Arthur looked at Norah.
"You've been working with Marino?"
"Not working for him."
Sal smiled.
"Your wife doesn't work for anybody."
Arthur ignored him.
"For how long?"
Norah answered.
"Two years."
Arthur's jaw tightened.
"You trusted him?"
"I trusted his self-interest."
Sal laughed.
"That's why she's smarter than both of us."
Arthur hated that he agreed.
Norah explained.
After escaping Vincent's surveillance, she had realized she could not defeat him alone.
Sal Marino had already discovered Vincent was manipulating both families.
Norah contacted him anonymously.
Over time, they exchanged information.
Sal wanted Vincent gone because Vincent's plans would destabilize the entire city.
Norah wanted evidence strong enough to expose him without starting a war.
"What evidence?" Arthur asked.
Sal placed a flash drive on the table.
"Everything."
Bank transfers.
Recorded calls.
Payments.
Names.
Vincent had spent years quietly purchasing loyalty.
Arthur looked at Norah.
"You built this?"
"We built enough."
"Then why wait?"
"Because Vincent still had Clara as leverage."
Arthur looked toward the phone.
"And now he has her."
"Maybe."
Arthur frowned.
Norah continued.
"Look at the photograph."
Arthur opened Vincent's message again.
The safe-house door was open.
Daniel's car was missing.
No visible damage.
No people.
"What do you see?" Norah asked.
"Nothing."
"Exactly."
Arthur zoomed in.
Then he noticed.
A small chalk mark beside the door.
A cross.
Daniel's emergency signal.
Arthur had taught it to him months earlier.
Safe.
Arthur exhaled.
"They escaped."
Norah nodded.
"Vincent doesn't have Clara."
"He's bluffing."
"He needs you angry enough to return without thinking."
Arthur smiled coldly.
"Then let's disappoint him."
They spent the night planning.
Not revenge.
Exposure.
Arthur contacted three captains whose names were absent from Norah's list.
Sal contacted two independent crews.
Clara and Daniel finally called from a secure location.
They were safe.
Vincent had sent men, but Daniel had moved the family minutes earlier.
For the first time in three years, Arthur felt ahead of his enemy.
But one problem remained.
Vincent controlled the Costello estate.
Arthur's accounts.
Most of his organization.
And if confronted publicly, he could deny everything.
They needed him to admit it.
Norah had an idea.
"He wants me."
Arthur hated hearing those words.
"No."
"Arthur."
"No."
"He believes I am the reason you discovered everything."
"You are."
"He also believes I have the original evidence."
Arthur understood.
"You want to bait him."
"I want him talking."
"No."
Norah stared.
"You don't get to decide for me."
The words stopped him.
Three years earlier, he had made every decision for her.
He had judged her.
Condemned her.
Expelled her.
Now he forced himself to listen.
"What do you need?"
Norah's expression softened.
"Trust."
One word.
The one thing he had failed to give her.
Arthur nodded.
"You have it."
The following evening, Norah called Vincent.
Arthur listened from another room.
"I'm done running," she said.
Vincent's voice became warm.
"Nora."
Arthur hated the way he said her name.
"I have copies of everything."
"I know."
"If Arthur goes down, those copies go public."
Vincent laughed.
"Arthur already went down."
"No. He's alive."
"Not for long."
Arthur's hands curled.
Norah looked through the doorway at him.
He relaxed them.
"What do you want?" Vincent asked.
"James protected."
Silence.
"Your son."
"Yes."
"I can protect him."
"I don't believe you."
"You used to."
"I never trusted you."
Vincent's voice changed.
"You trusted Arthur?"
Norah remained quiet.
"Look what he did to you."
Arthur lowered his gaze.
Vincent continued.
"I warned you. Arthur loved power more than he loved you."
"No."
"You still defend him?"
"He made a terrible mistake."
"He threw you into the street."
"And you engineered it."
Silence.
There.
An opening.
Vincent's pride took over.
"I gave him a choice."
"You manipulated him."
"I showed you who he really was."
"You threatened Clara."
"Because you wouldn't listen!"
Vincent's voice rose.
Arthur looked toward the recording equipment.
Everything was captured.
Norah continued carefully.
"You stole the ledgers."
"Yes."
"You planted the phone."
"Yes."
"You arranged the entire thing."
"I had to!"
Vincent breathed heavily.
Then he realized.
His voice dropped.
"You're recording me."
Norah disconnected.
Arthur entered.
"Enough?"
Sal nodded.
"Enough to destroy him with his own people."
But Arthur noticed Norah's face.
"What?"
"He realized too quickly."
"So?"
"He'll run."
Arthur shook his head.
"No."
Vincent would not run.
Men like Vincent did not spend years trying to steal a throne only to abandon it.
"He'll make one last move."
Arthur's phone rang.
Michael Reed.
Arthur answered.
"Boss."
Michael sounded terrified.
"What?"
"Vincent knows Clara escaped."
"I know."
"He's moving everyone to the estate."
"Why?"
"He called a full council."
Arthur looked at Sal.
"When?"
"Midnight."
"What is he telling them?"
Michael hesitated.
"That you're dead."
Arthur smiled.
Perfect.
At 11:55 p.m., more than thirty men gathered inside the Costello estate.
Vincent stood in Arthur's study.
Arthur watched remotely through the security system.
Vincent poured himself whiskey from Arthur's decanter.
Then he sat in Arthur's chair.
Norah watched beside Arthur.
"Does that bother you?" she asked.
"The chair?"
"Yes."
Arthur looked at her.
"No."
Three years ago, it would have.
Now the only thing he wanted back from that house was his family.
At midnight, Vincent addressed the captains.
"Arthur Costello abandoned this family."
Murmurs.
"He ran north chasing the woman who betrayed him."
More murmurs.
Vincent continued.
"He is dead."
Then the study doors opened.
Arthur entered.
Silence swallowed the room.
Vincent's face went white.
Arthur walked forward.
Behind him came Sal Marino.
Then Daniel.
Then Clara.
Finally Norah.
Every man in the room stared.
Vincent looked as though he had seen a ghost.
Norah stepped beside Arthur.
"Hello, Vincent."
His mouth opened.
Nothing came out.
Arthur placed a speaker on the desk.
He pressed play.
Vincent's own voice filled the room.
"I stole the ledgers."
Several captains turned.
"I planted the phone."
Vincent backed away.
"I arranged the entire thing."
Arthur stopped the recording.
Nobody spoke.
Vincent looked around.
Men who had served him lowered their eyes.
Others stepped away.
His empire disappeared in seconds.
Arthur approached.
Vincent swallowed.
"Arthur."
"You took my money."
Silence.
"You took my men."
Arthur stepped closer.
"You took three years from my wife."
Vincent looked at Norah.
Then something strange happened.
He smiled.
"You still don't understand."
Arthur stopped.
Vincent reached slowly into his jacket.
Daniel moved.
But Vincent produced no weapon.
Only a sealed envelope.
He placed it on the desk.
"Ask your wife what's inside."
Arthur looked at Norah.
Her face had gone pale.
Vincent laughed.
"Go ahead, Nora."
Arthur turned toward her.
"What is it?"
Norah said nothing.
Vincent's smile widened.
"She kept one more secret from you."
Arthur stared at the envelope.
On its front was written:
JAMES COSTELLO — PATERNITY RESULTS.
Arthur's heart stopped.
Vincent whispered:
May you like
"Maybe you should ask whether that little boy is really yours."
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