Chapter 10 - The Name Inside the Safe
Norah wanted to believe Liam had been forced.
Vincent did not believe anything until it could be proven.
“He walked.”
“He could have been threatened.”
“Yes.”
“He wouldn’t hand Martin the evidence.”
“He might if Martin had something he wanted.”
“My brother is an idiot, not a traitor.”
Vincent looked at her.
“You’ve said both this week.”
“Only I’m allowed to.”
Despite everything, Vincent almost smiled.
Enzo entered.
“The sedan was abandoned fifteen minutes away.”
“Liam?”
“Gone.”
“Martin?”
“Gone.”
“Cameras?”
“Working on it.”
Norah paced.
Vincent watched her.
“Sit.”
“No.”
“Norah.”
“If you say sit again, I’ll throw something.”
He decided not to test her.
By dawn, they had one clue.
The abandoned sedan contained Liam’s phone.
Inside the notes app was a single unfinished message.
HE KNOWS ABOUT THE SAFE.
Vincent read it twice.
“What safe?”
Liam had never mentioned one.
Enzo checked the photographed files again.
Nothing.
Norah looked toward Vincent.
“Could it be your safe?”
“I have six.”
“Of course you do.”
“Three are corporate.”
“Still absurd.”
Vincent ignored her.
One safe was inside the study.
Another in his bedroom.
Two in company offices.
One bank vault.
The last belonged to his father.
That one had not been opened in nine years.
Vincent’s expression changed.
Enzo noticed.
“What?”
“The old house.”
The Rossy family’s original Brooklyn property had remained empty since Vincent’s father died.
His father had kept a floor safe inside the basement office.
Only Julian Mercer and Vincent knew the combination.
Vincent looked at Norah.
“Stay here.”
“No.”
“This is not a discussion.”
“Then have it alone.”
She walked toward the door.
Vincent caught up.
“Norah.”
“If Liam mentioned a safe before disappearing, I’m going.”
“It could be dangerous.”
“So could cooking your breakfast apparently.”
Enzo hid a smile.
Vincent glared at him.
An hour later, they arrived at the old Rossy house.
It was smaller than Norah expected.
Brick.
Narrow steps.
Faded shutters.
“This is where you grew up?”
“Until I was fourteen.”
“I expected something bigger.”
“So did I.”
The basement smelled damp.
Vincent turned on an old light.
The office remained almost untouched.
Desk.
Filing cabinets.
A photograph of Vincent with his father and brother.
Norah stopped.
Vincent was maybe twelve.
Smiling.
Actually smiling.
“You looked happy.”
“I was twelve.”
“So?”
“Twelve-year-olds are idiots.”
“Now I understand why you and Liam get along.”
Vincent almost laughed.
Then he moved the desk.
A steel safe was built into the floor.
He entered the combination.
Nothing.
Tried again.
Locked.
“Changed,” Enzo said.
Vincent frowned.
“Only Julian knew the original.”
Norah looked around.
On the wall was another family photograph.
Vincent’s grandmother stood between the boys.
Norah approached.
“Her birthday?”
“What?”
“Try her birthday.”
Vincent looked at the safe.
“My father used numbers connected to business.”
“Your father also kept family pictures in his office.”
Vincent entered the date.
The safe opened.
He stared.
Norah smiled.
“Never argue with the cook.”
Inside were files.
Cash.
A handgun.
Old photographs.
And one sealed envelope.
VINCENT.
His father’s handwriting.
Vincent froze.
He opened it.
The letter was short.
Vincenzo,
If you are reading this, then Julian has either failed me or betrayed me.
Vincent stopped.
Enzo stepped closer.
Norah said nothing.
He continued.
His father wrote that Julian Mercer had secretly invested Rossy money into expansion deals without authorization.
Risky deals.
Political deals.
Deals designed to place Julian in control if the Rossy leadership weakened.
Vincent’s father had discovered the scheme shortly before his death.
He had intended to remove Julian.
He never got the chance.
The letter ended with a warning.
Julian does not want the throne.
He wants the person on the throne dependent on him.
Vincent lowered the paper.
Enzo whispered, “Jesus.”
Norah looked at him.
“Your father knew.”
“Part of it.”
Vincent searched the safe.
Another document.
A private partnership agreement.
Martin Vale’s signature.
Julian Mercer’s signature.
Dated twelve years earlier.
Long before Rafael Moretti.
The poisoning had not started with Moretti.
It had started with a plan older than Vincent’s leadership.
Julian wanted a weakened Rossy organization.
One he could control financially.
Rafael’s ambition had been useful.
Martin’s access had been useful.
Vincent’s poisoning was never meant to kill him quickly.
That realization changed everything.
Norah understood first.
“They wanted you alive.”
Vincent looked at her.
“What?”
“Your father’s letter.”
She pointed.
“Julian didn’t want the throne. He wanted whoever had it dependent on him.”
Enzo’s face changed.
Vincent whispered, “The poison.”
Norah nodded.
“If you died, someone unpredictable could replace you.”
“But if I survived sick…”
“You couldn’t run anything without help.”
Vincent stared at the letter.
For six months, he had believed his survival represented the failure of an assassination.
Now he understood.
Survival had been the plan.
Weakness was the weapon.
Enzo’s phone rang.
He answered.
Then looked toward Vincent.
“It’s Liam.”
Norah grabbed the phone.
“Liam?”
Her brother was whispering.
“I don’t have long.”
“Where are you?”
“Martin brought me to Mercer.”
Vincent stepped closer.
Norah put the call on speaker.
“Why did you go with him?”
“They have someone.”
“Who?”
Liam breathed shakily.
“Mrs. Delgado.”
Norah closed her eyes.
Their elderly former neighbor.
Of course.
Martin knew she had seen him searching the apartment.
Liam continued.
“They said they’d hurt her if I didn’t bring the printed ledger.”
Vincent’s jaw tightened.
“Where are you?”
“I don’t know. Warehouse. Water nearby.”
Enzo began tracing the call.
Liam’s voice dropped.
“Norah, there’s something else.”
“What?”
“I heard Mercer talking.”
Silence.
“He knows Vincent found the old safe.”
Vincent’s head snapped toward the phone.
“How?”
Liam continued.
“He has someone inside the estate.”
The line died.
Enzo looked at Vincent.
They had spent days hunting Martin and Julian.
But the most dangerous person might still be sleeping under Vincent’s roof.
May you like
And whoever it was knew exactly where Norah would be when she returned.
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