Chapter 7 - The Man Outside Leo’s Door
Sophia’s recorded voice transformed Gabriel’s study into a room from another life.
Victor.
The name seemed impossible even though Gabriel had already begun suspecting it.
Suspicion was one thing.
Hearing Sophia say it was another.
On the screen she looked exhausted.
No makeup.
Hair tied loosely.
The same sweater she had worn during their last weekend together.
Gabriel remembered asking if she was sick.
She had said she was tired.
He had kissed her forehead and returned to a phone call.
He hated himself for remembering that.
Sophia continued.
“I don’t have enough proof yet. That’s why I haven’t come to you.”
Gabriel stared at the screen.
“You should have.”
Evelyn heard him but said nothing.
Sophia seemed to answer from the recording.
“You trust Victor like a brother. If I accuse him without evidence, he’ll know I’m watching him.”
She looked over her shoulder.
“Daniel found changes in the security network. Camera loops. Door access records that don’t match. Victor’s credentials appear near several of them, but Daniel thinks they may be hidden behind administrator accounts.”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened.
Victor controlled those administrator accounts.
Sophia lifted papers.
“I found the same companies inside freight invoices and insurance contracts. The money isn’t just being stolen.”
She paused.
“It’s funding something.”
The video flickered.
Then resumed.
“If something happens to me, do not assume the first suspect they give you is guilty.”
Gabriel lowered his head.
That was exactly what he had done.
Sophia’s eyes filled.
“And please, Gabriel—look after Leo yourself.”
The sentence broke him more effectively than anything else.
He had not.
Not really.
He had surrounded Leo with guards.
Doctors.
Teachers.
Staff.
Money.
He had protected the child from everything except the absence of his own father.
The recording ended.
No goodbye.
No dramatic declaration.
Just Sophia reaching toward the camera.
Black screen.
Evelyn remained quiet for nearly a minute.
Finally she said, “Daniel was right.”
Gabriel looked at her.
“About what?”
“He said she trusted you. She just didn’t trust what grief or anger would make you do if she gave you a name without proof.”
Gabriel stood and walked toward the window.
Chicago glittered beyond the glass.
Victor had attended Sophia’s funeral.
Victor had held Leo’s shoulder beside the grave.
Victor had told Gabriel that Daniel was responsible.
Gabriel’s voice came out low.
“Where’s Harker?”
“Security room.”
Gabriel turned.
“Stay with Leo.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Ask questions.”
“Gabriel.”
He stopped.
Evelyn stepped closer.
“If Victor sent him, Harker may expect you to react emotionally.”
“He broke into my son’s bedroom.”
“I know.”
“He put his hands on you.”
“I know.”
“So don’t tell me to calm down.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“What were you going to say?”
“Think.”
That stopped him.
Evelyn folded her arms.
“Victor has survived beside you for twelve years. If he’s responsible for even half of this, he survives by predicting people.”
“Especially me.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel hated how reasonable she was.
“What do you suggest?”
“Make Harker think the card was damaged.”
Gabriel looked at the laptop.
“Why?”
“If Victor doesn’t know what Sophia recorded, he has to keep moving.”
“And moving creates mistakes.”
Evelyn nodded.
Gabriel studied her.
“You should have been an investigator.”
“I wanted a quieter career.”
He looked toward the ceiling.
“You chose the wrong house.”
For the first time that night, she laughed softly.
It disappeared quickly.
Gabriel went downstairs.
Harker sat in a reinforced chair.
No visible injury beyond a red mark on his cheek.
Gabriel dismissed the guards.
Harker smiled.
“Family movie night?”
Gabriel remained standing.
“The card was corrupted.”
The smile barely changed.
But Harker’s eyes did.
Relief.
Tiny.
There.
Gabriel continued.
“Whatever you were sent to find is useless.”
“I wasn’t sent.”
“Then why come?”
Harker leaned back.
“For money.”
“Whose?”
“Yours, mostly.”
Gabriel almost smiled.
“You picked the wrong room.”
“Apparently.”
“Victor told me you died eight months ago.”
This time the reaction was stronger.
Harker looked away.
“Then maybe I’m a ghost.”
“Why did he need me to believe you were dead?”
Harker said nothing.
Gabriel placed a photograph on the table.
Sophia and Daniel.
Harker’s eyes moved toward it.
Recognition.
“You knew Daniel.”
“No.”
“You looked.”
“I have eyes.”
Gabriel placed another page down.
Harker’s old security contract.
Daniel’s termination recommendation.
“Daniel wanted you removed.”
“Daniel wanted everyone removed.”
“Because you were asking about blind spots.”
Harker smiled again.
“He was paranoid.”
“He was right.”
Silence.
Gabriel leaned forward.
“Victor is going to leave you here.”
Harker’s eyes hardened.
“He knows you failed.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“I know men like Victor.”
Harker laughed.
“You think you know Victor?”
Gabriel said nothing.
“That’s your whole problem.”
“What is?”
“You still think this is about money.”
Gabriel’s expression did not change.
Harker continued.
“Four million is nothing.”
“To some people.”
“To Victor.”
“Then what does he want?”
Harker leaned closer.
“Your name.”
Gabriel frowned.
“He doesn’t want to steal from the Marino organization.”
Harker smiled.
“He wants to inherit it.”
The words settled.
Victor had spent twelve years becoming essential.
Accounts.
Security.
Operations.
Relationships.
Gabriel had treated him like family.
If Gabriel disappeared—
Victor would already know how to sit in his chair.
“What did Sophia discover?” Gabriel asked.
Harker looked toward the security camera in the corner.
Gabriel switched it off.
“You first.”
“No.”
Gabriel sat opposite him.
“Victor thinks the card is corrupted. You can leave this room with him believing you never talked.”
Harker laughed quietly.
“And why would you let me leave?”
“Because I want to know where you go.”
Harker’s smile faded.
Now they were negotiating.
“What guarantee?”
“My word.”
“Your word?”
“You entered my son’s room. You don’t get better terms.”
Harker studied him.
Finally, “Victor built an exit.”
“What kind?”
“If anything happened to you, documents would surface connecting your companies to transactions you never authorized.”
“Framing me.”
“Making sure federal investigators tore apart whatever remained.”
“And Victor?”
“Clean enough to survive.”
Gabriel understood.
Destroy Gabriel.
Rescue the legitimate businesses.
Present himself as the loyal partner who discovered corruption.
Take control.
“How was Sophia involved?”
“She noticed insurance payments.”
“Did Victor kill her?”
Harker’s face changed.
Not much.
Enough.
Gabriel’s hands remained motionless on the table.
“Harker.”
“I wasn’t there.”
“That wasn’t my question.”
“I wasn’t there.”
Gabriel stood.
He wanted to cross the table.
Instead he walked away.
Control.
Evelyn’s word.
Think.
Harker spoke behind him.
“But Daniel was.”
Gabriel turned.
“What?”
“Daniel reached the house before Victor expected.”
Gabriel stared.
“On the night Sophia died?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because she called him.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know everything.”
“Tell me what you know.”
Harker looked down.
“Daniel saw someone leaving the east corridor.”
“Who?”
“He never told me.”
“Then how do you know?”
“Because he called me afterward.”
Gabriel frowned.
“You?”
“Daniel still thought I might help him.”
“Did you?”
Harker’s expression darkened.
“No.”
“What did he say?”
Harker looked Gabriel directly in the eye.
“He said the person Sophia was afraid of wasn’t working alone.”
Gabriel felt cold.
“Who else?”
“I don’t know.”
A loud crash sounded upstairs.
Gabriel was moving before the echo faded.
He raced into the hallway.
Evelyn appeared at the top of the stairs with Leo behind her.
“What happened?”
“A window.”
Gabriel reached them.
In Leo’s bedroom, one pane of reinforced glass had fractured.
Not broken through.
A small metal projectile lay on the floor.
Wrapped around it was paper.
Gabriel picked it up.
Four words.
THE CARD OR THE BOY.
Evelyn pulled Leo closer.
Gabriel stared toward the dark grounds outside.
Harker was locked downstairs.
Victor was supposedly in Chicago.
Someone else had fired the message.
Someone who knew the operation was already failing.
And Harker had just confirmed the truth.
May you like
Victor was not alone.
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