Chapter 5 - The Man Everyone Trusted
Carlo Russo had been dead for four years.
But dead men, Ava discovered, could still destroy families.
Dominic stared at Gerald.
“My father?”
Gerald nodded.
“My father recognized him.”
“That’s impossible.”
“He saw Carlo outside the warehouse.”
Dominic looked at Sebastian.
“You knew?”
Sebastian’s silence answered.
Dominic stepped forward.
Ava caught his arm.
“Not here.”
He looked down at her hand.
Then at her.
The anger in his face slowly came under control.
Ava released him.
“Open the drive.”
They returned to the Russo townhouse.
The flash drive contained seventeen files.
Most were financial documents.
One was video.
The timestamp was seven years old.
Warehouse security footage.
Jamie appeared onscreen pushing a cart.
Ava covered her mouth.
She had forgotten the way he walked.
That tiny bounce whenever he was in a hurry.
Dominic stood beside her.
Martin Vale entered the frame.
Then Carlo Russo.
Dominic whispered, “Dad.”
Carlo and Vale argued.
No audio.
Jamie stopped behind stacked boxes.
He saw them.
Carlo handed Vale an envelope.
Then another man entered.
Sebastian Crane.
Ava looked toward Sebastian, who had agreed to come to the townhouse.
“Explain.”
Sebastian stared at the screen.
“I was there.”
“You lied.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To protect Carlo.”
Dominic turned.
“From what?”
Sebastian closed his eyes.
“Your father wasn’t stealing.”
Dominic frowned.
“Vincent was.”
“We know.”
“No.”
Sebastian looked at him.
“You know half.”
He pointed at the records.
“Vincent was moving money through companies connected to politicians, judges, contractors. Carlo discovered it.”
“Then why hide it?”
“Because Vincent threatened Elena.”
Dominic stopped breathing.
“What?”
“Your father was trying to protect your wife.”
Ava watched Dominic absorb it.
Sebastian continued.
“Carlo asked Martin Vale to build a case quietly.”
“And Jamie?”
“Wrong place. Wrong time.”
“Who followed him?”
“Vincent’s people.”
“Did my father know?”
“Later.”
Dominic’s voice became dangerously quiet.
“And he said nothing to me.”
“He believed telling you would get you killed too.”
Ava stepped toward Sebastian.
“What happened to Jamie?”
Sebastian looked at her.
“Martin helped him escape the warehouse.”
“Then?”
“Jamie copied the files.”
“The flash drive.”
“Yes.”
“He knew he was being followed?”
“Yes.”
Ava’s eyes filled.
“Why didn’t anybody protect him?”
Sebastian’s expression cracked.
“We tried.”
“That is not an answer.”
“No.”
“What happened?”
Sebastian looked away.
“Jamie contacted Carlo.”
Dominic stared.
“My father met him?”
“Once.”
“When?”
“The night Jamie disappeared.”
Ava could hear her heartbeat.
“Then Carlo killed him.”
“No.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I do.”
“How?”
“Because I was there.”
Silence.
Sebastian sat down.
“Jamie was frightened. He refused money. Refused to leave New York. He wanted to go to police.”
Ava smiled through tears.
“That sounds like him.”
“Carlo convinced him to wait until morning.”
“And?”
“We put him in a safe apartment.”
Ava’s stomach dropped.
“But he left.”
Sebastian nodded.
“Why?”
“We never knew.”
A new video file appeared.
Ava opened it.
Jamie filled the screen.
He was sitting in a dark room.
Signing directly toward the camera.
Ava began crying before he finished the first sentence.
Dominic couldn’t understand.
“Tell me.”
She translated.
My name is Jamie Collins.
If Ava sees this, I’m sorry.
Ava pressed both hands against her mouth.
Jamie continued.
I found proof.
The man stealing from the Russos knows I saw him.
Carlo says he can protect me.
Then Jamie paused.
His expression changed.
But Carlo doesn’t know the worst part.
Ava leaned closer.
Someone else is helping Vincent.
Jamie held up a photograph.
Sebastian.
But Jamie shook his head.
Then turned it around.
Another face was circled in red.
Gerald stared.
“No.”
Dominic went still.
Ava zoomed in.
The man was younger in the photograph.
But recognizable.
Marco.
The waiter from Lavella.
The same Marco who had been standing near the wine station when Eli dropped his glass.
“No,” Gerald repeated.
Sebastian rose.
“Marco Bellini.”
Dominic grabbed his phone.
Ava suddenly remembered something.
“Eli.”
Dominic stopped.
“What?”
“Marco knows Eli.”
Dominic was already running.
They reached the upstairs hallway.
Eli’s bedroom was empty.
The window was closed.
Bathroom empty.
Dominic shouted for Rosa.
She rushed upstairs.
“He was in his room ten minutes ago.”
Dominic checked the security system.
Then froze.
The back entrance had been opened seven minutes earlier.
Using a valid household code.
Ava looked toward him.
“Who has the code?”
Dominic’s face changed.
“Staff.”
“Which staff?”
“Rosa. Two security people. My assistant.”
“And?”
Dominic swallowed.
“One person who has worked for my family for nineteen years.”
Ava already knew.
“Marco.”
Dominic’s phone rang.
Unknown number.
He answered.
A video appeared.
Eli sat inside what looked like an empty office.
He was unharmed but frightened.
Marco stood behind him.
Then a message appeared.
BRING THE DRIVE.
COME ALONE.
Eli looked directly into the camera.
His hands moved quickly.
Marco didn’t notice.
But Ava did.
She watched.
Then grabbed Dominic’s arm.
“What is he saying?”
Ava replayed it.
Eli signed:
Dad.
Don’t believe him.
There are two men.
Then his hands moved one final time.
Ava’s face changed.
“What?”
Dominic demanded.
She looked at him.
May you like
“Eli knows where they are.”
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