Chapter 11 - THE SAINT
Saint Catherine’s Church had been closed for seventeen years.
The roof leaked.
The stained-glass saints were fractured.
Dust covered the pews.
But candles burned when Matteo arrived.
Elena was not with him.
At least, not where Viktor could see.
That argument had lasted forty minutes.
“You are not going.”
Matteo had said.
“He asked for me.”
“That is why you are not going.”
“If Dmitri knows something—”
“I will get him back.”
“How?”
Matteo had given her a look.
She understood.
“No.”
“What?”
“You don’t get to solve every problem with violence.”
His eyes hardened.
“You have no idea what Viktor will do.”
“And you do?”
“Yes.”
“Then you know marching in alone is stupid.”
Ultimately, they compromised.
Which meant Matteo hated the plan and Elena ignored him.
She entered through the old rectory with Anton and two federal tactical officers connected to an investigator Matteo trusted reluctantly.
Elena did not ask why a mafia boss trusted a federal investigator.
Nothing about her life made normal sense anymore.
Through a small earpiece, she heard Matteo’s footsteps echo down the nave.
Viktor waited near the altar.
Silver hair.
Elegant black coat.
No visible weapon.
He looked exactly like the photographs.
Kind.
That was the disturbing part.
“Matteo.”
“Where is Dmitri?”
Viktor smiled sadly.
“You always were impatient.”
“Where is my brother?”
“Alive.”
“For now?”
“That depends on you.”
Elena watched through a hidden camera.
Viktor spread his hands.
“I loved you like a son.”
“Then you have a strange way of showing it.”
“I built everything you have.”
“My father did.”
“Your father built fear.”
Viktor’s smile faded.
“I built legitimacy.”
Matteo’s voice remained flat.
“You used my foundation.”
“Our foundation.”
“You murdered Nadia.”
Viktor sighed.
“No.”
Matteo stopped.
Elena leaned forward.
“What?”
Anton whispered.
Viktor continued.
“I did many things I regret.”
“But I did not kill your wife.”
“Then who did?”
“The same person who killed Marco Rossi.”
“Name.”
Viktor looked toward the shadows.
“Elena should hear it.”
Matteo’s jaw tightened.
“She isn’t here.”
Viktor smiled.
“Yes, she is.”
Elena’s blood turned cold.
Anton reached for her.
Too late.
Lights exploded on inside the rectory.
Men appeared behind them.
One tactical officer went down.
Anton fired.
Elena ran.
A hand caught her coat.
She twisted free.
Another man grabbed her arm.
Then Anton drove into him.
“Go!”
Elena sprinted through a side corridor.
A door opened.
She stumbled into the church.
Matteo turned.
“Elena!”
Viktor smiled.
“There.”
“Touch her and you die.”
“I have no intention of touching her.”
Viktor looked at Elena almost gently.
“I owe her an apology.”
“For murdering my family?”
His face changed.
“I did not.”
“Everyone says that.”
“Your husband came to me.”
Elena stopped.
“What?”
“Marco believed Dmitri was laundering money.”
“We know Dmitri was framed.”
“Yes.”
“By you?”
“No.”
Viktor looked at Matteo.
“By your wife.”
Silence.
Elena shook her head.
“No.”
Viktor sighed.
“Nadia discovered the network first because she created part of it.”
Matteo’s face darkened.
“You’re lying.”
“She wanted to move money beyond your father’s control.”
“When?”
“Years ago.”
“She was helping women escape traffickers.”
Viktor smiled faintly.
“She told you that?”
Matteo went still.
Viktor looked at Elena.
“Nadia created hidden companies to move endangered families.”
“That’s not a crime.”
“It became useful to someone else.”
“Who?”
Viktor’s smile disappeared.
“Her attorney.”
Elena remembered the letter.
The reluctant attorney.
The man who had suddenly produced it.
“Daniel Mercer?”
“Yes.”
Matteo’s face changed.
Viktor continued.
“Mercer learned how money moved through the blind spots Nadia created.”
“He expanded the network.”
“Into laundering, blackmail, political payments, private contracts.”
Matteo stepped forward.
“And you knew.”
“Yes.”
“You did nothing.”
“I tried.”
“When?”
“After your father died.”
“You chaired the foundation.”
“Yes.”
“You signed the transfers.”
“Because refusing would have exposed Nadia.”
Elena stared.
“You protected her?”
“For years.”
“Why?”
Viktor looked at Matteo.
“Because she was trying to save your soul.”
No one spoke.
The line sounded absurd.
Melodramatic.
Yet Viktor looked devastated.
“She believed Matteo could leave.”
He said.
“She believed Sofia would force him to.”
Matteo’s jaw clenched.
Viktor looked at Elena.
“Marco discovered Mercer’s network.”
“And Mercer killed him.”
“Yes.”
“Proof?”
“Dmitri.”
“Why?”
“Dmitri followed Mercer the night Marco was taken.”
Matteo stared.
“Where is my brother?”
Viktor looked toward a side door.
Two men brought Dmitri inside.
His face was bruised.
But he was alive.
Matteo took one step.
Dmitri shook his head.
“Wait.”
Everyone froze.
Dmitri looked at Elena.
“I saw Marco after the crash.”
Her breath stopped.
“He was alive.”
“Yes.”
“Did you help him?”
Dmitri closed his eyes.
“I tried.”
“What happened?”
“Mercer’s men had him.”
“Why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“Because Marco begged me not to.”
Elena stared.
“Why?”
“Because they still believed you knew something.”
Elena’s throat tightened.
“What did he think I knew?”
“Where he hid the ledger.”
“He never told me.”
“He knew that.”
Dmitri looked ashamed.
“He wanted them to keep believing you were ignorant.”
“So he stayed silent.”
“Yes.”
“And my sons?”
Dmitri’s voice broke.
“They weren’t supposed to be in the car.”
Elena almost fell.
“What?”
“Marco picked them up because you were exhausted.”
She remembered.
He had insisted.
Take a shower.
Sleep.
I’ll drive them around until they settle.
Normal words.
The last ordinary words of her life.
Dmitri continued.
“The crash was meant for Marco.”
Elena covered her mouth.
“The boys were collateral.”
Matteo looked away.
Even Viktor closed his eyes.
Elena stood perfectly still.
Then she asked the question that had haunted her since the photograph.
“How long did Marco live?”
Dmitri looked at her.
“Thirty-six hours.”
She cried without sound.
“He never stopped asking about you.”
Elena pressed both hands against her face.
Dmitri continued.
“He made me promise something.”
“What?”
“To keep Mercer from finding you.”
Elena looked at Viktor.
“So why bring me here?”
Viktor’s expression hardened.
“Because Mercer is already coming.”
Matteo turned.
“What?”
Viktor looked toward the church entrance.
“I leaked this meeting.”
“Why?”
“To force him into the open.”
Matteo’s fury exploded.
“You used Elena as bait?”
“I used all of us.”
A vehicle engine roared outside.
Then another.
Viktor reached into his coat.
Matteo drew his weapon.
“No!”
Elena shouted.
Viktor slowly removed a flash drive.
“The complete ledger.”
He tossed it toward Matteo.
“The names.”
Matteo caught it.
“Every payment.”
Another engine stopped outside.
Doors slammed.
Viktor looked at Elena.
“And the recording of Marco’s last statement.”
Elena froze.
“You have his voice?”
“Yes.”
Gunfire erupted outside.
Viktor’s men rushed toward the doors.
Matteo grabbed Elena.
“Move.”
She looked back at Viktor.
“You’re coming.”
He smiled sadly.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because saints are supposed to die in churches.”
“That is a stupid line.”
To Elena’s shock, Viktor laughed.
“Marco said you were difficult.”
“He knew me.”
The front doors burst inward.
Viktor drew his weapon.
Matteo pulled Elena toward the side exit.
Then Viktor shouted one final thing.
“Mercer doesn’t want the money anymore!”
Matteo turned.
“What does he want?”
May you like
Viktor looked directly at Elena.
“Sofia.”
