Chapter 5 - VANESSA’S VERSION OF THE TRUTH
Luca called Vanessa.
She did not answer.
He called again.
Voicemail.
A third time.
Nothing.
Security went to her apartment.
Empty.
Her assistant, Claire Danvers, was gone too.
Vanessa’s closet at the mansion had been cleared of half her clothes sometime before sunrise.
Nobody had seen her leave.
That was impossible.
Or should have been.
The mansion had cameras at every exterior door.
Except forty-eight seconds of footage were missing from the east service entrance at 4:02 a.m.
Same type of interruption as outside my guest room.
Somebody understood the security system better than Luca did.
That afternoon, Daniel reconstructed Richard’s visit.
He had taken Luca’s server backup.
But before leaving, he opened one desk drawer.
A private drawer Luca said contained only family documents.
Nothing appeared missing.
Except one photograph.
Luca described it.
His mother.
His father.
Aunt Rosa.
Taken at Caruso’s in 1994.
One year before Elena died.
“Why steal a photograph?” I asked.
Daniel looked at him.
“Maybe something was written on the back.”
Luca rubbed his jaw.
“I don’t remember.”
Teresa did.
“There was.”
He turned.
“What?”
“Your mother wrote on almost every picture.”
“What did that one say?”
Teresa thought.
“I saw it once.”
“When?”
“Antonio carried it in his wallet.”
Luca waited.
Teresa closed her eyes.
Then:
“‘Rosa knows where the first one is.’”
Daniel immediately looked at the property list.
“The first one.”
Luca nodded.
“The first fraudulent transfer?”
“Maybe.”
Vanessa’s seven properties suddenly mattered even more.
If Richard’s original fraud had involved seven transactions, perhaps each location corresponded to evidence Elena had hidden.
And Vanessa had been acquiring those same places.
One by one.
Not for redevelopment.
For access.
“How would she know?” I asked.
Luca’s answer was immediate.
“Richard.”
That evening, Vanessa finally called.
Unknown number.
Luca put it on speaker.
“Where are you?”
“Safe.”
Her voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
“From me?”
“No.”
That surprised him.
“Then who?”
“Richard.”
Everyone looked at one another.
Luca’s voice sharpened.
“You worked with him.”
“I thought I did.”
“What does that mean?”
“He lied to me.”
“About which part?”
“All of it.”
Luca almost laughed.
“Convenient.”
“You think I wanted this?”
“You forged my authority.”
“Yes.”
“You tried to evict Teresa.”
“Yes.”
“You planned to demolish Caruso’s.”
“Yes.”
I stared at the phone.
Vanessa was not denying anything.
Luca seemed surprised too.
“Why?”
“Because Richard told me your mother hid documents there.”
Teresa covered her mouth.
Luca said nothing.
Vanessa continued.
“He said those documents proved the Moretti family stole from mine.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My grandfather financed your father.”
Patrick, who had returned to the mansion, closed his eyes.
Luca saw.
“You knew.”
Patrick said nothing.
Vanessa heard him.
“Ask Patrick about Salvatore Bellini.”
Luca looked at the older man.
“Who was he?”
Patrick whispered, “Vanessa’s grandfather.”
“What did he do?”
No answer.
“Patrick.”
“He financed Antonio’s first trucking company.”
Luca stared.
“With what money?”
Patrick looked at Vanessa’s phone as though she could see him.
“Cash.”
“What kind of cash?”
Silence.
Luca understood.
“Criminal money.”
Patrick nodded.
Vanessa’s voice came through the speaker.
“Now you understand.”
“No.”
Luca looked at the phone.
“I understand my father took money from your grandfather. I don’t understand why you forged my signature thirty years later.”
“Because your father kept everything.”
“He repaid him.”
“That is what your family says.”
“What does yours say?”
“That Antonio Moretti took Bellini money, built legitimacy with it, then erased us from the story.”
Luca’s voice became cold.
“So you planned to marry me to correct the balance sheet?”
A pause.
“No.”
It was the first answer from Vanessa that sounded wounded.
“I did love you.”
“Did?”
Silence.
“Vanessa.”
“I don’t know anymore.”
Her voice broke.
Then hardened again.
“Richard came to me eight months ago.”
“Why?”
“He showed me the old records.”
“What records?”
“Transfers Elena discovered.”
“And?”
“He said your mother hid the originals because she planned to take control away from Antonio.”
“That makes no sense.”
“Maybe not.”
“He told you to buy the seven properties.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To find her records before somebody else did.”
“Who?”
“Rosa.”
Luca stopped breathing.
“Aunt Rosa is alive.”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m not.”
“Richard knows.”
“Maybe.”
Luca leaned closer to the phone.
“Where is he?”
Vanessa’s breathing changed.
“That is why I called.”
“What happened?”
“I went to meet him.”
“When?”
“An hour ago.”
“Where?”
“His condo.”
“And?”
“He wasn’t there.”
“Then why are you afraid?”
“Because someone had searched it.”
Daniel looked at Luca.
Vanessa continued.
“Drawers open.”
“Police?”
“No.”
“Call them.”
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because there was blood on the floor.”
Everyone froze.
“How much?”
“Enough.”
Luca stood.
“Vanessa, listen to me carefully. Leave.”
“I already did.”
“Go somewhere public.”
“I am.”
“Tell me where.”
“No.”
“Vanessa.”
“I don’t trust you.”
He laughed bitterly.
“That makes two of us.”
Then she said:
“Luca.”
“What?”
“The ravioli wasn’t the reason I wanted Teresa gone.”
“I know.”
“No.”
Her voice dropped.
“You don’t.”
Silence.
“She saw something the night your mother died.”
Teresa went white.
Luca turned toward her.
“What did you see?”
She backed away.
Vanessa whispered:
“Ask Teresa who came into Caruso’s at 11:40 p.m. on April twentieth, 1995.”
The call ended.
Luca looked at Teresa.
She sat down slowly.
Her hands shook.
“I never told anyone.”
“Tell me now.”
Teresa stared at the table.
“Your father.”
Luca froze.
“Antonio came to Caruso’s?”
“Yes.”
“The night my mother died?”
“Yes.”
“What time?”
“Almost midnight.”
“Was she already dead?”
Teresa began crying.
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
She looked at Luca.
“He said he had made a terrible mistake.”
Nobody moved.
May you like
Then she whispered:
“And there was blood on his shirt.”
