Chapter 5 - THE MAN AT THE BED
Vincent watched the footage four times.
Marco entered at 2:13.
Marco lifted the mattress.
Marco remained beside Vincent’s bed for almost three minutes.
Then Marco left.
There was no ambiguity.
No distorted image.
No shadow.
Marco Bellini.
The man who had protected the Corvino family for thirty-two years.
The man Vincent’s father had trusted with his sons.
The man currently escorting Dominic home after someone tried to shoot him.
Vincent grabbed his phone.
Lauren caught his wrist.
“Don’t.”
He looked at her.
“My brother is with him.”
“And if Marco is involved, calling tells him we know.”
Tessa stepped forward.
“Can you contact Dominic without Marco seeing?”
Vincent thought.
Dominic wore a smartwatch.
Marco knew that.
But Dominic also carried a second phone for personal affairs his wife did not know about.
Vincent knew because he had caught Dominic using it at Christmas.
He typed one sentence.
WHERE ARE YOU?
Thirty seconds passed.
Then Dominic replied.
IN MARCO’S CAR.
Vincent typed again.
DO NOT REACT.
Dominic responded.
WHY?
Vincent looked at Lauren.
She shook her head.
Too much information.
Vincent typed.
ASK TO STOP AT THE SAFE APARTMENT.
Dominic understood.
The Corvinos owned a secure unit above an old private club on Rush Street.
Two guards were always stationed there.
Marco knew the apartment.
But once inside, Dominic would not be alone.
Dominic replied.
OK.
Vincent set the phone down.
His heart beat harder.
Tessa said, “What exactly did Marco do in the video?”
Vincent looked again.
The mattress blocked the camera’s view of his hands.
Lauren zoomed in.
“He could have planted the device.”
“Or removed something.”
Tessa said.
“Or checked something.”
Vincent’s eyes remained on the screen.
“Why would Marco let us see the phone with Gabriel?”
Lauren frowned.
“What phone?”
Vincent told her about the prepaid phone found near the west wall.
The video.
The messages.
The warning about Dominic.
Then he told her about the photograph on Ellis.
Lauren’s concern deepened.
“Somebody is directing you.”
“Yes.”
“Toward what?”
“Suspicion.”
Tessa answered.
Vincent looked at her.
“Of Dominic.”
she continued.
“Then Marco.”
“Then Lauren.”
“Everyone closest to you.”
Vincent nodded slowly.
“Which means the person doing this understands how I think.”
Lauren whispered.
“Or understands your father.”
Vincent looked at her.
Before he could answer, his phone rang.
Dominic.
Vincent answered.
“Talk.”
Dominic’s voice was unnaturally casual.
“Marco says the safe apartment isn’t secure.”
Vincent’s eyes hardened.
“Why?”
“He says there was a break-in last night.”
Vincent looked at Lauren.
Marco had not mentioned any break-in.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“To the mansion?”
“Yes.”
“Put Marco on.”
Movement.
Then Marco’s voice.
“Vince?”
“You said nothing about Rush Street.”
A pause.
“I was going to.”
“When?”
“After we stabilized Dominic.”
“Who broke in?”
“Don’t know.”
“What did they take?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
Silence.
Marco’s voice changed.
“You found something else.”
Vincent froze.
“What makes you say that?”
“I know you.”
Vincent looked at the paused footage of Marco lifting his mattress.
“You do.”
he said quietly.
“Better than most.”
Marco went silent.
Vincent continued.
“Bring Dominic home.”
“We’re twelve minutes out.”
The call ended.
Lauren immediately said, “He knows.”
“Maybe.”
“He knows.”
Vincent wheeled toward the window.
“What do you want to do?”
she asked.
“Nothing.”
Lauren stared.
“Nothing?”
“If Marco betrayed me, I want him comfortable enough to lie.”
Tessa crossed her arms.
“And if he didn’t?”
“Then I want the truth.”
Vincent glanced at Lauren.
“You’re going to disappear.”
Her face changed.
“What?”
“Not permanently.”
“Why?”
“Because Marco knows you left.”
“He knows Ellis followed me.”
“Yes.”
“And if you’re gone when he arrives?”
“He’ll assume you ran.”
Lauren thought.
“You want to see his reaction.”
“I want to see everyone’s reaction.”
Tessa asked, “Where does she go?”
Vincent looked toward the adjoining dressing room.
“There’s a service stair behind the closet.”
Lauren blinked.
“I’ve lived here two years.”
“My grandfather built the house.”
Vincent said.
“He distrusted architects.”
Tessa almost smiled.
“That seems healthy.”
Vincent showed Lauren the concealed panel.
Before leaving, Lauren stopped beside him.
For one moment, neither spoke.
Then she removed the engagement ring.
Vincent’s eyes dropped to it.
Lauren placed it on the table.
“This isn’t because I stopped loving you.”
Vincent’s face remained unreadable.
“Go.”
She swallowed.
Then disappeared through the passage.
Tessa closed the panel.
Vincent stared at the ring.
“You believe her?”
Tessa asked.
“I believe parts.”
“Which parts?”
“That she lied to me.”
Tessa sighed.
“Useful.”
“I believe she’s scared.”
“Of Marco?”
“Of Black Crown.”
“And the part about loving you?”
Vincent looked at her.
“That isn’t relevant.”
Tessa’s expression said she disagreed.
But she said nothing.
Twenty minutes later Marco arrived with Dominic.
Dominic entered first.
His suit jacket was torn at the shoulder.
Glass dust clung to his hair.
Vincent felt relief he refused to show.
“You look terrible.”
Dominic glanced at the wheelchair.
“Still prettier than you.”
Vincent almost smiled.
Marco entered behind him.
Calm.
Controlled.
Exactly as always.
His eyes moved through the room.
Bed.
Flowers.
Tessa.
Blue binder.
Then the vanity.
The open drawer.
Vincent saw the change.
Barely.
A fraction of a second.
But Marco noticed the drawer.
“Where’s Lauren?”
he asked.
Vincent looked at him.
“Gone.”
Marco’s jaw tightened.
“Where?”
“If I knew, she wouldn’t be gone.”
Dominic frowned.
“What happened?”
Vincent held up the receipt.
“Lauren paid fifty thousand dollars three days before I was shot.”
Dominic stared.
“For what?”
“She claims information.”
“She told you?”
“Yes.”
Marco’s eyes sharpened.
“What else did she tell you?”
Vincent deliberately paused.
Then said, “That my father ordered the hit.”
Dominic cursed.
Marco did not react.
That was more interesting.
Vincent watched him.
“You don’t look surprised.”
Marco met his gaze.
“Because Salvatore is dead.”
“So was Gabriel.”
A long silence.
Dominic looked confused.
“What does Gabriel have to do with this?”
Vincent explained the video.
The phone.
Dominic sat down heavily.
Marco listened without interruption.
Then he asked the question Vincent expected.
“Where is the phone?”
“In my safe.”
That was a lie.
The phone was still in Marco’s custody.
Vincent wanted to see whether Marco corrected him.
He did not.
“You should give it to me.”
Marco said.
“I already did.”
Silence.
Dominic looked between them.
Marco’s expression changed.
Only slightly.
Vincent leaned back.
“You were here last night.”
Marco said nothing.
Tessa looked toward Vincent.
Dominic frowned.
“What?”
“At 2:13 a.m.”
Vincent continued.
“You entered this bedroom.”
“Lifted my mattress.”
“And stayed beside me for three minutes.”
Marco’s eyes shifted toward the flowers.
Camera.
He understood.
Dominic stood.
“What the hell were you doing?”
Marco’s face remained calm.
“Checking a device.”
Vincent’s voice chilled.
“So you knew.”
“Yes.”
“Since when?”
“Three weeks.”
Vincent felt rage rise.
“You knew someone bugged my bedroom for three weeks?”
“No.”
Marco looked at him.
“I put the recorder there.”
Dominic swore.
Tessa stared.
Vincent’s anger became almost silent.
“Why?”
“To find out who was coming in.”
“The camera already did that.”
“I didn’t know about Lauren’s camera.”
Vincent held still.
“Who were you trying to catch?”
Marco hesitated.
Then he said something none of them expected.
“Your physical therapist.”
Vincent frowned.
“Dr. Keller?”
“He isn’t Dr. Keller.”
Tessa stepped closer.
“What?”
Marco reached into his jacket.
Dominic instinctively moved.
Marco slowly pulled out a folded photograph.
He placed it on the table.
The picture showed Vincent’s physical therapist entering another building.
A federal building.
Two men greeted him outside.
One was an FBI agent Vincent recognized.
The other was Arthur Calder.
“Three weeks ago,” Marco said, “Keller met with both of them.”
Vincent stared at the image.
“You bugged my bedroom because my therapist met Calder?”
“He spent more time alone with you than anyone except Tessa.”
Tessa looked offended.
“Thanks.”
Marco continued.
“I thought he was feeding information out.”
“Why hide it from me?”
“Because you were already suspicious of everyone.”
Vincent laughed without humor.
“And secretly recording me was your solution?”
“I needed evidence.”
“Did you leave the photograph?”
“No.”
“The receipt?”
“No.”
“The phone?”
“No.”
“Did you know Gabriel was alive?”
Marco’s face finally changed.
Dominic saw it too.
“Oh my God.”
Marco looked away.
Vincent’s voice became deadly quiet.
“You knew.”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
Marco met his eyes.
“Eight years.”
No one spoke.
Vincent’s entire world seemed to tilt.
“Why?”
“Because your father ordered me to help him disappear.”
Vincent stopped breathing.
Marco continued.
“Salvatore knew Gabriel had discovered Black Crown.”
Dominic whispered.
“What is Black Crown?”
Marco looked at both brothers.
“Your inheritance.”
Vincent’s eyes narrowed.
“I inherited the company.”
Marco shook his head.
“No.”
“Your father left you the company.”
He turned toward Dominic.
“And he left Dominic Black Crown.”
Dominic stared.
“I don’t know what that means.”
Marco’s answer came softly.
“You weren’t supposed to.”
Vincent remembered the anonymous calls Dominic had received.
Do you want what should have been yours?
The shooting.
The warning.
THE WRONG BROTHER WAS SHOT.
Vincent looked at his younger brother.
For the first time, the sentence made terrible sense.
Someone had not shot Vincent because he controlled Black Crown.
They had shot Vincent because they believed Dominic did.
May you like
And they had hit the wrong brother.
---
