Chapter 13 - ELENA'S LETTER
Elena's letter was not about leaving her marriage.
It was about leaving the D'Angelo machine.
She wrote that Salvatore had been moving money through family charities and using Vittorio's name to protect himself.
She had found proof.
She wanted Vittorio to choose.
The family empire.
Or a clean life with Lucy.
Vittorio never received the letter.
Marcus had intercepted it.
That conclusion came from the envelope scan.
Across the back was a routing stamp from Marcus's office.
Vittorio sat in silence for a long time.
"She thought I chose them," he said.
Maya answered carefully. "She died before you got the chance."
Detective Brooks received a call.
Bianca had been found at the D'Angelo lake house.
She surrendered.
In the interview room, she looked nothing like the woman who had controlled Lucy at breakfast.
No makeup.
No jewelry.
No confidence.
"Salvatore recruited me two years ago," she said.
Vittorio watched through one-way glass.
Bianca claimed Salvatore promised her financial security if she married Vittorio and helped establish a guardianship case.
"Marcus said Lucy would never be hurt," Bianca said. "He said we only had to make her look scared of Vittorio."
Brooks stared at her.
"So you frightened the child to build evidence?"
Bianca looked down.
"Yes."
"And the dog bowl?"
Silence.
"That was not Salvatore's idea, was it?"
Bianca began crying.
"No."
Good, Vittorio thought.
At least one excuse had finally run out.
Then Bianca offered something valuable.
Salvatore's ledger was not in the chapel.
She had moved it.
"Where?" Brooks asked.
"Elena's old greenhouse."
Police searched before dawn.
The ledger was there.
So was a sealed audio recorder.
May you like
On it, Marcus's voice said:
"If Elena keeps the appointment with the prosecutor, stop the car from getting there."
