Chapter 5 - THE SILVER CANE
They found Vittorio’s car three miles from the estate.
Empty.
No driver.
No phone.
Dominic searched the wine-cellar tunnel.
One door had been left open.
On the stone floor lay a rubber tip from a cane.
Matteo picked it up.
Vittorio had been there.
Bianca stayed in the guest wing with her lawyer.
She stopped answering questions.
When Matteo finished, she said, “What was he afraid of?”
Sofia looked toward Elena.
“Maybe the same thing Marco found.”
Elena held the brass key on her palm.
“I should have opened whatever this belongs to years ago.”
“No,” Sofia said. “You were raising a child alone.”
Elena’s eyes filled.
Matteo felt ashamed.
Marco had died while working for his family.
Elena had stayed employed by the same family because she needed stability for Mia.
And Matteo had never once asked why a woman with bookkeeping experience was serving tea.
He had simply accepted the arrangement.
Dominic entered carrying a tablet.
“We traced the key.”
Matteo stood.
“How?”
“The crest pattern corresponds to old Bellandi private storage.”
“Where?”
Dominic looked almost embarrassed.
“Under the chapel.”
Sofia went pale.
“Carlo kept a document vault there.”
Matteo looked at Elena.
“Did Marco know?”
“I don’t know.”
They crossed the moonlit courtyard together.
The chapel smelled like dust and wax.
Behind the altar, Dominic found a narrow iron door.
The brass key turned.
Inside was a steel box.
Matteo opened it.
Files.
Photographs.
A flash drive.
May you like
And an envelope in Marco Rossi’s handwriting.
MATTEO BELLANDI — ONLY IF VITTORIO MOVES AGAIN.
