Chapter 9
Dante opened Lorenzo’s bedroom for the first time in years.
He and Elena searched drawers, safes, old coats, cigar boxes.
Nothing.
Sophia wandered in holding her stuffed cat.
Elena started to send her away.
Sophia pointed at a carved wooden horse on the mantel.
“Bird.”
On the saddle was the Moretti hawk.
Dante lifted the horse.
Too heavy.
A panel slid open underneath.
Inside lay Marco’s watch.
Elena covered her mouth.
The scratched steel case hid a tiny data connector.
Rocco plugged it into an isolated laptop.
The master ledger opened.
Names.
Accounts.
Payments.
Bello Holdings.
Carlo.
Bankers.
Contractors.
And the payment for Marco’s murder.
There was one final file.
A letter from Lorenzo.
SON,
IF YOU FOUND THIS, THEN I FAILED TWICE.
Lorenzo admitted he knew Carlo was stealing. He had warned Marco to stop digging because exposure would destroy the family.
He learned the full truth after Marco died.
Instead of exposing Carlo, Lorenzo hid the evidence to prevent a war.
The final line read:
I CALLED MY COWARDICE STRATEGY BECAUSE IT SOUNDED LIKE SOMETHING A MORETTI COULD LIVE WITH.
Dante sat down.
His father had not ordered Marco’s murder.
But he had buried the truth.
Elena touched Dante’s shoulder.
He did not move away.
Rocco’s phone rang.
The tactical team had reached the Catskills property.
Shots fired.
One suspect wounded.
Vincent escaped into the woods.
Mateo was missing.
On the kitchen table, agents found a child’s drawing.
A road.
A bridge.
Six fence posts.
A purple hawk.
Elena stared.
“Mateo draws maps when he’s scared.”
Rocco opened satellite images.
Three miles north stood an abandoned ranger station.
Teams moved immediately.
Dante stayed behind because agents ordered him to.
Forty-seven minutes later, the call came.
May you like
Mateo was alive.
And he was asking for Uncle Dante.
